The Murder Complex

 

Welcome to the Murder Complex.
You cannot see us. You cannot feel us.
But we are here.
And we control your every move.

 

The Murder Complex by Lindsay Cummings
Young Adult, Dystopian, Science Fiction, Action Thriller

An action-packed, blood-soaked, futuristic debut thriller set in a world where the murder rate is higher than the birthrate. For fans of Moira Young’s Dust Lands series, La Femme Nikita, and the movie Hanna.

Meadow Woodson, a fifteen-year-old girl who has been trained by her father to fight, to kill, and to survive in any situation, lives with her family on a houseboat in Florida. The state is controlled by The Murder Complex, an organization that tracks the population with precision.

The plot starts to thicken when Meadow meets Zephyr James, who is—although he doesn’t know it—one of the MC’s programmed assassins. Is their meeting a coincidence? Destiny? Or part of a terrifying strategy? And will Zephyr keep Meadow from discovering the haunting truth about her family?

Action-packed, blood-soaked, and chilling, this is a dark and compelling debut novel by Lindsay Cummings.

First Sentence

Places

The Shallows

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“The sea is packed with boats. Some of them are still afloat, with their masts stretching like arms to the sky. Others are half-submerged, ship wrecked and covered with moss. Among the boats are other things. Old tires, half of a rusted car, plastic.”

The Perimeter

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“The massive black wall that surrounds the Shallows.”

The Rations Hall

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“The building is short and squatty, an old elementary school salvaged from the days before the world went to hell.”

The Graveyard

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“Stands like a ghostly mountain range in the distance, piles of trash stretching to the sky. Four steam towers drop a constant fog over the Graveyard, working in vain to conceal the stench.”

Homes for Wards of the State

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“Thousands of tents litter the surrounding marshlands.”

Catalogue Dome

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“It is a virtual graveyard. All around me, lining the black walls of the Dome, are the numbers and portraits of deceased citizens.”

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“A monstrous black dome that seems to scrape the underside of the clouds. It’s the only city building that isn’t covered in filth and grime and tattered posters [. . .] windows are boarded up with planks of old salvaged wood.”

The Cortez Pier

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“It is a massive boardwalk, larger than life itself, is a giant silver globe, held up by a massive golden hand. Carved in the thumb is an open eye..”

Commandments of the Shallows

There are four commandments of the Shallows that must be met and followed to a T, or else face the consequences.



 

Weapons

Tattoos

Barcodes

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“...barcodes show the Initiative where we are, who we are, every moment of our lives."

The Initiative tattoo

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“[. . .] an Initiative tattoo – an open, unblinking eye.”

I think the triangle seems fitting, because I swear, The Initiative is secretly the Illuminati.

The Ward Mark

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“A thick black X tattooed on the back of his neck.”

Meadow’s “fearless” tattoo on her forearm

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The Murder Complex mantra

Favorite Quotes

“You lost another tooth,” I say to her. “You know what that means?”
“Koi says all my teeth will fall out and I’ll look like a fish.”
I glare a Koi, and he stifles a laugh.

"Make on wrong move and this blade goes through your heart."
"You should threaten me more often. I like it."

“Training? What training? I’ve never been trained in anything other than ignoring Talan.”

**Quotes are taken directly from an ARC, and are subject to change from the final copy.**

Review

When I first read the synopsis, I thought it would be like The Purge. Murdering anyone without conviction, all legal. I just thought it would be citizens slaughtering each other whenever they feel like it. Boy was I wrong, and it’s a good thing I was. They all are under scrutiny with assigned jobs and responsibilities. There’s pretty much zero freedom and they have to answer to officers and other authority figures. Murder does happen though, but only at night during the Dark Times. At least... that's how it started out.

