Salvage!

By TONETTE M. ALONZO

This is a fiction novel. Any similarities to real life, or imagined would be entirely coincidence. None of the events here are based on real life events, news or stories. These are all imaginary tales from the authors mind for drama and suspense. The events and time period of these events were portrayed from the Martial law period and shortly after that. The reader must realize that there are no Jueteng numbers game anymore, thanks for the hardwork outstanding generals of PNP, two of which are my friends, the Philippines are making advances in Financial health even during the period of Financial meltdown in America and in Europe, and crime and murders in the Philippines are lowest than it had ever been. More, the local governments now have broader control on the police force.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Jul 14, 2014
• ISBN: 9781491853276

TONETTE M. ALONZO

(Editor’s note:  Although Antonio M. Alonzo was born in Manila, he was raised in Calamba City, Laguna, Philippines and calls himself a solid Calambeño.  His father was a Lawyer and a town councilor, while his mother was a school teacher.  He had six siblings. He went through local public Elementary and the only other High School in their town.  He went to a clover leaf college in Manila (De La Salle College) until he had a total car crash with his uncle’s car with his girlfriend during his final exams and was broadcast on “Radio Patrol”. Many of his friends thought he was dead. His father ended funding his education for the third and fourth year in that expensive college. When Martial Law was declared in the Philippines and having been involved in Student Activitism, although not a communist himself but fearing for his life, he found an out, by joining the United States Navy.  Due to Bases Agreement, leaving the country for joining the US Navy required no passport.  This allowed Antonio (Tonette from hereon) to leave without the required passport. Tonette topped the navy’s entrance exam among 5,000 entrants and was allowed to pick whatever job he wants in the navy, except those that requires citizenship or secret clearance.  Having a paper pushing job, he elected to make it a career.  He completed his education by graduating from Texas A & M University where he was a member of the Dean’s list.  After retirement, he started teaching computers at City University of New York (New York City College of Technology and City College of New York).  He also taught as a consultant at Consortium for Workers Education, Manhattan and Transit Workers Union. He also served as a School Director at a professional and trade school (Professional Technology Institute, New York) in Midtown, Manhattan.  His talent in writing was noticed by his friends from the numerous speeches, essays and articles he wrote.  Because of his poor health, he retired and now resides in his home in New Jersey or in Calamba City, Laguna, Philippines.  He has five children (four alive).

Book preview

© 2014 Tonette M. Alonzo. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 07/08/2014

ISBN: 978-1-4918-5328-3 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4918-5327-6 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2014901000

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Contents

Acknowledgements

Preface

Prologue

Chapter 1 The Landing

Chapter 2 The Terminal

Chapter 3 The Awakening

Chapter 4 Homecoming

Chapter 5 Welcome Party

Chapter 6 Barkada

Chapter 7 The Blue List

Chapter 8 The Market

Chapter 9 The Hospital

Chapter 10 Bolahan

Chapter 11 Merienda

Chapter 12 The Board Meeting

Chapter 13 Reunion

Chapter 14 The Letter

Chapter 15 Gazebo

Chapter 16 Recruit

Chapter 17 Warning

Chapter 18 Salvage!

Chapter 19 Birthday

Chapter 20 We Are Going Where?

Chapter 21 Modus Operandi

Chapter 22 Filipino Ako

Chapter 23 The Congressman

Chapter 24 The Arrest

Chapter 25 Board Of Discovery

Chapter 26 Hard Head

Chapter 27 Por Nada

Chapter 28 Perya

Chapter 29 Kidnapped

Chapter 30 Meeting With The President

Chapter 31 Battle Plan

Chapter 32 Bayan Muna

Chapter 33 To The Palace

Chapter 34 President’s Birthday

Chapter 35 President’s Private Meeting

Chapter 36 Snow Ball

Chapter 37 Word To The Wise

Chapter 38 It Starts

Chapter 39 Lay Low

Chapter 40 Confession

Chapter 41 Settling Of Scores

Chapter 42 The War Room

Chapter 43 The Battle Plan

Chapter 44 Heads Up

Chapter 45 Useless

Chapter 46 The Battle

Chapter 47 Day Two

Chapter 48 Time’s Up

Chapter 49 Trouble

Chapter 50 Still The Same

Dedication

This book is dedicated to:

