Publication Date: January 11th, 2019
Genre: Sci-fi/ New Adult
In a world with skyrocketing inflation and unemployment, blood has become the new commodity, and the rarer your blood type, the more it’s worth.
After losing her job and watching her savings dwindle, Liri is persuaded by a resourceful friend to sell her blood to ABO Blood Group, where she learns she is O Negative, the most valuable and sought after blood.
Unable to afford living in New York City, Liri reluctantly decides to move back home and live with her parents, but her plan is interrupted when a virus is maliciously unleashed onto the island of Manhattan, resulting in a citywide quarantine. Before being able to devise an alternative plan, she is secretly informed of a covert mission by ABO to evacuate Negatives out of NYC. Although reluctant to trust them, it’s her only viable choice to stay alive, but unbeknown to Liri, she and the Negatives are vital to activating opposing agendas on Earth and beyond.
If you think this may sound like a book for you, you can add it to your Goodreads here.
Excerpt:
Descension
I weave through morning commuters and camped-out homeless people like a crochet needle to catch the train south to Times Square. On rainy, late-fall days like today, the underground is hot, crowded, and emits a foul stench that forces you to breathe through your mouth. The tracks shriek as the train comes to a halt. The steel doors open and a swarm of urbanites exits onto the platform. I stand to the left side of the door, waiting for an opportunity to squeeze in, as it’s too early for Monday-morning shoving matches. I slide in, finding cramped standing room between a perspiring, heavyset man and a teenage boy whose urban music I can hear blasting through his earphones. An automated announcement comes over the speaker system as the doors close.
“November is Concerned Citizens Month. The City of New York asks that you know your neighbors and colleagues. If you believe someone is jeopardizing the safety of our city, state, or country, it is your duty to report it, or you will be aiding in domestic terror. Become a concerned citizen; our safety depends on it.”
My Review:
First off I had never heard of someone writing a sci-fi book that used blood types as part of the premise. That’s when I knew I had to give this a read. It’s quite fast-paced the moment the ‘action’ begins, I can’t say more about when it picks up, I would hate to give away spoilers. Liri is interesting, I also like how she was afraid of needles, mostly because it’s such a normal fear to have and it’s always nice when an author remembers the normal traits people have.
You aren’t sure how it’s going to involve the blood type and there are hints but once you get them leaving New York ideas really begin to form. Also, the twists are not ones that I saw coming! If you like Sci-Fi but something that’s not always giving you a bit too much jargon, I would say this is a great pick. [I love the jargon because it’s a big yay for learning new science terms, but sometimes it’s annoying to have to pause the story to look things up]
The group of those evacuated from Manhatten eventually end up on an island, it seems like paradise, it’s perfect, they’re far away from the virus and anything they could ever wish is provided for. So why does Liri suspect something more behind this facade of paradise? I’ll let you find out on your own, but, let me tell you, that ending was a doozy so be prepared, it’ll leave you wanting to jump right into the next book, but unfortunately for us, we’ll have to be patient and wait.
Issues that I had were more to do with just wanting things to be more developed. I know this is NA for its target audience, but I thought it felt more like YA at times, which, I mean that wasn’t really a big issue for me, just something I noted while reading.
Overall it was a really fun read and I’m curious as to what happens next!
**I received this book in exchange for my honest review as part of participation in this Blog Tour**
Links Where You Can Purchase This Book:
About the Author:
Violet St. Karl’s love affair with science fiction and fantasy began at the tender age of four when she first saw Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, but nearly three decades passed before she started transferring the stories in her head onto the computer screen. Unbeknownst to Violet at the time of signing her lease, her Upper West Side apartment was the former site of Edgar Allen Poe’s old farmhouse, where he completed writing the Raven. However, she didn’t begin writing until receiving another sign from the universe a year later. While spending extensive time in Barcelona, she learned her flat once belonged to Mercè Rodoreda i Gurguí, a famous Catalan writer, an indication that living in the former residences of famous dead authors was no coincidence, but a sign to start writing.
After over a decade in New York, Violet recently returned to her roots in the Detroit area where is an advocate and proud Ambassador of the Authors Guild. When not writing or focused on strengthening the local literary community, she is planning which country to explore next.
Giveaway!
Click on the link below to be directed to the giveaway and have a chance to win this paperback copy and at home blood typing kit!
Rest of the Blog Tour Schedule:
April 22nd
Reads & Reels (Review) https://readsandreels.com/
B is for Book Review (Interview) https://bforbookreview.wordpress.com
Jessica Rachow (Review) http://jessicarachow.wordpress.com
I Smell Sheep (Excerpt) http://www.ismellsheep.com/
April 23rd
The Caffeinated Reader (Review) https://www.thecaffeinatedreader.com
Tranquil Dreams (Review) https://klling.wordpress.com/
Scarlett Readz and Runz (Excerpt) https://scarlettreadzandrunz.com/
April 24th
Breakeven Books (Excerpt) https://breakevenbooks.com
A Full Time Nerd (Review) http://afulltimenerd.com
Daily Waffle (Excerpt) http://www.dailywaffle.co.uk
April 25th
Pages and Paw Prints (Review) http://pagesandpawprints.com/
Afire Pages (Review) http://www.afirepages.wordpress.com
Banshee Irish Horror Blog (Review) www.bansheeirishhorrorblog.com
April 26th
Port Jerricho (Review) http://www.aislynndmerricksson.com
Eclectic Review (Review) https://eclecticreview.com/
J Bronder Book Reviews (Review) https://jbronderbookreviews.com/
Blog Tour Organized By
R&R Book Tours
Link: http://rrbooktours.com
The Caffeinated Reader 
5 replies on “Collection of the Negatives (The Blood Rising Book 1)”
Nice review Haley! Glad you liked it too!
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This book seems to have a very original idea behind it!
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I am not sure if this is one I am going to try but I have been enjoying reading Sci-fi a lot more lately and the concept for this one sounds so unique. It’s always a bit tricky when it feels like it is isn’t as mature as it should be for it’s age audience and that some things needed developing
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What an interesting concept for a book, I don’t remember reading any sci-fi that incorporates blood types into the story like this and that’s so intriguing to me! Couple that with seeming utopias that have more beneath the surface that our MC uncovers and it makes for a very Kal sounding read. Great review!
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ooooooo a sci-fi with blood?! color me intrigued! This is such a cool concept and I am glad that you enjoyed your time reading this! Please excuse me as I waddle to add this to my TBR. ❤
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