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The Guardians of Vesturon #1
Survival
This is an alternate cover edition for B00685NFI0
"Maybe I was caught between the two worlds. I was having serious trouble distinguishing fantasy from reality."
While on a backpacking trip in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, nineteen-year-old Maddie Pearce finds her world has been thrown into a vortex and is madly spinning toward the impossible. Abducted by a mad psychopath, Maddie narrowly escapes with her life. But that is only the beginning. Her mysterious rescuer introduces her to a world that Maddie has difficulty accepting as reality. Will this strikingly gorgeous stranger be the key to her future or will she return to her mundane world, scarred from her experience? Follow Maddie as she is forced to make difficult decisions that carry her to mysterious places.
"Maybe I was caught between the two worlds. I was having serious trouble distinguishing fantasy from reality."
While on a backpacking trip in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, nineteen-year-old Maddie Pearce finds her world has been thrown into a vortex and is madly spinning toward the impossible. Abducted by a mad psychopath, Maddie narrowly escapes with her life. But that is only the beginning. Her mysterious rescuer introduces her to a world that Maddie has difficulty accepting as reality. Will this strikingly gorgeous stranger be the key to her future or will she return to her mundane world, scarred from her experience? Follow Maddie as she is forced to make difficult decisions that carry her to mysterious places.
276 pages, ebook
First published November 14, 2011
164 people are currently reading
2448 people want to read
About the author
A.M. Hargrove
77 books2,461 followersOne day, on her way home from work as a sales manager, USA Today bestselling author, A. M. Hargrove, realized her life was on fast forward and if she didn't do something soon, it would be too late to write that work of fiction she had been dreaming of her whole life. So she made a quick decision to quit her job and reinvented herself as a Naughty and Nice Romance Author.
Reader, Writer, #WalterThePuppy Owner, Dark Chocolate Lover, Ice Cream Worshipper, Vodka Aficionado, Coffee Drinker, she believes coffee and ice cream should be added as part of the USDA food groups.
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Reader, Writer, #WalterThePuppy Owner, Dark Chocolate Lover, Ice Cream Worshipper, Vodka Aficionado, Coffee Drinker, she believes coffee and ice cream should be added as part of the USDA food groups.
Connect with Annie here
Newsletter: http://amhargrove.com/mailing-list/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/amhargroveauthor
Instagram: http://www.instagram/amhargroveauthor
Amazon: http://amazon.com/author/amhargrove
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/a-m-h...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 167 reviews
October 20, 2014
You know that book where the lonely accident prone girl who thinks she's plain jane, but everyone else thinks is gorgeous falls in love with the guy who's not human, but looks like he is except during certain parts of the day? And he has this family full of equally gorgeous super nice people who all like to drive real fast. So they have this garage full of super expensive cars which they can afford, along with their mansion sized house, due to some fuzzy details about money. And did I mention this hot guy is an amazing piano player, great cook, has superhuman speed and strength and (wait for it) can read minds. He completely falls in love with this girl (despite all the obvious reasons not to) and is determined to be with her even though it could be the downfall of his entire family.
Yeah, it was Twilight. But, it's also the exact same story line as Survival.
This story was about twice as long as it needed. The author uses multiple POV to show us the same scene from both the MCs, but we don't get any new information from the second telling. Unfortunately, the story also switches occasionally from first person POV to third which made this story hard to read.
We also get a little too much back story on the MC and her college roommates (who don't really impact the story). Paranormal elements don't enter the story until chapter 12. Much too late.
I stuck it out to finish the book only to learn the end is a cliffhanger. This was really disappointing. For me, I didn't care enough about the characters to feel the pull of needing to know what happens next. Kudos to the author for finishing a book and putting it out there, but this was not my cup of tea.
Yeah, it was Twilight. But, it's also the exact same story line as Survival.
This story was about twice as long as it needed. The author uses multiple POV to show us the same scene from both the MCs, but we don't get any new information from the second telling. Unfortunately, the story also switches occasionally from first person POV to third which made this story hard to read.
We also get a little too much back story on the MC and her college roommates (who don't really impact the story). Paranormal elements don't enter the story until chapter 12. Much too late.
I stuck it out to finish the book only to learn the end is a cliffhanger. This was really disappointing. For me, I didn't care enough about the characters to feel the pull of needing to know what happens next. Kudos to the author for finishing a book and putting it out there, but this was not my cup of tea.
January 24, 2012
Oh how did I like this book, let me count the ways. Well, first off it had a sci-fi element which is always a plus in my book. But Rayn and his brothers, *swoon-worthy*. Then of course, Maddie had me in tears with her antics towards the end of the book. I kept dying laughing.
I loved this writer’s style and it’s hard to write three different POVs. But I was enthusiastically reading this book. I wanted to pick it up when I had to put it down to do other things.
The only thing that bothered me was that I felt in the beginning of the book, I was on fast forward. I was led down the story timeline until before it finally hit its stride. But boy when it did, I was there.
And I did have one question.
This book was certainly different than anything I’ve read recently, which made it a joy. The romance was touch and go. The author sure did straddle the edge of believability there, but in the end, it all worked. I can’t wait to read the next one. The cliffhanger left me wanting more.
For those who liked the Host, you should enjoy this one. But I would recommend to all readers. Nothing really needed to be censored in this book. In fact the message sent was a good one. Enjoy.
My book boyfriend is RAYN. Keep your hands off girls, he's mine.
I loved this writer’s style and it’s hard to write three different POVs. But I was enthusiastically reading this book. I wanted to pick it up when I had to put it down to do other things.
The only thing that bothered me was that I felt in the beginning of the book, I was on fast forward. I was led down the story timeline until before it finally hit its stride. But boy when it did, I was there.
And I did have one question.
This book was certainly different than anything I’ve read recently, which made it a joy. The romance was touch and go. The author sure did straddle the edge of believability there, but in the end, it all worked. I can’t wait to read the next one. The cliffhanger left me wanting more.
For those who liked the Host, you should enjoy this one. But I would recommend to all readers. Nothing really needed to be censored in this book. In fact the message sent was a good one. Enjoy.
My book boyfriend is RAYN. Keep your hands off girls, he's mine.
December 18, 2020
It was another one of those I saw the cover and didn’t bother reading the blurb. It was eye catching, considering I hold a family annual passes to the Planetarium. And what you know, I was right! I absolutely loved it. Hargrove did an excellent job at choosing her cover pic. I was especially elated to learn that the cover indeed has meaning that can be discovered while reading.
Survival— from the series Guardians of Vesturon a perfect title for this book as that is just what Maddi seems to keep doing through the entire book. It seems as she just can’t catch a break. Hargrove does an excellent job weaving such a masterful mystery while giving us a little taste of romance with just enough laughs out loud and heart wrenching moments to keep the pages turning.
The magic of character development? Check. Yes, I know Maddi is the strong, fierce willed woman who has to drudge through one bad thing after another. I would have cracked myself. But we can’t dismiss Mr. Yummy himself Ryan. (Mover over John Smith you have been replaced!) The one who is used to getting his ways and never being question… has met his match in Maddi. And the siblings I smell sibling rivolry and if so the CW’s newest hit… (You will be out to Salvador brothers). Now I can’t over look the other brother’s and the sole sis can I. They bring warmth to the pages when dealing with Maddi, got to love them for that! However, the Rayn’s dads… not my cup tea in his short visit.
I enjoyed the way Hargrove gives you clues as to what the Guardian is and lets you draw your own conclusion. Then reveals it to the reader’s but is hesitant to reveal himself to Maddi. Writing is hard and when a story is weaved with multiple storylines it even harder. When it’s a sequel it’s imperative that the reader is satisfied. And I was!
It was terrific read and I honestly can’t wait to get my hands on Resurrection, with Maddi fighting death again, Rayn feeling her pain unable to get to her and the sibling not able to find her and let’s not forget her dead parents are with her. And what is the mark she has on her back? Is it possible something lingers with in her bloodline?
Disclosure: I participated in Read it Reap in the Shut Up & Read Group and a copy was provided to me by the author. No payment was received by me in exchange for this review. There was not any obligation to write a positive review. All opinions expressed here are entirely mine and may not necessarily agree with those of the author, the book's publisher and publicist, or the readers of this review. This disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.
Survival— from the series Guardians of Vesturon a perfect title for this book as that is just what Maddi seems to keep doing through the entire book. It seems as she just can’t catch a break. Hargrove does an excellent job weaving such a masterful mystery while giving us a little taste of romance with just enough laughs out loud and heart wrenching moments to keep the pages turning.
The magic of character development? Check. Yes, I know Maddi is the strong, fierce willed woman who has to drudge through one bad thing after another. I would have cracked myself. But we can’t dismiss Mr. Yummy himself Ryan. (Mover over John Smith you have been replaced!) The one who is used to getting his ways and never being question… has met his match in Maddi. And the siblings I smell sibling rivolry and if so the CW’s newest hit… (You will be out to Salvador brothers). Now I can’t over look the other brother’s and the sole sis can I. They bring warmth to the pages when dealing with Maddi, got to love them for that! However, the Rayn’s dads… not my cup tea in his short visit.
I enjoyed the way Hargrove gives you clues as to what the Guardian is and lets you draw your own conclusion. Then reveals it to the reader’s but is hesitant to reveal himself to Maddi. Writing is hard and when a story is weaved with multiple storylines it even harder. When it’s a sequel it’s imperative that the reader is satisfied. And I was!
It was terrific read and I honestly can’t wait to get my hands on Resurrection, with Maddi fighting death again, Rayn feeling her pain unable to get to her and the sibling not able to find her and let’s not forget her dead parents are with her. And what is the mark she has on her back? Is it possible something lingers with in her bloodline?
Disclosure: I participated in Read it Reap in the Shut Up & Read Group and a copy was provided to me by the author. No payment was received by me in exchange for this review. There was not any obligation to write a positive review. All opinions expressed here are entirely mine and may not necessarily agree with those of the author, the book's publisher and publicist, or the readers of this review. This disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.
July 25, 2012
One question: How did Maddie survived??? This question baffles me. I don't mean to be rude to the character, or insensitive and cold-heart, but it escapes me the logical reason of how she survived.
First of all, I will like to say that this review will be loaded with spoilers and honest, definitely honest, remarks and opinions.
I would like to start saying that this was a ____(I'll let you fill in the blank)______ ride all over again. -fingernails on chalkboard- you get the idea. I cringed at all the spots where I could tell this was possibly a rip-off, but with a set of very different characters.
Basic story line: Clumsy, accident-prone, pretty but thinks no one believes so, girl goes hiking in the mountains. She is attacked by a stranger who randomly decided to capture her and torture her, rescued by someone who irradiates "incandescent beauty" (quoting from the book. reminds you of someone else?), is brought home by this handsome stranger with "dark looks" to be look after by him and his nice, beautiful family. When the family finds out she is human everything goes kaboom! and they say it's impossible for them to be together, but nobody listens (obviously). Stuff happens and next thing you know, they want to get marry but do not want to have sex before they're married (sounds familiar??). Family of the guy is super rich and have these expensive, sporty cars. Everyone loves to run. The clumsy girl is given all the riches anyone would want. Ending: horrible cliffhanger, which translates into: the story cannot stand on itself. It is crippled and needs crutches, direly.
