Review: The Woodlands (Lauren Nicolle Taylor)

Life inside the rings has never been pleasant for Rosa. The rigid rules don't sit well with her adventurous and strong-willed spirit, and she often finds herself in trouble because of this. Lately, however, getting into trouble is her only defense against her hateful stepfather. She half expects her attitude will be what costs her everything in the end, but that would have been more bearable than the truth.

Set in post-apocalyptic Russia, The Woodlands society is harsh and rigid. The focus on "All Kind" over individuality is a common theme in dystopian style novels, but there is an element of uniqueness to this world that draws readers in immediately. The Superiors rule the Woodlands by keeping the different groups of survivors isolated from each other to the point of absolute dependency. Even Rosa's strong personality has trouble seeing past the inevitability of falling in line with the Superiors. Even so, Taylor still manages to keep an underlying sense of hope throughout the terrible trials Rosa faces to keep the readers from despairing too much.

Something I always look for in a novel is a strong cast of characters. Rosa is a character most readers will easily relate to right off the bat, but it is the varied supporting cast that truly gives this novel the sense of reality it needs to capture readers' attention. I very much enjoyed the complexity of each supporting character and the depth of not only their emotions, but their motivation and perspectives on their lives. Joseph is a beautifully deep character who's initial cheerful personality might make readers not take him seriously, but his depth of conviction and troubled soul will make him unforgettable.

It isn't just the supporting characters that readers will have a hard time pulling away from. While this isn't Rosa's story alone, she is definitely the main focus. Rosa isn't immediately the most "likable" character in the sense of her being the kind of girl who easily wins people over. At times I would find myself wishing she could be just a little different, a little less antagonistic or more able to open up to those who love her, but if she were any different she wouldn't be nearly as captivating. It is Rosa's imperfections that make her so real, so unique. It will pull at readers' heartstrings as they suffer along with her through incredible trials.

Rosa's story is not always a happy one, yet her strength and fierce love for her friends never lets the reader lose hope in her. This is the first book in The Woodlands Series, and I can promise that readers will be eager for book two as soon as they finish this one.

Get your copy of The Woodlands now from: 

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Connect with Lauren online at: 

Website : Goodreads : Facebook : Amazon : Blog : Twitter

Interview: Lauren Nicolle Taylor (author of The Woodlands)

Today I'm welcoming Lauren Nicolle Taylor to the blog to tell us a little more about herself and her YA post-apocalptic novel, "The Woodlands." 

1. What was your inspiration for The Woodlands? Can you tell us about how your own experiences influenced this story? 

My inspiration for The Woodlands started with race. It then bloomed into the concept of All Kind, the contradiction that to eradicate racism you must blend all the races and make everyone look the same. I am of mixed race background and it was interesting to me to twist that and see where it led me. I also drew on other personal experiences to do with being a young mother, a teenager in love and my obstetrics background to write The Woodlands. 

2. Would you classify this series as plot driven or character driven? 

Definitely character driven!

3. Can you tell us a little about Rosa and how her home life has shaped the way she interacts with others?

Rosa is a solitary character, not by choice but because her inability to control her behaviour makes her an outcast in the tightly controlled Woodland society. She has a complicated relationship with her mother who appears not to care and sides with Paulo, Rosa’s verbally abusive and controlling stepfather. Rosa’s reaction to this situation is to antagonize Paulo and do anything she can to get into trouble. This is not because she’s trying to get attention but rather because she doesn’t care enough about her own wellbeing to stop herself. She doesn’t think she matters. Her mother reinforces this every time she turns a blind eye to Paulo’s abuse.

4. Without giving away too much, tell us a little about the trials Rosa faces. 

Rosa starts out a very closed off, angry child. As the book progresses she is faced with challenges that force her to open up, to love and trust people. This is a hard fought battle and often she clambers halfway up the hill only to slide back down again.

5. What do you hope readers take away from this book after meeting Rosa and Joseph? 

You’re always so much stronger than you think you are.

And it’s not always instant, it’s not always romantic but a love based on mutual respect and acceptance is worth the wolves, the helicopters and everything in between. 

