Tag: families

Tier One Review

Here is the link below if you prefer to listen:

https://anchor.fm/alexandra-mars1/episodes/Tier-One-Review-e15scp0

I read Tier One by Cindy Gunderson, and I found the dystopian romance novel entertaining and thought-provoking. I can’t stop thinking about the main character, Kate.

About Story:

Kate works as a health care worker and is a mother of two boys named Tal and Bentley. She paired with Eric, who is a researcher in genetics and the father of her children. Paired means married in the novel. Kate and her family live in the Tier One System, which means they get the best of everything because of their genes and behavior by following the rules.

In the novel, the society is structured in three zones: Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3. In Tier Two, people get fewer supplies and have fewer freedoms because of their behavior and genetic structure. Tier Three for the undesirable people that have no future within the society. And the others don’t obey the laws. The inhabitants of Tier Three only received necessary supplies.

People only live in their forties because of cancer. And if a person rarely reaches fifty because the cancer rate is so high.

A little backstory, a virus that swept through the world, causing governments to meltdown as society fell apart. A man named Berg rose, taking control and eventually creating the Tier system that Kate lives in.

Kate was born in Tier One and conditioned to obey, and sacrifice so society can improve. (By sacrificing denies what is best for the individual to improve society.)

About the Plot:

While at work, Kate meets a young man named Nick, and she has an immediate attraction for him, but she loves Eric and committed to him. Until Eric makes a breakthrough discovery in his research on genetics, how to eradicate cancer that changes Kate’s life forever.

My Thoughts:

One day, I was on Facebook, and I saw this ad for Tier One. What intrigued me about this novel that the book was advertised as a clean romance, meaning no sex scenes. I brought the novel because I found the story about a woman who was a mother, health worker, and wife intriguing. Kate was no teenager trying to save her world from a powerful government. She was just a mom wanting what was best for her family, her marriage, and herself.

The novel is told from Kate’s point of view that pulled me into the story. I would like to have more detailed descriptions of places. For the descriptions were short and vague. The dialogue was excellent, and I loved the narration too. I keep thinking about Kate and her struggles and what will happen to Kate and her family in the next book called Tier Two. Yes, I am planning on reading the next book.

My rating:

I give Tier One four stars because the descriptions were lacking, for I had a tough time seeing Kate’s world in my mind. The author did an excellent job on dialogue and kept the pace going throughout the novel and how she foreshadowed certain events. Gunderson carefully took her time about revealing the backstory of Kate’s world and her personal history, too.

This novel is available on Amazon and now available on Unlimited Kindled.

Have you read Tier One? Or are you planning on reading Tier One? Let me know in the comments.

My thoughts on Superman & Lois

Tuesday night the CW Network premiered Superman & Lois, and I watched it. I will not discuss the pilot episode’s spoilers. In my next blog post, I will examine the plotline in more detail. Here’s my review.

The pilot episode was entertaining, captivating; and the characters are extraordinary, compelling that I already feel a connection to them. The pilot episode impressed me by how much they accomplish in an hour and a half without the episode feeling rush. The episode’s plotline sets up the season’s storyline for this excellent show.

The writers portrayed Clark and Lois as working parents dealing with real-life issues. The audience witnessed Clark’s vulnerability with his family and his struggles and responsibilities of being Superman, and his duty as a father and a husband.

It was refreshing because the CW network’s superhero shows frequently targeted the younger audience. A fresh of breath air for the show’s focus on working-adults, who are raising families, earning a paycheck to pay their bills, and showing day-to-day struggles and responsibilities.

 I admired the show’s concept of Clark and Lois’s marriage is authentic on the screen and not a fantasy marriage always with a happy ending. The couple is making their marriage work daily despite the problems that arise or dealing with their sons’ needs. That is rare nowadays in TV, movies, or books. 

Lois and Clark’s twin sons’ names are Jonathan and Jordan, who are complete opposites from one another. Jonathan goes by John, is a popular jock, a freshman, and makes a name for himself on his high school football team. Jordan is a loner, a gamer, and an outcast; he is figuring out his identity, feels trapped and isolated in his brother’s shadow at home and school.

Since the two brothers are unique in their personalities and struggles, causing problems between them and creating more drama within the family.

It is another reason why the pilot episode was so superb. With different layers in these characters, waiting to be unearthed in future episodes.

You can watch Superman & Lois, by downloading the CW app for free on any device or on Tuesday night at 9:00pm EST.