Now, enough ranting about the plot. Let me get into the technical side. This story was messy, especially with all the switches of perspectives. First Maddie, then Rayn, and then a third person perspective. Somewhere in Maddie's perspective, the third-person perspective of the killer is thrown into, which tipped me off and confused me for a minute. I felt much of what happened during Rayn's perspective was just repetition of what happened during Maddie's. Nothing new, except that Rayn explains about his world and his duties and professes love for Maddie. A "love" which we already know because the author made a great job at telling us how much love they had for each other.
More about the technical part: I was annoyed by all the flashbacks Maddie has about her family and their deaths. Yes, they're tragic, but do we really need to be reminded of them all the time? These flashbacks were really confusing because I lost track of time. Also, Hargrove provided us with a book that was a "tell" almost on all its entirety. Where is the "show rather than tell" that all good authors should abide to? Was this book even edited?
It was really hard to connect with the characters. The love relationship between the two was so distant and unbelievable. Maddie was selfish, at best, because even though Rayn gave everything to her (for no apparent reason to do it, just because he is plain stupid) she is still thinking of herself. Let's get into the realistic factor, shall we?
Back to the first question, how the heck Maddie survived after being slashed across the face, heavily bruised, with several cuttings in her body, shot with arrows (?!?!?!), and then falling almost from a 30 ft free fall. It is impossible. She didn't even once cried for pain, it would have been humane for Hargrove to at least describe some of the pain because that was pure torture and slaughter. Maddie seemed "cool" with it. Oh, first of all, who goes camping on the mountains alone?
Rayn rescues her, and he immediately has feelings for her, declaring to his family that he wants to make Maddie his mate. Man, that was fast. Obviously the family opposes because they're from two separate worlds but Rayn doesn't care because he loves her so much.
Much thing happen in the middle. Which also annoyed me was the fact that Maddie wasn't into Rayn at first, but then suddenly she loves him. There was no gradual change or growth. It was just spontaneous. Rayn's family loves Maddie (except one). Rayn takes Maddie to a ride in one of his luxurious cars. Maddie is a rude girl, at least for me, she is not grateful, I don't even think she said "thank you" to Rayn and his family for all the attention they've given her.
The humor in this book was trite and plain silly. Is taking advantage of an alien for not knowing how to correctly say English phrases and slangs humorous? Maddie was teaching Rayn's sister how to correctly say things, like "blur, blur blur", "Spat it out", etc. etc. This was not funny. I don't like Maddie. She is not patient, nice, or kind.
Maddie starts to miraculously walk again after the prognostic that her spine was deeply severed. What happened to her face? Did it healed completely without leaving a scar? I suppose so because Rayn said she was beautiful. I don't know. She also camps out in the mountains again, even after her attack. There was no nervousness from her part, which led me to believe she had already forgotten because Hargrove never mentioned any uncomfortably from Maddie's part.
In the final part of the book, they go camping in the mountains again, and Maddie's attacker attacks her again. Why did he even bother to attack and torture her in the first place? Again, he does horrible things to her and she seems "cool" with it. Like it doesn't hurt that you're being cut in the flesh and shot arrows at. I would have died of pain if I were Maddie.
And we're left with a cliff-hanger, which is something very unnecessary if you ask me because this book cannot stand on its own. I don't even know the solid plot for this book, other than the characters developing feelings (that weren't even there) for each other, making it into a love story that fails. But anyway, the cliff-hanger is there, and the answer seems pretty obvious.
Which one would you decide, go with the dead parents or back to the living world with a man "you love"? I mean, it is plain obvious what she is going to choose. If she were to choose her parents, the dead over the living, there isn't much of a second installment, right?
Throughout this book, I suffered a severe case of constant eye-roll.
Disclaimer: I mean no offense to the author or anyone who liked this book. I'm sure your reasons for liking it are grounded and acceptable. I'm just sorry I cannot see it your way.
First of all, I will like to say that this review will be loaded with spoilers and honest, definitely honest, remarks and opinions.
I would like to start saying that this was a ____(I'll let you fill in the blank)______ ride all over again. -fingernails on chalkboard- you get the idea. I cringed at all the spots where I could tell this was possibly a rip-off, but with a set of very different characters.
Basic story line: Clumsy, accident-prone, pretty but thinks no one believes so, girl goes hiking in the mountains. She is attacked by a stranger who randomly decided to capture her and torture her, rescued by someone who irradiates "incandescent beauty" (quoting from the book. reminds you of someone else?), is brought home by this handsome stranger with "dark looks" to be look after by him and his nice, beautiful family. When the family finds out she is human everything goes kaboom! and they say it's impossible for them to be together, but nobody listens (obviously). Stuff happens and next thing you know, they want to get marry but do not want to have sex before they're married (sounds familiar??). Family of the guy is super rich and have these expensive, sporty cars. Everyone loves to run. The clumsy girl is given all the riches anyone would want. Ending: horrible cliffhanger, which translates into: the story cannot stand on itself. It is crippled and needs crutches, direly.
Now, enough ranting about the plot. Let me get into the technical side. This story was messy, especially with all the switches of perspectives. First Maddie, then Rayn, and then a third person perspective. Somewhere in Maddie's perspective, the third-person perspective of the killer is thrown into, which tipped me off and confused me for a minute. I felt much of what happened during Rayn's perspective was just repetition of what happened during Maddie's. Nothing new, except that Rayn explains about his world and his duties and professes love for Maddie. A "love" which we already know because the author made a great job at telling us how much love they had for each other.
More about the technical part: I was annoyed by all the flashbacks Maddie has about her family and their deaths. Yes, they're tragic, but do we really need to be reminded of them all the time? These flashbacks were really confusing because I lost track of time. Also, Hargrove provided us with a book that was a "tell" almost on all its entirety. Where is the "show rather than tell" that all good authors should abide to? Was this book even edited?
It was really hard to connect with the characters. The love relationship between the two was so distant and unbelievable. Maddie was selfish, at best, because even though Rayn gave everything to her (for no apparent reason to do it, just because he is plain stupid) she is still thinking of herself. Let's get into the realistic factor, shall we?
Back to the first question, how the heck Maddie survived after being slashed across the face, heavily bruised, with several cuttings in her body, shot with arrows (?!?!?!), and then falling almost from a 30 ft free fall. It is impossible. She didn't even once cried for pain, it would have been humane for Hargrove to at least describe some of the pain because that was pure torture and slaughter. Maddie seemed "cool" with it. Oh, first of all, who goes camping on the mountains alone?
Rayn rescues her, and he immediately has feelings for her, declaring to his family that he wants to make Maddie his mate. Man, that was fast. Obviously the family opposes because they're from two separate worlds but Rayn doesn't care because he loves her so much.
Much thing happen in the middle. Which also annoyed me was the fact that Maddie wasn't into Rayn at first, but then suddenly she loves him. There was no gradual change or growth. It was just spontaneous. Rayn's family loves Maddie (except one). Rayn takes Maddie to a ride in one of his luxurious cars. Maddie is a rude girl, at least for me, she is not grateful, I don't even think she said "thank you" to Rayn and his family for all the attention they've given her.
The humor in this book was trite and plain silly. Is taking advantage of an alien for not knowing how to correctly say English phrases and slangs humorous? Maddie was teaching Rayn's sister how to correctly say things, like "blur, blur blur", "Spat it out", etc. etc. This was not funny. I don't like Maddie. She is not patient, nice, or kind.
Maddie starts to miraculously walk again after the prognostic that her spine was deeply severed. What happened to her face? Did it healed completely without leaving a scar? I suppose so because Rayn said she was beautiful. I don't know. She also camps out in the mountains again, even after her attack. There was no nervousness from her part, which led me to believe she had already forgotten because Hargrove never mentioned any uncomfortably from Maddie's part.
In the final part of the book, they go camping in the mountains again, and Maddie's attacker attacks her again. Why did he even bother to attack and torture her in the first place? Again, he does horrible things to her and she seems "cool" with it. Like it doesn't hurt that you're being cut in the flesh and shot arrows at. I would have died of pain if I were Maddie.
And we're left with a cliff-hanger, which is something very unnecessary if you ask me because this book cannot stand on its own. I don't even know the solid plot for this book, other than the characters developing feelings (that weren't even there) for each other, making it into a love story that fails. But anyway, the cliff-hanger is there, and the answer seems pretty obvious.
Which one would you decide, go with the dead parents or back to the living world with a man "you love"? I mean, it is plain obvious what she is going to choose. If she were to choose her parents, the dead over the living, there isn't much of a second installment, right?
Throughout this book, I suffered a severe case of constant eye-roll.
Disclaimer: I mean no offense to the author or anyone who liked this book. I'm sure your reasons for liking it are grounded and acceptable. I'm just sorry I cannot see it your way.
July 18, 2012
Survival, a YA Paranormal Romance (The Guardians of Vesturon Series, Book #1)
By A.M. Hargrove
Survival like the title says is a YA paranormal romance novel, A.M.Hargrove has excellent writing skills this book is well written, the descriptions were good and not overly done, the character development was well thought out and it helped us know a bit about each person we encounter in the story. I was quite surprised on how much I was enjoying this book; it held my interest so much that I couldn’t stop reading and I ending up reading the whole book in one sitting. I really liked the fact that this book was a bit different from the other paranormal books I’ve read lately, instead of vampires or werewolf’s we were reading about beings from another world. Even though these beings are from another planet and more advance then us humans they are still very human like so it wasn’t as far fetch as you would think. There are some sad parts where I had to find my Kleenex and wipe my tears and then there were parts that I laughed out loud, I like when an author can make you feel actual emotions.
A brief overview of this story without giving too much away, I would say this is a story of a young woman who has had to deal with an enormous amount of loss in her life. She is a strong, independent and a heroic character, I love reading about strong independent women. She works through some of her losses and survives and heads to college. She ends up making a few good friends and her life seems to be going well. On a hiking trip during the holidays she ends up getting captured by a very evil man who likes to hunt and kill the women he has taken. Being the survivor she is she plans her escape. Barely surviving this horrific experience she is rescued by a tall handsome mysterious man who helps her recover from her injuries and they both end up feeling a strong connection to each other. Knowing that this cannot happen as they are both from different worlds he walks away. Soon he realizes his mistake and he goes back to find her, she is in the same situation as him she hasn’t been able to forgot him either. But is it possible for the two of them to be together, can she leave the only man she has ever felt safe with? Will the mad man find her again? Will she survive this time? These are all questions you have to go find out by reading this book.
