What do you think?
Rate this book
The cold rain drummed the memory of the horrible crash into my mind-mom dead, my hand ruined. Then a year later, coming out of a coma to realize my full-ride scholarship was gone and I'd never play the piano again. But the worst of it was nobody believed me-the voices, someone holding me in the mangled car, mom being ripped away from me.So here I am in Anderson, Wyoming, living with Uncle Connor while Dad's on assignment in Europe. School started and I met Jonathan, amazingly handsome Jonathan. He made me feel like life was beginning again-until I discovered that mom's death wasn't an accident, that a supernatural realm was trying to draw me into a coterie hundreds of years old, and that my friend Eric wanted to destroy me.Not the easiest way to begin my senior year..
445 pages, Paperback
First published April 2, 2012
3 people are currently reading
341 people want to read
About the author
Melinda R. Morgan
9 books55 followersVisit Melinda's author website:
http://www.melindarmorgan.com
I am a mother of four adult children, stepmom to five adult children, and grandma to 20 grandchildren. I LOVE Coke Zero (seriously LOVE it!) and peanut M&M's. I spent five years as a single mom when my children were all very young.
That was then. This is now. I have been married to the love of my life since 2002, I have a BS in Liberal Studies, a teaching license, and an MS in Education and Administration. In 2016, Ron and I relocated to Utah, where I am continuing my 25+ years in education. I have taught high school, elementary school, and middle school; and believe it or not, I am most at home with those crazy, insane middle schoolers! Tweens and Teens! Would someone give me an "Amen" please?
Recently, I have begun a new romantic comedy series, and who knew I would love writing in this genre so much?
Besides my day job, I am also a classically trained pianist. Music is a huge part of who I am and how I express some of my deepest emotions. I also enjoy kayaking, taking long walks, and hanging out with my children and grandchildren.
I write in order to connect with others--soul to soul, heart to heart. I listen to and perform music in order to connect with and ignite creative energy. I like to put it this way:
Music puts me in touch with my emotions. Words, put my emotions in touch with my readers.
n book one of An Unlikely Romance, I get to combine my enjoyment of kayaking with my addiction to romance. I hope you will love reading the series as much as I love writing it.
http://www.melindarmorgan.com
I am a mother of four adult children, stepmom to five adult children, and grandma to 20 grandchildren. I LOVE Coke Zero (seriously LOVE it!) and peanut M&M's. I spent five years as a single mom when my children were all very young.
That was then. This is now. I have been married to the love of my life since 2002, I have a BS in Liberal Studies, a teaching license, and an MS in Education and Administration. In 2016, Ron and I relocated to Utah, where I am continuing my 25+ years in education. I have taught high school, elementary school, and middle school; and believe it or not, I am most at home with those crazy, insane middle schoolers! Tweens and Teens! Would someone give me an "Amen" please?
Recently, I have begun a new romantic comedy series, and who knew I would love writing in this genre so much?
Besides my day job, I am also a classically trained pianist. Music is a huge part of who I am and how I express some of my deepest emotions. I also enjoy kayaking, taking long walks, and hanging out with my children and grandchildren.
I write in order to connect with others--soul to soul, heart to heart. I listen to and perform music in order to connect with and ignite creative energy. I like to put it this way:
Music puts me in touch with my emotions. Words, put my emotions in touch with my readers.
n book one of An Unlikely Romance, I get to combine my enjoyment of kayaking with my addiction to romance. I hope you will love reading the series as much as I love writing it.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
April 5, 2012
I wasn't sure when I started reading. First off, I was worried I'd hate the book and my first low review on my blog would be of an ARC. And secondly, the plot uses a formula that I saw a lot of books use after Twilight: Lone girl moves to a new place, meets beautiful boy, boy has secret, girl discovers secret and her life is now at risk. Been there, done that, yawn. Despite that, Etude did a wonderful job at telling a story that made me not care about the formula used. Plus, unlike other books that followed that formula, Beth didn't think of herself as ugly. She didn't say she was beautiful, but she didn't constantly claim she was plain and, Why oh why does this gorgeous guy like me? The description of her I felt was vague, but I got the idea that she was a lovely girl. Also, she did not constantly muse on how beautiful Jonathan was. In fact, I don't think she talked about it much. Yeah, she liked his looks but it wasn't every other sentence. Mostly, she talked about his eyes, but it wasn't overbearing. I wasn't wishing she'd shut up and get on with the story! I also liked how Beth's life didn't revolve around Jonathan and the supernatural once she learned about it. There were scenes of normal life, the normal world did not disappear and Beth was still very much part of it.
