{Book Review} CLUTCH by JA Huss (I am Just Junco, Book 1)

Book Title: Clutch (I am Just Junco series #1)
Author: JA Huss
Publisher: indie
Publishing Date: September 2012
Length: 320 pages
Source: purchased, http://bit.ly/ClutchHuss

Old cover which I liked, too.

WHO IS JUNCO?

Forget about me.
Because I’m a whole lot of things,
And none of them are good.
But I’ve got a little problem.
My life is a lie.
And everyone wants a piece of me.
So here’s the deal.
And I’m only gonna say this once,
So listen the fuck up.
I’ve had enough.
I’m looking for the truth.
And I’m tired of taking orders.
I’m no one’s soldier.
I’m no one’s project.
I’m no one’s redemption.
I am just Junco.
I am at war.
And everyone is the enemy.

****WARNING - this is the first book in a FIVE BOOK SERIES**** THERE ARE NO ANSWERS IN THIS BOOK. Like None. In fact, there are no answers in books two, three, or four. There are a few in book four point five, but only if you're paying very close attention. So if you're looking for a nice tidy story with sweet characters - you're gonna want to skip ALL these books.

If on the other hand, you like science fiction, psycho girls with a lot of power, romance without commitment, liars, cheat, and killers... then Junco might be your girl.

How long can you lie to yourself before it all comes apart?

In 2152 the avian race is on Earth looking for something stolen from them decades ago – their genetics. At the center of the search lies the Rural Republic; a small backwards farming country with high hopes of military domination and a penchant for illegal bioengineering.

19 year old Junco Coot is the daughter of the Rural Republic’s ranking commander. She’s the most foul-mouthed, wildly unpredictable and ruthless sniper the Rural Republic has ever trained. But when her father’s death sparks a trip into forbidden places, she triggers events that will change everything she knows to be true.

As an elite avian military officer, Tier’s mission is to destroy the bioengineering projects, kill Commander Coot’s daughter, and return home immediately. There’s just one problem. Junco isn’t who she claims to be.

With no one to trust, not even herself, Junco must confront the secrets of her past and accept her place in the future, or risk losing herself completely.

Goodreads | Amazon

I read this book last year and enjoyed the hell out of it. I didn't review it as I meant to continue on in the series, but I had over-committed myself to blog tours, author requests, etc. and never got a chance to return to the series. This really ticked me off, especially when book five, the final book in the series, RETURN, came out. I wanted to sit down and gobble them all up!

You know JA Huss left me hangin' at the end of book one. You know she did. So, I decided to try and get a group of online buddies to group read this. You should know that I'm pretty shitty at group reads. Why am I so shitty at them? I devour books, my friend, and read fairly quickly. So I'm TRYING to hold back and not start book two after having just reread book 1, until at least Monday. We're doing a book a week. Five books, five weeks, tahdah! Yeah, I won't last. ANYWAY!

What I love about Junco Coot: She's impassioned, tough as nails, quick on her feet, and doesn't know when to quit. I admire that. No matter what is thrown at her, she gets up, assesses the situation, and SURVIVES. She's got a filthy mouth on her which I adore. (Seriously, if you're offended by cursing, this is NOT the series for you.) Why do I adore a dirty mouth? Those who swear are usually more honest and have a higher pain tolerance than those who do not. This is proved by science. And you know...sometimes a "gosh darn it" just ain't gonna cut it. I liked the way she talked to herself, I liked the way she self-analyzed, and I sure liked the way she handled the situation and got it back to her terms.

Other characters: Tier, Moju, Aren, Dale, Slag, etc. along with Junco herself ring with truth. Slimy, gullible, over-inflated sense of self, psychotic, jerkwads, etc. are totally believable and jump off the page. They aren't stereotypes of a characteristic. They ooze their oily untrustworthiness, they exude honesty, they are incredibly life-life and believable.

The plot: Rolling, rolling, rolling! The plot just keeps on rolling! There are so many people and factions and NONE OF THEM are forthright. Not a one. So you have this 19 year old girl whose father just died, she's a military operative from a farming district, she's naive and trusting and believes everything that seems to have been forcefed into her brain, and yet...when she hears truth, she is strong enough to doubt. I just know this plot is going to have more twists, more turns, and Junco has a way to go.

I have no idea why I decided to highlight those points in this review, but there you have it. The book leaves you hanging and eager to read the next one. And you know what...that's exactly what I'm going to do. Right now. While all the facts as I know them are fresh in my head, I'm going to dive in! (I warn you...I can see it becoming even MORE complicated!)

FYI, you can get books 1, 2, 3 in an omnibus. That's what I did. And if you're like me and on a supertight book budget, shoot me an email (a.tiffy.fit at gmail dot com). I can loan out book one or the omnibus. :)

Book 1, Clutch: http://bit.ly/ClutchHuss
Book 2, Fledge: http://bit.ly/FledgeHuss
Book 3, Flight: http://bit.ly/FlightHuss
Book 4, Range : http://bit.ly/RangeHuss
Book 4.5, The MagPie Bridge: http://bit.ly/MagpieBridgeHuss
Book 5, Return: http://bit.ly/ReturnHuss

Omnibus, Books 1, 2, 3: http://bit.ly/JuncoOmnibus