Dark Days

Thanks to Edelweiss and Sky Pony Press for allowing me access to this title.

While the concept of the story and the writing itself weren't bad, I didn't feel as drawn into the story as I like to be. I didn't really care about any of the characters, and by the time I hit all the action at the end, it just felt silly to me. If they are the 7th sector, don't you think some of the others would have figured something out by then? And they just go out and defeat all of these amazing cyborgs with just a handful of people? People who have just a few days of made-up combat training? Somehow that didn't all compute for me.

Overall, I think there are those who will like it, but it just didn't make a huge impression on me as great reading material. 2.5 / 5 stars.

This book was Fabulous! I give it 5 STARS and I cannot wait..... let me repeat that..... I CANNOT wait for a sequel.First and Foremost, Dytopian novels are quickly becoming my new favorite reading choice and secondly I could not put this book down. I basically read it in about 14 hours.... only because I had to take a break here and there. :) Here is the synopsis for you from Goodreads to get started......The future world has been divided into sectors--each the same as the other. Surrounded by thick steel fences, there is no way in and no way out. Yet a cyborg army penetrates each sector, picking off its citizens one by one, until no one is left. Behind the sectors' thick walls, the citizens wait to die. Few will be chosen to survive what's coming; the rest will be left behind to suffer. A new world has been created, and its rulers are incredibly selective on who will become a citizen. They want only those with important roles in society to help create a more perfect future.Sixteen-year-old Sia lives in one of the sectors as part of a family that is far too ordinary to be picked to live. According to the digital clock that towers high above her sector, she has only fifteen days to live. Sia has seen the reports and knows a horrific death is in store for her, but she is determined to make the most of her final days. Sia refuses to mourn her short life, instead promising herself that she'll stay strong, despite being suffocated by her depressed mother and her frightened best friend. Just when Sia feels more alone than ever, she meets Mace, a mysterious boy. There is something that draws Sia to him, despite his dangerousness, and together, they join a group of rebels and embark on an epic journey to destroy the new world and its machines, and to put an end to the slaughter of innocent people.OK..... sounds pretty good right? OK first I have to state that I hope there is a sequel and fast and when there is PLEASE let there be more Mace and even more of Finn's character. I liked Mace's character a lot, but there was something about Finn and a few short moments where I was hoping that a possible "love triangle" would develop. I am sure the possibility still exists and normally I hate love triangles and am kind of a "pick your man and stick with him throughout the entire book kind of reader..... but in this case there is just something about Finn. I know he had a crush on Sia before their troubles began with the 15 day countdown and life was normal for them,if you can call that normal. But you really have such short moments with him that I really want to get him and Mace's characters more fro sure. :) But again this is yet another reason that I cannot wait for a sequel. There are so many possibilities and I want to know it all! Oh, and do not forget you have Damien's son Caine on the run at the books end and you know that he will rear his ugly head sooner or later too. This was a fast read( I wish it had been longer for sure) and then because it was so good, I could not put it down and finished it with ease. I really did not want it to end and as I read in another review..... I simply want more. A prequel, sequels.... Give it to me Kate Ormand. Loved this! Lovers of YA and Dystopian books, if you need a new read this is it!**************************************************Here is an excerpt or two or three that I LOVED!I want to live.Ten days ago, I was resigned to die. I'd accepted my fate, knowing there was nothing I could do about it. Then I met Mace, and he told me that there was something I could do. He told me I could fight. Mace gives me hope. He makes me want to try. He makes me want to live.**************************************************And here is a FINN moment.....I shouldn't have fallen asleep.I don't know how I did. I don't know how I closed my eyes. I don't know how I could relax for even a second in this awful place.Outside the cell door is the sound of jangling keys and groaning metal. They're here for me. It's time. I hear the door open, but I can't see a thing. I can only just make out my own pale hands in front of me. There are no windows in this cell. No moonlight shining through bars to give me even a clue of what time it is or who's standing in the cell with me."Who's -?" I begin"Shhh."I tense. I'm scared, so scared. I sit up straight, listen. Thousands of scenarios flash through my mind: I'll be publicly executed, or the guards will shoot me here, or they'll do to me what they did to Mr. Tanner with the cyborg, or they'll leave me here and let me rot and waste away until I'm nothing but a pile of bones.Hard, calloused hands rest on top of mine. I jump at the sudden contact. "Shh," the voice says again. Lips touch my hair. Warm breath weaves through each strand. "It's me, Finn. You're okay. I'm here for you," he whispers.He laces his fingers through mine. "Sia, say something."I can't."Did they hurt you?" Finn runs his free hand up my arm, slowly, carefully, until it finds my neck, my ears, my face. He touches my cheek, wipes away the wetness from my tears with his fingertips. "Sia," he breathes. "Sia, it's all right." He guides my head to his shoulder and strokes my hair.I choke. "Finn?"His face is pressed against mine and I feel him smile. "It's me, I'm here," he soothes.I hug him harder. "I thought they'd come to kill me."He eases me back, feels for my face in the dark again, and brushes tangled hair out of my eyes. His touch is so gentle, so careful. "Would you like to go home instead?" he whispers. His face is closer than I thought. I nod, and my forehead rubs against his. His breath catches and there's no sound at all in the cell. No noise at all around us. Until sharp stilettos crack the silence. The unmistakeable sound of pointy heels clicking on concrete.Finn hoists us both up and guides us out of the cell. He navigates to the front of the building and into the first cell by a side entrance. He pushes me up against the wall, in the corner beside the metal door, and presses his body into mine. Finn's breath tickles my neck, shallow and fast.Felicity steps into the jail and Finn stops breathing altogether. The dull footsteps of guards follow her. I'm stiff, rigid, my limbs tense up tight against Finn's body. Then he pulls away. Cold air slaps me. Without him I'm vulnerable, exposed.He holds my hand and crouches low, pulling me down into the same position as him. His footsteps are careful, cautious, silent.Felicity and her guards are at the back of the building now. I see the bright yellow beam of a flashlight bobbing around as they approach what was my cell. She says my name and I freeze. "The decision has been made as to what to do with you," she continues.I want to hear more.Felicity's footsteps stop. There is a moment of silence, then she shrieks. Finn tugs at my arm and we slip out through the open door. We straighten up but don't let go of each other.And then we're running.******************************************************And a little Excerpt with Mace......There's a tap at the door."Come in," I say.Mace hovers near the open door."Hey," he says."Hey."He closes the door and sits beside me on the bed. Our thighs touch. He smells of smoke too. mace tucks a small piece of loose hair behind my ear. "I was so worried about you these past two days," he whispers. "I can't believe you were in The New World the whole time. I looked everywhere for you and I couldn't find you. But you weren't even in the sector. You were somewhere I couldn't get to you and that....that kills me. If anything had happened to you there, I wouldn't have been able to protect you from it. I wouldn't have even known."SIGH...... I cannot choose and I love them both I think! Enjoy the Awesome read!