God,

My Country, and

My Family,

Especially to:

My Father,

Atty. Benjamin Alzona Alonzo;

My Mother,

Mrs. Rose Matanguihan Alonzo,

My eldest brother,

Benjun M. Alonzo

Acknowledgements

Special thanks to:

Mr. Tomasito Lazaro,

Founder and Fist Chair of Toastmasters, International, New York and

Robert de Tagle

Publisher, Jersey City, New Jersey,

For their tireless and invaluable help and expertise in editing and proofing this novel.

Preface

This is a fiction novel. Any similarities to real life, or imagined would be entirely coincidence. None of the events here are based on real life events, news or stories. These are all imaginary tales from the author’s mind for drama and suspense. The events and time period of these events were portrayed from the Martial law period and shortly after that. The reader must realize that there are no Jueteng numbers’ game anymore, thanks for the hardwork outstanding generals of PNP, two of which are my friends, the Philippines are making advances in Financial health even during the period of Financial meltdown in America and in Europe, and crime and murders in the Philippines are lowest than it had ever been. More, the local governments now have broader control on the police force.

Prologue

SALVAGE! is a novel, but more of an exposé on the conditions that enslave the Philippines during the Marcos regime. Although the Philippines then was a politically independent country, its people have yet to experience what real freedom means.

Another factor that enslaves the country was the Jueteng numbers gambling that went hand in hand with the salvaging operations of the police force. This moral decay in the Philippines, an after effect of the Marcos dictatorial regime had been eliminated by the Martial law, but slowly crept up and was so pronounced that even the clergy had been actively involved in the nation’s politics, much to the chagrin of the Vatican.

The politicians then were quiet and intimidated by the modus operandi and because they were so closely intertwined with graft and corruption of jueteng numbers gambling, perpetuated by the same officials involved with salvaging, they were helpless to do anything about it.

The police force had been nationalized to combat the private armies rich regional politicians used to have. The Communists’ militant arm New People’s Army had the hit squad called Sparrow Unit. In response, the military have their Salvaging operations to counter the communists. It is not known whether the Salvaging operations of the police force were nationally sanctioned or just a group of ideologically driven officers who had graduated from the Philippine Military Academy during certain periods of uncertainty in the country.

However, modern and cosmopolitan Filipinos seem to regard the police force as more of a problem than the private army they used to deal with because their targets were uncertain and seem indiscriminate, while the communists seemed smooth with killing those who appears oppressing the people. This they do to increase their mass base or support from the population. With nationalization of the police force, the country had been turned into a police state with officers in their ranks as high as four-star generals and access to weapons capable of defeating an army.

One must wonder as to why the police force needs all these firepower if the only ones they fight and police is the citizenry. And when their presence is needed, mostly at night, the police force is nicely sitting in their headquarters, abandoning their posts on the streets. This is understandable since they had been an easy target by the NPA’s Sparrow Units. Moreover, while dealing with the real rebels, the Muslim secessionists and the communist rebels, the army and marines are the ones on the frontline.

The modern heroes of the movie cinema seem to glorify the violence and numb the senses of the populace. It is amazing as to how the movie underdog, full of morals and normally meek, seems to justifiably lose his meekness and finds himself victorious in the end through the use of violence.

This draws cheers from the audience. This theme is played over and over again, different actors, different stories—same plot. Even a former president of the Philippines (who was deposed), a former movie actor, is guilty of using this same plot in his movies, over and over again.

The ultimate Filipino man is a Macho man. This is reflected in the commercial advertisements on television and other medium. Macho man however is defined as, someone who is a great womanizer, an excellent gambler, especially in cockfighting, someone who drinks alcohol like a fish but never gets drunk, and a brave and skillful fighter, be it a fist fight or with guns. This ultimate man is the goal of almost every Filipino man and his very definition of what a real man is in the Philippines. And he does not like to lose and a Filipino never loses a fight. He is not as forgiving and gets back at his enemy, one-way or the other, fair or otherwise, or he would not consider himself a man. For him, his morals say, a real man would rather be deceitfully coward, than brave but dead. If not, then, he must be a destitute, and therefore must accept his faith.

