Blog Tour Giveaways

Proxy Blog Tour & Giveaway

Hello everyone! Today we are happy to be a part of the blog tour for Proxy by Alex London. Here to talk about the characters and relationships in this book, particularly the relationship between main characters Knox and Syd, please give it up for Alex Landon!

About The Book

Proxy

The adventure novel of the year! Inspired by The Whipping Boy and Feed, this adrenaline-fueled thriller will appeal to fans of The Hunger Games for its razor-sharp insights into the nature of human survival and its clever writing.

Knox was born into one of the City’s wealthiest families. A Patron, he has everything a boy could possibly want—the latest tech, the coolest clothes, and a Proxy to take all his punishments. When Knox breaks a vase, Syd is beaten. When Knox plays a practical joke, Syd is forced to haul rocks. And when Knox crashes a car, killing one of his friends, Syd is branded and sentenced to death.

Syd is a Proxy. His life is not his own.

Then again, neither is Knox’s. Knox and Syd have more in common than either would guess. So when Knox and Syd realize that the only way to beat the system is to save each other, they flee. Yet Knox’s father is no ordinary Patron, and Syd is no ordinary Proxy. The ensuing cross-country chase will uncover a secret society of rebels, test both boys’ resolve, and shine a blinding light onto a world of those who owe and those who pay. Some debts, it turns out, cannot be repaid.

A fast-paced, thrill-ride of novel full of non-stop action, heart-hammering suspense and true friendship—just as moving as it is exhilarating. Fans of Anthony Horowitz’s Alex Rider series, James Dashner’s Maze Runner, Patrick Ness’s Chaos Walking series, and Marie Lu’s Legend will be swept away by this story.

You can find out more about Proxy on the Penguin Teen Tumblr and on GoodReads.

The Excerpt

“ When Knox came back into the alley, Syd stood from behind the generator.

‘You’re back,’ he said.

Knox smirked. ‘You thought I’d ditch you, just like that?’

Syd didn’t answer. He’d had exactly that thought.

Knox had seen that look Syd was giving him a thousand times on holos over the year, like Syd thought he was better than everyone else just because he suffuered. His arrogance was probably hiding some deeper issue, like he wet the bed or something.

Whatever, thought Knox, he didn’t need to analyze his proxy.”

– page 129, PROXY

Alex Landon on the relationship between Knox and Syd:

In the world of Proxy, Knox and Syd are never supposed to meet. Knox is a patron-the son of one of the most powerful men in the Mountain City. He lives a life of unquestioning wealth and privilege. He has the best technology, the best clothes, the best education that money can buy. He takes it all for granted. Syd has nothing but debt. He doesn’t even know his own name—Syd was a name assigned to him when he arrived at an orphanage. And to pay off his debt, Syd is a Proxy, taking the punishments whenever Knox does something wrong, which is often!

He isn’t meant to know who Knox is, even though Knox is compelled to watch Syd suffer every time he messes up. It’s meant to teach Knox empathy. It has the opposite effect.

All Syd wants is freedom. When one of Knox’s escapades goes too far, Syd breaks free. The two get caught up in a conspiracy and are going to need each other to survive…but first they have to survive each other. Needless to say, it’s not easy for the two of them to get along. They don’t understand the lives the other one leads and they have trouble seeing each other as real people, whose perspectives and priorities could possibly make sense, let alone be as important as their own. They are both consumed by their assumptions about each other.

Syd’s sexuality also plays a small (and occasionally funny) role in the tension between them. Knox considers himself quite the ladies man and doesn’t really know how to deal with a guy who is attracted to other guys. He has trouble imagining that Syd wouldn’t want to jump his bones. Syd has no interest in it. He’s running for his life and a roll in the hay is the last thing on his mind. That aspect of their relationship is based, a little bit, on my own relationship with my straight best friend in high school. Our difference wasn’t a deal breaker in our friendship, but it was always present, whether in the occasional joke or the uncomfortable misunderstanding that happens when you’re figuring out how to deal with yourself at the same time you’re figuring out how to deal with other people. For Syd and Knox, I took all that high school tension and added deadly robots, ruthless killers, an army of genetically engineered soldiers and a world-shaking revolution. But in spite of all those elements, all that action and suspense, Proxy, is at its heart a story about friendship, brotherhood, and forgiveness.

About The Author:

Alex London

Alex London writes book for adults, children and teens. At one time a journalist who traveled the world reporting from conflict zones and refugee camps, he now is a full time novelist living in Brooklyn.

You can find Alex London on twitter (@ca_london) and his website.

Find the next stop on the Proxy blog tour on Charlotte’s Library tomorrow!

