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3.25 AVERAGE
3.25 AVERAGE
Could not put it down. It was a free download on my kindle so I downloaded on a whim and was truly one of the addicting books I've read. The characters and the plot are just so great.
Nicely paced, interesting characters but something was still lack luster.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
It was an OK read but I wish I had known ahead of time that it was deeply religious.
A fairly interesting read. I really enjoyed it!
The first thing I want to mention about this book is that it has very heavy religious elements, which may turn a lot of people off. It wasn't a deal breaker for me though.
It took me a looooong time to get into the story. I'd go as far as to say it was kind of boring to me until 2/3 of the way through. I actually DNFed it a few years ago, but recently picked it up and finished it.
The main character Jacob is pretty annoying, and it just took forever to get to the point of the story.
I gave it 3 stars because I know it's just the beginning set up for the series, and the writing was very well done. I just wish it had been more interesting to me. I probably won't continue the series, unfortunately.
It took me a looooong time to get into the story. I'd go as far as to say it was kind of boring to me until 2/3 of the way through. I actually DNFed it a few years ago, but recently picked it up and finished it.
The main character Jacob is pretty annoying, and it just took forever to get to the point of the story.
I gave it 3 stars because I know it's just the beginning set up for the series, and the writing was very well done. I just wish it had been more interesting to me. I probably won't continue the series, unfortunately.
Enjoyed the book but although the story was interesting and the characters believable, I found the writing a bit lackluster. I will probably read additional books in the series, but it definitely didn't grab me as quickly as other books in this type of genre have in the past. I was not expecting as much of a religious theme as was present in the story-line.
I got this book on my Kindle for free, doubt I would have purchased it on my own.
I got this book on my Kindle for free, doubt I would have purchased it on my own.
Hmmm. Not really sure what to think about this book. I obviously liked it, as I gave it four stars, but there were some things that I really wasn't sure about, and for that I have to take off 0.5 stars and make it a 3.5 star rating.
The good:
Jacob was the main character, and at first I really didn't like him, but I definitely warmed up to him later. In addition, his relationship with Malinda was just super cute too. The other side characters were cool, and I think the book was pretty well written. I liked the idea about the horsemen, and the cool powers that Jacob had. Can't wait to see how he progresses throughout the story.
The bad:
The writing at first seemed too simplistic to me, and it was a bit hard to get into the book. However, once I did, things just kept rolling. Another thing that bothered me a bit was Jacob's relationship with Malinda. I know, I know. I just said that their relationship was cute, and it was, but I thought it progressed a bit too fast. Apart from that, their relationship really was great and I liked seeing how they interacted. But the biggest issue I had was concerning some theological topics. Now they weren't really issues, just things I was wondering about except for the issue I'm about to mention, for which I'm taking off 0.5 stars.
Firstly, there was a line in the book that said "I mean, who’s right? All of these religions on this Earth … you’ve been to heaven and back! Are you telling me that even you don’t know who is right?". Now here, the main character Jacob was talking to an angel about God, and the book said even the angels didn't know which religion was right which, to me seemed honestly weird and I definitely disagree with that. That's like telling me that all religions are either all right, which can't logically be true as all religions are fundamentally different, or are all wrong which also can't be true because there needs to be a way to reach God. I obviously hold to a Christian perspective, and I kind of assumed this was a Christian book due to the fact that the main character was dating a Christian, and so I thought that maybe more info would be revealed. However, that didn't really occur, as that sentence was given near the end of the book, which definitely gave me a pause. Despite that, I'll continue reading the series to see if the author changes what was said on that issue. If not, then I don't think I'll be able to finish the series, however enjoyable it is.
That was my biggest issue, but the other one is just something that I'm curious about, and that is concerning the role of angels played in heaven. The book certainly seems to imply that angels have a second chance at heaven (which if you read the book, you'll understand what I'm saying by this) or something of which I'm not entirely sure, but am curious about. The book also had an angel say [...]angels are servants of God. We don’t have any more answers than you. In fact, humans have been promised more from God than angels ever have." . Is the author implying that humans are more important than angels? I know Jesus didn't die for angels but for us humans, but does that mean that they are not also as loved as us by God? Those were just some questions I had floating around in my head. I find the whole idea of fallen angels interesting, although I am very sceptical of what I read concerning these issues, which is why I haven't yet touched any popular fallen angel books, simply because I don't know if I'd agree with their interpretations of angels and God.
Brief rant aside, the end of the book became really interesting, and I'm eager to follow Jacob's story. Withstanding the issues, I thoroughly liked it, and hopefully as the series continues, there'll be more closure given on the issues I raised in the above paragraph.
The good:
Jacob was the main character, and at first I really didn't like him, but I definitely warmed up to him later. In addition, his relationship with Malinda was just super cute too. The other side characters were cool, and I think the book was pretty well written. I liked the idea about the horsemen, and the cool powers that Jacob had. Can't wait to see how he progresses throughout the story.