But nothing terrorizes the nation more than its’ low esteem for honor and morality. Being a poor nation, with twenty years of Marcos tyrant rule, alongside decades of American Hollywood movies, money had become the rule that measures ones’ success, failure or value. These are the very principles an average Filipino lives by and the reason why the whole citizenry could tolerate a president who is a womanizer.

Noble Heart

This consciousness however, only exists among those who are most oppressed, the poor and the underprivileged and exploited by those in power. However, deep in every Filipino man or woman is a noble heart that is honest, hard working, nationalistic and truly believes that giving ones’ life for a noble cause is an understatement and will rise to the occasion when the need arises.

The only carriers of the Filipino conscience currently seems to be the clergy and the Communist Party with its’ militant arm, the New Peoples’ Army, that despite the country’s economic progress, is growing and gaining support from the masses. The majority, however, is silent, waiting for someone, like the protagonist in this novel, to rally the whole nation towards its redemption.The Philippines then had become more than ever less democratic and less free than during the Spanish colonial period, Japanese Occupation, American Colonial government, even including during the Marcos regime.

Our modern day hero in this novel struggles about the alternatives looking for a cure. He considered peaceful lobbying for some legislation in the assembly, through peaceful demonstrations, through bribes, through a bloody revolution by the communist, through the Muslim secessionists and other ways, because the social cancer that the Philippine National Hero, Dr. Jose Rizal diagnosed, had recurred, and this time, it recurred with a vengeance, as it is hard to diagnose, hard to pinpoint, but like a venereal disease, hard to admit.

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CHAPTER 1

The Landing

Ladies and Gentlemen, it is a clear night and if you would look through your windows on the left, you would clearly see the bright lights of Manila International Airport, the pilot of Philippine Airlines announced as the plane was making an approach to land at Manila International Airport. Nate’s heart beat faster this time. He could not contain the smile he had. As he looked around, he noticed the few Filipinos where he was, including some foreigners were just as excited as he was as they were finally on the last leg of their very long journey from America.

He was on the left aisle seat in business class, away from the noise and cramped seats of the economy class. The window seat next to him is empty, but as a veteran traveler, he chose the aisle seat as it is more convenient to get up and go to the bar and wash closets if he needed to. Yet he was thinking, he should have picked the economy class where he could co-mingle with more of his compatriots and share with them the excitement. After all, he was thinking this time he was going to stay in the Philippines for a long long time as he is retired now from the United States Navy JAG as a Lieutenant Commander. Momma Amy, as she wants to be called, is a lady many years his senior and seats across from him at the middle row with her husband Deo. She motioned to him with her neatly drawn eyebrows and with a smile and said, I guess we’re here… Her voice was almost musical from excitement. On her wrist were gold bracelets, and on her fingers were small diamonds but must total around 1 to 2 carats. She must be wearing all her jewelries, Nate thought. If I were her, I would, this is the time to shine. She was wearing a new red suit, although crimpled from the long trip, you could still notice that it was just recently bought.

How far do you still have to travel from Manila? he asked Momma Amy.

Not far, she replied. Only about an hour and a half by car, she continued. We are from Bulacan, but my son will be bringing his car to pick us up, she said proudly. How about you? She queried.

I did not tell anyone about my homecoming, I want it to be a big surprise, but I already called them from a public phone in Narita, Japan. I am from San Ramon City in Quezon province, Nate answered.