Enough on the formula used and how Etude managed not to fall into the usual cliches.
I really enjoyed the characters. They were well rounded. A few, I would have like to see more of. Janine I would have like to have more of a connection and feel more for her. Grace too, I would like to know more about her. Uncle Connor and Carl were fun too. I loved Carl's playfulness and Uncle Connor's protectiveness of Beth.
Jonathan I loved. He was playful and mischievous and I loved the way he and Beth bantered and teased each other. What he did with her Christmas present cracked me up. Also, I liked how everything wasn't perfect between Beth and Jonathan. She got mad at him and would get very frustrated with him. It gave a real feel to the relationship. Also, the fact they both had people they had dated before gave added realism. Especially Beth's previous relationship. Etude isn't first, true love. It was just love.
As for Beth, I enjoyed her. She was a kind person and you found that out with her friend Darcy. There were a few things that irked me. One was when she'd say something about the scientist in her. In the beginning, I never really got the impression that she was into science. It was all about the piano. The same when she talked about her mother. From what little was said (or maybe I just missed it) at the beginning, I didn't feel like either of them were sciency. Another thing was I didn't quite feel like she was 19. It felt like she should be younger. That may just be because a lot of YA the main character(s) are younger. Other than that I loved how Beth was. She stood up for herself, demanded answers, knew when things were up. She didn't always demand the truth, but she was aware and often the reason she didn't demand answers was she knew it wasn't the right time.
I could talk about Eric, but I really don't want to say much without giving anything away. I did like his character and he had nice back story and development.
I struggled a bit with the explanation of immortals, especially when it got into the more scientific descriptions, but that's just me. I was bad at science in high school and I'm bad at science as an adult. Usually, I'd reread the explanations a few times. I really enjoyed the immortals and the author's approach to them and I look forward to learning more in book 2.
My only real complaint was when it came to sex. Now, there is no sex in the story, but Beth does wonder about the right time for her and Jonathan. There is a heavy emphasis on waiting until the right moment and not rushing. Which is a good lesson, but at times I felt like the message implied was that the world would end if teenagers had sex. There was a lot of talk about Beth discussing it with Jonathan first and I can tell you my first time, the discussion was this: "Do you want to?" "Yes." "Okay." Very little discussion as opposed to the deep and meaningful discussion Beth wants to have with Jonathan when it was time. Of course, I suppose I should note that with Beth and Jonathan they are like fated love so there is an unspoken importance on their first time. I just hope later books don't revolve around them doing the deed. That was another cliche the formula I mentioned earlier had a lot of books focus on.
Over all, I found Etude to be a nice page turner. I was eager to find out what sort of being Jonathan was and see the truth revealed to Beth. There was a death that made me want to bawl and I had to work hard to keep the tears at bay so I could keep reading (Making the reader cry is always a good sign.) The cover is simple yet elegant (much like Grace. lol) The ending was a nice cliffhanger and I will definitely buy book 2 when it's released. I give Etude 4 stars.
Enough on the formula used and how Etude managed not to fall into the usual cliches.
I really enjoyed the characters. They were well rounded. A few, I would have like to see more of. Janine I would have like to have more of a connection and feel more for her. Grace too, I would like to know more about her. Uncle Connor and Carl were fun too. I loved Carl's playfulness and Uncle Connor's protectiveness of Beth.
Jonathan I loved. He was playful and mischievous and I loved the way he and Beth bantered and teased each other. What he did with her Christmas present cracked me up. Also, I liked how everything wasn't perfect between Beth and Jonathan. She got mad at him and would get very frustrated with him. It gave a real feel to the relationship. Also, the fact they both had people they had dated before gave added realism. Especially Beth's previous relationship. Etude isn't first, true love. It was just love.
As for Beth, I enjoyed her. She was a kind person and you found that out with her friend Darcy. There were a few things that irked me. One was when she'd say something about the scientist in her. In the beginning, I never really got the impression that she was into science. It was all about the piano. The same when she talked about her mother. From what little was said (or maybe I just missed it) at the beginning, I didn't feel like either of them were sciency. Another thing was I didn't quite feel like she was 19. It felt like she should be younger. That may just be because a lot of YA the main character(s) are younger. Other than that I loved how Beth was. She stood up for herself, demanded answers, knew when things were up. She didn't always demand the truth, but she was aware and often the reason she didn't demand answers was she knew it wasn't the right time.