I would recommend this book to any of my friends who enjoy the paranormal romance books; I also have to say that I cannot wait for book 2 to be released. In saying that I will admit when I finished the book I emailed the author right away hoping to find out how much longer I had to wait before I could read book 2. She did mention that it won’t be too long. Right now this book is on sale at Amazon for .99 cents and worth every cent and more. Please go pick up your copy.
By A.M. Hargrove
Survival like the title says is a YA paranormal romance novel, A.M.Hargrove has excellent writing skills this book is well written, the descriptions were good and not overly done, the character development was well thought out and it helped us know a bit about each person we encounter in the story. I was quite surprised on how much I was enjoying this book; it held my interest so much that I couldn’t stop reading and I ending up reading the whole book in one sitting. I really liked the fact that this book was a bit different from the other paranormal books I’ve read lately, instead of vampires or werewolf’s we were reading about beings from another world. Even though these beings are from another planet and more advance then us humans they are still very human like so it wasn’t as far fetch as you would think. There are some sad parts where I had to find my Kleenex and wipe my tears and then there were parts that I laughed out loud, I like when an author can make you feel actual emotions.
A brief overview of this story without giving too much away, I would say this is a story of a young woman who has had to deal with an enormous amount of loss in her life. She is a strong, independent and a heroic character, I love reading about strong independent women. She works through some of her losses and survives and heads to college. She ends up making a few good friends and her life seems to be going well. On a hiking trip during the holidays she ends up getting captured by a very evil man who likes to hunt and kill the women he has taken. Being the survivor she is she plans her escape. Barely surviving this horrific experience she is rescued by a tall handsome mysterious man who helps her recover from her injuries and they both end up feeling a strong connection to each other. Knowing that this cannot happen as they are both from different worlds he walks away. Soon he realizes his mistake and he goes back to find her, she is in the same situation as him she hasn’t been able to forgot him either. But is it possible for the two of them to be together, can she leave the only man she has ever felt safe with? Will the mad man find her again? Will she survive this time? These are all questions you have to go find out by reading this book.
I would recommend this book to any of my friends who enjoy the paranormal romance books; I also have to say that I cannot wait for book 2 to be released. In saying that I will admit when I finished the book I emailed the author right away hoping to find out how much longer I had to wait before I could read book 2. She did mention that it won’t be too long. Right now this book is on sale at Amazon for .99 cents and worth every cent and more. Please go pick up your copy.
February 10, 2012
I will start off by saying I LOVED this book! I was sucked into it's pages from beginning to end. Never a dull moment, always on the edge of my seat, couldn't wait to see what happened next. It was very fast paced, in a good way, and was never ever boring. Now that I'm done, I can't wait for the next installment in the series. I absolutely need to read it.
Now for more about the book itself. The book was divided into four different books (segments), each one more exciting than the one before it. In the first book we get to know all about the character Madeline Pearce, or Maddie as is is more commonly called. Maddie lost her mother unexpectedly at a very young age, and not to many years later she lost her father suddenly as well. She has no other family, and you can not help but pity her. But, at the same time you admire the strength and optimism she has to carry on with her life. She picks up the pieces and tries to embrace her new life of solidarity and she does a really great job. I loved reading the first segment, I grew to like Maddie a lot. She has a great, down-to-Earth, bright, happy personality that is very endearing. She also happens to be very clumsy and accident prone, in an adorable way that had me laughing out loud on a couple different occasions. I also felt like reading her describe what her life has been like up till now was like reading a diary entry, it seemed so natural and easy flowing, like she was telling all this to her closest friend and you were that friend. She also makes a lot of references to things that are popular in our present time, and that really helps you relate with her. I especially enjoyed the Harry Potter references :).
Moving up to present time in the story line, Maddie is all alone. She has one thing that she loves and holds on to from her life with her father, and that's hiking and camping and just plain being outdoors. So this one Christmas she decides to spend the night and day camping in her favorite spot on Smokey Mountain and the very unexpected happens. Maddie comes face to face with a serial killer that targets women. This part of the book had me feeling real fear, my heart was pounding in my chest as I read through her horrifying ordeal with this mad man. I won't give to many details but it comes to a point where the killer assumes her dead, and he moves on. She then is saved by a group of people called the Nunne'hi, they are a group of people yet unknown to the rest of the world. When reading about the Nunne'hi I got a very elvish vibe from them. They are not in elves, but if I had to describe them that is what I would say. But Tolkien elves! The Nunne'hi happen to have an alliance with aliens from a planet called Vesturon, with whom they protect the earth and the people on it. The aliens who are sent to work with the Nunne'hi are called Guardians. They look just like humans, with a slightly larger frame, some super human abilities, and are much more technologically advanced than us. The Guardian who is charged with helping Maddie's healing process is named Rayn. Upon their meeting there is instant, intense, crazy attraction.
Here comes the love dilemma that tugs on our heartstrings. Maddie is a mere human, Rayn is an alien from another planet! Not only that, his father just happens to be the leader of said planet and Rayn, being his first born son, is to be his successor. So here they are, they have this attraction that, you the reader, can feel coming at you off the pages. Their relationship is electric, it's on fire! It's intensely deep, very real, and best of all (for us readers) it's strictly forbidden. Humans are never allowed to be on Rayn's planet, as well, Rayn is what we would consider royalty, he could not be paired with a human! Forbidden love has a way of reeling us in, we just have to read on to see what happens and if it's a love strong enough to beat the odds.
So, that's the big question! Will Maddie be OK with being in love with an alien, once she discovers that is what he, in fact, is? Is she ready to be close to someone again after tragically losing the ones she was closest to? Will Rayn risk losing his family, disinheriting himself from the role as leader of Vesturon, or risk being imprisoned for bringing a human to his planet? These are not the only obstacles that get thrown in their path!
But that is as far as I will take you! As I love to say, you're going to have to read it yourself to find out. And on that note, I absolutely recommend that you do so! If you're a fan of YA, Paranormal, Romance, or all of the above, get your hands on a copy and read it :) I have faith you will love it as much as I did. Great work Hargrove! Lucky for me, and all of us, the next installment: Resurrection, is to be very soon released! I personally can not wait to get my hands on it! :)
Now for more about the book itself. The book was divided into four different books (segments), each one more exciting than the one before it. In the first book we get to know all about the character Madeline Pearce, or Maddie as is is more commonly called. Maddie lost her mother unexpectedly at a very young age, and not to many years later she lost her father suddenly as well. She has no other family, and you can not help but pity her. But, at the same time you admire the strength and optimism she has to carry on with her life. She picks up the pieces and tries to embrace her new life of solidarity and she does a really great job. I loved reading the first segment, I grew to like Maddie a lot. She has a great, down-to-Earth, bright, happy personality that is very endearing. She also happens to be very clumsy and accident prone, in an adorable way that had me laughing out loud on a couple different occasions. I also felt like reading her describe what her life has been like up till now was like reading a diary entry, it seemed so natural and easy flowing, like she was telling all this to her closest friend and you were that friend. She also makes a lot of references to things that are popular in our present time, and that really helps you relate with her. I especially enjoyed the Harry Potter references :).
Moving up to present time in the story line, Maddie is all alone. She has one thing that she loves and holds on to from her life with her father, and that's hiking and camping and just plain being outdoors. So this one Christmas she decides to spend the night and day camping in her favorite spot on Smokey Mountain and the very unexpected happens. Maddie comes face to face with a serial killer that targets women. This part of the book had me feeling real fear, my heart was pounding in my chest as I read through her horrifying ordeal with this mad man. I won't give to many details but it comes to a point where the killer assumes her dead, and he moves on. She then is saved by a group of people called the Nunne'hi, they are a group of people yet unknown to the rest of the world. When reading about the Nunne'hi I got a very elvish vibe from them. They are not in elves, but if I had to describe them that is what I would say. But Tolkien elves! The Nunne'hi happen to have an alliance with aliens from a planet called Vesturon, with whom they protect the earth and the people on it. The aliens who are sent to work with the Nunne'hi are called Guardians. They look just like humans, with a slightly larger frame, some super human abilities, and are much more technologically advanced than us. The Guardian who is charged with helping Maddie's healing process is named Rayn. Upon their meeting there is instant, intense, crazy attraction.
Here comes the love dilemma that tugs on our heartstrings. Maddie is a mere human, Rayn is an alien from another planet! Not only that, his father just happens to be the leader of said planet and Rayn, being his first born son, is to be his successor. So here they are, they have this attraction that, you the reader, can feel coming at you off the pages. Their relationship is electric, it's on fire! It's intensely deep, very real, and best of all (for us readers) it's strictly forbidden. Humans are never allowed to be on Rayn's planet, as well, Rayn is what we would consider royalty, he could not be paired with a human! Forbidden love has a way of reeling us in, we just have to read on to see what happens and if it's a love strong enough to beat the odds.
So, that's the big question! Will Maddie be OK with being in love with an alien, once she discovers that is what he, in fact, is? Is she ready to be close to someone again after tragically losing the ones she was closest to? Will Rayn risk losing his family, disinheriting himself from the role as leader of Vesturon, or risk being imprisoned for bringing a human to his planet? These are not the only obstacles that get thrown in their path!
But that is as far as I will take you! As I love to say, you're going to have to read it yourself to find out. And on that note, I absolutely recommend that you do so! If you're a fan of YA, Paranormal, Romance, or all of the above, get your hands on a copy and read it :) I have faith you will love it as much as I did. Great work Hargrove! Lucky for me, and all of us, the next installment: Resurrection, is to be very soon released! I personally can not wait to get my hands on it! :)
February 11, 2012
This book was so full of emotion. I laughed, I cried (yep, really did), and then laughed some more!
The characters were well thought out, each with their own personality and each easily identified, which was important in the last chapters where we get different points of view all thrown in together. Surprisingly, the author did a terrific job with that, and it was not confusing at all. You always knew who was speaking all the time; that's sometimes hard to do.
The main character, Maddie, was fun and seemingly carefree, but she had some hurts to get past, namely losing her mom and dad, and really kept her emotions and feelings bottled up. She was so easy to like and so easy to relate to. I felt there were inconsistencies with Maddie's character, though, in that at times she seemed so strong and fiery, able to stand up for herself, and other times it was like she was the one from another planet and too immature for the character that had being built.
Rayn was sweet and caring, definitely a guy you could fall in love with. I loved reading from his point of view the best. He loves Maddie so much but is so conflicted over his feelings for her. In the end, you know that he would do anything for her.
I love having different points of view in a story, and Survival did not disappoint. The author did a great job of transitioning from one point of view to the next without being confusing. The only thing I really did not like was when we switched from Maddie's to Rayn's point of view for the first time we went back and had to re-read everything that had already happened all over again, this time from a different perspective. While that is not always a bad thing, I think that in this book it did not really change anything about the story or give us any new information, other than maybe show us Rayn's feelings for Maddie, which could have been done without going back so far.
One thing that was absolutely amazing in this book was the imagery. The descriptions of the scenery, the mountains, etc., was so beautiful, I wished I was there. The author did a great job creating this world, and even though I'm not a hiker, I could picture the mountains and trails in my head as I was reading.
