Welcome to the blog tour for How We Rise by Brooke Riley! This dystopian debut - and the first book in a series eep - released on May 19, so it's available to purchase RIGHT NOW. I've come to wrap up the tour with my own review, so definitely check out all the previous tour stops linked below.
HOW WE RISE BLURB:
When the truth gets you killed… will you still Rise?
Raegan MacArthur is content with her simple life. But lately, her life hasn’t been all that simple. She can’t drown out the screams in the night coming from the military base up the road. And she can’t ignore the truth behind them.
Peter Daniels thought moving back to Texas with his mom for senior year was a good thing. A chance to reconnect with old friends and finally feel at home again. But his life now can never be the same as it was six years ago.
Signs of government overreach are everywhere, and an unknown- yet familiar- enemy lurks in the shadows, watching their every move. The government is clamping down tighter and tighter on anyone who resists their ways. Raegan and Peter have to make the hardest decision they've ever faced: will they go quietly to save their lives… or will they rise?
MY REVIEW:
How We Rise is probably the most unique dystopian I've ever read. There are a lot of brilliant dystopian concepts out there, but many of them are super bizarre and it's hard to imagine our society actually reaching that point. This book is
different. Its society is scary, just like all the others, but it's a realistic kind of scary - and that, in a sense, makes it even more frightening than the others.
A common remark in reviews I've already read for this book is that it has contemporary vibes. You don't usually pick up contemporary vibes when you read a dystopian, but again, How We Rise breaks out of its genre's typical mold. Those vibes come from this book being set only a handful of years from now, which is a little strange to think about because it obviously isn't an accurate prediction (unless the coming years are gonna be as crazily unexpected and nation-transforming as this year has been), but I find it adds to the story's refreshing uniqueness.
The writing style is SOLID. Very simplistic, but it provides all the details necessary to vividly paint every scene and character in your mind's eye. The characters are the highlight of this book, which is always what I like to hear about a story. After all, the characters are the driving force - the heart - of fiction, and Brooke Riley's characters...
Well, let's talk about them.
Raegan - This girrrrrl. She is so strong and inspiring. She's not dramatic, she's complex (as opposed to the exaggerated inflation of one primary trait that I see probably way too often in female protagonists), and she's an awesome blend of passionate and chill.
Peter - MY HUSBAND. Seriously, though, you can't have him. He's mine. I could gush about him incoherently for hours, but lemme just mention one of the top aspects of his character that made me fall SO deeply in love with him: his loyalty. He's the truest friend you could ever ask for. Also his depth! Peter is one of those rare, openly deep dudes. If for nothing else, read this book for him. <3
Nicole - She's all right, but she's very much a side character. Hopefully we get a POV for her in book 2. XD I did feel like she WAY overreacted to one situation in particular (which I won't name for fear of spoilers), but her light, bubbly personality provided a much-needed contrast to some of the other characters.
Spencer - I relate to this dude. He hides in the corner away from other people, on his computer, listening to music. SAME BRO. I also appreciate him calling out/shipping Raeter. The more people acknowledging #Raeter's existence, the better. PROGRESS. And Spencer is just really smart and an all-around cool guy.
Evan - Here come conflicting emotions. Evan's complexity is MIND-BLOWING, and it freaks me out (in the best way XD) because I hate him and like him at the same time. I couldn't be further from supportive of most, if not all, of the choices he makes in this book, but almost every single one of those choices still makes sense and garners sympathy toward him. It's pretty wow. O_O
Jackson - This is another character I kind of have a love/hate relationship with. Brooke Riley certainly knows how to develop morally gray characters in such a way that you have to like them in spite of it all. (It's a really important skill to have as a writer, and Brooke has it down!) Jackson's sense of humor is equal parts endearing and frustrating, and the layers of his soul peel back in unpredictable ways throughout the story.
President Morgan - THE VILLAIN MERP. Not the most memorable antagonist I've ever encountered, but then again he isn't on the scene much in this installment. More like lurking in the background. His corruption and manipulation are terrifying, though, and he throws some serious curveballs that make for some seriously heart-wrenching plot twists. In short, he doesn't disappoint.
Speaking of the plot, it moves a bit slower than you might expect, but I wasn't bored at any point in the story. This is one of those super readable books in which every sentence is important and flows so smoothly into the next that you cannot stop reading - nor do you want to. XD The small-town setting is perfect because it's got all the regular small-town vibes, but they're mixed with some unusual creepy vibes (the distant screams at night and all *shudders*).
My complaints are few. I feel like a copycat of other reviewers when I mention this, but there is a LOT of motivational talk, almost to the point of unrealistic. Peter does a lot of it, though, and I adore every word that comes out of his mouth. So. XD Some of the dialogue in general is a little bit clunky, but that didn't take away from my immersion in the story very much.
Another thing to love is that there are basically zero filler aspects. Everything and everyone plays an important role in the plot. Believe me, this book is 100% worth your time. It will add years to your life. It will break your heart into a million pieces. It will inspire you to fight for what is right. It will have you screaming for book 2. It's clear that Brooke poured her whole heart and soul into this novel, and the result is a masterpiece. 4.5/5 stars!
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Brooke Riley has been seriously writing novels since she was fifteen, the thrill of creating new worlds and broken humans with a greater purpose is something that inspired her to begin writing in the first place. Before then, she hated writing but loved books and literature. She's always been drawn to new worlds and fascinating books. Not limiting herself to one genre, you will find she writes in dystopian one day, contemporary another day, and even historical the day after that.
When she's not writing, Brooke is probably thinking of some random idea for a new novel that's come to her in the most inconvenient of times, and how soon she can make a Pinterest board and Spotify playlist for it.
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And that's a wrap! I hope you'll read How We Rise and find it as fantastic as I did.
I've been busy adjusting to a new job and trying to finish up school, so blogging has fallen to the wayside. I've been able to read and comment around the blogisphere some, but progress on my own posts - aka my short stories inspired by songs - is really slow. I'm sorry to keep you all waiting, but hopefully that'll be up soon, along with the Dusted Red beta reader call. Because I plan to finish up those edits in the next week, if not this weekend!
Words can't express how much each and every one of you means to me. Thank you for those who read (when I can actually get stuff up lol), for those who comment, for your support and your friendship. You're all amazing.
The Lord's Truly,
