Firstlife by Gena Showalter (Review)

Genre:	YA, Fantasy
Publication Date:	February 23, 2016
Pages:	467
Published By:	Harlequin Teen
Series	Everlife #1
Review copy:	Purchased

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ONE CHOICE.
TWO REALMS.
NO SECOND CHANCE.

Tenley “Ten” Lockwood is an average seventeen-year-old girl…who has spent the past thirteen months locked inside the Prynne Asylum. The reason? Not her obsession with numbers, but her refusal to let her parents choose where she’ll live—after she dies.

There is an eternal truth most of the world has come to accept: Firstlife is merely a dress rehearsal, and real life begins after death.

In the Everlife, two realms are in power: Troika and Myriad, longtime enemies and deadly rivals. Both will do anything to recruit Ten, including sending their top Laborers to lure her to their side. Soon, Ten finds herself on the run, caught in a wild tug-of-war between the two realms who will do anything to win the right to her soul. Who can she trust? And what if the realm she’s drawn to isn’t home to the boy she’s falling for? She just has to stay alive long enough to make a decision…

  The stress is the biggest obstacle.  My limbs shake.  My stomach twists.  sweat drips down my spine.  At least I'm not cowering.

  I'll never cower again.

  Pick one.  Pick all.  Gimme.  But too bad for her.  Myriad makes the same promises.

  You don't know his heart.  He's capable of change   we all are.  Give him a second chance, Archer would probably say.

  Remove his junk and stuff it in his mouth, Killian would definitely say.  He can eat his own candy bar.

  The explosion echoes from the sky, and again, it sounds as if fireworks have been unleashed.  a battle is happening up there at the same time one is happening down here.  Maybe... Archer's friends are throwing down with Killian's?  Is that how it works?

  I'm a fan of Gena Showalter's writing and her consistently stunning covers, but this book created its own brand of cover love within me.  It was also hard not to go into this one interested due to the synopsis and its seemingly original plot.  I am super conflicted now that it is time for me to review this one.  I struggle between telling everyone it was extremely addictive, or that it was slow to the punch.  Somewhere between the start and finish I became invested but I could not tell you exactly when/where it happened. Regardless it happened and I shall attempt to properly express everything to you guys.

  I think when it comes to good and bad there are always such blurred lines.  With Firstlife, there are two very different choices offering up what they consider 'Utopia'.  Thing is they are both flawed, or at least Ten thinks so.  Isn't perfection a matter of perception?  You then go to questioning what place is 'evil' and what one is 'good'.  Once again, hard to tell when you are basically missing that area that greys between the two.  Then I began to think maybe it wasn't about good and bad, it was about the choice.  However, the choice is barely a choice because if you don't go with your families choice, you end up their enemy and that means forever.  There were even cases (including Ten) that families took the matters into their own hands trying to force the choice.  You could remain undeclared... but that meant going to a place that no one really had any idea about.  This may have been the point (no full disclosure in order to avoid spoilers), where I found myself stuck in the story.  The part in which things started coming to light and all around the plot and pacing picked up.

  Ten as I mentioned was undecided.  Undecided and desired by both sides.  Why?  Well, she's special of course but she doesn't know that.  At times her indecisive ways and attraction to the guy from 'the dark side', was a little too much and predictable.  Though I must say that part of her journey was not making the easy choice or the quick choice, it was quite simply learning to ask questions before you leap.  Ten was good at it and I did admire her ability to stick to her guns no matter what.  She was stubborn and smart about things that I think normally characters would be accused of being aloof or quick to the go about.  Her thoughts were fun to follow and I found myself spending much of the book trying to decide where she actually fit.  Then I began to think maybe she didn't fit anywhere... But we all fit somewhere don't we... Ten was just original enough and unique in her thinking and behaviors that she will stand out for me.

  For so long I dreaded a love triangle with the guys from warring sides.  Please don't get me wrong, I don't hate them I just fear them upon showing themselves.  They are one of those things that either work or end up flailing around in your face while you wish it would just die.  Okay, harsh I know but honestly some of them need to stop before they start.  Anyway.... moving on...  The thing about Archer and Killian was that they were alike without actually being alike.  They each had their own motives to start but wound up caring far more than they had ever expected when it came to Ten.  Same as each boy meant something different to Ten but neither one really meant less than the other.  Killian was the bad boy that she fell for and yet there was something good about him, and Archer was the friend that she couldn't overlook to make that jump to where Killian wanted. 

  Overall guys I do have conflicted feelings but I really did enjoy it when it all ended.  I think there is a lot of potential when it comes to the up coming books.  I do however recognize that this will not be for everyone but feel that some maybe end up like me, enjoying it but taking a twisted route to get there.  When recommending this to people I'm really not sure where to go with it.  I would like to say fans of Showalter's writing should because her writing is still wonderful but this is so different from the other two series I've read by her.  Basically the safest bet would be to say if you are looking for something fantasy/dystopia I would give it a go.  I will continue on with the books because basically there was a big twist at the end and I want to see where it goes.