I really enjoyed the author's writing style. It was simple and easy, which went well with the flow of the story. My only real complaint about this book would be…the end! I cannot believe we were left hanging! Good thing the next book in the series is now out!!
Interview with author A.M. Hargrove:
http://makingconnectionsgroup.blogspo...
The characters were well thought out, each with their own personality and each easily identified, which was important in the last chapters where we get different points of view all thrown in together. Surprisingly, the author did a terrific job with that, and it was not confusing at all. You always knew who was speaking all the time; that's sometimes hard to do.
The main character, Maddie, was fun and seemingly carefree, but she had some hurts to get past, namely losing her mom and dad, and really kept her emotions and feelings bottled up. She was so easy to like and so easy to relate to. I felt there were inconsistencies with Maddie's character, though, in that at times she seemed so strong and fiery, able to stand up for herself, and other times it was like she was the one from another planet and too immature for the character that had being built.
Rayn was sweet and caring, definitely a guy you could fall in love with. I loved reading from his point of view the best. He loves Maddie so much but is so conflicted over his feelings for her. In the end, you know that he would do anything for her.
I love having different points of view in a story, and Survival did not disappoint. The author did a great job of transitioning from one point of view to the next without being confusing. The only thing I really did not like was when we switched from Maddie's to Rayn's point of view for the first time we went back and had to re-read everything that had already happened all over again, this time from a different perspective. While that is not always a bad thing, I think that in this book it did not really change anything about the story or give us any new information, other than maybe show us Rayn's feelings for Maddie, which could have been done without going back so far.
One thing that was absolutely amazing in this book was the imagery. The descriptions of the scenery, the mountains, etc., was so beautiful, I wished I was there. The author did a great job creating this world, and even though I'm not a hiker, I could picture the mountains and trails in my head as I was reading.
I really enjoyed the author's writing style. It was simple and easy, which went well with the flow of the story. My only real complaint about this book would be…the end! I cannot believe we were left hanging! Good thing the next book in the series is now out!!
Interview with author A.M. Hargrove:
http://makingconnectionsgroup.blogspo...
January 19, 2012
The first thing I have to say is that I REALLY ENJOYED THIS BOOK!!! I couldn't put it down. Now that I have that somewhat out of my system, it's time to move on.
Maddie has had some serious drama in her life. Just when she thinks that things are finally settling with college and life on her own, tragedy strikes...or is is fate? After a horrific experience, she meets Rayn and her life changes. There is something special about Maddie and the relationship that develops between her and Rayn.
Survival grabbed my attention from the first pages and never lost it! The story being written from several points of view was great for getting inside each of the characters. Although each of the characters was complex, their points of view were written in a way that was descriptive and concise. The plot was never lost in the details, which was very refreshing.
This book had it all, drama, suspense, romance, action, mystery and comedy! Everything was written in a way that kept my emotions on quite the ride.
I can't wait to get my hands on Resurrection!! I need answers to my list of questions, I need to know how things will end up for Maddie, Rayn, and all the others!
As stated before, Ms. Hargrove has definitely gained a fan in me! I sincerely look forward to reading more about The Guardians of Vesturon!!
Maddie has had some serious drama in her life. Just when she thinks that things are finally settling with college and life on her own, tragedy strikes...or is is fate? After a horrific experience, she meets Rayn and her life changes. There is something special about Maddie and the relationship that develops between her and Rayn.
Survival grabbed my attention from the first pages and never lost it! The story being written from several points of view was great for getting inside each of the characters. Although each of the characters was complex, their points of view were written in a way that was descriptive and concise. The plot was never lost in the details, which was very refreshing.
This book had it all, drama, suspense, romance, action, mystery and comedy! Everything was written in a way that kept my emotions on quite the ride.
I can't wait to get my hands on Resurrection!! I need answers to my list of questions, I need to know how things will end up for Maddie, Rayn, and all the others!
As stated before, Ms. Hargrove has definitely gained a fan in me! I sincerely look forward to reading more about The Guardians of Vesturon!!
February 20, 2012
It kills me to give a 1-star review, I am sorry but I really disliked this book. Reckon I never read anything else I disliked as much as this one.
The characters are so annoying. They are so full of themselves. And Maddie? EVERYONE thinks she is so beautiful! Her conversations with Rayn? It is repetition of everything they have already told each other. "You are beautiful, hot, I wanna kiss you. We cannot have sex. The first time I saw you I..." ETC ETC! The language when Maddie speaks is almost unbearable. I understand that they use slang such as OMG, FYI and such but in my opinion it is not at all formal, and basically always annoy the crap out of me.
And one thing that almost made me quit reading (I only did not as I received this book to review) was the changes of point of view where it kept going back in time and then TELLING (not showing! Always show, do not tell!!!) everything again just from another person's POW.
And the Psychopath, nice character if not the author had told everything about him. The author show had showed it through the malignant actions.. We were told everything before he even started!
I am sorry, but I really disliked this one.. However, it makes me happy that others like this book because then obviously it was not a complete waste of time writing it.
The characters are so annoying. They are so full of themselves. And Maddie? EVERYONE thinks she is so beautiful! Her conversations with Rayn? It is repetition of everything they have already told each other. "You are beautiful, hot, I wanna kiss you. We cannot have sex. The first time I saw you I..." ETC ETC! The language when Maddie speaks is almost unbearable. I understand that they use slang such as OMG, FYI and such but in my opinion it is not at all formal, and basically always annoy the crap out of me.
And one thing that almost made me quit reading (I only did not as I received this book to review) was the changes of point of view where it kept going back in time and then TELLING (not showing! Always show, do not tell!!!) everything again just from another person's POW.
And the Psychopath, nice character if not the author had told everything about him. The author show had showed it through the malignant actions.. We were told everything before he even started!
I am sorry, but I really disliked this one.. However, it makes me happy that others like this book because then obviously it was not a complete waste of time writing it.
March 5, 2012
I am giving this book 4 stars.
I' so torn on how I feel about this book. Part of me loves it, part of me doesn't.
At the start of this book we meet Maddie, who has had a very troubled past. She is starting college and we follow her college life briefly before she goes hiking and gets mixed up in a world she never knew existed.
I absolutely adore Maddie. This girl can hold her own (for the most part). She has attitude and spunk and you can't help but enjoy reading about her. Despite the fact that I'm not a huge fan of aliens, I found myself lost in this story.
Even at the end, I am not sure what the main focus of the story was supposed to be. I am hoping that Resurrection clears a lot of the confusion up.
Overall, I would recommend reading this book. I laughed out loud at parts and was scared for Maddie at times. If you want to fall in love with a quirky character, she's your girl!
I' so torn on how I feel about this book. Part of me loves it, part of me doesn't.
At the start of this book we meet Maddie, who has had a very troubled past. She is starting college and we follow her college life briefly before she goes hiking and gets mixed up in a world she never knew existed.
I absolutely adore Maddie. This girl can hold her own (for the most part). She has attitude and spunk and you can't help but enjoy reading about her. Despite the fact that I'm not a huge fan of aliens, I found myself lost in this story.
Even at the end, I am not sure what the main focus of the story was supposed to be. I am hoping that Resurrection clears a lot of the confusion up.
Overall, I would recommend reading this book. I laughed out loud at parts and was scared for Maddie at times. If you want to fall in love with a quirky character, she's your girl!
January 12, 2012
First Thoughts:
My review is going to be based off the second edition of this book; the author provided me with a newer edition and therefore my review will reflect the changes made to the beginning of the story itself.
At first glance of the cover you wouldn’t know what journeys lie await but from the first chapter the author introduces you with “Real” conflict. The use of flashbacks in the beginning chapters really helped seduce the reader into the story and help them realize the back story of this strong yet a little fragile character. The plot was very well thought out, I felt that this book had a new take on the paranormal, I really liked the fact that it was different; there wasn’t the usual mundane conflict, there was new ideas and scenery depicted in this book. The action was evenly distributed; it wasn’t fast the entire book but instead gave the reader a sense of time and allowed us to gradually learn more about the characters and the story itself. The writing itself was new, I liked how she took use of the dialogue, I really could tell that she knew her characters. Just by the dialogue alone you could tell who was who; it’s so cool to be able to tell the characters apart just by dialogue alone. The characters themselves each had a distinct personality, each one was easily identified and full of life. There wasn’t one character I felt lacked something; each of them had their own values and flaws. Something else I found interesting and fun was the style of clothes the character wore, the author did such an amazing job describing new ideas on clothing that certain characters wore. She really had a sense of another world; a new line of items and ideas that had to be created to make the story more real; more plausible. The description itself was really good, it was just the right amount and I felt she did a great job describing the beautiful scenery and characters themselves. Each scene was created with precision and nothing went untouched. The structure of the writing itself like a said earlier is unique and I really enjoyed the use of different point of views, the author did a good job on allowing the reader to know who’s point of view we were in. I think without the different points of views, this story would have really liked a good angle and would leave the reader both confused and lacking a certain connection to the book. The element of romance was great, it wasn’t overpowering in the least, I didn’t feel that this book was just about the romance; it was about something much greater; a more deep and intelligent conflict. I also felt that the author was knowledgeable about where the story took place, all those trails she named and mountains really helped make the fabric of the characters world more real; more believable. It was definitely a fun and fast read for me.
Goodreads Summary:
Survival (Book 1 of the Guardians of Vesturon), a YA paranormal romance
"Maybe I was caught between the two worlds. I was having serious trouble distinguishing fantasy from reality."
While on a backpacking trip in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, nineteen-year-old Maddie Pearce finds her world has been thrown into a vortex and is madly spinning toward the impossible. Abducted by a mad psychopath, Maddie narrowly escapes with her life. But that is only the beginning. Her mysterious rescuer introduces her to a world that Maddie has difficulty accepting as reality. Will this strikingly gorgeous stranger be the key to her future or will she return to her mundane world, scarred from her experience? Follow Maddie as she is forced to make difficult decisions that carry her to mysterious places only to find that perhaps it was all for nothing.
Last Thoughts:
I would recommend this book to any fantasy or paranormal addicts; it certainly screams the elements of them. I would also recommend this to readers who enjoy a good romance; this one is both comical and strong; I loved it. I wouldn’t however recommend this if you don’t enjoy a more native feel; this definitely had some connections between the two. Also I wouldn’t recommend this if you don’t enjoy romance though like I mentioned earlier it isn’t overpowering and isn’t the overall main focal point it is there and there is a big conflict going on. This book is one to take into consideration and the ending leaves you yearning for more; the cliffhanger definitely leaves you wanting the next book NOW. So if you’re going to read this book, I’d recommend reading it closer to the second books release which should be coming out later this month or early February. Overall I enjoyed the author’s style and ideas and can’t wait to explore more of these characters world. I rate this book 4.5 stars.
My review is going to be based off the second edition of this book; the author provided me with a newer edition and therefore my review will reflect the changes made to the beginning of the story itself.
