Possessing the uncanny ability to fry a television set from twenty paces can really wreck a girl’s social life.
If you’re looking for proof, just ask sixteen-year-old Alexandra Parker. After catching her boyfriend in the arms of the prettiest girl in school, she made the journey from social elite to social pariah in a haze of electricity and exploding electronics. But finding herself at the bottom of Bay View High’s social hierarchy was nothing compared to the shock of discovering who—and what—she really is.
After being zapped out of a burning bookstore by the mysterious Declan—a hero nearly as handsome as he is infuriating—Alex finds herself under the protection of the powerful Grayson family. It’s through them that she learns the truth: that the world she’s always known is nothing like it appears to be... and that she has far more in common with them than she might want to believe.
Now, on the run from a fire-wielding hit man and a secretive government organization, Alex must navigate a strange and treacherous new world filled with superhuman mutants known as Variants. As she begins to unravel the many secrets of her family’s past, she uncovers the real reason for her parents’ death twelve years earlier—and finds out that the threat to her family, and to everyone she cares about, is still dangerously real.
5 HEARTS!
Plot: 50 points
This book has a great, new, original plot!!! And I really loved it!!! I love the idea of 'Variants'. It kind of reminds me of X-Men a bit, but of course I liked this book a lot more than I liked X-Men. It's just a great use of a paranormal theme. Alex and the people she meets have to stick together, using their various 'variants' to keep each other safe. I don't think I'd be giving much away to say that Alex is special in some way, so of course she's going to have people coming after her.
I love the family-like kinship that is developed between everyone, and I love each of the variants they all have. This is a book that has me deeply anticipating the sequel! There is one thing in particular that is left unexplained in this book that I'm dying to find out about! (Pay attention to what Nathaniel says).
This part of the book is area that I have the most to say about.
Lets start with Alex. She obviously had a hunch that she was different ever since the 'incident' that occurred, but I really don't think she new just how different she was. She finds out that a lot of what she thought she knew was a lie created to protect her. She has to put her trust in quite a few people all at once, and for her to stay brave and fight for herself and these people....she's a trooper for sure! And to have to decide who she likes most among all those good-looking men? My gosh...I feel sorry for her the most in that department!
Declan: Declan is the variant Alex meets first (well, that she knows of anyways). There is a clear attraction going on there from the beginning. I'll let you read about that, but I have to say that I really love what him and Alex share (you'll find that out, too), because it made for some scenes that had me fighting huge smirks on my face!!! I laughed and smiled so hard!!! But there is also some tension there at first, so Declan has some internal things he needs to work out.
Nathaniel: What can I say...I'm a sucker for dark-haired boys! To be honest, at times I felt that I would really like to see Alex with Nathaniel more than Declan. It may or may not be going in that direction, but that's still what I would kind of like. However, Nathaniel is the one with the secret I talked about earlier. Neither Alex nor us readers really know what it is yet, but it seems like it's going to change things!
Kenzie and Brian: Ok, so, I have to admit I pay more attention to the details of the male characters in the book, but I do really like Kenzie and cute little Brian as well. Brian is young and we don't see a lot of him (although he has a pretty cool power), but he is adorable nonetheless. Kenzie seems to be the one who keeps all the boys in order, so that makes her job kinda hard. And clearly she has a special agenda of her own about who Alex ends up with...
Grayson: Well he is obviously a pretty good guy. He created the family he has because of his huge heart and responsibility, and he has fought, from the beginning, to keep everyone safe.
Aiden: We don't see Aiden much in the book because he appears a little later, but obviously he's a doll as well! He was compared to a Greek gods in fact...and I love myself some Greek gods! Reminds me of the Covenant Series by JLA a little bit, give that the main character is also named Alexandria. I wonder if the names and the characters were derived from those characters. But don't worry...the plot of this book is different so there is no plot stealing going on here or anything! I just see similarities in the characters.
Cassie: She's the cute, energetic, best friend to Alex. I don't think I have to say much more about her, cause I'm sure you can get a feel of her personality already. She reminds me a lot of Heather from The Archers of Avalon Series. One thing I'll say about her is that she sticks up for her friend and looks out for her! Every girl wants a best friend like her.
Writing/Depth: 28 points
I felt that Leigh did a great job writing this book! Obviously the plot and characters were extraordinary, as was the emotional depth and descriptiveness within the book. And the humor had me rolling and smirking!! I really love the way she described the interaction between the characters and all the adventure in the book. Great first book series Jena!!! When is the next one coming out??? :)
TOTAL: 98 POINTS
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