One of the most creepy dystopian/sci-fis I have read! This book kept me on the edge of my seat; made my heart race, palms sweat; and kept me up all night...Sia has lived her entire life holed up in her sector having never stepped foot past the iron walls that surround it. Their world is gray and bleak. Having never seen flowers, trees or stepped on grass, Sia is trying to keep herself distracted by creating the most mundane bucket list anyone has ever seen. But when you only have 15 days left to live, what else is there to do? There is no sense in panicking, rioting or anything else. It would only cause death to come to your door that much faster.Sia has shut down her feelings and deals with the most heartbreaking moments by suppressing all of her emotions. At times it was hard for me to understand her detachment to such life changing events. But then again, I am not the one who is facing death in just a few short days. No one can predict how they would react to anything when they're faced with knowing that everyone around them, including themselves, will no longer exist because they were not deemed worthy to bring anything to the "new world".No one will survive the cyborgs that are coming...There are a lot of ups and downs, twists and turns, action pact moments. What really kept me captivated was that the chapters were numbered to countdown to the day that Sia's sector was going to be destroyed. It was really stressful to read through the chapters as the numbers went down and it got closer and closer to the inevitable.I am really hanging on to the hope that there will be a book two! This book was an amazing introduction to an intriguing new world and has given me hope for these memorable and genuine characters. The ending was a really well done cliffhanger; I usually despise cliffhangers. But, the author gave me all I needed to get by for now. But every time I think of this book, or see it, or anything - I crave to know more!!! What is happening right now? How did the world get to be like this? Why is this government so twisted? Why send these killing machines in to destroy innocent lives? Why not just let them starve, or let them die of something else... less morbid? There are a whole lot of other questions that I have too and I'm hoping that ANOTHER BOOK will help answer them!If you love dystopian books with a sci-fi twist, add this to the top of your TBR. And if you don't, then you really need to go out of your comfort zone... it will blow your mind!*An annotated hardcover was won in a giveaway from the author.The annotations or the author herself have not influenced my review.All thoughts are my own.

I really enjoyed Dark Days. It’s something different, and I think it would make an awesome movie.

My only complaint with this book is I felt like the characters weren’t fleshed out very well. I think if the characters had more personality, and the book had more pages to include that, this book would have been perfect. Sia was actually very easy to connect with. She has a hard life in the sectors. She knows she’s going to die, and wants to check things off her bucket list. I was pissed at the way her friend treated her. She has an odd relationship with her parents too. I loved Mace. He’s fun, and pretty easy-going considering everything going on.

I loved the action in this book. It is what made me want more. I’ve very action driven sometimes, my hubby hates this about me when we watch movies. Sia puts herself in crazy situations, and I admire her bravery during them. I would have completely crumpled. There is definitely insta-feelings in Dark Days, but I think it completely works in this novel. Mostly because of the short timeline they have.

I really hope there is another book that ties up the loose ends. If not, I’m okay with how it ended. Dark Days is a mix of dystopian and post-apocalyptic.