That Girl Reads: Book Tour: "I Am Alive" by Cameron Jace [Excerpt & Giveaway]

Presented by Xpresso Book Tours.

Every girl dies - not every girl really lives.

Sixteen-year-old Decca Tenderstone feels captivated when she meets gorgeous and reckless Leo, who is arrogant, silent, beautiful, and shoots almost every one he meets.

the usual boring girl meets bad boy story... hmm... with a twist ...

They live in a dystopian future in Los Angeles where every sixteen-year-old is ranked on a scale from one to ten to determine their future. Outranks, who are considered a danger to society, are forced to attend the Monster Show, a brutal sacrificing ritual that is broadcasted worldwide on live TV, where rebellious teens are labelled Bad Kids or Monsters and get to fight for their lives in deadly games.

To prove that you're still alive you have to scream I Am Alive every six hours. Lower your voice, and you're dead.

Deccaa doesn't need Leo's company. She has a secret of her own. While they both can't stand each other, she will find out why she doesn't fit into any rank.

Nothing will stand in her way as she has to make choices concerning love, life, staying alive, growing up, and finding out who she really is.

Goodreads | Amazon

Excerpt:

The door leads to a tube-like tunnel, all the way down.

The tube I am sliding through is made of corrugated metal sheets. I grit my teeth, opposing the pain in my back, but still managing not to scream. Even though I asked for this, I am still shocked. No matter how much I complain and kick the air, there is no going back now. Dreaming about the nightmare is one thing, and living it is a totally different thing, especially if bitter and real as this one.

At the end of the slide I fall into a container, splashing into thick brown mud.

I pick myself up, wipe the mud from my eyes, and look around. It’s a square room with another sealed metal door. There are about twenty students like me inside, most of them standing closer to the door, screaming for help.

The rest of them are standing next to me, paralyzed with shock. They look like they have lost the game already. I try to move, but the mud is thick, up to my knees.

I see a girl with bad yellow teeth and ear-to-ear dental bracing. She calls for me, holding out a box in her hands. I manage to take a slow step backward in the mud, trying to stay as far away from her as possible. She looks weird and homeless.

As I try to move farther, I notice that one of my heels is missing, and the other is broken. I bend over and reach for my heels in the mud, not trusting whatever hides underneath, but I have no choice. I take off my other heel, and stand barefoot. I wish I wore my other outfit with pants and boots, the one I had prepared for entering the games, but my mom didn’t allow me this morning, saying I looked weird – Ariadna said I looked suspicious and I didn’t want to attract attention.

That bad-looking girl approaches me, insisting on offering me the box. I don’t want her to touch me. All I can think about is that she is a Monster. As if I am not.

The girl smells bad; her hair is awful, her dress is cheap, and her teeth — oh no. How did she even make it to the interview? She has Bad Kid written all over her face. Eva is a princess compared to her.

I take another step back, which brings me closer to another homeless-looking boy. I am in hell.

About The Author:

Wonderlander, Neverlander, Unicorn-chaser, enchanter, musician, survived a coma, & totally awesome. Sometimes I tell stories. Always luv the little monsters I write young adult paranormal romance, urban fantasy, and science fiction mostly. The Grimm Diaries series is a seven book saga that deals with retellings of fairy tales from a young adult POV - it connects most of the fairy tales together and claims to be the truth about fairy tales. I live in San Fransisco and seriously think circles are way cooler than triangles.