Welcome to the Official Blog Tour for Paula Stokes' Ferocious, the second title in the Vicarious series! This is a reviews tour! Yup! Take a look at the various reviews from participating blogs! There are also excerpts that we will be sharing as well! Not only that, there's a tour-wide giveaway! So... Check it out and grab your copy today! Plus, you can follow the tour, HERE!
Genre:
Young Adult
Psychological Thriller
Science Fiction
Series:
Vicarious, #2
Publish Date:
August 15, 2017
Publisher:
Tor Teen
Synopsis:
Paula Stokes returns to the world of Vicarious in this sequel, a high-action psychological thriller with a protagonist out for vengeance.
When Winter Kim finds out that her sister is dead and that she has a brother she never knew about, only two things matter―finding what’s left of her family and killing the man who destroyed her life. Her mission leads her from St. Louis to Los Angeles back to South Korea, where she grew up.
Things get increasingly dangerous once Winter arrives in Seoul. Aided by her friends Jesse and Sebastian, Winter attempts to infiltrate an international corporation to get close to her target, a nefarious businessman named Kyung. But keeping her last remaining loved ones out of the line of fire proves difficult, and when all seems to be lost, Winter must face one last devastating decision: is revenge worth sacrificing everything for? Or can she find a spark of hope in the darkness that threatens to engulf her?
When Winter Kim finds out that her sister is dead and that she has a brother she never knew about, only two things matter―finding what’s left of her family and killing the man who destroyed her life. Her mission leads her from St. Louis to Los Angeles back to South Korea, where she grew up.
Things get increasingly dangerous once Winter arrives in Seoul. Aided by her friends Jesse and Sebastian, Winter attempts to infiltrate an international corporation to get close to her target, a nefarious businessman named Kyung. But keeping her last remaining loved ones out of the line of fire proves difficult, and when all seems to be lost, Winter must face one last devastating decision: is revenge worth sacrificing everything for? Or can she find a spark of hope in the darkness that threatens to engulf her?
*Excerpt*
As the clock ticks past six p.m. and some of the other trainees begin to gather their things, a pair of men enter the room. My insides go cold. One of them is Alec Kwon. The second man is the guy I saw get out of the car with Alec and Kyung on Monday.
The guy with the gun.
“Miss Lee,” Alec says in a musical voice. “I’m Mr. Kwon and this is Mr. Yun. Talent Acquisition had a question about one of your hiring forms. If you could follow us, please.”
“Sure.” I stand up slowly from my chair, looping my purse over my shoulder. Around me, worried eyes start peeking toward me and then back to their work. Yoo Mi’s eyes seem to be focused completely on her workstation. I wonder if this is somehow her doing, if Baz ordered her to set me up.
“This way, please,” Alec says.
My insides clench into a fist as the men take positions on either side of me. There’s no way Talent Acquisition sent a freelance neurotechnologist and a gun-toting security specialist to escort me to their office. Maybe someone caught me on camera on the restricted floors. I glance furtively from side to side as we head down the hallway toward the elevator. There has to be an escape route somewhere.
“So you work for Mrs. Kim?” I ask, trying to remain calm.
“We work where we’re needed,” Alec replies, pressing the down arrow.
My blood goes cold. Talent Acquisition is above us, on the fourteenth floor.
I glance up at the display. The elevator is four floors away. That gives me just enough time to make a decision. As the elevator button dings and the doors slide open, I take advantage of the millisecond of distraction and race for the stairwell. A pair of executives step out of the elevator and provide me a tiny bit of cover.
But I can’t go down stairs very fast in my boots. I hear the door swing open and the sound of heavy shoes on the steps. I push myself to go faster, leaping over the last three or four steps at the bottom of each landing.