At first glance of the cover you wouldn’t know what journeys lie await but from the first chapter the author introduces you with “Real” conflict. The use of flashbacks in the beginning chapters really helped seduce the reader into the story and help them realize the back story of this strong yet a little fragile character. The plot was very well thought out, I felt that this book had a new take on the paranormal, I really liked the fact that it was different; there wasn’t the usual mundane conflict, there was new ideas and scenery depicted in this book. The action was evenly distributed; it wasn’t fast the entire book but instead gave the reader a sense of time and allowed us to gradually learn more about the characters and the story itself. The writing itself was new, I liked how she took use of the dialogue, I really could tell that she knew her characters. Just by the dialogue alone you could tell who was who; it’s so cool to be able to tell the characters apart just by dialogue alone. The characters themselves each had a distinct personality, each one was easily identified and full of life. There wasn’t one character I felt lacked something; each of them had their own values and flaws. Something else I found interesting and fun was the style of clothes the character wore, the author did such an amazing job describing new ideas on clothing that certain characters wore. She really had a sense of another world; a new line of items and ideas that had to be created to make the story more real; more plausible. The description itself was really good, it was just the right amount and I felt she did a great job describing the beautiful scenery and characters themselves. Each scene was created with precision and nothing went untouched. The structure of the writing itself like a said earlier is unique and I really enjoyed the use of different point of views, the author did a good job on allowing the reader to know who’s point of view we were in. I think without the different points of views, this story would have really liked a good angle and would leave the reader both confused and lacking a certain connection to the book. The element of romance was great, it wasn’t overpowering in the least, I didn’t feel that this book was just about the romance; it was about something much greater; a more deep and intelligent conflict. I also felt that the author was knowledgeable about where the story took place, all those trails she named and mountains really helped make the fabric of the characters world more real; more believable. It was definitely a fun and fast read for me.
Goodreads Summary:
Survival (Book 1 of the Guardians of Vesturon), a YA paranormal romance
"Maybe I was caught between the two worlds. I was having serious trouble distinguishing fantasy from reality."
While on a backpacking trip in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, nineteen-year-old Maddie Pearce finds her world has been thrown into a vortex and is madly spinning toward the impossible. Abducted by a mad psychopath, Maddie narrowly escapes with her life. But that is only the beginning. Her mysterious rescuer introduces her to a world that Maddie has difficulty accepting as reality. Will this strikingly gorgeous stranger be the key to her future or will she return to her mundane world, scarred from her experience? Follow Maddie as she is forced to make difficult decisions that carry her to mysterious places only to find that perhaps it was all for nothing.
Last Thoughts:
I would recommend this book to any fantasy or paranormal addicts; it certainly screams the elements of them. I would also recommend this to readers who enjoy a good romance; this one is both comical and strong; I loved it. I wouldn’t however recommend this if you don’t enjoy a more native feel; this definitely had some connections between the two. Also I wouldn’t recommend this if you don’t enjoy romance though like I mentioned earlier it isn’t overpowering and isn’t the overall main focal point it is there and there is a big conflict going on. This book is one to take into consideration and the ending leaves you yearning for more; the cliffhanger definitely leaves you wanting the next book NOW. So if you’re going to read this book, I’d recommend reading it closer to the second books release which should be coming out later this month or early February. Overall I enjoyed the author’s style and ideas and can’t wait to explore more of these characters world. I rate this book 4.5 stars.
February 24, 2012
I finished this book for two main reasons:
1. This book was kindly shared by the author on Goodreads for the purposes of review.
2. There were 4 star and 5 star ratings that made me a) feel like I was missing something and needed to stick it out & b) I really wanted to give it a chance and see for myself what prompted the high ratings.
I approach every new book with an interesting synopsis with the same level of anticipation and excitement, and avoid reviews so I remain unbiased. But 20% in, I had to take a peek, and found some very good reviews and had hope. But unfortunately, this book was simply not for me. I struggled to get through this book. Overall, I can only give this book a 2 star rating. Though I initially was going to give it a 1 star, I will acknowledge that the story itself was interesting, but the way it was presented made me lose my mind.
Why was I losing my mind?
1. The “show” ratio was at an all-time low – Please show, not tell! I understand that some information needs to be delivered in a ‘telling’ fashion, but not 90% of the book! Telling me the story doesn’t help me to empathize, connect, whatever you want to call it, with any character of this story.
2. Over dramatic interactions – ok… maybe I am being too technical, but I found myself rolling my eyes at all the exclamation marks and all the emphasizing of words. Most of the time they were not necessary. On the non-technical side, who actually meets people for the first time in a dorm and recounts all their painful feelings and memories about their parent’s death, and repeats endlessly how agonizing and heartbreaking it all was? Maybe it’s just me here, but I just couldn’t relate. I don’t know many people that would be so willing to share so much, and so intensely to strangers right off the bat. And I don’t know if I want to get into the interactions between Maddie and her love interest, Rayn. I will leave it as “over the top”.
3. The Ever Changing POVs – I’ve read some books with lots of POV changes. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. In this case, for me, it didn’t work at all. If the changes in POV had been more parallel to the time of the story, than maybe I would have overlooked this, but it drove me crazy. I was pretty sure that I was a couple of weeks’ time into the story with Maddie, after her rescue, then BAM I am back to pre-injured Maddie being chased in the woods, through psycho’s eyes. Man, was I confused. Then 3 pages in I realized, I was re-reading a scene that had already happened! How confusing! Would have worked better if they were, as I mentioned prior, more parallel to each other, so that the story flowed more fluently.
I will say this. I give anyone that writes a novel from start to finish a fist pump. And I will also acknowledge that some people saw something in this book that they really enjoyed. The way the story was told didn’t do it for me, but it was a good story. It was imaginative, and interesting. I was excited and eager to read it, and I made it through to the end even though I felt that it didn’t deliver for me. I wish the author, as I do all authors that put their works out there to be read, scrutinized, and enjoyed much success.
1. This book was kindly shared by the author on Goodreads for the purposes of review.
2. There were 4 star and 5 star ratings that made me a) feel like I was missing something and needed to stick it out & b) I really wanted to give it a chance and see for myself what prompted the high ratings.
I approach every new book with an interesting synopsis with the same level of anticipation and excitement, and avoid reviews so I remain unbiased. But 20% in, I had to take a peek, and found some very good reviews and had hope. But unfortunately, this book was simply not for me. I struggled to get through this book. Overall, I can only give this book a 2 star rating. Though I initially was going to give it a 1 star, I will acknowledge that the story itself was interesting, but the way it was presented made me lose my mind.
Why was I losing my mind?
1. The “show” ratio was at an all-time low – Please show, not tell! I understand that some information needs to be delivered in a ‘telling’ fashion, but not 90% of the book! Telling me the story doesn’t help me to empathize, connect, whatever you want to call it, with any character of this story.
2. Over dramatic interactions – ok… maybe I am being too technical, but I found myself rolling my eyes at all the exclamation marks and all the emphasizing of words. Most of the time they were not necessary. On the non-technical side, who actually meets people for the first time in a dorm and recounts all their painful feelings and memories about their parent’s death, and repeats endlessly how agonizing and heartbreaking it all was? Maybe it’s just me here, but I just couldn’t relate. I don’t know many people that would be so willing to share so much, and so intensely to strangers right off the bat. And I don’t know if I want to get into the interactions between Maddie and her love interest, Rayn. I will leave it as “over the top”.
3. The Ever Changing POVs – I’ve read some books with lots of POV changes. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. In this case, for me, it didn’t work at all. If the changes in POV had been more parallel to the time of the story, than maybe I would have overlooked this, but it drove me crazy. I was pretty sure that I was a couple of weeks’ time into the story with Maddie, after her rescue, then BAM I am back to pre-injured Maddie being chased in the woods, through psycho’s eyes. Man, was I confused. Then 3 pages in I realized, I was re-reading a scene that had already happened! How confusing! Would have worked better if they were, as I mentioned prior, more parallel to each other, so that the story flowed more fluently.
I will say this. I give anyone that writes a novel from start to finish a fist pump. And I will also acknowledge that some people saw something in this book that they really enjoyed. The way the story was told didn’t do it for me, but it was a good story. It was imaginative, and interesting. I was excited and eager to read it, and I made it through to the end even though I felt that it didn’t deliver for me. I wish the author, as I do all authors that put their works out there to be read, scrutinized, and enjoyed much success.
September 24, 2014
I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this book!!! Amazing writing, hot aliens, did I say hot aliens, great chemistry, edge of your seat, fast passed, action packed book!!!
Maddie is such a tough red head, with everything she has been through in her past and she still remains strong. Maddie will endure many more many more trials as she goes to college and then goes on a hiking trip alone. While on the hike a man who has been looking for pray begins to hunt her. He tortures her and she knows if she doesn't do something drastic then she will die. She is near death when she meets Rayn an emerald eyed, dark hooded Guardian there with others to save her. She is soothed by his presence.
At first when she wakes she is scared and has so many questions. Her injuries are so severe. She wonders what kind of life she is going to live after this and why life has been so unkind to her. She has so many questions and Rayn loves to not answer them for her. Her stubbornness and curiosity and his seriousness and mystery make for definite fireworks!!!
Maddie is so attracted to Rayn and it infuriates her that he can read that. Rayn soon realizing he is developing feelings for Maddie, and he feels that what is best is for him to stay away from her so that his feelings will go away. He then has her memories erased and her put back into her everyday life.
Maddie soon starts dreaming about a tall dark handsome, green eye man every night. The dreams are getting stronger and she one night has that man show up and offer her a proposition, and memories that she never thought would ever enter her life. But will she except!?!
This was one of the best Alien books I have read and I cannot wait to continue Maddie & Rayn's story with Resurrection! The writing in this book kept me on the edge of my seat and was so well written! I love all of Rayn's family and Rayn has taken my breathe away and I cannot wait for more of him!!!
Maddie is such a tough red head, with everything she has been through in her past and she still remains strong. Maddie will endure many more many more trials as she goes to college and then goes on a hiking trip alone. While on the hike a man who has been looking for pray begins to hunt her. He tortures her and she knows if she doesn't do something drastic then she will die. She is near death when she meets Rayn an emerald eyed, dark hooded Guardian there with others to save her. She is soothed by his presence.
At first when she wakes she is scared and has so many questions. Her injuries are so severe. She wonders what kind of life she is going to live after this and why life has been so unkind to her. She has so many questions and Rayn loves to not answer them for her. Her stubbornness and curiosity and his seriousness and mystery make for definite fireworks!!!
Maddie is so attracted to Rayn and it infuriates her that he can read that. Rayn soon realizing he is developing feelings for Maddie, and he feels that what is best is for him to stay away from her so that his feelings will go away. He then has her memories erased and her put back into her everyday life.
Maddie soon starts dreaming about a tall dark handsome, green eye man every night. The dreams are getting stronger and she one night has that man show up and offer her a proposition, and memories that she never thought would ever enter her life. But will she except!?!