I could talk about Eric, but I really don't want to say much without giving anything away. I did like his character and he had nice back story and development.
I struggled a bit with the explanation of immortals, especially when it got into the more scientific descriptions, but that's just me. I was bad at science in high school and I'm bad at science as an adult. Usually, I'd reread the explanations a few times. I really enjoyed the immortals and the author's approach to them and I look forward to learning more in book 2.
My only real complaint was when it came to sex. Now, there is no sex in the story, but Beth does wonder about the right time for her and Jonathan. There is a heavy emphasis on waiting until the right moment and not rushing. Which is a good lesson, but at times I felt like the message implied was that the world would end if teenagers had sex. There was a lot of talk about Beth discussing it with Jonathan first and I can tell you my first time, the discussion was this: "Do you want to?" "Yes." "Okay." Very little discussion as opposed to the deep and meaningful discussion Beth wants to have with Jonathan when it was time. Of course, I suppose I should note that with Beth and Jonathan they are like fated love so there is an unspoken importance on their first time. I just hope later books don't revolve around them doing the deed. That was another cliche the formula I mentioned earlier had a lot of books focus on.
Over all, I found Etude to be a nice page turner. I was eager to find out what sort of being Jonathan was and see the truth revealed to Beth. There was a death that made me want to bawl and I had to work hard to keep the tears at bay so I could keep reading (Making the reader cry is always a good sign.) The cover is simple yet elegant (much like Grace. lol) The ending was a nice cliffhanger and I will definitely buy book 2 when it's released. I give Etude 4 stars.
Read
April 3, 2012Holy Smokes!
Melinda R. Morgan
So i recieved this book a week or two ago. I finally finished it. It only took me the two weeks because of school work (stupid school). If i didn`t have that i would have finished Etude in one night. Form the start the book was captivating. I put all others aside and focused on only Etude. Melinda has a way with words (hence why she is the author and not me). Sionce picking up Etude I have played only classical music wherever I go. I recieved the ARC copy of the book and as much as I dislike marking up my ARC books I just couldn`t help it. Each chapter is has highlights of; words to live by, question bublles, and the imagery Melinda Morgan uses. Having an ARC of this book makes it all the more easier to tell my friends to go by the published version and support your authors.
Etude has changed my outlook on what i believed crippled people could do. Though the adding of immortality is involved the book would have still been amazing without it. The immoratlity adds a little extra spice that leaves a reader turning pages.
When I reached then end of Etude I slowly closed the book and sighed. Not because it was over, but because i was in desperate need to have the second book. I have only felt that pull for The Harry Potter series. So now I sit, waiting for second book to be released- secretly hoping I can somehow get an ARC copy of Book 2.
Melinda R. Morgan
So i recieved this book a week or two ago. I finally finished it. It only took me the two weeks because of school work (stupid school). If i didn`t have that i would have finished Etude in one night. Form the start the book was captivating. I put all others aside and focused on only Etude. Melinda has a way with words (hence why she is the author and not me). Sionce picking up Etude I have played only classical music wherever I go. I recieved the ARC copy of the book and as much as I dislike marking up my ARC books I just couldn`t help it. Each chapter is has highlights of; words to live by, question bublles, and the imagery Melinda Morgan uses. Having an ARC of this book makes it all the more easier to tell my friends to go by the published version and support your authors.
Etude has changed my outlook on what i believed crippled people could do. Though the adding of immortality is involved the book would have still been amazing without it. The immoratlity adds a little extra spice that leaves a reader turning pages.
When I reached then end of Etude I slowly closed the book and sighed. Not because it was over, but because i was in desperate need to have the second book. I have only felt that pull for The Harry Potter series. So now I sit, waiting for second book to be released- secretly hoping I can somehow get an ARC copy of Book 2.
November 25, 2012
I do not read young adult fiction as a rule. I find the majority trite and lacking in inspiration, building upon too common prior successes by other authors, in an "I want to get onto this bandwagon and earn fame and fortune" vein. Not so with Etude. The premise is a lovely, unexpected twist upon the Adam and Eve story. The development of characters was comfortable, and I found the required love/almost-sex scenes as expected for the age that is targeted. The morality quandary that consumes the heroine is exactly what I would expect of a young girl on the threshold of womanhood. The violence that was in the book was required for the story development and I believe not too much to handle for a generation brought up on video and movie violence.
When the book ended I found myself actually looking for the sequel's publish date. I am intrigued with the premise of the whole novel and want to read the denouement.