Momma Amy continued, We are coming home to attend my son Romulo’s Silver Wedding Anniversary next week. They really are spending for it. They are having it at the Grand Ball Room of the Manila Hotel and around 300 guests are expected to attend., she said. She explained, He is a businessman, but he really wanted to be a lawyer, and this year, he passed the bar, finally after three tries, so this is also a celebration for that, we are all excited as the whole town is. That is just the way my son Romulo is, when he wants something, it does not matter when, where or what, he goes for it, and sometimes he could be a little loud, but he really is a well-meaning and patient individual. As a matter of fact, he is an active leader of the Couples for Christ in our town. I will introduce you to him at the airport if I still see you there…

A colleague! I would be delighted to meet him, Nate replied.

At this time, Nate excused himself to go to the bathroom, he proceeded to the toilet located several rows behind his seat. He was really holding himself for a while and knowing that the landing and taxiing of the plane may take some time, he decided to use the toilet to relieve himself, as he may not be able to hold it that long. As he approached the toilet areas, he noticed all of them are all occupied as most everyone was refreshing himself or herself from the long trip. He stood and waited for a while by the aisle.

As Nate was standing and looking around, his eyes met the stewardess’ who was sitting on her small station seat by the wash cabins. Nate gave a slight cordial smile, which the stewardess reciprocated with a similar one. The flight attendant noticing the slight discomfort Nate was in, suggested to Nate to use the next wash closet on the next cabin, it was on the economy section, but close and easily accessible. This was no problem for Nate, and he thanked the flight attendant for the information and proceeded to the toilet.

As he pushed aside the curtain that divides the business class to the economy section, people stared at him. Nate is a somewhat tall gentleman among his Filipino compatriots. He stands about five-foot nine, about five to ten pounds above the ideal weight for his height. He has a slightly fair complexion, and a straight hair that waves or curls at the end when it grows to be more than four to five inches long. More round than long is the shape of his face. His eyes are medium deep set but a little farther apart than most, but quite average and common among Filipinos. His nose is average, neither flat nor long aquiline that everybody strives for. His lips are perfect, though a little slim and small. Overall, he looks above average but attractive to women even at his early forty’s age.

Nate kept his eyes to the floor but glanced up to see where the wash cabins were. Although his eyes were kept on the floor, he can’t help but notice the festive mood in the coach. Just about everyone was wearing their Sunday’s best. People were combing their hair, straightening up their shirts or blouses, brushing their lips with a new fresh coat of lipstick. There were, however, other Filipinos, who were mostly in their twenties, who insist on wearing torn jeans regular t-shirts and rubber shoes. He figured that these individuals are making a fashion statement like, I may be wearing ordinary clothes, but I am from the states and I got money, look at my shoes, they are original Nike, and look at the expensive watch I am wearing.

Nate never really understood this type of psyché. Nate believes in wearing the appropriate attire for the appropriate event or function. It is not a question of money, he thought. He remembers that this mentality was ushered by the deposed president Estrada in one of his old films as an actor in which he attended a formal party, wearing all the appropriate jacket and tie, but was wearing a pair of rubber shoes with them. He made a hit with the masses and since then been the idol of many.

Why would anybody want or plan to be mistaken to be an underdog, just to enjoy the glory of coming on top at the end. I say, if one deserves to be on top, then be on top!, he thought quietly to himself. Well, at least, this consciousness teaches those who are quick to judge and shows one to be cordial and respectful of all those you meet because the book never should be judged by its cover. Since the Philippines is a poor country, one could normally judge a person’s economic status by the clothes he wears, this then is what the psyche’ exploits, Nate thought, It is the same anywhere anyway, it is just the degree that differs, but definitely, a certain class of society in the Philippines has a bad dose of it.

Designers would be proud seeing these Balikbayans wearing their specials. Just about every name brand is worn, Levi jeans, Gucci bags, Movado, Rolex watches, Steeple Gate, Johnston & Murphy, Bruno Magli shoes, Salvatore Ferragamo bags, Louis Vuitton, Ralph Lauren Polo shirts, Nike tennis shoes and in the air, you could smell Davidoff Cool Water, CK One, Eternity, Dunhill, Drakar, Poisson, Romance and all those expensive colognes and perfumes. Nate felt so cheap. He was wearing a Brooks Brothers long sleeve shirt. It is comparable in quality with Ralph Lauren’s shirt, and normally about twice the price of Ralph Lauren’s Polo shirt, but it didn’t have any distinctive outside mark that says it is, unlike Polo. Though he was wearing an expensive shirt, he was never really a brand-conscious man. He buys those that fits well and looks good. The price never really mattered.

