You know, I really feel like I don’t read enough.  I mean, I read oodles of blogs, plus about a dozen articles a day from The Guardian, plus random articles on Facebook, and I always try to check in on Twitter at least once a day, but I don’t read nearly as many books as I used to.

I know, I know – writing is reading.  To write well, I need to read widely.

And the thing is, I love reading.  I actually really miss the days when I could zip through a book in a day or two.  Sometimes I still do, but it’s becoming more and more rare.  I just don’t make the time for it that I used to.

*cries*

But then this spring, I heard about this book called The Ark by Laura Liddell Nolen.  She was one of many authors to be banished to a barren island by my friend A.F.E. Smith (whose book, Darkhaven, you should totally check out if you haven’t already), and it sounded absolutely awesome.  A trip into outer space was just what I needed, I thought to myself, so I agreed to review it for her.

Ze blurb:

There’s a meteor headed for Earth, and there is only one way to survive.

It’s the final days of earth, and sixteen-year-old Char is right where she belongs: in prison. With her criminal record, she doesn’t qualify for a place on an Ark, one of the five massive bioships designed to protect earth’s survivors during the meteor strike that looks set to destroy the planet. Only a select few will be saved – like her mom, dad, and brother – all of whom have long since turned their backs on Char.

If she ever wants to redeem herself, Char must use all the tricks of the trade to swindle her way into outer space, where she hopes to reunite with her family, regardless of whether they actually ever want to see her again, or not . . .

Oh, my God, you guys.

Just.  Oh, my God.

This book is freaking fantastic.  It sat dormant on my Kindle app for far too many weeks, but I devoured it when we got back from vacation last month and…I have no words for how amazing this book was.

Oh, wait – I did have words!  These words, specifically:

I am blown away.  Holy. Crap. That was awesome!  Except for the ending.  What happened to the ending?  I need to know what happened!  The character arc was great, but I want to know how the rest of the external plot plays out.

I feel like I’ve just watched a great TV show and now I’m in the middle of summer hiatus. 🙂

The story ends on a cliffhanger, but thank goodness there’s a sequel in the works, because I can’t wait to find out what happens next in Char’s story.  Now I know how all my friends felt in between releases of the Harry Potter books. 🙂

So, to make a long story short, check out this book!  Read, repeat, enjoy!  Count down to the sequel!

About the author

Laura grew up in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, where she spent an excellent childhood playing make-believe with her two younger brothers. The Ark is the direct result of those stories and a lifelong devotion to space-themed television. It received a Work in Progress Grant from the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. Laura has a degree in French and a license to practice law, but both are frozen in carbonite at present. She lives in Texas with her family.

You can find out more about Laura at her website, or you can follow her on Twitter!

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