This was one of the best Alien books I have read and I cannot wait to continue Maddie & Rayn's story with Resurrection! The writing in this book kept me on the edge of my seat and was so well written! I love all of Rayn's family and Rayn has taken my breathe away and I cannot wait for more of him!!!
February 19, 2012
5 Stars
Just from Page 1 I fell in love with this awesome book, whose poetic imaging is priceless. I have lived near the area which is the initial setting, so I was poised to discern if the descriptions were accurate; my judgment is-more than accurate, perfect, poetic, lyrical, and oh! How I wish I were there inside the scene! It’s not every author who can make the reader experience a story with her senses as well as mentally and emotionally, but A. M. Hargrove does! This author deserves a very wide audience.
At first glance, the reader would think this novel is about a very likable young lady who suffers two tragedies in her life (the loss of her parents at eleven and at seventeen), but manages to stay strong, even though completely alone; to make good friends, and to succeed in college. But this is just the anteroom to the novel, as it were. Author Hargrove leads Maddie into some serious (potentially fatal) danger-and then into the experience of a lifetime-well, of anyone’s lifetime! I won’t spoil the progress of this novel for future readers; but I do want to add that surprisingly, the author even elicited empathy for the characters whose actions are negative and dangerous. That’s not an easy accomplishment.
This book is a “100 percenter” and deserves my highest recommendation!
Over decades of reading I have discovered that accomplished writing does not come from the number of novels or short stories penned, and certainly not from the quantity of bestsellers! It occurs when a writer works at her craft, and then-even in a “debut” novel, it’s apparent. Such is true of A. M. Hargrove. I don’t know how many years she has been writing, but boy, can she write! In fact, I am now a convinced fan and plan to read everything she publishes, including the sequel, “Resurrection”!
Just from Page 1 I fell in love with this awesome book, whose poetic imaging is priceless. I have lived near the area which is the initial setting, so I was poised to discern if the descriptions were accurate; my judgment is-more than accurate, perfect, poetic, lyrical, and oh! How I wish I were there inside the scene! It’s not every author who can make the reader experience a story with her senses as well as mentally and emotionally, but A. M. Hargrove does! This author deserves a very wide audience.
At first glance, the reader would think this novel is about a very likable young lady who suffers two tragedies in her life (the loss of her parents at eleven and at seventeen), but manages to stay strong, even though completely alone; to make good friends, and to succeed in college. But this is just the anteroom to the novel, as it were. Author Hargrove leads Maddie into some serious (potentially fatal) danger-and then into the experience of a lifetime-well, of anyone’s lifetime! I won’t spoil the progress of this novel for future readers; but I do want to add that surprisingly, the author even elicited empathy for the characters whose actions are negative and dangerous. That’s not an easy accomplishment.
This book is a “100 percenter” and deserves my highest recommendation!
Over decades of reading I have discovered that accomplished writing does not come from the number of novels or short stories penned, and certainly not from the quantity of bestsellers! It occurs when a writer works at her craft, and then-even in a “debut” novel, it’s apparent. Such is true of A. M. Hargrove. I don’t know how many years she has been writing, but boy, can she write! In fact, I am now a convinced fan and plan to read everything she publishes, including the sequel, “Resurrection”!
February 4, 2012
Phewww! Let me tell you! I have been reading this book ALL day today! I literally woke up started it and didn't finish until now!
I really enjoyed this read! I did think it was a little rocky close to the beginning. The conversations between Maddie and her best friend Cat were a little un-natural at times, but everything else I loved! The Prologue had me hooked from the start, so it was easy to ignore any bumpiness in the writing.
Maddie really has gone through it ALL! I mean just after reading the summary you can see that Maddie is going to have to through Hell and back again, but then in my opinion, I think it was worth it for the Hotty she got out of it!
SWOON! Her Rescuer! Gahhh He is protective, sweet, and pretty masochistic. He also has the most beautiful green eyes and wavy black hair! ahhh! *fanning myself
I absolutely LOVE Maddie! She is a heroine for sure who can pretty much endure anything. She is strong willed and independent. She also drips in sarcasm at times and I love that. She always keeps her wits about her, but at the same time follows her heart.
Most of the book is very well written. I never felt lost except sometimes I lost myself in the story! I also really loved how Hargrove was able to write the same scenes in both Maggie and her Rescuers point of view and kept it interesting.
This book is definitely worth the read and right now it is FREE so go grab it!
I really enjoyed this read! I did think it was a little rocky close to the beginning. The conversations between Maddie and her best friend Cat were a little un-natural at times, but everything else I loved! The Prologue had me hooked from the start, so it was easy to ignore any bumpiness in the writing.
Maddie really has gone through it ALL! I mean just after reading the summary you can see that Maddie is going to have to through Hell and back again, but then in my opinion, I think it was worth it for the Hotty she got out of it!
SWOON! Her Rescuer! Gahhh He is protective, sweet, and pretty masochistic. He also has the most beautiful green eyes and wavy black hair! ahhh! *fanning myself
I absolutely LOVE Maddie! She is a heroine for sure who can pretty much endure anything. She is strong willed and independent. She also drips in sarcasm at times and I love that. She always keeps her wits about her, but at the same time follows her heart.
Most of the book is very well written. I never felt lost except sometimes I lost myself in the story! I also really loved how Hargrove was able to write the same scenes in both Maggie and her Rescuers point of view and kept it interesting.
This book is definitely worth the read and right now it is FREE so go grab it!
December 14, 2011
I have to admit I’ve never liked reading novels about aliens, the whole three eyes, big heads and green bodies theme just never worked for me, but when the alien looks and acts human it’s a different story. Survival is a very interesting read and different to what I usually read, which was a nice change in pace.
Madeline, or rather, Maddie was dealt a heavy blow at a very young age, then a few years later another tragedy strikes. The reader goes through all those emotions with Maddie as well as on the journey of recovery and discovery. Maddie is a born and bred fighter – such an amazing zest for life. She loves adventures and the outdoors. Maddie strongly believes she is a bad luck charm… she has so many mishaps – I caught myself giggling hysterically at some of the ‘accidents’ that involve her.
The male lead character is Rayn… he finds Maddie when she is in a very bad predicament and is instantly attracted to her. They form a bond that is unbreakable. Together they are an unstoppable force and fight for their relationship. They compliment each other so perfectly.
All in all, Survival is a good read and I enjoyed the different spin on the aliens theme. This book ends on a monster of a cliffhanger with Maddie’s life hanging on the line…
Madeline, or rather, Maddie was dealt a heavy blow at a very young age, then a few years later another tragedy strikes. The reader goes through all those emotions with Maddie as well as on the journey of recovery and discovery. Maddie is a born and bred fighter – such an amazing zest for life. She loves adventures and the outdoors. Maddie strongly believes she is a bad luck charm… she has so many mishaps – I caught myself giggling hysterically at some of the ‘accidents’ that involve her.
The male lead character is Rayn… he finds Maddie when she is in a very bad predicament and is instantly attracted to her. They form a bond that is unbreakable. Together they are an unstoppable force and fight for their relationship. They compliment each other so perfectly.
All in all, Survival is a good read and I enjoyed the different spin on the aliens theme. This book ends on a monster of a cliffhanger with Maddie’s life hanging on the line…
December 11, 2011
I don't know why one person gave this book only 1 star because I thought it was excellent. It had all the right elements of a great book...excellent character development, great plot, conflict everywhere. The only thing it didn't have was lots of profanity and overt sex...which to me was wonderful since it is a YA book! Also, if you are only interested in vampires, then this won't be your thing. I personally think its refreshing to read a book that wasn't filled with them...but that's just my opinion. Anyway, I am really looking forward to A.M. Hargrove's next book as Suvival just wasn't enough for me!
May 24, 2012
The thing I liked most about this book is that it kept me guessing. The plot didn't follow a regular formula and to start with I had no idea where it was going to go. There were some tense moments in this book that had me on the edge of my seat, but these were balanced out by some lovely tender scenes between Maddie and Rayn. I really liked Maddie. She is a strong, self assured woman who knows what she wants from life. She doesn't let her emotions completely rule her head, and I liked the direction that her romance with Rayn took.
I have been given the second book in this series to review, and am really looking forward to seeing where the author takes us next.
A good read.
I have been given the second book in this series to review, and am really looking forward to seeing where the author takes us next.
A good read.
November 17, 2012
When Maddie Pierce decided to go backpacking in the Smoky Mountain Park, she was unaware of any danger. Stalked and tortured by a sadistic mad man and left for dead, she is rescued by Rayn.
Who is this strikingly handsome savior and what does his presence mean for Maddie?
Join Maddie as she struggles to overcome her injuries and accept that her world has been changed forever.
I really enjoyed being swept away by this story and look forward to more of the same in Resurrection. A must read.
Who is this strikingly handsome savior and what does his presence mean for Maddie?
Join Maddie as she struggles to overcome her injuries and accept that her world has been changed forever.
I really enjoyed being swept away by this story and look forward to more of the same in Resurrection. A must read.
February 28, 2012
Wow, what a book. Never in a million years would I read this style of book. It's not quite Sci-fi as the author led me to believe when I read the Synopsis lol. There is a few spelling mistakes, but it drew me in like any other Paranormal Romance I had read before, but with a slight twist to the story.
I wasn't expecting to like the storyline or the characters, I had to ask the author was it worth me reading it as it wasn't grabbing me like I thought it would. I was pleasantly surprised and now can't wait to read her next in the series.
I wasn't expecting to like the storyline or the characters, I had to ask the author was it worth me reading it as it wasn't grabbing me like I thought it would. I was pleasantly surprised and now can't wait to read her next in the series.
January 20, 2012
Really enjoyed Survival! Can't wait for the sequel! I love a book that really develops it's characters..this book does just that. I was drawn into Maddie's life...sad, funny and adventursome. I'm looking forward to seeing what is in store for her next!
February 28, 2012
*Received e-book through Read It and Reap program from the Shut Up and Read! Goodreads group from author;
**Also posted on Amazon.com under Leanne
Survival is the story of Maddie, a 19-year old attending college after losing both parents at a young age, who becomes the victim of a serial killer and is rescued by an alien race called the Vesturions. The novel is divided into four books, 1) mostly Maddie’s point-of-view up to when she is recuperating from her ordeal, 2) mostly Rayn’s point-of-view, the Guardian who rescues her, 3) mostly 3rd person narrative of the romance that continues after Maddie is healed, and 4) mostly 3rd person narrative of the events that occur during their separation when Rayn must answer to the Vesturion Council for daring to mate with a human.
