Surrender - by Elena Johnson

Forbidden love, intoxicating power, and the terror of control…

Raine has always been a good girl. She lives by the rules in Freedom. After all, they are her father’s rules: He’s the Director. It’s because of him that Raine is willing to use her talent—a power so dangerous, no one else is allowed to know about it. Not even her roommate, Vi.

All of that changes when Raine falls for Gunner. Raine’s got every reason in the world to stay away from Gunn, but she just can’t. Especially when she discovers his connection to Vi’s boyfriend, Zenn. Raine has never known anyone as heavily brainwashed as Vi. Raine’s father expects her to spy on Vi and report back to him. But Raine is beginning to wonder what Vi knows that her father is so anxious to keep hidden, and what might happen if she helps Vi remember it. She’s even starting to suspect Vi’s secrets might involve Freedom’s newest prisoner, the rebel Jag Barque....

Today I'd like to talk about a new book by Elana Johnson entitled Surrender.  It is book #2 in the Possession series.  Imagine a Dystopian/Sci Fi novel where everything is about control.  I purchased this title online from kobobooks.com (I seem to be buying fewer paper copies.  Sorry Chapters!) and have been reading it on my phone on the way to work.  I'm not quite ready to do the review yet but Elana has a Never Surrender blogfest happening.  She is challenging everyone to tell a story about a time when you didn't surrender.

I'm not sure if this would be considered as "never surrendering" but it was certainly a challenge for me.  In September 2010 my Mom was diagnosed with ALS.  Her health deteriorated very rapidly.  By February 2011 she was unable to move anything below the neck.  For those of you who are unfamiliar with the disease, it is also called Lou Gehrig's disease.  No one knows what causes it, there is no cure and it affects people in different ways.  Most of the time it causes your muscles to stop working.  I made the incredibly hard decision to move across country to spend time with her, taking my daughter (aged 3) with me and leaving my husband behind to work.  I was granted a year's leave from my own job.  We had to sell our house and share a room (both of us) in the basement at my sister's house.   As the year progressed, my Mom's condition actually worsened.  Eventually she was unable to speak and had trouble eating.  I spent most days feeding her, spending time with her her and talking with her when I could to give my Dad a break. He's in his 70's and wanted to keep her comfortable at home.  Imagine how difficult things were for him looking after my Mom 24/7 at his age.  In December 2011, she was having difficulty chewing, swallowing and even breathing.  Once diagnosed, most patients have between 2 - 5 years to live.  My mom hung on for 18 months.  She passed away just after Christmas.  Never surrendering to me means that even when things feel like they are at their lowest, you just take it one day at a time.  I came across an interesting fortune recently.  If you want the rainbow, you'll have to put up with the rain.  I'm expecting a huge freaking rainbow once my life settles down again.  Although difficult, the last 5 months with my Mom was worth the heartache.  Not only did I get to spend time with her but she was also able to get to know her granddaughter a little and I was able to teach my daughter the importance of family.