But it’s no use. The men have sturdier shoes and longer legs. They’re only two flights behind me. The farther down I try to go, the faster they’ll catch up. I frantically swipe my card at the next door and explode out onto the eighth floor, racing down the carpeted hallway. My head swivels left and right, looking for something, anything, I can use to slow them down. I reach out to jiggle each office doorknob desperately. Some of them are locked. Some of them open to puzzled looks from executives. I need one to be empty so I can lock myself inside. I need a place to hide. I need a few seconds to think. But I near the end of the hallway without finding what I want. Behind me, the men are shouting.
I lean down to pull a knife out of my boot. It isn’t going to be much against two men, at least one of whom has a gun, but it’s the best I’ve got. I don’t want to actually hurt anyone. I just need to get away . . . somehow.
And then I see a fire extinguisher mounted in a glass box, and next to it an escape rope. There’s a metal hook embedded in the wall. Hurriedly, I unlatch the nearest window and push open the glass. There’s no time to put on the safety harness. I link the rope to the metal hook, grab onto it, and launch myself out the window.
Quickly, I begin to half climb, half slide down the rope, my hands growing hot from the friction as I get lower to the ground. Seventh floor. Sixth floor. Keep going. Fifth floor. I pause for a second. Fourth floor. And then suddenly the rope jerks. I look up to see Mr. Yun hauling me back up toward the eighth-floor window. I slide faster than he can pull me up, but he’s taken in enough slack that I’m trapped in the air when I reach the bottom of the rope. I look down. I’m still more than two stories above the ground.
As I rise toward the third-floor window, I make a desperate decision.
I let go.
The guy with the gun.
“Miss Lee,” Alec says in a musical voice. “I’m Mr. Kwon and this is Mr. Yun. Talent Acquisition had a question about one of your hiring forms. If you could follow us, please.”
“Sure.” I stand up slowly from my chair, looping my purse over my shoulder. Around me, worried eyes start peeking toward me and then back to their work. Yoo Mi’s eyes seem to be focused completely on her workstation. I wonder if this is somehow her doing, if Baz ordered her to set me up.
“This way, please,” Alec says.
My insides clench into a fist as the men take positions on either side of me. There’s no way Talent Acquisition sent a freelance neurotechnologist and a gun-toting security specialist to escort me to their office. Maybe someone caught me on camera on the restricted floors. I glance furtively from side to side as we head down the hallway toward the elevator. There has to be an escape route somewhere.
“So you work for Mrs. Kim?” I ask, trying to remain calm.
“We work where we’re needed,” Alec replies, pressing the down arrow.
My blood goes cold. Talent Acquisition is above us, on the fourteenth floor.
I glance up at the display. The elevator is four floors away. That gives me just enough time to make a decision. As the elevator button dings and the doors slide open, I take advantage of the millisecond of distraction and race for the stairwell. A pair of executives step out of the elevator and provide me a tiny bit of cover.
But I can’t go down stairs very fast in my boots. I hear the door swing open and the sound of heavy shoes on the steps. I push myself to go faster, leaping over the last three or four steps at the bottom of each landing.
But it’s no use. The men have sturdier shoes and longer legs. They’re only two flights behind me. The farther down I try to go, the faster they’ll catch up. I frantically swipe my card at the next door and explode out onto the eighth floor, racing down the carpeted hallway. My head swivels left and right, looking for something, anything, I can use to slow them down. I reach out to jiggle each office doorknob desperately. Some of them are locked. Some of them open to puzzled looks from executives. I need one to be empty so I can lock myself inside. I need a place to hide. I need a few seconds to think. But I near the end of the hallway without finding what I want. Behind me, the men are shouting.
I lean down to pull a knife out of my boot. It isn’t going to be much against two men, at least one of whom has a gun, but it’s the best I’ve got. I don’t want to actually hurt anyone. I just need to get away . . . somehow.
And then I see a fire extinguisher mounted in a glass box, and next to it an escape rope. There’s a metal hook embedded in the wall. Hurriedly, I unlatch the nearest window and push open the glass. There’s no time to put on the safety harness. I link the rope to the metal hook, grab onto it, and launch myself out the window.
