Blog Tour: The Lair by Emily McKay

Welcome to the next stop on The Lair blog tour! I had the privilege of being sent a copy of this book from Penguin Group USA to review. My review can be seen below.

The Lair

Release Date: November 5th, 2013

The Sequel to The Farm by Emily McKay

SUMMARY:

In the battle against the vampiric Ticks, humanity was slowly but certainly headed for extinction. For months, twin sisters Lily and Mel had been “quarantined” with thousands of other young people being harvested for their blood—food for the Ticks. Finally escaping with a few friends, the twins are separated—and must continue the fight on their own . . . 

After making it to a resistance base camp in Utah, Lily learned to survive at all costs. But when a Tick attack decimates the fighters, Lily and her pregnant friend, McKenna, decide to make the hard trek north to Canada—and safety.

Meanwhile, Mel is being taught how to survive by the very vampire that turned her. Living without her sister is hard, but dealing with the fact that her autism was cured by the vampire bite is an even bigger challenge.

But when a monstrous betrayal places Lily in mortal danger, Mel must set out to find her, save her, and begin to unravel the empire of destruction that the Ticks have built.

REVIEW:

Once again Emily McKay has written a fantastic book! Reading about Mel's struggle with adjusting to becoming a Vampire was really intense and I especially love how her transition into a Vampire cured her Autism. She is such a strong individual both mentally and physically. Mel is probably my favorite character. When Carter, Lily, and McKenna finally get to Base Camp, it seems it is not as safe as they had hoped. Of course, we continue to watch the relationship grow between Carter and Lily and I really think that they are meant for each other. Unfortunately, Carter and Lily end up going in separate directions in order to survive. Lily is entrusted to get McKenna safely to Canada and help deliver her baby, though they do not make it there. It just about destroyed me when McKenna died after giving birth and bled out, but luckily her baby survived. When Carter goes to get Lily and McKenna's baby Josie, Lily accidentally gets infected with the Tick virus. It is so awful and I am still hoping she can be cured in time. Sebastian's lies and betrayal really angered and surprised me. In this book we meet many new characters and learn more details about the feud between Sebastian and Roberto. The book ended with a jaw dropping cliffhanger that put me on on the edge of my seat in shock. All in all this book was another fabulous read and I'm anxious to read the third book in this series.

About the Author:

Emily McKay loves to read, shop, and geek out about movies. When she's not writing, she reads online gossip and bakes luscious deserts. She pretends that her weekly yoga practice balances out both of those things. She lives in central Texas with her family and her crazy pets.  She also co-writes young adult novels as Ivy Adams.

Visit Emily online: escapethefarm.com           Twitter: @Emily_Mc_Kay

Book Review: 'The Farm' by Emily McKay

The Farm

by Emily McKay

Released: December 4th, 2012

SUMMARY:

Life was different in the Before: before the Ticks began devouring humans in a deadly swarm across America; before the surviving young people were rounded up and quarantined “for their own protection.” These days, we know what those quarantines are–holding pens where human blood is turned into more food for the Ticks. Surrounded by electrical fences, most kids try to survive the Farms by turning on each other…

And when trust is a thing of the past, escape is nearly impossible.

Lily and her twin sister Mel have a plan. Though Mel can barely communicate, her autism helps her notice things no one else notices–like the portion of electrical fence that gets turned off every night. Getting across won’t be easy, but as Lily gathers what they need to escape, a familiar face appears out of nowhere, offering to help…

Carter was a schoolmate of Lily’s in the Before. Managing to evade capture until now, he has valuable knowledge of the outside world. But like everyone on the Farm, Carter has his own agenda, and he knows that behind the Ticks is an even more dangerous threat to the human race…

REVIEW:

It is very rare that I am put through such an emotional roller coaster while reading a book, but this book really got to me. The depth to all of the characters and the danger they faced was palpable. When they escaped the farm I felt the same instant surge of relief and also fear of the ticks that they did.  I found myself rooting for Carter as he tried to convince Lily of his love for her. I really connected with Lily and Mel in that I have a sister myself whom I love dearly and would risk my life to protect as well. When Mel was dying and Lily lost it, I felt wretched and happy when she demanded Sebastian save her by turning her into a vampire. All in all I was drawn into this book and recommend it to all.

About the Author:

Emily McKay loves to read, shop, and geek out about movies. When she's not writing, she reads online gossip and bakes luscious deserts. She pretends that her weekly yoga practice balances out both of those things. She lives in central Texas with her family and her crazy pets.  She also co-writes young adult novels as Ivy Adams.                                        Visit Emily online: escapethefarm.com           Twitter: @Emily_Mc_Kay