Farther back, a few rows, were several Filipinos in their late twenty’s wrapping up a game of Pusoy, a game similar to Russian poker. What a place to enjoy a game!, he envied the camaraderie, though he didn’t know how to play Pusoy, nor any card game for the matter.

It hasn’t been a minute that he was watching the news on the small television console on his chair after he returned from the wash cabin, when the show on TV was interrupted with an announcement of the captain that final preparations for landing had to be made. The programs on the television and stereo ended, the stewardess went around and made sure all the seat backs were in their full upright position and that everyone was wearing their seatbelts.

Nate let out a deep sigh as he looked out of the window besides him. He was wondering as to why there were not more lights, as one would expect from a major city like Manila. He was finally going to be home and not worry about how many days he had left in his vacation before he leaves the Philippines. Finally, he allowed himself a soft whisper.

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CHAPTER 2

The Terminal

Although the passengers from first class and business class were allowed off the plane first, Nate was found himself at the tail of one of the lines passing through the Philippine immigration booths. He wasn’t much in a hurry anyway; after all, his ride wouldn’t be around for at least three hours. Besides, the three bottles of Johnnie Walker Black, three bags of chocolates, three cartons of cigarettes that he bought from the duty free shops on the way out, were well worth the delay.

Honorato Mandigma!, queried the Immigration Agent as she opens up his United States passport, where are the other documents you are supposed to have with you?

Oh, right here ma’am, he replied as he handed the Immigration Officer an 11"

Reviews for Salvage!

[bookwyrmm_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I was not sure about this at first as it started off as a space opera, but it turned out to be a very engaging story with some pretty deep themes.

[anissaannalise-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

4.5 stars. This was a great read and so much happened that I don't have the time to put it all down here. I will say that I do wish there were more science fiction stories like this in general and in YA & NA in particular. This very much reminded me in tone of A Long Long Sleep by Anna Sheehan. These are the sorts of standalone books that make me wish they had a sequel because the world is so well rendered and the characters well done. I enjoyed Ava's evolution from her hiding her ability to perform fixes to her banishment and basically being reborn on earth. She had to learn to walk, read, fly a ship and take care of another in her charge after tragedy. And that wasn't even the totality of her journey. She had to find her Aunt Soraya in Mumbai and learn the truth of how she ultimately came to be a part of the community on the Parastrata and what that means for the life she can choose now. I found it all satisfying a read and understood where she was coming from most of the time. I understood her attraction to both Luck and Rushil and understood her decisions regarding them at the end. It didn't feel like there was a love triangle to me and as I loathe those, I'm calling this exceptionally well done. I wanted so much more from Ava but had to remind myself that considering where she'd come from, she was on schedule and probably ahead on exercising her own agency and embracing it. I wished to know more about Soraya and also the camp where the cast away boys from the merchant ships were living. It made me wonder about the government and what sorts of regulations there are with the merchant ships who seem to have human rights infractions across both sexes. This book says so much about different societies, ethics in anthropological research, natural disasters, pollution, population over-crowding, financial stratification in society, personal rights versus group advancement and so much more. It was worth every single page & I could've gone 200 pages more here alone.If the writer decides to write another book in this verse, I'll be thrilled to read it. Well done.

[mirandalg14 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Thanks to Edelweiss and Greenwillow Books for allowing me access to this title.

This was an interesting look at society and how the norm can change based on what the society accepts/is told by their leaders. I liked how the MC grew and changed her perceptions as she learned different things. I thought she made a great choice in the end to move on with her life to what she wanted to be, not how she was raised to think she should be.

[ingrid98684 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Lazy and formulaic. Literature like this is just annoying.

