Review: The Moon Dwellers by David Estes

Title: The Moon Dwellers
Author: David Estes
Format: Audio
Publisher: Podiium Publishing

Narrator(s): Julia Whelan, William Damron

Overall: 5/5
Performance: 5/5
Story: 5/5

Review:

Disclaimer: I was given a copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review.

I have fallen in love with this book by David Estes, and to be able to get a chance to hear one of my favorite books performed I jumped at the chance and was honored to be one of the ones selected for a free copy of this book.  Adele and Tristan are two of my favorite characters.

Listening to Julia Whelan voice Adele, I feel she is absolutely the perfect fit for this spirited young woman.  The life she brings to Adele, from the very beginning of her story, to the fight and her interactions with her two friends Tawni and Cole has me riveted.  It only further cements that Adele is by far one of my favorite female leads.

Listening to William Damron as the voice of Tristan, my heart beats a bit faster.  He is very, very close to the voice I imagine Tristan having (I've read the book on Kindle as well) and fall in love with him all the more.  Strong, dedicated, and at the complete opposite social spectrum from Adele, yet he fights in the war between the tri-realms just as Adele does.

Tristian and Adele are tied together from the very beginning and their backgrounds are different, their stories unique.  One fights to get out of the Pen and ultimately learn the truth about her parents past...the other seeks to make something good out of his troubled life, leaving the lavish lifestyle of a sun dweller and the President's son.

I highly recommend reading this book in audio, together Julia Whelan and William Damron bring a new dimension of life into this post-apocalyptic dystopian tale spun by David Estes.  Decidedly a five star read.

Something New at Confessions

As you all may or may not know, I've started a tumblr that is dedicated to well, the one thing I love most dearly on the planet...books.  Yes, I've joined booklr. Starting in July, I will be participating in one of the many Book Photo Challenges that are circulating around the community.  I have chosen one in particular, and I will be working on photos through out the month.  You'll be able to see them here, on my instagram, the Confessions of a Bibliophile Facebook page,  my twitter, and of course on my tumblr page.

I encourage you to follow me on these platforms, so that way you can get the book recommendations, and see all the pictures as soon as possible.

Here is the list that I will be using for this Book Photo Challenge, as taken from Just One More Page's tumblr:

I will be setting up a page on this blog's homesite, so you can easily find a direct link to each image daily.  Also, beginning in July, expect to see regular reviews from me again.  I've been out of the loop lately, so the first few might be a bit rusty, so just please be patient.  As always, my reviews are cross-posted here, tumblr, goodreads, amazon, and new this month, Audible. 

I think that's about all the announcements I have for you today.  This month's book of the month went live earlier today, and this book has now become near and dear to my heart, because it will be one of the first audio book I do a review for, The Moon Dwellers by David Estes. 

Remember, keep reading! 

Book of the Month: June 2015: The Moon Dwellers

The Book of the Month showcase for June is....*drumroll*

The Moon Dwellers by David Estes

When I first started my blog David was one of the first authors that I interviewed, one of the first authors that I seriously started reviewing and instantly I'd come to love his writing.  Unfortunately my collection of his works is lacking, but I will be fixing that as soon as I can.  I am very fortunate to have met him, and I'm quite glad to share with you this series because it is one of my favorites. 

I am also currently re-reading this book, and continuing the series as I've the first three books, I'm missing book four.  I will probably also be re-reading his Evolution Trilogy...and the first two books in The Country Saga...which The Earth Dwellers ties into...which is the fourth book in the Dweller's Saga...as well as The Country Saga...!!!!! 

This book, the first in the Dwellers, has been included on Buzzfeed lists, and is DEFINITELY one of those books you should read if you love YA Dystopia, and if you loved The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.  Seriously...it is that good.  

David Estes is by far one of my favorite YA authors, and it is a pleasure to have gotten to know him and lose myself in the fantastic worlds he has created.  If you've never heard of him...I highly encourage you to check him out and start reading his stuff.  It is that good.  

Guest Post: David Estes - For the Love of Reading

Confessions of a Bibliophile has been taken over by one David Estes, Author of The Moon Dwellers and the Evolution Trilogy! 

For the Love of Reading
by David Estes, author of The Moon Dwellers and The Evolution Trilogy
Why I write books (especially YA and children’s books!)

