Author Playlist + Book Review: Tainted - A.E. Rought

 

Hey, guys! Today I have A.E. Rought sharing her playlist for Tainted, the sequel to Broken, and let me tell you: she has fabulous taste in music! All of these songs went straight to my music player. Oh, and stick around for my review, mmkay? ;D

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Writing has always been dependent on music, for me. The stories just don’t flow until I have the right auditory backdrop. TAINTED was one of the most difficult books to find the right ‘voice’ for. Oh, I knew Alex and what he sounded like, but not the musical tapestry his story needed.

I was moody, had been poking TAINTED’s story outline with a stick and waiting for it to strike back, when I decided to play some tunes on Youtube. It started out with Godsmack, my go-to moody music, and then I clicked on one of the recommended videos on the right hand side.

One tune led to another, and I found myself listening to “Still Broken,” by Plan Three.

Something in my writer side clicked into place, and started resonating with that sound. I played every Plan Three tune I could find and four of them ended up in TAINTED’s playlist: “Still Broken,” “Brush it Off,” “Be Still My Heart,” and “Wake Up.” That last song, “Wake Up” fits the feel of Chapter Nine so well, I might have to play it just to FEEL it again.

I put those tunes into my YA playlist on Spotify, and started a radio station based on it. This dark, moody song “Sad, Dead Me,” but Von Benzo came on. Perfect tone, pacing, all of it, so I added it to the playlist. Somehow, I found “Landing in London,” by Three Doors Down and Bob Seger, another dark, smoky sounding tune with that sad kind of ache threading all the new songs together. Those two went to the top of the playlist pretty quick. “Echo,” by Jason Walker found its way in. “Off a Cliff,” joined the group of The Spill Canvas songs already in the playlist.

There’s plenty of Lifehouse, Shinedown, Ashes Remain, and one of my absolute favorites for YA writing, Burn Season. Their song “Perfect,” is well... pretty perfect for writing romance scenes. So is Ed Sheeran’s “Kiss Me.” But, for those darker moments of doubt for Alex, “Breaking Inside” by Shinedown needed to be played. Some of those lyrics could come from Alex, especially the opening lines of the chorus: I don't want to live, To waste another day, Underneath the shadow of mistakes I made...

One last song I HAVE to mention? “Bring Me To Life” by Evanescence.

If you read the book, you will totally understand.

And if you’re on Spotify, you can check out the playlist here.

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Title: Tainted (Broken #2)

Author: A.E. Rought

Release Date: October 1st 2013

Publisher: Strange Chemistry

Age Group: Young Adult

Source: NetGalley

Goodreads | Amazon | The Book Depository

Alex Franks believes the madness is behind them. With Ascension Labs under his direction and the forces threatening Emma's life overcome, they have a chance at a normal life, and keeping his secrets safely buried. But a shadow rises from Alex’s past, and she wants him back. Criminally brilliant, Hailey Westmore will stop at nothing to claim the boy she was meant to be with.

Without warning, Emma Gentry finds she cannot trust anything. Not her mind, her memory, not even herself. Tragic events and unexpected deaths stalk Alex and Emma, testing them in ways they would never imagine, and may not survive. Alex carries a new secret, and a horrifying guilt that Hailey uses to her advantage.

Emma’s life and sanity hang in the balance, and Alex may have created a monster...

It's been just a month shy of a year since I read Broken, but the premise of that book is not something that's easily forgotten. I finished that one thinking, "so that's it", but lo and behold, we have a sequel! If you haven't read Broken, let me warn you that it's about to get a tad bit spoiler-y in here, so read at your own risk. I'll keep them to a minimum, I promise.

Now, I did say that it was easy to remember the events in Broken, but I meant the main ones—it was the little ones that stumped me. A re-read would have made Tainted's start less confusing. Still, Alex's perspective was so much more enjoyable than Emma's and his voice just hooked me. It was distinctly male, but it had that sense of deep emotion coupled with confusion, thanks to Daniel sort of living inside him. There was still no scientific explanation as to how that double existence came to be after the Lazarus Procedure, as they named it in this second book, but then, there's no scientific explanation as to the power of love, either.

Aside from being less mentally-unstable—seriously, that's what I remember of Emma's thoughts lol—Alex's perspective also gave more insight into Ascension Labs and the horrors hidden in it, particularly the Procedure and how it worked in bringing someone back to life. Not pretty, I tell you. What's pretty though was how much this book shocked me. All the crazy, unexpected turns that Tainted took made me gasp, internally and, at times, out loud.

I hadn't known how A.E. Rought could double the mystery and suspense in Broken, but she did. She never gave her characters any break and kept me guessing as to who their real enemy was. Tainted definitely outdid the first book and you know what? I could use another book in this series!

MY FAVORITE PART was when the "and Alex may have created a monster..." part of the blurb was clarified. That was one of my gasp-out-loud moments.

RATING:

Author Interview with A.E. Rought + BROKEN Book Trailer

Hi, guys! Today, I'm glad to have A.E. Rought, author of Broken (which comes out on January, 2013 from Strange Chemistry!), for a short interview. Stick around for the newly-released trailer of this Frankenstein retelling!

How did you come up with the idea for Broken?

My plot buddy and I kicked around a bunch of story ideas when I knew I HAD to write something dark and aching and romantic. I wanted to play with a classics revisit for a while, so we started bouncing ideas. I’m not sure which of us mentioned Frankenstein first, but it went kind of wild after that.