Lindsay Cummings created this world where food is scarce, lack of education, the birthrate low and murder rate is high, nightmares keep them up at night, certain grounds are permitted only be payment, and citizens adorn catalogue numbers on their foreheads in form of barcodes to show where they are and who they are for all of their lives. Not only that; some are programmed to kill and some are trained to survive. And others are for the taking in a bloodbath. They also have something in their blood that induces healing of sorts. Our MC Meadow is trained to survive, not only for herself, but to help her family survive too. I applaud Meadow; that girl may be young but does she have the skills to survive. Don’t underestimate her. She’s one to be reckoned with. Is it weird that I pictured her as Celaena from Throne of Glass that adorns the book cover once I found out Meadow has silver hair and can fight for survival? Anyway, those who aren’t equip to survive, rely on the Night Siren. It signals night fall is near and to get to safety for things happen when the sun goes down. They say that monsters come out at night, and that’s true, but these monsters are our own. Humans. However, these are humans that are assassins programmed by the government. It may look like they share the same skin, but couldn’t be more different on the inside once their mind no longer belongs to them. What’s the point or goal in murdering? Well, that’s the million dollar question.
We dive into two POVs: Meadow’s and Zephyr’s. They each have different roles, but soon their paths cross that may or may not have turned deadly. Zephyr is a Ward. Wards reminds me of Cleaners. You know, the ones who are cleaning up the mess after a mission or assignment is done. Although Zephyr is plagued with nightmares night after night and responsible for some murders under the authorities thumb, he’s humble and has hopes and dreams. His moonlit girl is his anchor, and I think that is really sweet. Zephyr carries a lot of burden: loss, guilt, pain, anguish, and loneliness that usually hardens a person, but not Zephyr. And that’s what I love about him. The words that Zephyr comes up with is quite entertaining, and that’s needed in their life. He's quite quotable, actually. He'll probably get you trying out a few of his vocab words soon. His character surprised me in a few ways, and I kind of fell for him. He's a new book boyfriend, people. I guarantee it. I also like his friendship with Talan. Talan reminded me a little bit of Izzy from The Mortal Instrument series. When Zephyr is no longer in control of his mind, body or actions, we start getting to the central hub of what the Murder Complex really is.

Once the characters find a little bit more of what the Murder Complex is, we are taken on a journey to find out who was behind it, how many are programmed to it, and how to shut it down. Plans go awry, shocking secrets are revealed, and it leads to quite a cliffhanger ending that will make you want to rip off your arm in payment for the sequel. I didn't know what to expect as everything went down, so a lot of the revelations and actions made my mind spin several times. Needless to say, well-behaved women rarely make history, and I have a feeling Meadow will make a huge impact in their world in the foreseeable future. We'll see what her climactic action in the end will take her in the next installment.
I am impressed that this is Cummings’ debut novel. The story and world she created and laid out was vivid, evocative and scary to be honest. It was well-thought out. Living in a world that these characters reside chills you to your bones. You learn quite a few things along the way. Some things are questioned and tried. Moral compasses are tested. Secrets are kept, secrets are found out. It’s hard to keep secrets from the Initiative, and when they discover of them, there’s a price to pay. You learn family and moral values, sacrifices, right from wrong, appreciating what you have and expect nothing. This book may not be for everyone, depending on what appeals to readers and what doesn’t, and that’s okay. It’s to be expected. I, for one, thoroughly enjoyed it. If you’re into young and strong characters in a brutal world, corruption, bloodshed, moral values, then you will enjoy The Murder Complex too.

Thanks to The Book Addict’s Guide for having me on the Murder Complex blog tour and for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. It does not influence my review, nor am I being compensated.

About the Author

Lindsay Cummings is a 22 year old author of YA and MG books at HarperCollins. She lives in Dallas, TX with her husband Josh, her hedgehog named Hedwig, her two German Shepherds Hurley and Kai, her wolf cub Kimber, and a draft horse named Dan the Man. Lindsay deals with Chronic Fatigue issues, believes Jesus is the reason for all of her success, and swears that book hoarding is not a problem at all. She’s still waiting on her letter from Hogwarts–it was probably just lost in the mail. You can follow Lindsay on twitter @authorlindsayc and instagram @authorlindsaycummings. You can also visit her book blogging website for teens at www.booknerdigans.com

Website | Book Blog Website | Twitter | Goodreads

may 2014 playlist

disappointed that i did not listen to much music this month, but i did love these.


good kisser // usher
bang it out // breathe carolina x karmin
let me in // grouplove
one // ed sheeran
boom clap // charli xcx




♥ what songs were you listening to this month? ♥

Branded

In celebration of the release of the revamped edition of Branded by Abi Ketner and Missy Kalicicki on June 3rd, I made a story diary just for the book and blog tour! There are some graphic teasers, the seven deadly sins color codes, an excerpt, dream cast, my favorite quotes, book trailer, review and more.

