Blog Tour: Review of Vicarious by Paula Stokes and 5 facts about the character Rose!

 
Dear All:
At long last, I get to promote one of my favorite books of the year-- it's finally out, yay!!! The amazing, stupendous VICARIOUS by Paula Stokes! You guys are in for a treat.

Book Description:

Winter Kim and her sister, Rose, have always been inseparable. Together the two of them survived growing up in a Korean orphanage and being trafficked into the United States. But they've escaped the past and started over in a new place where no one knows who they used to be.

Now they work as digital stunt girls for Rose's ex-boyfriend, Gideon, engaging in dangerous and enticing activities while recording their neural impulses for his Vicarious Sensory Experiences, or ViSEs. Whether it's bungee jumping, shark diving, or grinding up against celebrities in the city's hottest dance clubs, Gideon can make it happen for you--for a price.

When Rose disappears and a ViSE recording of her murder is delivered to Gideon, Winter is devastated. She won't rest until she finds her sister's killer. But when the clues she uncovers conflict with the digital recordings her sister made, Winter isn't sure what to believe. To find out what happened to Rose, she'll have to untangle what's real from what only seems real, risking her own life in the process.

Paula Stokes weaves together a series of mysteries and the story of an unbreakable bond between sisters in this unforgettable high-tech thrill ride.

Author Blurb:

Paula Stokes writes stories about flawed characters with good hearts. She’s 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. Find her online at authorpaulastokes.com or on twitter as @pstokesbooks.

Social media links:

www.authorpaulastokes.com

twitter.com/pstokesbooks

instagram.com/pstokesbooks

www.facebook.com/pstokesbooks

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26114131-vicarious

Book buying links:

Indiebound: http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780765380944

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Vicarious-Novel-Paula-Stokes/dp/0765380943/

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/vicarious-paula-stokes/1122537659

The Book Depository: http://www.bookdepository.com/Vicarious-Paul-Stokes/9780765380944 

My rating: 5 couches (if I were a gif person, I'd put a gif of Tom Cruise jumping on a couch)

My review: This book... where do I even start? This was by far one of my favorite reads of 2016. Vicarious by Paula Stokes stars Winter Kim, who does stunts while recording her neural impulses, which will then be used commercially for people to experience what she does... without the risk of actually injuring themselves. Winter, a Korean transplant, has had a difficult background, which I'll allow you to discover for yourself, but just let me reassure you, it feels authentic and is well done. Her sister has disappeared after a night of clubbing, and Winter will do anything she can to find her-- they've been through everything and Winter can't lose her now.

My description barely even scratches the surface of this pulse-pounding thriller. It has everything I love, from a strong and very sympathetic but deeply flawed female main character to a sexy love interest to techie science talk that warms my geeky heart to plot twists that left me breathless and disoriented in the best way possible. I've read a lot and the fact that I couldn't guess where the book was going is super impressive. And the prose... I can't even get started on the prose, it's gorgeous, dark, and lush. I've loved every book Stokes has written, but there's something very special about this book and has her best writing yet.

VICARIOUS by Paula Stokes is an ambitious, astonishing, and thrilling YA psychological thriller encased in a near future world-- a mesmerizing and seamless combination of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, GATTACA, and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Just like Lisbeth Salander, Winter Kim is fierce, strong and troubled, but you'll have no trouble rooting for her all the way. Well-crafted characters, achingly beautiful (and quotable) prose, and a plotline that will keep you guessing until the very end. Take a chance on this phenomenal rollercoaster of a book, and you won't be disappointed. It's hands down the best book I've read all year.

5 Facts about Rose, the main character Winter's sister who has gone missing

1. Rose Kim picked her new name because The Little Prince is one of her favorite books.

2. Rose blames herself for the sisters ending up in a sex trafficking ring, because she feels like she should have been smart enough to recognize that the adoption wasn’t legitimate.

3. Because of this, Rose feels a huge debt to younger sister Winter, and she would do basically anything to protect her.

4. Rose’s favorite color is red. She owns several dresses that range from ruby to scarlet to maroon.

5. Rose finds strength in controlling and manipulating men. This is her way of retaking the power that she lost when she was being trafficked in Los Angeles.

There you have it, gang! You've got to put this at the top of your TBR, it's that good. You won't regret it!

Blog Tour Schedule

Mon. 8/15: Introduction + Tour Schedule

Tues. 8/16: Writing Outside My Perspective: Part 1

Wed. 8/17: Review + Interview with Paula

Thurs. 8/18: Writing Outside My Perspective: Part 2

Fri. 8/19: Review + Five Facts About Winter

Mon. 8/22: Writing Outside My Perspective: Part 3

Tues. 8/23: Review + Five Facts about Jesse

Wed. 8/24: Writing Outside My Perspective: Part 4

Thurs. 8/25: Review + Five Facts About Rose

Fri. 8/26: Writing Outside My Perspective: Part 5