The bad:
The writing at first seemed too simplistic to me, and it was a bit hard to get into the book. However, once I did, things just kept rolling. Another thing that bothered me a bit was Jacob's relationship with Malinda. I know, I know. I just said that their relationship was cute, and it was, but I thought it progressed a bit too fast. Apart from that, their relationship really was great and I liked seeing how they interacted. But the biggest issue I had was concerning some theological topics. Now they weren't really issues, just things I was wondering about except for the issue I'm about to mention, for which I'm taking off 0.5 stars.
Firstly, there was a line in the book that said "I mean, who’s right? All of these religions on this Earth … you’ve been to heaven and back! Are you telling me that even you don’t know who is right?". Now here, the main character Jacob was talking to an angel about God, and the book said even the angels didn't know which religion was right which, to me seemed honestly weird and I definitely disagree with that. That's like telling me that all religions are either all right, which can't logically be true as all religions are fundamentally different, or are all wrong which also can't be true because there needs to be a way to reach God. I obviously hold to a Christian perspective, and I kind of assumed this was a Christian book due to the fact that the main character was dating a Christian, and so I thought that maybe more info would be revealed. However, that didn't really occur, as that sentence was given near the end of the book, which definitely gave me a pause. Despite that, I'll continue reading the series to see if the author changes what was said on that issue. If not, then I don't think I'll be able to finish the series, however enjoyable it is.
That was my biggest issue, but the other one is just something that I'm curious about, and that is concerning the role of angels played in heaven. The book certainly seems to imply that angels have a second chance at heaven (which if you read the book, you'll understand what I'm saying by this) or something of which I'm not entirely sure, but am curious about. The book also had an angel say [...]angels are servants of God. We don’t have any more answers than you. In fact, humans have been promised more from God than angels ever have." . Is the author implying that humans are more important than angels? I know Jesus didn't die for angels but for us humans, but does that mean that they are not also as loved as us by God? Those were just some questions I had floating around in my head. I find the whole idea of fallen angels interesting, although I am very sceptical of what I read concerning these issues, which is why I haven't yet touched any popular fallen angel books, simply because I don't know if I'd agree with their interpretations of angels and God.
Brief rant aside, the end of the book became really interesting, and I'm eager to follow Jacob's story. Withstanding the issues, I thoroughly liked it, and hopefully as the series continues, there'll be more closure given on the issues I raised in the above paragraph.
This book was utterly fantastic! I craved it when I wasn't reading it. I craved more as I was reading it. It is definitely a great book to start off the series and I will, for sure, be reading on in the series.
That being said, it does have some of the cookie-cutter bits associated with young adult books. The most glaring among them is the teenage angst. This book is literally buried in teenage angst. Jacob, the main character, is mad about everything. Now don't get me wrong, he has a lot to be mad about. He was in a bad car accident that left him in the hospital and his mother missing. Long-lost family that he doesn't even know about takes him in, and the investigation into his mother's disappearance goes cold. His new family (especially the mother and daughter) are extremely cold to him. He has almost no friends and is teased constantly for being half-Chinese. He has a lot to be angsty about. But he doesn't seem to grow from the angst.
The is also the teenage romance-break-up that is all too common. The actions that led to the break-up were definitely "break-up worthy" but I felt it got taken too far. This could have been because I was invested in the main character, but I felt like the actions by the girlfriend, Malini, were unjustified and served only as a plot device to set-up a new situation for Jacob rather than how I imagined Malini to have responded.
Also, problems were resolved far too easily. After Malini responds ruthlessly (and Jacob is put into the situation I talked about), Malini suddenly has a change of heart and rushes to talk to Jacob. Further examples of problems resolved easily come in the form of "I just have a feeling" or "these are the reasons why we did that to you" type quotations from characters. Rather than having them worked out, the problems are resolved with a simple, direct quotation.
Despite those issues, which are as much an issue with the genre as it is with the book itself, I highly recommend this book. It captured me in the first few pages and didn't let go until I was at the end of the book. I felt genuine emotion for the characters. I was yelling (in my mind), "Don't trust her!" or "Don't do that" or "Malini! He lost his mom. Cut him some slack." I can't say it enough: this book was terrific!
I have a few more comments under the spoiler cut as well.
Jacob Lau: Jacob is a smart, though immature, teenager with a gift that has been unharnessed until now. With the help of Dr. Silva and Malini, he learns to wield this gift to protect the ones he loves. He is the main character and I generally felt invested in his well being. He is also half-Chinese, which causes some trouble after he is uprooted from his native Oahu, Hawaii after his mom goes missing and is taken in by his long-lost uncle in the very-white town of Paris, Illinois.
Malini Gupta: Malini's family is the only family of colour in Paris. She becomes friends with Jacob, as the only other outsider, and they quickly fall into teenage love with each other. Malini was born in India, lived some time in London, and eventually settled in Paris after her father got a job as the town's only insurance agent. Her family is respected but not necessarily accepted. Her family is also very pro-American, which makes Malini feel as if she has no roots to her native India. Malini is Jacob's muse, so to speak, and it is because of her that Jacob learns how to control his gift. She is generally much more emotionally stable and smarter than Jacob, though she does have a healthy dose of her own teenage angst as well.