6. What song best describes your writing style?

Anything Can Happen Finn Brothers

7. Night Owl or Early Bird?

Neither. According to my husband there is only a magic seven-minute window in every day where I’m pleasant to be around ;)

8. Skittle or M&Ms?

M&Ms preferably peanut butter M&Ms.

9. Who are your favorite authors?

I love Veronica Rossi, Colleen Hoover, Maggie Stiefvater, Julianna Baggot…

10. Can you tell us about your upcoming book, “The Wounded,” any other future projects? 

The Wounded picks up where The Wall left off. Firstly, Rosa must deal with her father suddenly entering her life after a long absence. The challenges she faces in this book will either break her and Joseph apart or bring them closer together. The secrets they uncover will completely change their world and everyone else’s.

In terms of future projects, I have to write the fourth and final book of The Woodlands series. I have also written a New Adult novel. The blurb/synopsis is below.

Langley is eighteen years old. She's spent most of her childhood in and out of foster care until she gives up lying and admits to the fact that she sees her dead sister. Now she spends all of her time in a psychiatric facility. The problem for Langley is she doesn't want to be treated. She wants to keep her delusion, it's the only family she has. 

Tupper is an orphan as well. But lucky for him he was adopted by a loving family. He had a great childhood, but he always felt like something was missing. So on his eighteenth birthday he takes the car his biological mother abandoned him in and follows the map they found in the glove box detailing a trip through the middle of America to Canada.

Tupper and Langley meet when she escapes the mental institution and he's on his way to the Grand Canyon, the first stop on his mother's map. Together they hash out the past, enjoy the silence of each other and realise some things can be fixed but other's you just have to live with.

Connect with Lauren online at: 

Website : Goodreads : Facebook : Amazon : Blog : Twitter

The Woodlands Series by Lauren Nicolle Taylor

Lauren Nicolle Taylor's The Woodlands Series will be featured on the blog next week, but here's a sneak peek of the third installment of the series coming out February 28th, 2014. 

Start the series today with a FREE copy of "The Woodlands" on your Kindle and most major ebook readers. 

When being unique puts you in danger and speaking your mind can be punishable by death, you might find yourself fighting to survive. Sixteen-year-old Rosa lives in one of the eight enclosed cities of The Woodlands. Where the lone survivors of a devastating race war have settled in the Russian wilderness because it's the only scrap of land left habitable on the planet. In these circular cities, everyone must abide by the law or face harsh punishment. Rosa's inability to conform and obey the rules brands her a leper and no one wants to be within two feet of her, until she meets Joseph. He's blonde, fair-skinned, green-eyed, and the laid-back complete opposite of Rosa. She's never met anyone quite like him, and she knows that spells danger. 

But differences weren't always a bad thing. People used to think being unique was one of the most treasured of traits to have. Now, the Superiors, who ruthlessly control the concrete cities with an iron fist, are obsessed with creating a 'raceless' race. They are convinced this is the only way to avoid another war. Any anomalies must be destroyed. 

The Superiors are unstoppable and can do anything they want. After all, they are considered superheroes by the general public. But not everyone sees them this way. When they continue to abuse their power by collecting young girls for use in their secret, high-tech breeding program, they have no idea that one of those girls has somehow managed to make friends even she didn't know she had. And one man will stop at nothing to save her.

And when you're done reading The Woodlands, continue the journey with the explosive, emotional sequel, The Wall.

And don't forget book two in the series, "The Wall," available on Amazon and most major ebooks stores. 

"She says it over and over. It's her mantra, her prayer, her plea. But life doesn't stop while he's sleeping. With a newborn baby in her arms, Rosa's thrown into a new world, with new rules and a philosophy that sounds too good to be true. She's sure they didn't rescue her out of the goodness of their hearts. The Survivors must want something in return.

The Wall finds Rosa eagerly entering a new life, yet struggling to keep the demons and ghosts of the past from dragging her backwards. She's left so many people behind.

There's freedom in the Survivors' world, more than she'd ever dreamed of, but there's also secrets. The darkest of which pulls Rosa headfirst into a trauma, forcing her to reevaluate her past and pushing her to make a choice that threatens to destroy the tenuous, sewn-together family she's built on the outside.

To continue the journey, lookout for book three of the four book Woodlands Series, titled The Wounded to be released in Feburary 2014!"