But what really holds this book above most that I have seen/read lately, is the obvious love of language exhibited by the author. Complex sentence structure, framing sub plots and parallel thoughts, give evidence of a love of word-smithing. To someone who comes to English as a second language, I find this refreshing. I came away with an appreciation of the thought that went into the writing of this book, its structure, and look forward to future books by Melinda Morgan.
When the book ended I found myself actually looking for the sequel's publish date. I am intrigued with the premise of the whole novel and want to read the denouement.
But what really holds this book above most that I have seen/read lately, is the obvious love of language exhibited by the author. Complex sentence structure, framing sub plots and parallel thoughts, give evidence of a love of word-smithing. To someone who comes to English as a second language, I find this refreshing. I came away with an appreciation of the thought that went into the writing of this book, its structure, and look forward to future books by Melinda Morgan.
September 25, 2012
OK. There are basic similarities to the Twilight series. So what? Etude is a more literate, moving, symbolic story and contains a depth that is far more reaching. I could not stop reading once I started. I admit, I had to reread a few paragraphs to get the gist of the science involved. It was worth it. If you like light reads that you can just skim through, you may, or may not love the book. If you like deeply designed, well constructed plots that require you to think, you'll love it. I did.
September 2, 2012
Melinda Morgan's Étude is a wonderful story about learning to live with tragedy, failed relationships, new friendships, believing the impossible and learning to love and trust again. I loved the way Melinda worked science and religion into a totally believable explanation of how her story's immortals came into being and why they are still here on earth. Certainly kept the sci fi lover in me turning the pages, even though, this is considered a YA paranormal romance and not a sci fi novel.
Beth had been an up and coming pianist with a full scholarship to her dream university until tragedy struck in the form of a deadly car accident, which killed her mother and left Beth’s left hand crippled and burned. She and her father worked to pick up the pieces and when he was called away for a Special Ops assignment, Beth moved to Wyoming to live with her uncle Connor and his new wife. Since she missed so much of her senior year of high school, she was forced to repeat it and this is where the story begins.
All of the characters were well developed and well rounded. Beth seemed just that little bit more mature than her classmates which may be because she is a year older and has been through some trauma that also matured her. Her uncle Connor doesn't treat her like a child, but does lay down the law when it comes to protecting her.
Jonathon, Beth's love interest, is kind and gentle, (and a fantastic pianist in his own right), with that mysterious way about him that draws Beth in and has her falling completely in love with him. I don't remember if his age was ever stated, but he is much more mature than his young looks would have Beth believe. Their love is passionate without the sex, though they definitely do want to explore that part of their relationship, but only when the time is right.
Eric is a young star football player who develops a school-boy crush on Beth even when she has made it plain that she sees him as nothing more than a friend, especially since he used to date her new best friend, Darla. The scenes with Eric were the most heart-wrenching I have read in a long time. He made mistakes and couldn't take them back and his comments are so real and so true.
Carl, Beth’s cousin is one man I would love to read much more about in the next two books. Both Jonathon and Carl are the type of men who are fun, kind and caring with a bit of a bad boy side...Carl is living his bad boy-ness right now where Jonathon’s seemed to have happened sometime in his past.
Melinda Morgan's rich detail kept me turning the pages as she dropped little hints and clues here and there of the supernatural and how it intertwines with Beth's world. The story is full of music and how it evokes emotions and had me hitting up youtube to hear the études as I read. I would certainly love to hear "Eleanor's Theme" as Melinda heard it! Blossoming love, evil beings and gruesome battles to the death, time traveling…yes, this story left me with lots of unanswered questions which I’m sure will be answered in the next two books. Even though Étude is considered a YA paranormal romance genre, I believe a much more mature audience would enjoy reading it.
Beth had been an up and coming pianist with a full scholarship to her dream university until tragedy struck in the form of a deadly car accident, which killed her mother and left Beth’s left hand crippled and burned. She and her father worked to pick up the pieces and when he was called away for a Special Ops assignment, Beth moved to Wyoming to live with her uncle Connor and his new wife. Since she missed so much of her senior year of high school, she was forced to repeat it and this is where the story begins.
All of the characters were well developed and well rounded. Beth seemed just that little bit more mature than her classmates which may be because she is a year older and has been through some trauma that also matured her. Her uncle Connor doesn't treat her like a child, but does lay down the law when it comes to protecting her.
Jonathon, Beth's love interest, is kind and gentle, (and a fantastic pianist in his own right), with that mysterious way about him that draws Beth in and has her falling completely in love with him. I don't remember if his age was ever stated, but he is much more mature than his young looks would have Beth believe. Their love is passionate without the sex, though they definitely do want to explore that part of their relationship, but only when the time is right.