How long did it take you to finish the first draft?

About four months.

While you were writing Broken, did you make some major changes from what you'd planned or did it end up the way you'd thought it would be?

There were little revelations while writing, but for the most part, once I had the plot set there wasn’t much straying from the course. A couple scenes got shuffled around for flow, but the finished story is pretty much what I intended to write.

Do you have a favorite and/or least favorite part or scene in it?

Oh! Good question. I have two favorites. One is with Alex and Emma on the catwalk. The other is with Emma and the deer. :D

Who was the first person to read Broken?

Lexie, my plot buddy. I might not have written Broken if Lexie hadn’t said, “I’m going to cry!” I love tears!

What are your writing "rituals"?

I have to have music. There’s a playlist for every book. I also have to have a mug of tea or coffee within reach.

Do you plan on writing another classic retelling?

Well, the future is wide open, so the possibility is there.

Thanks, Ann!

About the author:

Funny: A known introvert and mild megalomaniac — handy because writing indulges both. When not writing, A.E. can be found slaving under the cat’s demands, chasing the laundry, or whipping up really good bad food in the kitchen.

Somewhat serious: Self-proclaimed nerd, A.E. Rought has spent most of her early life in libraries and bookstores. It’s no surprise that she turned to writing shortly after creative arts college. She has novels of varying genres, and different pennames, published since 2006.

Serious-er: A student of language arts, A.E. Rought studied creative writing while attending Grand Valley State University with a focus on languages; French, Russian, and English. Now, married and a mother, A.E. writes from the comfort of home.

Twitter | Facebook | Blog | Website

Now for the trailer!

And if you're still not convinced that Broken is a must-read, you can check out my review here!

Book Review: Broken - A.E. Rought

Title: Broken

Author: A.E. Rought

Release Date: January 1st (US/Can) / 3rd (UK) 2013

Publisher: Strange Chemistry

Pages: 384 (paperback)

Source: ARC (Netgalley)

Goodreads

Imagine a modern spin on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein where a young couple’s undying love and the grief of a father pushed beyond sanity could spell the destruction of them all. 

A string of suspicious deaths near a small Michigan town ends with a fall that claims the life of Emma Gentry's boyfriend, Daniel. Emma is broken, a hollow shell mechanically moving through her days. She and Daniel had been made for each other, complete only when they were together. Now she restlessly wanders the town in the late Fall gloom, haunting the cemetery and its white-marbled tombs, feeling Daniel everywhere, his spectre in the moonlight and the fog. 

When she encounters newcomer Alex Franks, only son of a renowned widowed surgeon, she's intrigued despite herself. He's an enigma, melting into shadows, preferring to keep to himself. But he is as drawn to her as she is to him. He is strangely... familiar. From the way he knows how to open her locker when it sticks, to the nickname she shared only with Daniel, even his hazel eyes with brown flecks are just like Daniel's. 

The closer they become, though, the more something inside her screams there's something very wrong with Alex Franks. And when Emma stumbles across a grotesque and terrifying menagerie of mangled but living animals within the walls of the Franks' estate, creatures she surely knows must have died from their injuries, she knows. 

I just realized that I finished reading this Frankenstein retelling just as Frankenstorm's about to hit the US East Coast. Stay safe, friends!

Broken opened by showing Emma's grief and undying love for Daniel, her deceased boyfriend. She visited the cemetery almost everyday, wishing for a grave that wasn't there because Daniel had been cremated. She didn't stop reliving their memories together... until Alex Franks came. 

Though quite predictable, this book still intrigued me. I guessed most of the what's, but the why's kept me reading. If I didn't have a life, I would've finished this in one sitting despite the insta-love. The symptoms were there: sizzling air, electricity, and vague familiarity. And although I almost always hated insta-love in other books, it didn't annoy me even a little here in Broken, probably because it was integral to the story.

But it wasn't without flaws. There were less happenings than I would've liked; Emma's entire days were written, right down to her waking up late everyday, choosing between Daniel's or Alex's hoodie, getting to-go breakfast from her mom, and buying breve from Mugz-n-Chugz; and the descriptions were overboard at some parts. At times, they didn't make sense until I read them again but oddly, I actually enjoyed the thinking that I had to do. 

Now for the characters. I didn't like Emma, but I didn't hate her, either. Her grief haunted her everywhere and she let it affect every part of her life. She also kept remembering Daniel in Alex, and I just thought it was unfair to him. One of her few redeeming qualities was that at least she knew it wasn't normal to have such deep feelings for Alex less than a week after they met. I also liked that she didn't care about what other people said. 

And Alex Franks. He's easily one of the sappiest guys I've ever read, but oh man, did he get to me big-time. I imagined the serene way he looked at Emma and I almost melted. Sweeter than chocolate? Yep, that's him. Long before I read The End, I was already in love with him, freaky medical history included.

Brilliantly emotional and creepy, I'm glad I read Broken this close to Halloween. It may be a retelling, but it was very original, too. And that beautiful ending truly earned itself. I hope this'll be available here in the Philippines because I really want a finished copy (look at that gorgeous cover!).

MY FAVORITE PART was whenever Emma stood up for herself... which was always!

RATING: 4/5

(photo and summary from Goodreads.com)