Dr. Silva: Dr. Silva is an eccentric woman that lives in the house across from the Laudners. She is a very beautiful ethnobotanist, but from the very beginning it is clear that something about her is off. I suspected she was not who she said she was, and I was right about that, but I was not right about her motives. She is always coupled with her feline companion, Giddeon, who also appears to be more than just a cat. And he is -- much more!
Laudner family: The Laudner family has always lived in Paris, Ill. and has never known Jacob. The family had a falling out when Jacob's father (who died when Jacob was young) decided to marry a Chinese woman, Jacob's mother. Jacob is also the last male in the Laudner line, as the Laudner family has only a daughter. John Laudner seems the only one willing to accept Jacob, though this acceptance is not complete nor is it necessarily mutual throughout the book.
This book easily gets 5/5.
That being said, it does have some of the cookie-cutter bits associated with young adult books. The most glaring among them is the teenage angst. This book is literally buried in teenage angst. Jacob, the main character, is mad about everything. Now don't get me wrong, he has a lot to be mad about. He was in a bad car accident that left him in the hospital and his mother missing. Long-lost family that he doesn't even know about takes him in, and the investigation into his mother's disappearance goes cold. His new family (especially the mother and daughter) are extremely cold to him. He has almost no friends and is teased constantly for being half-Chinese. He has a lot to be angsty about. But he doesn't seem to grow from the angst.
The is also the teenage romance-break-up that is all too common. The actions that led to the break-up were definitely "break-up worthy" but I felt it got taken too far. This could have been because I was invested in the main character, but I felt like the actions by the girlfriend, Malini, were unjustified and served only as a plot device to set-up a new situation for Jacob rather than how I imagined Malini to have responded.
Also, problems were resolved far too easily. After Malini responds ruthlessly (and Jacob is put into the situation I talked about), Malini suddenly has a change of heart and rushes to talk to Jacob. Further examples of problems resolved easily come in the form of "I just have a feeling" or "these are the reasons why we did that to you" type quotations from characters. Rather than having them worked out, the problems are resolved with a simple, direct quotation.
Despite those issues, which are as much an issue with the genre as it is with the book itself, I highly recommend this book. It captured me in the first few pages and didn't let go until I was at the end of the book. I felt genuine emotion for the characters. I was yelling (in my mind), "Don't trust her!" or "Don't do that" or "Malini! He lost his mom. Cut him some slack." I can't say it enough: this book was terrific!
I have a few more comments under the spoiler cut as well.
Spoiler
Jacob Lau: Jacob is a smart, though immature, teenager with a gift that has been unharnessed until now. With the help of Dr. Silva and Malini, he learns to wield this gift to protect the ones he loves. He is the main character and I generally felt invested in his well being. He is also half-Chinese, which causes some trouble after he is uprooted from his native Oahu, Hawaii after his mom goes missing and is taken in by his long-lost uncle in the very-white town of Paris, Illinois.
Malini Gupta: Malini's family is the only family of colour in Paris. She becomes friends with Jacob, as the only other outsider, and they quickly fall into teenage love with each other. Malini was born in India, lived some time in London, and eventually settled in Paris after her father got a job as the town's only insurance agent. Her family is respected but not necessarily accepted. Her family is also very pro-American, which makes Malini feel as if she has no roots to her native India. Malini is Jacob's muse, so to speak, and it is because of her that Jacob learns how to control his gift. She is generally much more emotionally stable and smarter than Jacob, though she does have a healthy dose of her own teenage angst as well.
Dr. Silva: Dr. Silva is an eccentric woman that lives in the house across from the Laudners. She is a very beautiful ethnobotanist, but from the very beginning it is clear that something about her is off. I suspected she was not who she said she was, and I was right about that, but I was not right about her motives. She is always coupled with her feline companion, Giddeon, who also appears to be more than just a cat. And he is -- much more!
Laudner family: The Laudner family has always lived in Paris, Ill. and has never known Jacob. The family had a falling out when Jacob's father (who died when Jacob was young) decided to marry a Chinese woman, Jacob's mother. Jacob is also the last male in the Laudner line, as the Laudner family has only a daughter. John Laudner seems the only one willing to accept Jacob, though this acceptance is not complete nor is it necessarily mutual throughout the book.
This book easily gets 5/5.
Thought this was an interesting read. A few new ideas, which is always nice.
This book was an easy read. There were many questions that kept me reading. Eventually everything is slightly explained. Surprisingly, this is written with a male main character - which I sometimes struggle with, but found this to not be an issue. Jacob is likeable, if not a bit frustrating at times.
The world building was probably the weakest point of the book. I found it hard to visualise the surroundings, which for me keeps me vested in the storyline. There were moments where I felt that the story was not going anywhere and then an information dump would occur. Overall, I did enjoy the story - just the execution could use some polishing.
The world building was probably the weakest point of the book. I found it hard to visualise the surroundings, which for me keeps me vested in the storyline. There were moments where I felt that the story was not going anywhere and then an information dump would occur. Overall, I did enjoy the story - just the execution could use some polishing.