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The Giveaway

We have ONE copy of Proxy up for grabs! The contest is open internationally and will run until Sunday June 30 at 12:01am EST. To enter, use the form below. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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51 Comments

  • Bird & Bambi
    June 27, 2013 at 6:13 am

    Whats your opinion on e-books vs. books?!
    We would love to hear from you!

    Check it out
    http://lasagnolove.blogspot.de/2013/06/e-book-vs-book-book.html
    Love from Germany
    B&B

  • Megan C
    June 27, 2013 at 6:31 am

    Not too sure about the cover but the book itself sounds like it could be really cool. Count me in!

  • Megan C
    June 27, 2013 at 6:34 am

    Er, whoops, and to answer the rolfcopter question my favourite sff book so far this year has to be the Ocean at the end of the Lane!

  • Lexi
    June 27, 2013 at 7:29 am

    Also, a Gaiman (inspired) book here, I just finished Silver Dream, which is what first comes to mind.

  • Mary Anne
    June 27, 2013 at 7:56 am

    I really liked most of Andrea Host’s “Hunting” – till it was almost done, and then it came off a little too happily ever after. And I just found Ben Aaronovitch this year, so does that count?

    When Lindsay Buroker finishes the seconf part of her conclusion to the Emperor’s Edge series, I think it will rank among my favorites.

  • Andrea Chettle
    June 27, 2013 at 8:18 am

    My favourite SFF book of the year is The City’s Son by Tom Pollock I really like fantasy books set around/in London and this is the best I’ve read I cannot wait for book two The Glass Republic

    Great give away! Thanks

  • Leanne Maala
    June 27, 2013 at 8:53 am

    I really liked Of Silver and Beasts by Trisha Wolfe! It was so original and the world building was superb.

  • Lillian
    June 27, 2013 at 8:55 am

    I think my favorite SFF novel of 2013 is UnWholly by Neal Shusterman. A great follow-up to UnWind.

  • Lozza
    June 27, 2013 at 9:22 am

    I just discovered Nalini Singh this year, and really loved her latest Heart of Obsidian. It’s probably more PNR than SFF, but the in addition to the romance, I love the worldbuilding and the arcs that she carries over the entire series.

  • Elizabeth Bevins
    June 27, 2013 at 9:56 am

    I’m reading The Ocean at the End of the Lane now. I’ve loved all of the Wool books by Hugh Howey too!

  • Sam (A Bookish Brit)
    June 27, 2013 at 10:33 am

    When I wrote about this book’s release last week I knew it was a special book. The concept combines the customs of dystopian sci-fi with an unconventional romance (at least that’s what I’ve been told?)

  • Rebecca I
    June 27, 2013 at 10:33 am

    I would pick For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund. Just finished it and I was surprised by how much I really loved it! Elliot made for a really great protagonist.

  • Courtney Renee
    June 27, 2013 at 10:36 am

    The Program by: Suzanne Young

  • superbwg
    June 27, 2013 at 11:22 am

    I’m a little behind on the newer books, but I recently finished And All the Stars by Andrea Horst and LOVED IT! This book sounds pretty awesome.

  • LeAnn
    June 27, 2013 at 12:43 pm

    So far I’d say my favorite SFF of 2013 is The Cydonian Pyramid by Pete Hautman. I loved the first book, The Obsidian Blade, and this follow-up was great to get the perspective from another character.

  • Marie Chettle
    June 27, 2013 at 12:45 pm

    Written in Blood by Anne Bishop (Urban Fantasy). I’m looking forward to Blood Song by Anthony Ryan next week too.

  • Emily
    June 27, 2013 at 1:05 pm

    Wow, awesome premise: I’d really like to read this! Instead of the typical romance, we have kind of a brotherhood here. I like that!

  • Jill the OWL
    June 27, 2013 at 1:44 pm

    Hmmmmmmm I’m not sure! I haven’t read many but I’ll go with The Program also.

  • Rachel Gledhill
    June 27, 2013 at 1:56 pm

    This looks excellent.

  • Rachel Gledhill
    June 27, 2013 at 2:01 pm

    Definitely Quintana of Charyn by Melina Marchetta. It’s the third (and final) book in the Lumatere Chronicles, and while I was a little lukewarm about the Finnikin of the Rock, this one and Froi of the Exiles are among my favorite books ever. Her characters are so layered and deep, and you really care for them.

  • Elisabeth
    June 27, 2013 at 4:50 pm

    I really enjoyed The City’s Son!

