Saturday, November 14, 2015

Emerge (The Awakening #1) Book Review

 
Emerge
The Awakening Series
Book #1
Melissa A. Craven

Genre: Young Adult Paranormal Fantasy
Release Date: April 1, 2015
Publisher: Midnight Hour Studio

ISBN: 978-0990981992
ASIN: B00VID65W0

E-book Pages: 440
Paperback Pages: 424

Goodreads Rating: 4.09
My Rating: 5.0

Book Description:

Allie Carmichael has always believed life is simple.

You’re born.
You live.
You die.

She has no cause to believe that equation works differently for her, but there has to be a reason the world treats her like a pariah.

When an unexpected move to Kelleys Island brings Aidan McBrien crashing into her life, Allie is thrown by his reaction. He doesn’t shrink from her touch. He doesn’t stutter or make a quick exit. He smiles and welcomes her into his circle of friends, who aren’t exactly comfortable with Allie, but they seem to get her in a way most people don’t.

Finally, Allie has a real shot at normal and rides that high right up to her sixteenth birthday when she wakes in agony—an experience Aidan insists they have all faced. She struggles in ignorance, uncertain of what is real and what isn’t. When she emerges, Allie is different. She has always been different, but even among her extraordinary friends, she and Aidan are special.

As Allie struggles to maintain her tenuous grasp on the power that threatens to overwhelm her, she worries she will lose herself in this strange new world. A dangerous world where she will have to fight tooth and nail to defend the power and freedom that is her birthright.
 
…only Allie hates to fight.
 
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25521894-emerge
 

My Take:

I am at a loss for words and in complete awe of this book. I was hooked from the first page an unwilling to put this book down. Its an innovative and unique story with loveable characters.

Allie is such a strong female lead and I loved that she didn't need a man to define her or her abilities, as a matter of fact romance was not even really a factor in this story which is really really refreshing. Sure, there are love interests but that does not make pr break the story. I really can not find enoug words to describe how utterly awesome this story was! 

The Great (Pros):

  • Allie. Like I said, Allie is a super strong and feisty character. I loved her tenacity. 
  • Aiden. He's adorably jaded and such an amazing character.
  • Sasha. I loved Sasha. She wasn't a character that was mentioned a lot but I really loved when she interacted with the other leads!
  • Other Supporting Characters. I really enjoyed the interactions between the other supporting characters just like I enjoyed Sasha's character. It was really fun to learn about these characters and what made them tick.
  • Bonds. I loved all the bonds formed between characters, superficial or otherwise. The inclusion of these 'supernatural' bonds that are formed between individuals was also another major selling point for me. 
  • Storyline. This story line is in a league of its own. Never once did I feel like I was reading a world I had already visited. I loved all the intricacies that make up this story and all the character story lines.
  • History. The history of these characters is astounding. I've always been a bit of a history junkie so I got a massive kick at the inclusion of these great figure heads in history being included in the history of this book. I also really like how these characters shared their history with others.

The Not So Great (Cons):

  • Vince. I really was not a fan of his character. He just felt so unnecessary. Granted, he seems less annoying now that I've read the novella that follows this book and serves as a prequel. It makes a lot of this going ons in this book make so much sense, so I really recommend reading them both! But anyways, Vince wasn't a 'bad' guy per say, at least not in this book or yet, but he just irks me and felt like a useless character although in retrospect he probably is a tad more important than I give him credit for now that I've read book 1.5.  
  • Some minor inconsistencies. Nothing to get all in a huff about but there were like maybe 3 or 4 moments that didn't really match up, but I'm just overly observant. Once again, if you read 1.5, its cleared up for you but since this is a review of book 1, it has to be mentioned.
  • Use of har har. I know it seems like such a random con but it was just really annoying and broke up the flow of the dialogue. I got really peeved after about the 10th time I read it so yea lol.

5 Quills

I'm really happy I had the opportunity to read and review this book and I am anxiously awaiting book 2 in the series. Unfortunately, I could find no info on the release of that novel or even a working title so sadly I in the dark completely BUT based off of the 2 I have read, I have high hope for the sequel. If you are looking for a great read with strong and loyal character that you will most probably fall in love with, then look no further! Emerge: The Awakening is an action packed, emotionally driven story that is sure to draw you in.

Read The Prequel Novella
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B014AUPXF2/ref=x_gr_w_glide_bb?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_glide_bb-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B014AUPXF2&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2
Emerge: The Edge

About The Author

Melissa A. Craven (the "A" stands for Ann—in case you were wondering) was born near Atlanta, Georgia, but moved to Cleveland, Ohio at the age of seventeen. She still thinks of Cleveland as home, so it was only natural for Emerge to take place there.

Today, she is back in Atlanta—for some reason she can't seem to stay away from the ungodly heat that makes her long for things like "lake effect snow" and wind that will knock you flat.
Melissa decided a long time ago that the “life checklist” everyone else was clutching so tightly in their fists, just wasn’t for her. She does everything backwards because she is weird like that, but then, she is an artist and artists are notoriously "unique" and "quirky."

She is an avid student of art and design, and received her Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of West Georgia in 2009. She worked as an interior designer for several years, but she's always thought she might like to be a writer when she grows up.

In her spare time, if she has any, she enjoys shopping for derelict furniture she refinishes to exercise the interior design part of her brain.

Connect with Melissa:


 
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