Showing posts with label Kami Garcia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kami Garcia. Show all posts

13.12.13

Review: Unbreakable by Kami Garcia

Published October 1st, 2013
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
320 pages (Hardcover)

I never believed in ghosts. Until one tried to kill me.

When Kennedy Waters finds her mother dead, her world begins to unravel. She doesn’t know that paranormal forces in a much darker world are the ones pulling the strings. Not until identical twins Jared and Lukas Lockhart break into Kennedy’s room and destroy a dangerous spirit sent to kill her. The brothers reveal that her mother was part of an ancient secret society responsible for protecting the world from a vengeful demon — a society whose five members were all murdered on the same night.

Now Kennedy has to take her mother’s place in the Legion if she wants to uncover the truth and stay alive. Along with new Legion members Priest and Alara, the teens race to find the only weapon that might be able to destroy the demon — battling the deadly spirits he controls every step of the way. (From Goodreads)


I LOVED THIS BOOK.  LOVED IT.  LOVED IT!

I love secret societies and I love the paranormal.  Integrating the two was perfection.  Not going to lie, as excited as I was, I was skeptical as to how it would actually turn out.  The paranormal aspects were well founded in actual beliefs.  It was clear that Kami Garcia put some research into her novel.  I will say that the Shift idea confused me a bit, but this didn't take away the overall story.

I loved the pacing of the book.  I think I only sat it down once, and not out of choice.  From the start, I was completely engaged in the plot.  The action starts fast and is spaced well.  The book almost progresses in stages, with the bursts of action and drama.  This created a nice flow.

The characters were great.  Each had their own distinct personality and complemented one another.  I know this is predictable, but Jared was my favourite.  Sigh, damaged and  angsty Jared.  I really enjoyed the interaction and tension between him and his twin brother.  I also liked the relationship that developed between him and Kennedy.  No insta-love here.  We've got a nice slow-building and satisfying romance to go along with the story.  But beyond this, the friendships between the group as a whole develop throughout the story.  I felt Kennedy's emotions as the story progressed, although I do question why she trusted the boys so quickly.  I mean, if two unknown (attractive) boys show up in my bedroom, I'm not hopping a van with them. 

I loved Unbreakable and cannot wait for book two.  Fans of the paranormal will adore this book, but I would recommend it to anyone.  Go get it now.

25.9.13

"Waiting On" Unbreakable

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating!




This week I am excited for...
I never believed in ghosts. Until one tried to kill me.
When Kennedy Waters finds her mother dead, her world begins to unravel. She doesn’t know that paranormal forces in a much darker world are the ones pulling the strings. Not until identical twins Jared and Lukas Lockhart break into Kennedy’s room and destroy a dangerous spirit sent to kill her. The brothers reveal that her mother was part of an ancient secret society responsible for protecting the world from a vengeful demon — a society whose five members were all murdered on the same night.

Now Kennedy has to take her mother’s place in the Legion if she wants to uncover the truth and stay alive. Along with new Legion members Priest and Alara, the teens race to find the only weapon that might be able to destroy the demon — battling the deadly spirits he controls every step of the way.

Suspense, romance, and the paranormal meet in this chilling urban fantasy, the first book in a new series from Kami Garcia, bestselling coauthor of the Beautiful Creatures novels.  (From Goodreads)
Unbreakable is described as "Supernatural meets The Da Vinci Code".  I've never read The Da Vinci Code, but I will give anything a chance if it is similar to Supernatural.   The story sounds right up my alley.  Secret societies, demons and the paranormal make me very happy.  I'm also excited since I was not a fan of Beautiful Creatures, and want to give something else by Kami Garcia a read.  That being said, I sense a love triangle (identical twins?).  I have been avoiding reviews thus far, so I really don't know.  Not that this would turn me away, at this point.  Unbreakable is out October 1st, 2013.  Bring on the paranormal and the creepy!

11.8.12

Book Review: Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

December 1st, 2009
Little, Brown and Company
592 pages (Paperback)
Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she's struggling to conceal her power and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.

Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town's oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them.

In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything. (From Goodreads)
Here's my issue with this book:  If you're going to write a nearly 600 page book, you have to keep the reader interested for 600 pages.

Beautiful Creatures started strong, then weakened.  The book started to drag on, and while a few interesting moments did pop up, I found myself wishing that the book was about 100 pages (or more) shorter.  I'm not one to be bothered by larger books, so long as the writing can hold it's own.

I did like the narration by Ethan.  I love reading from a guy's perspective.  I also liked the small town setting, as it was something I could relate to.

Overall, Beautiful Creatures was an okay read.  I didn't hate it.  I didn't love it.

Much love, Samantha