In so many interviews, reader e-mails, and blog comments, I get asked the question about why I started writing. What inspired me to one day pick up a quill and ink well (or perhaps my teeny tiny laptop) and start writing a book? Did someone push me into it (well, yeah, kinda. My wife not-so-subtly encouraged me—a kick in the pants would be a good description!)? Or did I do it on a whim (hmm, that’s sort of right too)? Well, in the end it really came down to one thing: my love of reading.

Ever since I was a tiny tot of a boy (although my mom claims I hit six foot, taller than both her and my dad, by the time I was twelve), I read—no, more than that, devoured—books. I won a reading contest in 4th grade by reading an obscene number of books over a couple of months. I read all kinds of things, from books about talking animals, to EVERY Hardy Boys adventure, to The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, which I read at least a dozen times, no joke. 

In my early teens I gulped down my dad’s Agatha Christie collection (yum yum, Murder on the Orient Express) and by the time I was in my twenties I was reading some adult books, like Dean Koontz and John Grisham. But I never gave up my love of children’s and young adult books. Out of every ten books I read today, at least eight of them are YA, mostly paranormal, dystopian, or fantasy. 

But it’s not just the reading, I love the discussing, the obsessing, the excitement for the sequels or the movies or the cover reveals! I’ve been called a Goodreads ninja as I spend a significant portion of my life on the best book social networking site in the world! Some people are wary of authors who participate in social networking sites, as they think they’re just trying to promote themselves and their books, but for me that has nothing to do with it. I truly believe that to be a good writer and achieve success, first and foremost you have to have serious passion for reading. 

My wife, Adele, can attest to the fact that I love books more than anything, really. She calls me Brick, after the character from the comedy sitcom The Middle, because, like the child named Brick in the show, I read obsessively. If we’re watching a move or a TV show and we pause it for a bathroom break or to get a snack, when she comes back I’m sneaking in a few paragraphs of whatever my current book is. We catch a bus: I read. We have a few minutes before dinner is ready: I read. We go shopping: I read. No joke, she recently snapped a photo of me sitting in a huge pink chair surrounded by pink furniture in a…Victoria’s Secret, you guessed it…reading City of Glass by Cassandra Clare. Of course she just had to post it on my Facebook author page and the photo got more Likes than any post I’ve done myself!

Anyway, I think you get my point. For me, reading comes first. So when I started writing, I did it because I think books are awesome, because I want to inspire, to entertain, to help carry the writing torch, to amuse, to make people laugh and cry and shriek with excitement and get shivers and experience all those wonderful emotions that I always feel when I read a book. With every book I write I try to get better so my readers get a better experience. I’ve received so many comments from my readers about how my first trilogy got so much better as it went along, and for that, I’m proud. With my newest book, a YA dystopian romance/thriller, called The Moon Dwellers, I finally learned how to pour my own raw emotion—my own heartaches, losses, laughter, profound sadness, and joy—into my words and the feedback has been staggering.

So to all the people out there like me, who love reading more than anything else, keep doing what you’re doing, reading a book every three days (if you’re like me), carrying the spirit of words to your friends, family, co-workers, second-cousins, acquaintances, and random strangers on the street. And to the aspiring and well-founded authors, always remember why you do what you do, why you write: because you love reading.

A special thanks to Martha for giving me (and my overly excited randomness and sarcasm) the chance to come on her blog and talk about my completely obsessive love of books. I hope you all get the chance to read The Moon Dwellers, which is now available everywhere ebooks are sold or in print via Amazon.com (links below). Also, I pledged when I started writing to always respond to my readers, and I love getting comments and questions, so please contact me using one of my favorite social networking sites below. As always, happy reading!!

Where you can find me hanging out:
My blog/website: http://davidestesbooks.blogspot.com
My Facebook page/s: http://www.facebook.com/pages/David-E...
My Goodreads author page: http://www.goodreads.com/davidestesbooks
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/davidestesbooks

Where you can buy The Moon Dwellers:
Kindle Ebook: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008FJV8SQ/r...
Amazon Paperback: http://www.amazon.com/Moon-Dwellers-S...
B&N Ebook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-m...
Smashwords Ebook: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view...

My Other Books!
The Evolution Trilogy
Book 1- Angel Evolution
Book 2- Demon Evolution
Book 3- Archangel Evolution