A Review of Discovery (Electi #1) by Brina Courtney

Dicovery

Electi Series

Book #1

Brina Courtney

Genre: NA Paranormal Fantasy

Release Date: October 21, 2013

Publisher: Laurelis Press 

ASIN: B00FXFESHS

Pages: 170

Word Count: About 45,520

Goodreads Rating: 3.45

My Rating: 3.5

Book Description:

Discoveries can be dangerous. Discoveries can be deadly. 

Nine months ago, Teagan Matthews' boyfriend disappeared and took her sense of stability with him. But when the opportunity to live with her aging grandmother in Salem arises, she decides it's time to get on with her life. A new home, new job, and new friends are adding up to a beautiful summer...

...until a young girl's body shows up one night in town, wearing a pentagram necklace exactly like Teagan's.

Now a guy looking remarkably like her missing boyfriend has arrived in Salem along with a mysterious stranger who may have some answers that Teagan has desperately been searching for. Teagan must now decide who to trust. It's a matter of life... and her death.

*This book was previously published as Summer in Salem. The book has gone through major re-edits and a changed plot line.* 

My Take On The Book:

This was genuinely a tough book for me to review for many reasons… I enjoyed the storyline and thought is was very unique. I liked many of the characters and their ‘story’ but there was a lot missing from this book. But a love for some characters isn’t enough to keep a person interested or invested. The most memorable characters in this book by far is the male love interest Seth and the new best friend Lark. I personally did not like Teagan or her personality. She reacted to situations in a way that I didn’t find to be believable at all. Which kept me from forging any type of bound. There was no emotional connection or a need to see her succeed. Even her heartbreaks didn’t affect me.

First off, the story, as I said earlier was unique and one I enjoyed but the writing style is what I didn’t like. It was written in first person, and as I mentioned before, that is a tricky thing to do but then the ‘voice’ changes and it’s even more muddled. The writing seemed too choppy and rushed and it took away from what could really make the story stand out. I felt like I was in a race to the finish line and I felt tired and winded half way through. A fast pace is good in certain aspects of certain books but not throughout the entirety.

Another thing about the story that threw me off was the lack of descriptions. As I reached, chapter 15 I realized that I could not immerse myself into the book as I hoped and I started evaluating why that was. Due to the choppiness and the pace, you just feel rushed and you have no time to really acclimate yourself to the story and its inhabitants.

Once again let me stress that the story and the idea behind it was really enjoyable, almost brilliant but the writing style is what threw me off. Also the timelines aren’t completely cohesive. For example, the synopsis mentions a man that appears to be a replica of her missing boyfriend and that he is accompanied by a dark mysterious stranger that hold all the answers to her questions and yet before the actual ‘meeting’ of Teagan and this mysterious stranger and look a like there is mention of him. Its confusing and indecisive.

After some searching, I came across the Goodreads page and noticed the note on the bottom of the description, which would explain so of the inconsistencies, I found while reading this but at the same time leaving me wondering why it was release if it was not ready so to speak. Plot changes are tricky subjects when dealing with published books and re publications, as many times you will find that the author does not re write the book in its entirety and just re writes certain aspects. Those types of rewrites are what lead to inconsistencies in books. Its my belief that this may be the case with this book. It’s a shame really because not only is the cover appealing but the synopsis had such promise, I just couldn’t get on board with it. In addition, keep in mind that because of these plot changes the book description isn’t 100% accurate and slightly misleading.

3.5 Quills

In truth, the storyline while a bit clichéd it what saved this book. I liked it but I’m not crazy about it and I probably wouldn’t pick up the next if it is part of a series (I know the first version was) as I didn’t really find it memorable. Personally from what I’ve read online I think I might enjoy the first version more ‘Summer in Salem’ even so, it might be more of my liking to Seth and the storyline that kept me reading.

About The Author 

Brina Courtney is a young adult author obsessed with chocolate, crime shows, and fantasy movies. She's spent the last few years as an elementary teacher and a high school cheering coach. She lives in a small town in Pennsylvania with her husband and two very loud, small dogs. 

Thanks for stopping by,

 “I received a free copy of the book from the author/publisher for my honest opinion. I was in no way compensated for this review and all opinions are expressly my own.”