Eric is a young star football player who develops a school-boy crush on Beth even when she has made it plain that she sees him as nothing more than a friend, especially since he used to date her new best friend, Darla. The scenes with Eric were the most heart-wrenching I have read in a long time. He made mistakes and couldn't take them back and his comments are so real and so true.
Carl, Beth’s cousin is one man I would love to read much more about in the next two books. Both Jonathon and Carl are the type of men who are fun, kind and caring with a bit of a bad boy side...Carl is living his bad boy-ness right now where Jonathon’s seemed to have happened sometime in his past.
Melinda Morgan's rich detail kept me turning the pages as she dropped little hints and clues here and there of the supernatural and how it intertwines with Beth's world. The story is full of music and how it evokes emotions and had me hitting up youtube to hear the études as I read. I would certainly love to hear "Eleanor's Theme" as Melinda heard it! Blossoming love, evil beings and gruesome battles to the death, time traveling…yes, this story left me with lots of unanswered questions which I’m sure will be answered in the next two books. Even though Étude is considered a YA paranormal romance genre, I believe a much more mature audience would enjoy reading it.
June 4, 2012
When you're watching a scary movie and want to put your fingers over your eyes and only peep through them occasionally, it's a little hard to do if the "movie" is in your mind as you read Melinda R. Morgan's novel, Etude. I wanted to keep my eyes covered in parts of this exciting and scary novel, the first in the series, The Birthright Legacy.
While the book started slow (the first two or three chapters could have been done in flashback, once the action started I couldn't put it down until the very last page. Then, I was asking, "When does the next one come out?"
A really good read. I would recommend it highly.
While the book started slow (the first two or three chapters could have been done in flashback, once the action started I couldn't put it down until the very last page. Then, I was asking, "When does the next one come out?"
A really good read. I would recommend it highly.
August 22, 2012
This book has the most believable hypothesis for immortality of any of the YA books I have read. The theory is approached from both the theological, and scientific angle. Woven into these possibilities is a touching love story involving characters you want to learn more about. The music motif will make you want to put on some of your favorite classical music and dream. It will grab you, hold you, and have you begging for the sequel. On a final note (pun intended), Because of the depth of plot, I believe this book's appeal will be more broad than the YA market alone.
January 7, 2012
A must read! This is one of those stories that you pick up once and never want to put down until you're finished, so if you like young adult fiction, this is your next book. It's clean and appropriate, but also has bits of the dark, supernatural, mysterious, and romantic. However, be warned: when you finish it, you'll be dying for the sequel and it's not out yet!
August 15, 2012
I absolutely love this book. Everything about it is amazing.The characters are well written and ontop of that the plot is wonderful.Even if you don't like to read,this a book that you should read.Overall the book is just fantastic. You should go out, buy it and read it,trust me you won't regret it!!! :D
May 22, 2012
I couldn't put this book down! I usually don't get into paranormal books but I found it really interesting and easily fell in love with the characters. I can't believe I have to wait a year for the next one!
June 27, 2013
Beth Arrington is no ordinary young woman. Once an accomplished classical pianist, at 19 she moves to Anderson, Wyoming to live with her uncle and complete her senior year of high school that she missed out on following a tragic car accident. A car accident that had her in a coma for 7 months, damaged her left hand to the point that it is now useless, and left her without a mother. Etude is a very complex book - in fact, one could arguably consider it an "etude" in it's own right. It begins a little slow, with only hints of the complexity that lies underneath the story of a young woman who has recently lost her mother and moved to a new state to finish high school. As Beth gets to know more people in Anderson: Darla, Eric, Jonathan, Grace, more of the intricacies of the situation are revealed. And once questions begin to be answered, things move rapidly and then get even more complex until it comes to a climactic end. Ms. Morgan leaves the reader satisfied, yet desperate for more.I loved getting to know Beth along with her family and friends. Her relationships are dynamic and realistic. Beth is a wonderful, flawed heroine and Jonathan is perfectly imperfect. At times I think he's too good to be true, and then something happens, or is revealed that makes me remember he's not - he has struggles and weaknesses too. Carl is a breath of fresh air, a wonderful friend/cousin to Beth & even a bit of comic relief. Darla brings a much needed element of teenage normalcy to Beth's life and Eric - he's so much more than what I originally thought. His character developed in ways I wouldn't have imagined. I love the obvious thought and care that went into plotting Etude. There are themes of music, science & spirituality; and these themes intertwine & overlap fluidly without discord and without feeling forced. The "paranormal" realm and mythology are well-constructed and have solid foundations in reality that helps to bring believability to the story and allows the reader to become immersed in the world Ms Morgan has created. I am very much looking forward to the sequel - Intermezzo!