I liked how Hargrove divided the book in four parts, but felt that the first book (~40% of the novel) was a bit disjointed. This was due to the switch from Maddie’s POV to 3rd person narrative to the serial killer’s (Darryl) POV. The storyline did not seem to flow well and the dialogue was a bit off; for example, when Maddie talks about her past to new friends at college, the words she used appeared to be more mature than her years, even flat at times. This appeared to be Hargrove’s method to tell the reader Maddie’s past experiences, but unfortunately did not provoke a strong emotional response, which I believed was a lost opportunity to relate/bond to the protagonist. This was also apparent with Darryl’s section – again I think Hargrove could have evoked more horror and revulsion of his personal history better by “showing” rather than “telling”. The switching POVs also augmented the lack of connection with the characters.
On the other hand, I did like the remaining books of Survival. I was delighted in learning more of the Venturion race as I appreciated Hargrove’s detailed descriptions. In addition, I took delight in reading about Rayn’s family, especially his brother, Rykerian, and his sister, Sharra, who had an amusing tendency to mix up human slang and figures of speech. The integration of Maddie into Rayn’s home was hilarious at times and positively charming. Hargrove was able to create a Maddie that was more endearing to the reader and I found myself becoming more emotionally involved in the story. The last three books were a refreshing and welcome contrast to the first book.
Overall, Survival was an interesting read with an unusual twist – aliens versus the numerous vampire and werewolf books currently flooding the stores. I enjoyed the interplay with most of the characters. With the tense cliffhanger at the end, I plan to read the next book in the series, Resurrection. I would recommend this to young adult readers, who are fans of Twilight and similar series, but not necessarily older adults.
**Also posted on Amazon.com under Leanne
Survival is the story of Maddie, a 19-year old attending college after losing both parents at a young age, who becomes the victim of a serial killer and is rescued by an alien race called the Vesturions. The novel is divided into four books, 1) mostly Maddie’s point-of-view up to when she is recuperating from her ordeal, 2) mostly Rayn’s point-of-view, the Guardian who rescues her, 3) mostly 3rd person narrative of the romance that continues after Maddie is healed, and 4) mostly 3rd person narrative of the events that occur during their separation when Rayn must answer to the Vesturion Council for daring to mate with a human.
I liked how Hargrove divided the book in four parts, but felt that the first book (~40% of the novel) was a bit disjointed. This was due to the switch from Maddie’s POV to 3rd person narrative to the serial killer’s (Darryl) POV. The storyline did not seem to flow well and the dialogue was a bit off; for example, when Maddie talks about her past to new friends at college, the words she used appeared to be more mature than her years, even flat at times. This appeared to be Hargrove’s method to tell the reader Maddie’s past experiences, but unfortunately did not provoke a strong emotional response, which I believed was a lost opportunity to relate/bond to the protagonist. This was also apparent with Darryl’s section – again I think Hargrove could have evoked more horror and revulsion of his personal history better by “showing” rather than “telling”. The switching POVs also augmented the lack of connection with the characters.
On the other hand, I did like the remaining books of Survival. I was delighted in learning more of the Venturion race as I appreciated Hargrove’s detailed descriptions. In addition, I took delight in reading about Rayn’s family, especially his brother, Rykerian, and his sister, Sharra, who had an amusing tendency to mix up human slang and figures of speech. The integration of Maddie into Rayn’s home was hilarious at times and positively charming. Hargrove was able to create a Maddie that was more endearing to the reader and I found myself becoming more emotionally involved in the story. The last three books were a refreshing and welcome contrast to the first book.
Overall, Survival was an interesting read with an unusual twist – aliens versus the numerous vampire and werewolf books currently flooding the stores. I enjoyed the interplay with most of the characters. With the tense cliffhanger at the end, I plan to read the next book in the series, Resurrection. I would recommend this to young adult readers, who are fans of Twilight and similar series, but not necessarily older adults.
October 19, 2012
More of my reviews at Secrets of Lost Words
*A copy was provided by the author for review purposes*
The Cover: Oh my! It's a pretty little cover! That girl is Maddie right? With the red hair and stuff?
First Thoughts: Mysterious places? A strikingly gorgeous stranger? Count me in, I'm reading this!
First Sentence: Maddie slowly cracked opened her eyes to see the brilliance of the morning peeking through her tent.
My Thoughts:
I overall enjoyed this story. I liked the plot and the characters. Although all the mysterious stuff kind of frustrates me sometimes, I still can't help but love this book!
Maddie, the main character, makes me laugh so much with her clumsiness! I'm serious. My mom was directing weird looks at me. Oh poor Maddie, maiming innocent people everywhere.
I had been lugging up a plastic bin filled with all of my intimate items, such as panties and bras. As I walked through the door to our suite, the toe of my tennis shoe caught on the threshold and I tripped. I shot like a rocket across the room, trying my best to prevent a crash and burn. Unfortunately for Mr. Newman, he was standing in the wrong place at the wrong time, and he took the brunt of my momentum. My plastic bin burst open and we both tumbled to the floor. When I finally was able to sitt up, I was mortified by what my eyes beheld. Mr. Newman was lying on the floor with all of my panties and bras mounded over his head. He was a vision in thongs!
Ah.. poor Mr. Newman. Oh, and did I mention Maddie's inability to cook? (Seriously, the house can be burned down)
Anyways, I like Mr. Mysterious too. Rayn is just so drool-worthy. I actually think he's too perfect to be real. And then there's Sharra. Oh, Sharra, the girl who keeps trying to use American slang. Keep trying, dear, and you'll get it someday. Sharra and Maddie had gotten close through the book and I think their friendship is good.
Though I really liked this book, I can't help but take off a star. What bothered me was that this book is really like Significance by Shelly Crane. Both have drop dead gorgeous guys. Both have a girl main character that thinks she's ordinary but told otherwise. Both have the soulmate thing. Both have the special ability kind of thing. Pretty similar if you ask me. But thank goodness, the plot is completely different, or I would've just stopped reading this.
Overall, I think the author writes really well. The sentences flow nicely and the characters were very realistic (except for the gorgeous part). The humour (yay!) was there and I just love a good laugh. I would recommend this to people who love paranormal romance and any fans of Shelly Crane.
*A copy was provided by the author for review purposes*
The Cover: Oh my! It's a pretty little cover! That girl is Maddie right? With the red hair and stuff?
First Thoughts: Mysterious places? A strikingly gorgeous stranger? Count me in, I'm reading this!
First Sentence: Maddie slowly cracked opened her eyes to see the brilliance of the morning peeking through her tent.
My Thoughts:
I overall enjoyed this story. I liked the plot and the characters. Although all the mysterious stuff kind of frustrates me sometimes, I still can't help but love this book!
Maddie, the main character, makes me laugh so much with her clumsiness! I'm serious. My mom was directing weird looks at me. Oh poor Maddie, maiming innocent people everywhere.
I had been lugging up a plastic bin filled with all of my intimate items, such as panties and bras. As I walked through the door to our suite, the toe of my tennis shoe caught on the threshold and I tripped. I shot like a rocket across the room, trying my best to prevent a crash and burn. Unfortunately for Mr. Newman, he was standing in the wrong place at the wrong time, and he took the brunt of my momentum. My plastic bin burst open and we both tumbled to the floor. When I finally was able to sitt up, I was mortified by what my eyes beheld. Mr. Newman was lying on the floor with all of my panties and bras mounded over his head. He was a vision in thongs!
Ah.. poor Mr. Newman. Oh, and did I mention Maddie's inability to cook? (Seriously, the house can be burned down)
Anyways, I like Mr. Mysterious too. Rayn is just so drool-worthy. I actually think he's too perfect to be real. And then there's Sharra. Oh, Sharra, the girl who keeps trying to use American slang. Keep trying, dear, and you'll get it someday. Sharra and Maddie had gotten close through the book and I think their friendship is good.
Though I really liked this book, I can't help but take off a star. What bothered me was that this book is really like Significance by Shelly Crane. Both have drop dead gorgeous guys. Both have a girl main character that thinks she's ordinary but told otherwise. Both have the soulmate thing. Both have the special ability kind of thing. Pretty similar if you ask me. But thank goodness, the plot is completely different, or I would've just stopped reading this.
Overall, I think the author writes really well. The sentences flow nicely and the characters were very realistic (except for the gorgeous part). The humour (yay!) was there and I just love a good laugh. I would recommend this to people who love paranormal romance and any fans of Shelly Crane.
July 10, 2014
See more of my reviews on my blog Thoughts At One In The Morning.
My Thoughts:
I ended up getting this one by chance upon looking up the blog tour for this book. The idea of it was interesting and I thought it was worth reading. And I was right! The story is told in four parts: first from Maddie’s POV, second from Rayn’s, then the last two are told in the third person. I’m usually not a fan of multiple points of view, or the third person, but I was okay with it this time. Maybe it’s because it needed to be told this way. In any case, it worked.
The beginning told us mostly about Maddie’s life prior to and at college. She doesn’t have her parents anymore and is on her own now. It was a lot of background and not very interesting until it got to the point where she gets abducted. Then things get complicated and very intriguing, because… enter Rayn.
His people wish to save her after she gets attacked. And he is drawn to her, as she is to him. Even though it should be simple for two people who feel this way, it won’t be simple for him. Because of who he is, he is not allowed to be with her. They try to stay away, but can’t. They go together, and you can feel it come across the page with how he speaks to, comforts, and holds her. They have something deeper and want it to continue. This of course will not be an easy task. They begin the journey and you hope alongside them for a happy ending. And you guys know how much I love swoon worthy scenes… there were plenty of those moments throughout the book.
The parts dealing with the guardians, their background, was different than I’m used to. When there are a lot of details for stories like these, it’s like learning a new subject. Eventually you get the hang of it, but when you’re unfamiliar with the genre it’s confusing at first.
Despite that, I really enjoyed Survival. You can’t help but keep reading because you want to know what happens next for them. When I finished it, I was left with a cliffhanger that made me want to get right into the sequel. I adored the love between Maddie and Rayn, even though it happened a little fast. And although Maddie was sometimes really silly in the things she said, she was still relatable. I can’t wait to dive into A.M. Hargrove’s sequel to Survival called Resurrection, and the prequel, Beginnings.
My Rating:
Very Good: Stay up late
My Thoughts:
I ended up getting this one by chance upon looking up the blog tour for this book. The idea of it was interesting and I thought it was worth reading. And I was right! The story is told in four parts: first from Maddie’s POV, second from Rayn’s, then the last two are told in the third person. I’m usually not a fan of multiple points of view, or the third person, but I was okay with it this time. Maybe it’s because it needed to be told this way. In any case, it worked.
The beginning told us mostly about Maddie’s life prior to and at college. She doesn’t have her parents anymore and is on her own now. It was a lot of background and not very interesting until it got to the point where she gets abducted. Then things get complicated and very intriguing, because… enter Rayn.
His people wish to save her after she gets attacked. And he is drawn to her, as she is to him. Even though it should be simple for two people who feel this way, it won’t be simple for him. Because of who he is, he is not allowed to be with her. They try to stay away, but can’t. They go together, and you can feel it come across the page with how he speaks to, comforts, and holds her. They have something deeper and want it to continue. This of course will not be an easy task. They begin the journey and you hope alongside them for a happy ending. And you guys know how much I love swoon worthy scenes… there were plenty of those moments throughout the book.