[erlangerfactionless · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

There is so much to love about SALVAGE. It feels like classic sci-fi with a teenage protagonist and modern struggles. I have little, if nothing, to complain about. I appreciate it being a standalone novel, and at a little over 500 pages it is definitely able to tell a complete and well-rounded story.The characters are strong, with deep personal narratives and very real emotions and motivations. Their nuanced development is at times unexpected and familiar. I particularly liked Perpetue, the tough woman who takes Ava in and acclimates her to being planetside - on Earth. Ava's relationships with her adoptive family and the friends she makes along her journey are compelling and interesting. Perpetue's daughter, Miyole, is quite endearing and a strong character that stands on her own while still motivating a lot of plot points. The plot and pacing are pretty much perfect. SALVAGE is sometimes a page-turner, other times a slow and thoughtful rumination on human nature. The contrasts between spaceside tribes and planetside cultures is startling. The inequality, the oppression of women, the abandonment of children - each happens in a different way on both sides of the atmosphere. Ava experiences both sides, and learns to feel at home in a completely foreign place. The writing had a classic and somewhat timeless feel, reminiscent of Tamora Pierce and Ursula K. LeGuin. As a fan of classic sci-fi I really enjoyed this. The jargon that doesn't feel out of place or forced in context, the complex and well-developed lore and mythology, and the otherwordly feel of the writing style all work towards creating a modern masterpiece of YA science fiction. If you are a fan of science fiction, as a teen or adult, then this book is for you. Fans of Ursula K. LeGuin, Margaret Atwood, Tamora Pierce, ENDER'S GAME, Beth Revis, and the MATCHED trilogy are a perfect audience for Alexandra Duncan's debut, SALVAGE.

[brandileigh2003 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I wanted to read Salvage I'll admit, the cover caught my eye. Its pretty and the moon being so close to the water and the girl on the beach. I just want to know what it going on. Then I read the synopsis and saw a chance for the main character to totally stand up for women in general on the male dominated planet, and I also wanted to find out how she would fare with her escape. Like me and most sci-fi all of the new words, concepts and world was a little overwhelming, but by Chapter 4 I was learning what everything meant and their slightly different word usage and style. I did like the world building even if it took me a while to really understand. They are on a spaceship and it sounds like something happened on the earth but they still long for it. The structure of their ships heirarchy was maddening, but I totally understand that our society used to be similar as well. Women do not have jobs as mechanics or pilots, instead their value comes from kitchens, livestock care, laundry and most importantly having babies. I didn't connect right away with Ava but by chapter 3, I saw that she did have a spark to fight how things were, learning about the fixes and just the desire to learn more, since women don't learn to read or much math, she learned figuring on her own. We got to see pretty quickly what she was made of when she was set to be a bride for a ship that they hope to negotiate trade with, and she is caught in a compromising situation that broke my heart. Her brother all of the sudden won't talk to her, the Aethers, the other ship kicks her off, and she is going to be exiled. As for the secondary characters I liked Soli and Luck, but wondered at the beginning why so much time was built building these relationships, but then I figured that is the catalyst for her needing to escape and being on Gyre. Then after she escapes, we meet Perpetue and Miyole. They are so accepting and Miyole is a precious, intelligent little girl. It gives Ava purpose, but also Miyole a role model and someone to help her along. The part where they end up in Kalina and the Salts was pretty epic. The things that Ava never thought she would have to do and a strength even more than everything she'd already overcome and faced rises up in her and I really admired her and her willingness to do what needed to be done for her and Miyole. Also, how Ava discovers a kindness in strangers, really shows her that humanity can go both ways, they can do horrible things, but then also beautiful. I am pleased with how the romance was threaded into the book and the resolution. I can't talk much about it, just like I can't talk much about where she ends up after Gyre because I def don't want to give out spoilers, but I saw tremendous character growth in her, as well as surprising twists to the story. Despite the slow for me start, I ended up tearing through Salvage, connecting with Ava, loving the world set-up, as well as hoping for another book about Ava to release soon. But as I understand it is a standalone, so I think there is lots of potential with the great world building and character development that will be lost. Bottom Line: For me, took until Ch. 3-4 to get fully into the story then it carried me away.