Review: Consumed by Julia Crane

Keegan has dealt with a lot over the last two years: Death, black magic and the loss of her bond to her chosen mate. But on her eighteenth birthday, the bond with Rourk returns.
Rourk longs to be by her side. Though he knows the distance between them causes Keegan physical pain, he wants to give her the time she needs.
Now, Keegan faces her hardest decision. Tradition requires elves marry at eighteen. If she accepts the path laid out for her, she will be spared a lifetime of physical and emotional pain. But will that life ever really be her own?

 

  Consumed picks up exactly where Conflicted left off.  Keegan`s birthday and an entire whirl wind of emotion.  She was happy with the way things were going, her bond gone and her relationship with Donald. Rourk comes back for her birthday and with a ring brings their bond back.  In the process this breaks Donalds heart and infurates Keegan.  She can`t deny her bond with Rourk and the feeling of being complete but she never wanted to hurt Donald like that.  However like the Keegan I have grown to know she accepts what is going on and keeps moving. 
 
  What she didn`t realize was that the dark magic that was running through her would complicate things in the bond.  What should be a little pain when she is apart from her chosen is a killer can`t survive type pain.   Keegan wants to finish her schooling in Alaska but is that close enough to Rourk?  Will she stand her ground about no marrage until after school of will all that's happening make her take a step off her own beaten path.  This is the question that we all want to know when it comes to her and Rourke.
  Keegan for the most part is a really loving and loyal girl that has a bit of a temper.  She hasn't changed at all in this book.  Her bond is back and although it doesn't seem like that's what she wants she falls right back into an easy and loving relationship with Rourk.  I  hadn't expected it to be quite as easy as it was.  Knowing how she had felt about Donald I was upset to see that she could just let everyone off the hook so easy.  Understandably an Elf's bond with their chosen is something that they can't really fight but I expected some sort of rebellious act from her.
  This book really gave us what we wanted I think.  If you read the first two you know that there is so much love between Elves that itès bound to be the kind of romance that makes us all swoon a little over Rourke.  I do however wish there had been a little more action.  I kept waiting for that dramatic hold and it never came.  Don't get me wrong I loved this book and all of the characters in it but from the other two books I expected something more. I for the most part enjoyed the ending but still want to know a little more about other characters!!

3.5/4

Review: Falling Under by Gwen Hayes

Goodreads Description:

  Theia Alderson has always led a sheltered life in the small California town of Serendipity Falls. But when a devastatingly handsome boy appears in the halls of her school, Theia knows she's seen Haden before- not around town, but in her dreams. 
As the Haden of both the night and the day beckons her closer one moment and pushes her away the next, the only thing Theia knows for sure is that the incredible pull she feels towards him is stronger than her fear. 
And when she discovers what Haden truly is, Theia's not sure if she wants to resist him, even if the cost is her soul. 

My First Take On The Book:

  Theia seems to be an exceptional girl with a sheltered life.  It really irritated me that she was so okay with the fact every move she made was so calculated.  However for whatever reason it may be she has two amazing friends!! Donny and Amelia are fantastic characters  and even better friends.  You can not help but love them and what they bring to the table.  Haden seems like a dream to start and in a way he is.  What she sees when she is sleeping borderlines what most girls in her situation would consider horror.  However that is how she grows and why she grows. 

The Underwhelming:

  No matter how much I want to sing this book praises I would be lying to you if I said I didn't have some minor issues with it.  There is just too much of the "Dangerous boy" meets "Sweet, quiet and out of place girl" and it's love.  I can't say at first sight but with that kind of love it never is.  I also have to wonder where her friends where while this was all going on.  She of course doesn't tell them everything but I would be far more concerned than what they seem to be.  

The Gratifying:

  You get such a variety of characters in this book and you really look forward to reading them.  Keep an eye out for Varnie he is a hoot!! You don't find someone like him very often.  Donny I LOVE.  She reminded me of myself in some aspects. (not all). Amelia is such an independent and original that you can't help but smile reading about her, though I did have some minor issues with her character and hope that it will be cleared up in the next book.  The story does keep you interested.  The entire time!! There was not a lot of feeling like you weren't going anywhere.

The Final Say:

  Gwen Hayes has created a good over all story.  If you like/love the dangerous boy and awkward girl you will love this book!  I did enjoy how Theia grew into her own person and Haden stepped up to who he wanted to be but I felt there was too much riding on both of their souls.  It will keep you interested but not really guessing.  There is not really much to complain about but sadly I was not blown away by the story either. I would give this book a 3.5/5.  It was somewhere between a like and love.

3.5/5 Stars