So I almost didn't read this - but that gorgeous cover got the better of me. And now that I've read it, I think the cover is cleverly done - a beautiful embodiment of certain aspects of the central characters, and a pretty theme that graces every chapter heading.
At first I thought I'd stepped into a Twilight remake - well I suppose there has to be similarities since this is about a guy with a secret and a girl at high school who fall in love but shouldn't really be together *pauses and shrugs*.
Don't get me wrong - this was much faster paced and more efficiently written. And I was completely intrigued by the fact that I didn't really understand what the whole concept of the carrier of the mark was about.
That was until about chapter 11 when there was a major information dump that gave me a bit of a headache (it was midnight - give me a break). And I found the concept to be very unique and refreshing - something I'd not read before in YA.
The story builds up to an exciting crescendo, and the development of Adam and Megan's relationship has its tender and spicy moments - thankfully both parts of the story (i.e. the romance and the action) are carefully combined so as to not outshine the other.
And the ending, which I love (did I mention that already?), sets the tone for an intriguing second book. What will Megan choose? What will the aftermath be? Who is betraying them to the Knox?
I also love that this is set in Ireland. Irish names, landscapes, colloquialisms - the voice in my head read with an Irish accent and it made the book so much more exotic and appealing *grins like a big git*.
I'm going to be adding the next books immediately to my "to-read" list. Fans of Twilight and Unearthly *waves both hands in the air* will enjoy this story, and those YA readers who like to read something with a new slant on the paranormal aspect.
When I was a kid, I would lay outside in the long grass on our huge back section and escape. Only the internal sound of my own breath floating in and out would remind me that I was actually still there near my house. The tall blades teeming with life surrounding my body cut me off from reality, and I would make up stories and imagine.
These days I don't have any time to lay around in the long grass anymore. Which sucks big time. I think if we could all lay down in some long grass for as long as we wanted to each day, the world would be a much happier place.
Instead, I read. I read to escape, to yearn, to feel, to have my heart broken, to travel, to grow, to fight, to love, to learn, to experience.
I don't read to critique, but inevitably I form an opinion. I didn't study English at university and my grammar is fairly average. So when I talk about a book I've read or am reading, it's not usually to tear it to shreds because the tense didn't match the setting or was inconsistent or whatever (see...average), but rather to talk about the journey, the experience, the characters, the story.
So that's what this site is all about. I read usually Young Adult, and mostly fantasy / sci fi / dystopia / paranormal and almost always books that have some romance. What can I say - I'm a sucker for a good romance.
So check out my upcoming reviews and I'd love to hear what you think.
Ciao
I'm going to be adding the next books immediately to my "to-read" list. Fans of Twilight and Unearthly *waves both hands in the air* will enjoy this story, and those YA readers who like to read something with a new slant on the paranormal aspect.