Quickly, I begin to half climb, half slide down the rope, my hands growing hot from the friction as I get lower to the ground. Seventh floor. Sixth floor. Keep going. Fifth floor. I pause for a second. Fourth floor. And then suddenly the rope jerks. I look up to see Mr. Yun hauling me back up toward the eighth-floor window. I slide faster than he can pull me up, but he’s taken in enough slack that I’m trapped in the air when I reach the bottom of the rope. I look down. I’m still more than two stories above the ground.
As I rise toward the third-floor window, I make a desperate decision.
I let go.
Copyright © 2017 by Paula Stokes
Sequel to:
(cover links to Goodreads)
Praise for Vicarious
"Combining elements of sci-fi and mystery, Vicarious is an expert blend from an author gifted with the ability to jump genres and stick the landing every time." ―Paste Magazine
“A total mind-bending thrill ride, with a heroine who’s as smart as she is strong. Readers will love Winter!” ―Lindsay Cummings, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Zenith and The Murder Complex
"Reading Vicarious is like tiptoeing across a field of landmines. Blindfolded. Stokes delivers enough adrenaline to make readers beg for mercy.” ―Victoria Scott, author of Titans and Fire & Flood
"An action-packed thriller that will keep you guessing until the very end--I couldn't put it down!" ―Kristi Helvig, author of Burn Out and Strange Skies
"Vicarious by Paula Stokes is a fast-paced thriller that grabs your attention on page one and doesn't let go. The main character is a fresh take on the usual heroine in YA novels." ―Julie Bond, Sales &Marketing Manager/YA Specialist, Read Booksellers
“This is the thrill ride you’ve been waiting for all summer.” ―PopCrush
“Pulse-pounding adventures and high-tech blend masterfully with romance, intrigue, and current issues, making this book completely captivating for any audience." ―VOYA, starred review
"Stokes delivers fans of suspense a story full of twists and turns...The author admirably handles graphic and disturbing material in a subtle way." ―School Library Journal
“A powerful kick-ass girl caught up in a high-tech, twisty mystery…Buckle up, this thrill ride travels at breakneck speed.” ―Justine Magazine
"Smart twists and turns...smart sci-fi worldbuilding. Complementing the mystery is a slow-burn love story between Winter and Mexican-American Jesse Ramirez, a fellow stunt artist. Their relationship is tender and complicated, with enough tension to sustain itself and enough heat to pop when things pay off." ―Kirkus Reviews
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**About the Author**
Paula Stokes is the author of several novels, most recently Vicarious and Girl Against the Universe. Her writing has been translated into eleven foreign languages. Paula loves kayaking, hiking, reading, and seeking out new adventures in faraway lands. She also loves interacting with readers.
Stay connected with Paula Stokes
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*My Thoughts*
Note: This review contains NO spoilers
This series is a first for me reading any of Paula Stokes' books. I was drawn in by the synopsis of both Vicarious and Ferocious. The synopsis alone boasted it's fast-adventure thriller that played with the mind. And... I have to say that it does live up to it.
Paula Stokes has created and continued this action/adventure-filled thriller following the main character on a "mission" to avenge those she loved dearly. Of course, the adventure flows as she travels to destination(s) to takes her even closer to her goal(s). Her characters are well developed with complex and individual personalities.
As regards to its pace, Ferocious seemed a bit lacking as compared to Vicarious. But, I would not say that it lacked in the intensity of the characters and plot. Paula Stokes has continued to reveal the resilience and strength of the main character, especially after everything she has been through and survived. Moreover, I would have to say that Ferocious contained its own fast-pace and compelling story to tell readers.
Of course, I would have to say that reading Vicarious first is recommended since Ferocious basically starts off where Vicarious left off. Plus, Vicarious pretty much sets up for Ferocious! Either way, Ferocious can definitely hold its own when it comes to the suspenseful and thrilling twists and turns of a hi-tech mystery/thriller.
My rating:
Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy from the author/publisher for an honest review, all opinions are my own
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***The Giveaway***
Giveaway is Open Internationally | Must be 13+ to Enter
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