Burn Out by Kristi Helvig

ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley

Author: Kristi Helvig
Genre: Young Adult | Sci-Fi
Series: Burn Out
Book: 1
Release Date: April 8th 2014
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Rating: ❤❤❤❤❤
Read: March 29, 2014

Synopsis
A futuristic blend of Beth Revis's Across the Universe and Lenore Appelhans's Level 2, Burn Out will satisfy the growing desire for science fiction with a thrilling story of survival, intrigue, and adventure.

Most people want to save the world; seventeen-year-old Tora Reynolds just wants to get the hell off of it. One of the last survivors in Earth's final years, Tora yearns to escape the wasteland her planet has become after the sun turns "red giant," but discovers her fellow survivors are even deadlier than the hostile environment.

Holed up in an underground shelter, Tora is alone--her brilliant scientist father murdered, her mother and sister burned to death. She dreams of living on a planet with oceans, plants, and animals. Unfortunately, the oceans dried out ages ago, the only plants are giant cacti with deadly spines, and her pet, Trigger, is a gun--one of the bio-energetic weapons her father created for the government before his conscience kicked in.

When family friend, Markus, arrives with mercenaries to take the weapons by force, Tora's fury turns to fear when government ships descend in an attempt to kill them all. She forges an unlikely alliance with Markus and his rag-tag group of raiders, including a smart but quiet soldier named James. Tora must quickly figure out who she can trust, as she must choose between saving herself by giving up the guns or honoring her father's request to save humanity from the most lethal weapons in existence.

My Thoughts
More like a 4.5 to me...

One of the most thrilling and unpredictable post-apocalyptic fictions I have ever read. Each scene was so crazy good that it was hard to put down once I started reading this astoundingly well-written book. It was full of suspense and actions I don't know where to start with. A must read for any science fiction fans out there, especially those who love post-apocalyptic fictions.

I was completely in love with the characters because they were complicated. Tora was so feisty that even she was in the toughest situation, she still didn't give in. The other characters, such as Markus, James, Britta and Kale were also such great character, even some of them were so evil I wanted to strangle them.

The plots were creative, well-written and fast-paced. I was amazed by the way the story was told which was so full of surprises and awe-inspiring scenes. The transition from one scene to the next was very nicely executed that it didn't cause me any boredom.

How the book was ending made me want to read the next installment right away. It is hard to predict what will happen next and that makes the wait even harder.

All in all, this is one great book that should not be missed by any science fiction fans or just anyone who wants to read something refreshing and filled with loads of actions and suspense. Kristi Helvig is a debut author that I will keep an eye out for.