[tanaise-968201 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book was really really good, and this cover is really really really wrong. As is the blurb.

This is a story about Ava, a girl raised in a spaceship in a very strict and patriarchal society. She breaks some rules and is forced to escape and flee to Earth in a mailship to avoid an honor killing. On Earth--specifically the floating city built over the plastic Gyre in the pacific--Perpétue, the captain of the mailship essentially adopts her while she is adjusting to the differences of earth gravity, and Ava learns to read and to fly a spaceship herself. Ava has an aunt in Mumbai, so when yet more disaster strikes, she and Perpétue's daughter head there to find her.

This is not the book that the cover is for--that is light and fluffy, and this book is serious and painful over and over again, but I had only meant to read a chapter before bed, and that was 2 hours ago. It was very very good.

[jennybeast · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Putting the "Dys" in dystopian, Duncan has written a scary, brave, profoundly disturbing and empowering sci-fi stand-alone book with a kick-ass main character.

There were things I did not love, but that made sense for a plot involving a cult that evolves on a starship. Well written, and hard to put down.

[livingtech_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

There was a part of this book near the beginning where I almost quit reading it. Then another part midway where I was so pissed at it that at that moment I would have rated it one out of five stars. But shortly thereafter it picked up, and things, while still bad, mostly got better for the main character. It wasn’t the end of the painful things happening, but it was the end of the scarlet-letter-style dystopia portion of the book.

In general, I don’t like reading dystopia. At least not where the main character feels the brunt of the painful twists to which society has been subjected. So three stars instead of 4.

This was a page turner. And I did enjoy the message / morals. It was just... very difficult reading in a bunch of parts. Probably worth it tho.

[darkfaerietales_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie TalesQuick & Dirty: Salvage is a good book, but judging on all the praise in the Amazon description, I had higher hopes and was not very impressed.Opening Sentence: The morning before our ship, Parastrata, docks at the skyport, I rise early.The Review:Salvage is the story of a girl ostracized from her ship in space. Forced away from her love interest and onto the harsh earth, she must learn to survive the gravity of the planet, take care of an orphaned girl, and learn to love again.Ava’s crewe has a sort of language that they share, like English with different grammar and wording. At first, the ship’s dialect was confusing. It was hard to get into any of the first chapters because I understood nothing — although I began to see what was happening by page thirty something, before that I was not really getting it. For example, Ava is “so girl”. Since typically “so” isn’t used as a job/saying of respect, you can see what I mean.Let’s talk about her first love interest, Luck. In my opinion they fell for each other way to fast. They hung out together as young children (smallones) for about a month, maybe less, before Luck disappeared on the Æther with his own crewe. Now they are meeting again, and somehow both of them are still starstuck? It doesn’t happen that way, and no one is in love so much that fast, even if they do believe they are to be married. Their parents, both captains, have supposedly bethrothed them, but still. Ava’s feelings of grief were well done; I just didn’t feel anything along with her. By the end of the book, the only feeling I had for Luck was irritation, and I can’t spoil why for you…Rushil, on the other hand, I did enjoy. At least their relationship takes more than a few pages to develop! He also has flaws, secrets in his past, and in my eyes it works in his favor: Luck was to perfect, not a very believable character. I’m definitely rooting for team Rushil. I have to say, this isn’t really a love triangle, because the whole book ended with a sense of finality and Ava choosing one of them. This doesn’t need a sequel, though it could have one made, but the plotline was wrapped up nicely with a bow on top.The whole dystopian setting wasn’t that incredible. Yes, there is space travel. Yes, earth is different from present earth. No, I wasn’t intrigued by its history (which is what a really fabulous future world should do)! My feelings for this book were in no way bad — just eh, the whole way through. The ending was slightly more entertaining but moved rather fast.Altogether Salvage was an okay novel, but nothing I would reread later on. The cover may be gorgeous but the content didn’t live up to it. I had such high hopes starting this one and I felt a little let down by the end. Perhaps if you don’t have high hopes, you will be impressed? I don’t know, but you might as well try it out. Worse comes to worse, you have a beautiful book cover to display from your shelf!Notable Scene: This is different, a slower burn what builds and builds, as if our lips our amplifying the charge between us the longer we stay linked. I never thought anyone would touch me this way again, never thought my heart could carry the charge. I give deeper to the kiss, lost in the unexpected heat of it.FTC Advisory: Greenwillow Books/Harper Collins provided me with a copy of Salvage. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.

