Tagged: urban fantasy
Spotlight: Other Side of Forever by Shannon Eckrich
Spotlight is my weekly feature in which I highlight a book I’m looking forward to or really enjoyed. This week I want to do the latter and talk to you about an amazing book: Other Side of Forever by Shannon Eckrich.
Seventeen-year-old Allie Anderson’s telekinetic powers are anything but useful–she can’t bring her father back, can’t stop her mother’s downward spiral into alcohol, and can’t keep her from falling in love with Ethan Bradley. Loving Ethan is easy, but it comes with a hefty price: Ethan is prohibited by his people from interacting with mortals–because he isn’t mortal himself. When Allie and Ethan’s love is discovered, there’s someone who will do anything to keep them apart. If Allie can’t learn to control her powers and fight to save Ethan, this dark entity will make every attempt to stop her beating heart. And if that happens, not even the energy of an immortal can bring her back.
I know, I was just gushing over this on Wednesday, but it warrants repeating: Other Side of Forever is that extremely rare YA book that avoids clichés like love triangles and completely happy endings. The heroine, Allie, was smart and resourceful but also had a vulnerable side when it came to Ethan. Ethan himself was a complete gentleman, not the total ‘hot jerk’ stereotype you see so often in YA. We need to see more male leads like him, that’s for sure!
Not only is the plot fast-paced, but unpredictable. Honestly, just when you think you know what’s going to happen, Shannon Eckrich sends another plot twist your way. Sometimes authors sacrifice character development in the name of pacing, but not in Other Side of Forever. Both Allie and Ethan were fully developed and had believable character arcs as well as a sweet, completely genuine romance. It didn’t feel forced at all, another rarity.
Seriously guys, you need to read this book right now.
The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong
(Cover picture courtesy of In Between Writing and Reading.)
My name is Chloe Saunders and my life will never be the same again.
All I wanted was to make friends, meet boys and keep on being ordinary. I don’t even know what that means anymore. It all started on the day that I saw my first ghost—and the ghost saw me.
Now there are ghosts everywhere and they won’t leave me alone. To top it all off, I somehow got myself locked up in Lyle House, a “special home” for troubled teens. Yet the home isn’t what it seems. Don’t tell anyone, but I think there might be more to my classmates than meets the eye. The question is, whose side are they on? It’s up to me to figure out the dangerous secrets behind Lyle House…before its skeletons come back to haunt me.
Do you like urban fantasy but are sick of all the clichés that usually come with it? Well, have I got the book for you!
The Summoning starts out as a typical urban fantasy novel: the protagonist, Chloe, seeing something no one else can see. But soon the plot twists and Chloe ends up in a group home where all is not as it seems. When Chloe learns the truth about Lyle House, she decides to act, but is betrayed by someone she thought was her friend.
Chloe is a realistic and believable character with flaws that will help readers identify with her. She can be kind and caring, but also selfish and petty. It is these seemingly contradictory characteristics that make her such a complex, believable character, which is what Kelley Armstrong was going for.
The only thing I think fell short was the fact that there was never really an adequate explanation for the source of Chloe’s powers. It may just be me, but I like it when writers explain the source of magic in their books. It makes the world-building seem a bit more complete. What do you think? Do you like it when writers explain magic to you?
I give this book 4/5 stars.
City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
(Cover picture courtesy of Kirkwood Public Library.)
When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder—much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Clary knows she should call the police, but it’s hard to explain a murder when the body disappears into thin air and the murderers are invisible to everyone but Clary.
Equally startled by her ability to see them, the murderers explain themselves as Shadowhunters: a secret tribe of warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. Within twenty-four hours, Clary’s mother disappears and Clary herself is almost killed by a grotesque demon.
But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundane like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know…
Clary Fray is just an ordinary fifteen-year-old girl until she witnesses a murder in Pandemonium Club and realizes no one else can see the murderers. She discovers that the murderers are Shadowhunters, people who hunt and kill demons. When Clary’s mother is kidnapped and Clary herself is almost killed by a demon, the Shadowhunters take her in and Clary discovers secrets about her past and her mother that she might have been better off not knowing.
City of Bones is pretty much your average urban fantasy book: vampires, werewolves, warlocks and secret societies. Despite these clichés, it is a surprisingly enjoyable read. The plot is riveting and filled with unexpected twists and Cassandra Clare has obviously spent quite a bit of time on world-building. The only aspect that really falls flat is the characterization. Clary could be substituted for any other YA protagonist, Jace is your stereotypical ice-cold hunk, Isabelle is a man-eater and Simon is the tragic best friend who *SPOILER ALERT* secretly loves Clary.
If you can get past the poor characterization and the typical urban fantasy clichés, you will enjoy City of Bones. It does have its shortcomings, but Cassandra Clare is a good writer and manages to pull off a funny, enjoyable and addicting book.
I give this book 3/5 stars.