Author: Trevor Shane
Publisher: Dutton
Publish Date: September 8, 2011
Source: Crazy Book Tours
What's the Story?:
all wars have rules
rule #1: no killing innocent bystanders
rule #2: no killing anyone under the age of eighteen
break the rules, become the target
Since the age of eighteen, Joseph has been assassinating people on behalf of a cause that he believes in but doesn’t fully understand. The War is ageless, hidden in the shadows, governed by a rigid set of rules, and fought by two distinct sides — one good, one evil. The only unknown is which side is which. Soldiers in the War hide in plain sight, their deeds disguised as accidents or random acts of violence amidst an unsuspecting population ignorant of the brutality that is always inches away.
Killing people is the only life Joseph has ever known, and he’s one of the best at it. But when a job goes wrong and he’s sent away to complete a punishingly dangerous assignment, Joseph meets a girl named Maria, and for the first time in his life his singleminded, bloody purpose fades away.
Before Maria, Joseph’s only responsibility was dealing death to the anonymous targets fingered by his superiors. Now he must run from the people who have fought by his side to save what he loves most in this world. As Children of Paranoia reaches its heart-in-throat climax, Joseph will learn that only one rule remains immutable: the only thing more dangerous than fighting the war. . .is leaving it.
My Two Cents:
I was very excited to read this book. You all know how much I love dystopian so I was very excited to find that Children of Paranoia is dystopian for adults. I really, really liked this book. It did take me a little while to get into it though. The beginning of the book is very violent. It's not violent without reason, which is why I was able to get into it. The main character, Joseph, is fighting a war so the violence is understandable. I would have had more of an issue if the violence seem gratuitous, which it doesn't.
At its core, this is a story about protecting the things and people that you love, something most of us can understand. Once I got through the beginning, I really got sucked into the story of Joseph and Maria and how with their growing love, Joseph begins to realize that he's tired of fighting the war and he wants a different life for himself. This isn't a war or action story only; it's way more than that. It's a human story with social commentary.
This is the beginning of a trilogy but the end of the book is neat and tidy but still made me want to read the next books. I NEED to find out what happened and I cannot wait for the other books to come out!
Author Interview:
I had the opportunity to ask the author a few questions!
1. Who is your favorite character in Children of Paranoia and why?
Honestly, I try not to play favorites when I write. I try to give every character, no matter what role they play in the story, a certain level of humanity so that readers can find something to relate to in all of them. So for me, even when differentiating between the “heroes” and the “villians”, picking favorites is a bit like trying to pick a favorite child. That being said, I certainly respect the struggle that Joseph, the main character, goes through. It’s hard to question authority, to risk everything by looking around you and saying, “This isn’t right.”
2. How did you come up with the idea for Children of Paranoia?
I like stories built around big ideas. I like stories with hooks as long as whoever is telling the story uses those hooks to make the audience look at the world a little differently. The idea for Children of Paranoia hit my like a thunderbolt while walking down the street one day. The first chapter, where Joseph follows a woman home and killers her in front of her house, came to me as a nearly fully formed idea. The secret, underground war and its rules, Children of Paranoia’s
hooks, grew out of me trying to make sense out of that first violent act. Then it was all about trying to write an exciting story.
3. Where do you like to write? Do you have a favorite place?
I do most of my writing at my dining room table after my two-year old son, Leo (to whom I dedicated Children of Paranoia), and my wife are asleep. It’s nice. It’s quiet and I get to be surrounded by the people I love.
4. What's the best part of seeing your book published?
Everything. It’s hard sometimes to remember how fortunate I am. My brain constantly pushes me to wish for more. Once you’re published, you want to sell; you want everyone to be talking about your book; you want every review to be great. I often have to remind myself that my dream was always to simply be published and to have one person I didn’t know tell me that they loved what I wrote. So, the best part is having that simple dream come true.
5. What three books would you take with you on a desert island?
Before I answer this question, I want to say that I am fully playing this game. I’m not just picking my three favorite novels. These choices are specific to the desert island. So, here it goes: (1) Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman because, as you grow older, life moves faster and poetry becomes harder to enjoy but this book changed my life when I was a kid and maybe I could feel like that again; (2) Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut because it’s always good to be reminded how ridiculous life is, especially if you’re trapped on a deserted island; and (3) Ulysses by James
Joyce because I’d finally have the time to finish it.
Honestly, I try not to play favorites when I write. I try to give every character, no matter what role they play in the story, a certain level of humanity so that readers can find something to relate to in all of them. So for me, even when differentiating between the “heroes” and the “villians”, picking favorites is a bit like trying to pick a favorite child. That being said, I certainly respect the struggle that Joseph, the main character, goes through. It’s hard to question authority, to risk everything by looking around you and saying, “This isn’t right.”
2. How did you come up with the idea for Children of Paranoia?
I like stories built around big ideas. I like stories with hooks as long as whoever is telling the story uses those hooks to make the audience look at the world a little differently. The idea for Children of Paranoia hit my like a thunderbolt while walking down the street one day. The first chapter, where Joseph follows a woman home and killers her in front of her house, came to me as a nearly fully formed idea. The secret, underground war and its rules, Children of Paranoia’s
hooks, grew out of me trying to make sense out of that first violent act. Then it was all about trying to write an exciting story.
3. Where do you like to write? Do you have a favorite place?
I do most of my writing at my dining room table after my two-year old son, Leo (to whom I dedicated Children of Paranoia), and my wife are asleep. It’s nice. It’s quiet and I get to be surrounded by the people I love.
4. What's the best part of seeing your book published?
Everything. It’s hard sometimes to remember how fortunate I am. My brain constantly pushes me to wish for more. Once you’re published, you want to sell; you want everyone to be talking about your book; you want every review to be great. I often have to remind myself that my dream was always to simply be published and to have one person I didn’t know tell me that they loved what I wrote. So, the best part is having that simple dream come true.
5. What three books would you take with you on a desert island?
Before I answer this question, I want to say that I am fully playing this game. I’m not just picking my three favorite novels. These choices are specific to the desert island. So, here it goes: (1) Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman because, as you grow older, life moves faster and poetry becomes harder to enjoy but this book changed my life when I was a kid and maybe I could feel like that again; (2) Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut because it’s always good to be reminded how ridiculous life is, especially if you’re trapped on a deserted island; and (3) Ulysses by James
Joyce because I’d finally have the time to finish it.
Book Trailer:
Important Links:
Website: http://www.childrenofparanoia.
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/
Trevor Shane on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/
Children of Paranoia on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/
Read an Excerpt: http://www.childrenofparanoia.
Don't forget to follow the rest of the tour:
10/11/2011 - Kristin Kritters Ramblings - http://www.krittersramblings.
10/13/2011 - Maggie My Utopia - http://myutopia36.blogspot.
10/14/2011 - Laurie Reader Girls - http://readergirls.blogspot.
10/16/2011 - Christa Mental Foodie - http://mentalfoodie.blogspot.
10/17/2011 - Gwenyth Love Rants~N~Scribbles - http://rantsnscribbles.
10/18/2011 - Sinn Sinnful Books - http://sinnfulbooks.blogspot.
10/19/2011 - Meg A Bookish Affair - http://abookishaffair.
10/20/2011 - Louise Between the Covers - http://www.
10/23/2011 - Julie Book Hooked - http://www.bookhookedblog.com
10/24/2011 - Stacy Girls in the Stacks - http://www.girlsinthestacks.
10/25/2011 - Nicole All I Ever Read - http://books.nicoleabouttown.
This looks sooooo good! I don't normally read violent books but based on your review and the buzz I've been hearing, I definitely need to read this!
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