The parts dealing with the guardians, their background, was different than I’m used to. When there are a lot of details for stories like these, it’s like learning a new subject. Eventually you get the hang of it, but when you’re unfamiliar with the genre it’s confusing at first.
Despite that, I really enjoyed Survival. You can’t help but keep reading because you want to know what happens next for them. When I finished it, I was left with a cliffhanger that made me want to get right into the sequel. I adored the love between Maddie and Rayn, even though it happened a little fast. And although Maddie was sometimes really silly in the things she said, she was still relatable. I can’t wait to dive into A.M. Hargrove’s sequel to Survival called Resurrection, and the prequel, Beginnings.
My Rating:
Very Good: Stay up late
February 28, 2012
Originally posted at http://ufreview.com/2012/02/28/surviv...
Review:
I got a copy of Survival from from Read it and Reap on Goodreads and thanks to both the group and the author for providing it for review. First let me say I hate giving a book a bad review, I realize how hard authors work and how hard it is to put yourself out there for criticism. That being said I really really did not enjoy this book for a couple of reasons.
First of all the book was just so repetitive! The same events are told from several different points of view but all saying the same thing...Maddie was kidnapped and tortured I got it the first time. The flashbacks also drove me crazy along with the jumping from telling the story in the first person to telling it in the third. It made the story hard to follow and I kept going back and rereading wondering if I missed something.
The second thing was the lack of action, yes yes I know Maddie gets kidnapped and is hurt very badly. That was a very small part of the book the rest is the reader just being told what happens, you're not there for any of it. Her parents dying, recovering from the kidnapping and paralysis was all told to the reader. You didn't really feel Maddie's pain except when she was being sarcastic which just made her a whiny bitch.
Lastly it reminded me just too much of Twilight (one of the worst books I ever read)...the clumsy girl who thinks she is ugly but everyone else thinks is stunningly beautiful. The really hot shiny otherworldly guy that is in love with her but he isn't human...sound familiar? It keeps going shiny otherworldly guy also has big house with expensive cars that everyone drives too fast because they have super reflexes and oh yeah they read minds too. No it wasn't exactly like Twilight but there were enough similarities to make me dislike it.
I just can't give the book a higher rating than 2/5. While I appreciate an author's effort in writing a book and getting it published and all the work that goes into it this book just didn't work for me.
2/5 Just didn't work for me.
Review:
I got a copy of Survival from from Read it and Reap on Goodreads and thanks to both the group and the author for providing it for review. First let me say I hate giving a book a bad review, I realize how hard authors work and how hard it is to put yourself out there for criticism. That being said I really really did not enjoy this book for a couple of reasons.
First of all the book was just so repetitive! The same events are told from several different points of view but all saying the same thing...Maddie was kidnapped and tortured I got it the first time. The flashbacks also drove me crazy along with the jumping from telling the story in the first person to telling it in the third. It made the story hard to follow and I kept going back and rereading wondering if I missed something.
The second thing was the lack of action, yes yes I know Maddie gets kidnapped and is hurt very badly. That was a very small part of the book the rest is the reader just being told what happens, you're not there for any of it. Her parents dying, recovering from the kidnapping and paralysis was all told to the reader. You didn't really feel Maddie's pain except when she was being sarcastic which just made her a whiny bitch.
Lastly it reminded me just too much of Twilight (one of the worst books I ever read)...the clumsy girl who thinks she is ugly but everyone else thinks is stunningly beautiful. The really hot shiny otherworldly guy that is in love with her but he isn't human...sound familiar? It keeps going shiny otherworldly guy also has big house with expensive cars that everyone drives too fast because they have super reflexes and oh yeah they read minds too. No it wasn't exactly like Twilight but there were enough similarities to make me dislike it.
I just can't give the book a higher rating than 2/5. While I appreciate an author's effort in writing a book and getting it published and all the work that goes into it this book just didn't work for me.
2/5 Just didn't work for me.
February 22, 2012
I had a little bit of a hard time getting through the first part of this book, the stories timeline was a little confusing with how it bounced around at times I had to backtrack to figure out that we had switched scenes again. The switching between characters and times got smoother as the story advanced, I also think it improved for me when the plot picked up speed and we got more into some of the action sequences. It was at this point that I got really engrossed in Maddie's and Rayn's story. I really enjoyed getting to read the story from both of their perspectives, and seeing that the feelings were just as strong from the beginning for both of them. This author has a way of writing that really brought out the emotions and turmoil that the characters were feeling and making me feel them too. This book is an emotional roller coaster ride you kinda just have to hold on and hope you don't fall off. I think the author tried to embed some really good morality lessons into her story, and the belief that the Rayn has in the deity is refreshing the author brings God into her book but not in an overbearing preachy way. While I was reading it I kept thinking this is a great way to get an alternative choices out to a YA market without making it overwhelming. The romance was intense with out having to bring sex into it and both main characters have made choices to wait until marriage, even so the author was able to put across the intense feelings these two have for each other. Over all I really enjoyed this book and am looking forward to book two in the series.
I received this book as a free book from the author for a fair review. Thanks for the entertaining read. :)
I received this book as a free book from the author for a fair review. Thanks for the entertaining read. :)
January 24, 2012
I can't say I read this book, coz i didn't hit the end...
I was really encouraged by all these nice review with almost all 4 or 5 stars, so I got it and started reading it.
I have to confess that this is the first time I relay on reviews to read a book, but was disappointed!! for this book didn't capture my attention form the first page, but until I reached chapter 9, when the suspense began...
you may wonder: "you made it to chapter 9 and didn't realize you didn't like it yet?" well, I didn't want to jump to conclusion, I wanted to be sure...
I continued till the end of chapter 11, but couldn't go on... I was bored. I don't think I was bored like this with a story before..so I had to stop.
in case you wonder "why" :there was so much repeating in words and ideas (as if just to fill pages). I didn't like the changes between 1st person and 3ed person in telling the story. there was some sudden flashbacks in the beginning that made it hard for me to distinguish present from past. in the first few chapters the pace was really fast: she entered the college, made new friends, went to some party, did her exams then the suspense part which took some time with details.
again, I don't think I'm qualified to give full review on this book since I couldn't finish it, but I had to say something.. :(
I was really encouraged by all these nice review with almost all 4 or 5 stars, so I got it and started reading it.
I have to confess that this is the first time I relay on reviews to read a book, but was disappointed!! for this book didn't capture my attention form the first page, but until I reached chapter 9, when the suspense began...
you may wonder: "you made it to chapter 9 and didn't realize you didn't like it yet?" well, I didn't want to jump to conclusion, I wanted to be sure...
I continued till the end of chapter 11, but couldn't go on... I was bored. I don't think I was bored like this with a story before..so I had to stop.
in case you wonder "why" :there was so much repeating in words and ideas (as if just to fill pages). I didn't like the changes between 1st person and 3ed person in telling the story. there was some sudden flashbacks in the beginning that made it hard for me to distinguish present from past. in the first few chapters the pace was really fast: she entered the college, made new friends, went to some party, did her exams then the suspense part which took some time with details.
again, I don't think I'm qualified to give full review on this book since I couldn't finish it, but I had to say something.. :(
February 25, 2012
In short this book is "Twilight" for college students.
Want to know why I say that?
Clumsy, silly girl that's in college and clearly popular and pretty but thinks no-one likes her and that she's ugly falls in lust with perfect guy who is not human.
Clumsy girl then almost immediately becomes best friends with perfect guy's sister who then helps to protect Clumsy girl.
Perfect guy's family mostly likes Clumsy girl with only one exception.
Perfect guy also has a family member that's very fashion forward
All of them like to drive fast and own lots of expensive cars.
Clumsy girl does not want to get married but perfect guy insist that they must.
Perfect guy also sleeps next to Clumsy girl but refuses to have premarital sex.
Perfect guy has to save Clumsy girl from a villain that wants to kill her.
There is a group of peoplevolturi that disagree with Perfect guy's actions regarding Clumsy human girl and wants him to stand trail.
The fact that Survival is about aliens and a college girl rather than vampires and a high school girl is the only reason I finished this book.
Want to know why I say that?
Clumsy, silly girl that's in college and clearly popular and pretty but thinks no-one likes her and that she's ugly falls in lust with perfect guy who is not human.
Clumsy girl then almost immediately becomes best friends with perfect guy's sister who then helps to protect Clumsy girl.
Perfect guy's family mostly likes Clumsy girl with only one exception.
Perfect guy also has a family member that's very fashion forward
All of them like to drive fast and own lots of expensive cars.
Clumsy girl does not want to get married but perfect guy insist that they must.
Perfect guy also sleeps next to Clumsy girl but refuses to have premarital sex.
Perfect guy has to save Clumsy girl from a villain that wants to kill her.
There is a group of people
The fact that Survival is about aliens and a college girl rather than vampires and a high school girl is the only reason I finished this book.
December 23, 2011
This book started off not too great for me. I was reading it and was waiting for it to really start, and I just didn't feel like I was getting into it. I was really disappointed, but I didn't stop reading and I'm real glad I didn't. I read on and the book got sooo good. I found myself absorbed in the story before I knew what happened. I felt a connection to the characters and a desire to read on and know more. Its one of those stories that at the end you do not want to let the characters go, you dont want the story to be over, not yet. It leaves you craving more. I would recommend everyone to try this book out and give it a chance. It starts a little slow and at times the writing at the beginning can seem a little rushed, getting through Maddie's story and life, but the book is worth it. The end left me wanting more and very upset that it had ended. The end was a massive cliffhanger. It leaves you dying to know what going to happen next and what will Maddie decide to do. Simply stated it's a great story.
February 27, 2012
**I got this book though Read it & reap it.**
One thing I don't like about this book is the constant change of POV in the first half of the book. The scene alternates between Maddie, the villian and Rayn. Though it gives insights as to what each character is feeling, in my opinion, the scenes are somewhat retold.
But it got better towards the second half of the book where the POV turns consistent. Clumsy Maddie is seriously interesting to read! The bond between Rayn and Maddie is strong and unbreakable (it's sort of a instant connection between the two of them). And the author left me hanging at the end!! Now I need the second book to know what will happen to Maddie and Rayn.
Overall, a pleasant read with a tinge of comedy (Maddie) in it. This book has potential in it.
4 Stars for Survival.
One thing I don't like about this book is the constant change of POV in the first half of the book. The scene alternates between Maddie, the villian and Rayn. Though it gives insights as to what each character is feeling, in my opinion, the scenes are somewhat retold.
But it got better towards the second half of the book where the POV turns consistent. Clumsy Maddie is seriously interesting to read! The bond between Rayn and Maddie is strong and unbreakable (it's sort of a instant connection between the two of them). And the author left me hanging at the end!! Now I need the second book to know what will happen to Maddie and Rayn.
Overall, a pleasant read with a tinge of comedy (Maddie) in it. This book has potential in it.
4 Stars for Survival.
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