Friday, September 1, 2017

Blog Tour: Light Years by Emily Ziff Griffin...Review & Giveaway!


Today I have an interesting new book to share with you...

Keep reading to learn more about Light Years by Emily Ziff Griffin!
Light Years
by Emily Ziff Griffin
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Release Date: September 5th, 2017
Genre: Young Adult

Synopsis:

As a mysterious virus infects the world’s population, a girl embarks on a quest to find a cure in this thrilling debut from Emily Ziff Griffin.

Luisa is ready for her life to start. Five minutes ago. And she could be on her way, as her extraordinary coding skills have landed her a finalist spot for a fellowship sponsored by Thomas Bell, the world’s most brilliant and mercurial tech entrepreneur. Being chosen means funding, mentorship, and most importantly, freedom from her overbearing mother. Maybe Lu will even figure out how to control the rare condition that plagues her: whenever her emotions run high, her physical senses kick into overload, with waves of color, sound, taste, and touch flooding her body.

But Luisa’s life is thrust into chaos as a deadly virus sweeps across the globe, killing thousands and sending her father into quarantine. When Lu receives a cryptic message from someone who might hold the key to stopping the epidemic, she knows she must do something to save her family—and the world.

Suspenseful, lyrical, and thought-provoking, Light Years features a remarkable heroine on an intensely physical and emotional quest for hope and existential meaning.

Emily Ziff Griffin lives in LA where she writes, produces, teaches, daydreams, and mothers two young kids. When she was 25, she co-founded Cooper’s Town Productions with Philip Seymour Hoffman and produced the Academy Award-winning film, ‘Capote,’ along with Hoffman’s directorial debut ‘Jack Goes Boating,’ and John Slattery’s ‘God’s Pocket.’ She's run three marathons, slowly, and holds a degree from Brown University in art-semiotics, the study of how images make meaning. She believes children are way more sophisticated than adults typically give them credit for and writes for the teenager who is ready to claim their own worldview and be grounded in their own power. ‘Light Years’ is her first novel. Find her at www.emilyziffgriffin.com.

Links:
Title: Light Years
Author: Emily Ziff Griffin
Format: Digital ARC
Source: Blog Tour/Publisher 

To be honest, I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I started reading Light Years. Obviously,  I had read the synopsis, but even after reading it I still wasn't 100% sure and once I started reading, I still had no idea where Emily Ziff Griffin was taking us.  I never could've have predicted the fascinatingly complex and multifaceted story Light Years turned out to be.  It is so much more than what the synopsis describes.

In Light Years, we meet Luisa, a highly intelligent teenager who has just interviewed for an internship with a well-known tech genius and is still struggling to figure out her future and her place in this world.  Then a deadly virus hits the world and Luisa is suddenly thrust into a role she never expected when she receives a cryptic message from someone who might know cure.  The race to find a cure to this worldwide epidemic becomes personal and especially important as some of Luisa’s loved ones become infected and Luisa is willing to do anything to help.  Soon Luisa, her brother, and a couple of friends find themselves risking their own lives as they journey to find answers.

Light Years, a story I found to be fast-paced, has a little bit of everything and definitely took some unpredictable turns.  There are quite a few heavy topics dealt with or discussed in story such as death and alcoholism.  It also deals with familial conflict, friendships, self-discovery and so much more.  There’s drama, science, technology, mystery, suspense, and plenty of other things packed into this story.  How the author was able to pack so much into this book and still manage to have a coherent and entertaining story, I couldn't tell you. But the more I read, the more engrossed I became in Luisa’s story and couldn't wait to see what would happen next.

Luisa is a fascinating character with an interesting condition.  Extreme stress as well her emotions cause her senses to go haywire resulting in overwhelming colors, sounds, tastes, smells, and more.  For example, seeing or encountering a sick person literally causes her to see the color red. Or sometimes seeing someone or something might make her taste a certain flavor or get a specific feeling.  It’s a condition that affects her greatly and sometimes hits unexpectedly, but it can also be quite useful as you’ll see if you read the book.

Luisa is also quite relatable and deals with many of the same emotions and experiences as most of us do.  She's trying to find her place in the world and just wants to feel normal.  She wants to help people however she can. Her condition as well as a difficult childhood and current family dynamics have affected her and her decision-making a great deal.  More so, than even she realizes, I believe, at times.  It was interesting to see her grow throughout the story as she became stronger and more confident despite the obstacles she faced.

As I mentioned before, Light Years contains quite a few important relationships that help to drive the story.  From Luisa’s relationships with her parents and brother to her friendships, each impact Luisa in various ways and help motivate her.  It was interesting to see this as well as to see the different types of relationships represented in Light Years.  A few of her relationships deal with some heavy or emotional issues, but all appeared to be quite believable and nicely written by the author.

With Light Years, Emily Ziff Griffin has managed to write a book that not only had me on the edge of my seat, but also affected me emotionally.  At times heartbreaking, Light Years is an beautifully written story that I thoroughly enjoyed.



*I received a free Digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

2 signed hardcover copies of LIGHT YEARS by Emily Ziff Griffin
US Only
No Giveaway account



GOOD LUCK!

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