 

Branded by Abi Ketner and Missy Kalicicki
Dystopia, Science Fiction, Young Adult

Fifty years ago the Commander came into power and murdered all who opposed him. In his warped mind, the seven deadly sins were the downfall of society. He created the Hole where sinners are branded according to their sins and might survive a few years. At best. Now LUST wraps around my neck like blue fingers strangling me. I’ve been accused of a crime I didn’t commit and now the Hole is my new home. Darkness. Death. Violence. Pain. Now every day is a fight for survival. But I won’t die. I won’t let them win. The Hole can’t keep me. The Hole can’t break me. I am more than my brand. I’m a fighter. My name is Lexi Hamilton, and this is my story.

 

 

Setting

The Wall

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"A twenty-foot cement wall ominously rising from the earth. Barbed wire wraps around the top like a snake." (Loc 235)

The Hole

"They escort all sinners to the same place--the Hole. [. . .] They say the Hole is a prison with no rules." (Loc 87)

Training Center

"...looks like an indoor dome. Different stations take up sections of the massive room. On the walls, I glimpse an arsenal of weapons compromised of numerous makes and models of guns and knives of all sizes and even unsuspecting weapons such as sticks and batons."

Classes

The Commander

"His identity stays under lock and key. His own paranoia and desire to stay away. He controls our depraved society and believes sinners make the human race unforgivable." (Loc 92-97)

 

Guards

"They're the Guards of the Commander. They're chosen from a young age and trained in combat. They keep the order of society by using violent methods of intimidation." (Loc 92)

"They make the arrests, enforce the laws, and even dictate education." (Loc 214)

Sinners

 "Only sinners grind away doing the cleaning, bidding, and serving. They're transported out of the Hole by train to work each day." (Loc 210)

Commoners

"...those that aren't sinners or High Society..." (Loc 210)

 

The Seven Deadly Sins Color Codes

 Which sin would I be branded?

I have a feeling I would adorn the orange brand. I like to indulge, sometimes excessively.

Which brand would you most likely to be accused of?

Weapons

 

Books

The Last Silk Dress by Ann Rinaldi

Dream Cast

[caption id="attachment_1569" align="aligncenter" width="355"] Lyndsy Fonseca as Lexi[/caption]



 

[caption id="attachment_1553" align="aligncenter" width="401"] Charlie Matthews as Cole[/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_1571" align="aligncenter" width="508"] Colexi[/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="361"] Colexi part 2 ;)[/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_1572" align="aligncenter" width="378"] Cole and....who???[/caption]

 

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="338"] One more of Cole...hope you don't mind. ;)[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1574" align="aligncenter" width="478"] Zeus[/caption]

 

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="360"] Alyssa[/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="388"] Keegan[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1575" align="aligncenter" width="405"] The Commander[/caption]

Favorite Quotes

 

"Keegan, it's muffled but I can kinda hear you now."
"Well, that's a plus!"
"What?" I say. "Did you say something?"
He nods yes and I shrug my shoulders. "Okay, maybe not that great, yet."

"Trust is the backbone of a relationship."

"It's not her anymore. It's just a shell, which she had to leave in order to go to heaven."
"And you believe all that?"
"I have to. It's the only way I make it through each day. Knowing there's a light at the end of the tunnel calms me."

"I'm not afraid of dying anymore because I know you'll be with me."

 Did I seriously just trip over the dog? Wow.

Review

I’m not sure how this book escaped my radar for this long, but I’m glad that it finally appeared on it because Branded is intense and exciting, it feels like you're in on the action with them. We are immediately thrust in the middle of their world from the very first line. Government systems like this and similar to The Hunger Games, Divergent, The Murder Complex, etc. are enforced to "keep the peace" so they say. But to what degree? And what lengths?

In Branded, there are several different classes. High society, the rich; commoners, regular citizens who live in poverty; and the sinners, the accused. To keep the peace, the sinners are separated from the others. The high society and commoners live on one side of the perimeter, while the sinners are assigned to live and work on the other side known as the Hole. Defiance and noncooperation result in death as punishment. The sinners are the ones who work to help keep the city flowing and the sinners in check. What I liked about Lexi was her strength as she was branded and thrust into her new world in the Hole. She carries the wise words her father had taught her as a child before he passed with her through it all that helps build her strength. Her father passed away years ago, her brother walked out of her life, leaving her with their mother who remarried and forced to accept her stepfather, the betrayal of her mother.