  • Sarah
    June 27, 2013 at 6:16 pm

    Proxy is definitely one of my favourite books of 2013 so far – and I really loved the two main characters, so it was great to get some insight into them here – thanks!

  • Bethany
    June 27, 2013 at 8:05 pm

    5th Wave by Rick Yancey

  • Victoria Zumbrum
    June 27, 2013 at 8:45 pm

    I love Resilient.

  • Llehn
    June 27, 2013 at 8:47 pm

    Reboot.

  • erinf1
    June 27, 2013 at 9:48 pm

    I’d have to say my fav for 2013 would have to be Trapped by Kevin Hearne 🙂

  • Dovile
    June 28, 2013 at 1:20 am

    Origin by Jessica Khoury

  • Mieneke
    June 28, 2013 at 4:30 am

    My favourite SFF read so far this year would have to be a tie between Emma Newman’s Any Other Name, which just gave me happy feels, and Al Ewing’s The Fictional Man, which was quite frankly amazingly layered and far deeper than I expected.

  • Anonymous
    June 28, 2013 at 9:25 am

    The 5th wave by Rick Yancey

  • Chenise J.
    June 28, 2013 at 10:40 am

    I really enjoyed Scarlet by Marissa Meyer!

  • Amanda
    June 28, 2013 at 11:49 am

    Psyched about this book. As for my favourite so far of 2013… hrm. I’m still all about Ready Player One. Hopefully this will be the best of 2013.

  • Becky C.
    June 28, 2013 at 2:32 pm

    What’s left of Me by Kat Zhang

  • Hannah H
    June 28, 2013 at 6:14 pm

    This has kind of been a lackluster year for me. I am very much looking forward to reading the Ocean at the end of the Lane. I liked Unspoken quite a bit and I just finished the Avery Cates series, which I enjoyed, but I’m having trouble finding anything with a “wow” factor. I’ll get there- maybe Proxy will break me out of my slump 😉

  • Hebe
    June 28, 2013 at 7:29 pm

    The only vaguely sci-fi novel I’ve read that was published this year is Terry Pratchett’s new Science of Discworld. I didn’t like it that much, though. Can I count The Hunger Games, since I read that this year?

  • JenP
    June 28, 2013 at 8:11 pm

    I love Beth Revis’ Across the Universe trilogy.

  • Mary Preston
    June 28, 2013 at 11:11 pm

    I don’t know that I do have an absolute favorite.

  • Miss Bookiverse
    June 29, 2013 at 12:42 pm

    I’m not sure if it counts as SFF but my favourite so far this year is Fuse by Julianna Baggott, excellent sequel.

  • Alison C
    June 29, 2013 at 1:38 pm

    A Memory of Light has been my favorite so far. But I can’t wait to read Cold Steel by Kate Elliott, I just need to finish my reread of the first 2 books of the trilogy.

  • Jasmine S
    June 29, 2013 at 1:45 pm

    Most of my reading so far this year has been from books published BEFORE 2013, but my favourite book from this year would be on my faves anyways. It’s the third book in Stephanie Burgis’s MG Kat, Incorrigible series, Stolen Magic, and it’s wonderful.

  • Allison
    June 29, 2013 at 5:43 pm

    oooo, it’s gotta be Ocean at the End of the Lane

  • Shelver506 @ Bookshelvers Anonymous
    June 29, 2013 at 9:53 pm

    ARCLIGHT by Josin McQuein. I loved it.

  • Tiffany Drew
    June 30, 2013 at 12:45 am

    Does The Eternity Cure count? I absolutely LOVED that book!

  • K
    June 30, 2013 at 5:50 am

    The cover isn’t my favorite either, but the book sounds wonderful!

  • Kate & Zena
    July 1, 2013 at 10:50 pm

    I’m a little behind on the newer books, but I really liked For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund. So beautiful!

  • Justine
    July 2, 2013 at 1:54 am

    I’m hoping it will be Lexicon by Max Barry.

  • Kristin
    July 2, 2013 at 1:10 pm

    I’m a little behind on my reading, but eagerly anticipate Ocean at the End of the Lane

  • Erika
    July 2, 2013 at 5:02 pm

    I’m reading The Fifth Wave and so far it is creepy and funny too! Love it!

  • Youtube Proxy
    July 12, 2013 at 4:28 am

    Nice and wonderful book. cover is also amazing thanks for sharing

  • papa vpn
    August 27, 2013 at 5:29 am

    Thanks for this post.

  • Patty wright
    August 30, 2013 at 9:07 pm

    Darn I missed the drawing

  • Xuxor
    September 25, 2013 at 6:04 am

    The Fifth Wave is so cool. I can’t wait to finish it.

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