Hover by Melissa West

Summary (from Goodreads):

On Earth, seventeen-year-old Ari Alexander was taught to never peek, but if she hopes to survive life on her new planet, Loge, her eyes must never shut. Because Zeus will do anything to save the Ancients from their dying planet, and he has a plan.

Thousands of humans crossed over to Loge after a poisonous neurotoxin released into Earth's atmosphere, nearly killing them. They sought refuge in hopes of finding a new life, but what they became were slaves, built to wage war against their home planet. That is, unless Ari and Jackson can stop them. But on Loge, nothing is as it seems...and no one can be trusted.

Review:

I loved the first book, Gravity. And after that ending, I was highly anticipating this sequel. I knew it would take place on a different planet (the planet of the people Ari has been training her whole life to fight). And I was excited to see it. Also, I was super interested in seeing how things would go down with Jackson.

I kind of wish I actually got to see and learn more about the aliens and their planet. I kept getting glimpses from Ari’s new training as a soldier for her “enemy.” And there were so any interesting aspects. I loved the healers and I wish I got to know them better. I loved the way the alien society was divided by people’s skills –kind of like a the factions of Divergent mixed with a communist society, with a fascist dictator.  But, again, I felt like the world building was minimal –and I never truly feel like I got to see it.

The love story improved drastically. I love that it took a very long time for Ari to forgive Jackson. And because she didn’t jump right back into the into the insta-love romance with him, she was able to learn more about him as a person. She was able to see similarities they shared and differences that bugged her like crazy. And I fee like she actually had time to get to know him, which I wish she did in the first book, but still, it was nice to see.

The bad guy was pretty bad. He beat up his own mother, routinely. He enslaved humans that were supposed to be rescued. He was planning on setting up other humans to work as a shield against the humans of earth. He killed people with pleasure, in public. And he really had it in for Jackson. There’s death, torture, rebellion, and so many kick-butt dystopian elements. I literally couldn’t put the book down. I kept wanting Ari to rebel. I kept shipping her and Jackson. And I seriously wanted Zeus, the evil dictator, to go down.

I think I liked the first book more though, despite it’s insta-love. I liked the world-building in the first book. And I liked the sci-fi elements. For some reason, this book felt less sci-fi and more dystopian, even though it takes place on another planet…I guess it could all go back to the lack of world-builing here. There was so much about the planet that I never learned and never got to see. And I understand some of this is intentional and maybe there will be more on this in book 3, but still. I really think a little more sci-fi world building would have made me like this book more than book 1. Because the plot in this one has definitely been intensified since book 1.

All in all though, this book was suspenseful, fun, rebellious, and full of some sizzling YA romance. I give it a 7/10. And I am looking forward to book 3.