[theindigoshelf-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Salvage is one of those books that I feel was written just for me. I loved it. It was such an emotional roller coaster that I became a bit teary-eyed at different parts. I was left feeling content after the fantastic emotional ending. However, I do admit that it did get off to a rocky start. I stopped reading for a while at 200 pages (out of 528). I wasn't sure how I felt about the odd language and the slow start, so I came back to it a day later. When I picked it back up things had changed. The dialogue progressed and the atmosphere was considerably different. It had me intrigued.Ava is my ultimate heroine. We meet her on the Parastrata with her crew and "friends". Ava struggles in dealing with the snobby, talk-behind-your-back crewmates on her ship; they snicker and frown at her. She is the captain's daughter, yet she is treated different from all the others. She has a slightly darker complexion than everyone else because her mother's father was from Earth. Scandalous. On the ship, the Parastrata, it is customary for the men to do the flying, the reading, the guard duty, and the fixing. It is also customary for the women to do the menial work, such as cleaning, milking the goats, cooking, and keeping their heads down in the presence of men. I thought Duncan did a great job of touching on the subject of inequality and kept Ava likable with her progressive thoughts. Because Ava is considered important in her position as a captain’s daughter, her marriage is of utmost importance to the crew. This is where the romance begins.We are given a small insight to Ava’s past, only to show us her intended love interest. She believes she is in love with her best friend Soli’s brother, Luck. After they got along so well when they were little kids she believes they are perfect for each other. She hopes that she will marry him at the next trade, and be a wife to a future captain. But when a trade deal goes wrong, Ava is sent spiraling into a place she never thought she would end up. She is thrown out and left alone towards a journey of meeting new friends and seeing a whole new environment she never knew existed. We see her gain strength and learn things she thought were impossible for her to learn. Throughout Salvage, Ava grows as a young woman. She begins to see where things could be different on the ship, and she starts to see how she could make a difference, at least, in her own life. This is where the second love interest is introduced.Real life teenage romance often involves multiple crushes and believing that you love someone, even if it is nonsensical. It’s a part of growing up; searching for true love... among other things. That said, Ava does find someone else, and continues to think about Luck whenever she feels guilty. I was a bit wary after seeing that there would be two love interests, but Ava impressed me. Duncan impressed me. The boy she meets is a complete mystery to Ava. She wonders about his motives for accepting her as she is. He is something that she used to learn how to gain the strength she always knew was hiding inside her.As a standalone debut novel, Duncan has done a brilliant job integrating parts of teenage life into an unpredictable dystopian-like future with bits of teenage romance. I would recommend Salvage to anyone who has struggled with finding who they are. The ability to rely on your own inner strength and believe in the impossible were a few of the valuable lessons I took from this book.

[beckygandee · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I have been wanting to read Salvage for awhile now, the beautiful cover and the hype around it had me interested. My mother-in-law bought me this book while on vacation and I really didn't get a chance to dive into it until we were home and unpacked. Once I picked it up, I didn't want to put it down. It had an Across the Universe feel to it, which is definitely a good thing in my book.Ava has such an unique life living on the Parastrata, she met a handsome young man, Luck, who she would be married to. It started off so sweet and innoncent and then it just takes off, Ava's life gets flipped upside down. Her journey was just amazing to read and I felt so connected with Ava and all of her ups and downs. I could kind of guess how the ending would play out, but I'm still thinking about how i feel about it. I could see why she chose who she did, I guess I just hoped it would be different. Ava was a whole new woman and everything about her changed.I'm looking forward to reading more from Alexandra Duncan, she really intrigued me with Salvage!”