I like the idea of the world that Abi and Missy created for this story because it’s creative and not expected to be done. I wouldn’t want to live in it though. Their world is not pretty; it’s gruesome, chaotic, unforgiving, violent and terrifying. So you can already tell that this is not a light read. The world no longer goes by the judicial system. No trials; only the accused.  They’re all branded according to their sins. The seven deadly sins. We’re all natural-born sinners whether we accept it or not, so to showcase the one you're accused of is unfair. It would be embarrassing, however, because our sins would be exposed for all to know. It can easily be seen as to identify/judge a person by their sins this way unfortunately. Talk about baring yourself out there for everyone to see. No, thank you. The Commander is so set in his ways that he believes that the seven deadly sins will be the end of civilization, so he takes the reigns of accusing and "branding" to keep control. When Lexi is about to call The Hole home, what follows is a series of chaotic and fast-paced action-packed events that tests our heroine's character and well-being. Right from the very first line, you can tell that Lexi hasn't had it easy in life (hell, none of these people have), she's been through a lot of hardships ever since she was young and not to mention the situation she was in at the start, and it only gets worse once she's branded and meets Cole.

The forbidden love angle is a gut-kicker. It’s one of those “ships” (yes, I’m using a fangirl terminology) that you want to sail so badly that it’s painful every time someone or something tries to sink it. Lexi is innocent…until they wrongfully accused her of lust and branded her. Cole is a guard who becomes assigned to Lexi. Any form of relationship between the two different classes are prohibited, and that soon becomes a problem the closer they get. Without giving too much away, it's suffice to say that Cole is definite book boyfriend material. He pushes his boundries of his duty to protect Lexi at all costs. All in uniform.

"Even if it was only for a day, an hour, or a minute -- I would risk everything just so I could be with you."

And a man in faith who says grace at the table gets major points in my book.

Branded is fast-paced, action-packed, full of tension, suffering, battles, corruption, love, strength, hope, and a forbidden romance that makes your heart ache and your adrenaline pumping. I am relieved that this one doesn’t leave us with a cliffhanger, but with a promising opening for the next installment that I cannot wait for!

Excerpt

I turn on the faucet for a long while only to discover ice-cold water rushing out. The water never warms and I begin to understand. The Commander thinks he can wash away my soul by freezing me to death. He thinks he can destroy me by stripping away my possessions. But he can’t and I won’t let him take my memories, my ambition, and my pride. He thinks I’m so easily broken. The Commander doesn’t know anything about me, what I grew up with, what I endured—the father I lost, the mother I hate, the brother who walked out of my life, and the stepfather I was forced to accept. He thinks since I was rich, making me poor will cause me to give up. What he doesn’t understand is that, after my father passed away, I grew up behind walls of hatred. I had nothing, but had everything at the same time. I owned expensive clothes, enjoyed good schooling, and lived in a nice home. But my body was just a shell protecting an empty, desperate heart. My life was a colorful façade. I had so much time to sit and think. I spent the majority of my life between four walls. I was abandoned, neglected, starved, betrayed, and abused. I’ve already been treated like the scum of the earth, so the Hole is nothing new. He wants to erase every sign of my existence on this earth, but I won’t let that happen. He can strip me naked, but he’ll never reach my soul. It’s personal, completely personal.

Excerpt provided by the blog tour host

Teasers

Teasers provided by the blog tour host

Book Trailer

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtM0cwRMqLM]

About Abi Ketner and Missy Kalicicki

Abi Ketner is a registered nurse with a passion for novels, the beaches of St. John, and her Philadelphia Phillies. A talented singer, Abi loves to go running and spend lots of time with her family. She currently resides in Lancaster, Pennsylvania with her husband, triplet daughters and two very spoiled dogs.

Melissa Kalicicki received her bachelor's degree from Millersville University in 2003. She married, had two boys and currently lives in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Aside from reading and writing, her interests include running and mixed martial arts. She also remains an avid Cleveland sports fan.

Website | Twitter | Facebook

Branded blog tour organized by Mark My Words, and review copy provided by NetGalley.