Please note: received a copy from the publisher for my unbiased review
Review originally published on Tifferz and Her Sisterz Book Reviewz
Please note: received a copy from the publisher for my unbiased review
Review originally published on Tifferz and Her Sisterz Book Reviewz
November 8, 2012
Etude begins as a pretty straightforward tale of a girl named Beth who lost both her mother and her ability to play the piano in a tragic accident. Beth subsequently goes to live with her uncle when her father is deployed, and there she meets a young man who helps her find her way back to her music, albeit not as a fully functioning pianist. Sweet story so far, right? At that point, Etude takes a sudden and completely unexpected left turn into the supernatural. What follows is an engrossing, well written and original tale, one which involves neither vampires nor werewolves but does introduce some extremely scary bad guys.
I disagree with another reviewer’s theory that the music angle is meant to be symbolic. I think it is quite simply meant to convey Beth’s all-consuming passion for the piano and her grief over the loss of her ability to play. I also appreciate the fact that the author is a pianist herself and can therefore accurately represent Beth’s individual interpretation of various pieces of music and the fact that such interpretation often differs from one person to the next. Congratulations to Melinda Morgan on a terrific first novel. I will be waiting impatiently for the sequel!
I disagree with another reviewer’s theory that the music angle is meant to be symbolic. I think it is quite simply meant to convey Beth’s all-consuming passion for the piano and her grief over the loss of her ability to play. I also appreciate the fact that the author is a pianist herself and can therefore accurately represent Beth’s individual interpretation of various pieces of music and the fact that such interpretation often differs from one person to the next. Congratulations to Melinda Morgan on a terrific first novel. I will be waiting impatiently for the sequel!
May 12, 2012
I really enjoyed this YA novel, and not just because I know the author! Its blending of questions of faith, practical reality, teenage issues, and the supernatural creates an intriguing story, and there were a few times I was taken by surprise by the storyline.
I particularly like Jonathan's character, and I am anxious to see how the depth of his character is developed through the sequels. I appreciate Beth's complexity, which mirrors many young women's struggles with negotiating relationships. I am particularly intrigued by how Morgan reinvents a Biblical myth and blends it with the supernatural in a fresh narrative.
I highly recommend this novel for those interested in the supernatural YA romance genre. It doesn't disappoint!
I particularly like Jonathan's character, and I am anxious to see how the depth of his character is developed through the sequels. I appreciate Beth's complexity, which mirrors many young women's struggles with negotiating relationships. I am particularly intrigued by how Morgan reinvents a Biblical myth and blends it with the supernatural in a fresh narrative.
I highly recommend this novel for those interested in the supernatural YA romance genre. It doesn't disappoint!
March 12, 2012
I'm not normally a fan of YA and frankly, I couldn't even get myself to open the Twilight books. But I really enjoyed Etude. It's a good love story, a very good spooky story, and filled with plots that made me think! The story's heroine is believable and more like the teens I work with every day than many other books I've read. And the science is well thought out! I'm delighted to recommend this book.
July 6, 2012
I really enjoyed Étude! I loved the concept of the immortals. The characters were well developed and had me thinking of them long after I finished reading the book. I felt the plot was engaging, and kept me reading! I can't wait for the next book to come out so that we can really learn more about the immortal life! The ending left with a huge cliffhanger!
January 4, 2013
I had the privileged of reading this book before it was published, in raw form. Even then it was destined for greatness! Congrats.
September 24, 2012
I won this in a giveway for my Mom. Here's her review & rating (she wrote it):
Etude started with a interesting hook to engage the reader, but then proceeded quite slowly. Some parts of the plot and some of the characters seemed formulaic and mirrored the plot of a popular vampire series. For example, there is the girl who moves in with a male relative, a supernatural cute guy, a girlfriend, and the charming guy who also likes the girl. Unfortunately, the characters were not as interesting or easy to relate to. I wanted to care about these characters. I kept reading in hopes that I would, but I never did.
It was also easy to get lost as the characters spent a great deal of time thinking, talking,and explaining. The writing seemed stilted, consisting of words and expressions teenagers and young adults would not use. I appreciate that the author eventually clarified some of the confusing pieces of the plot, but I skipped most of this dialogue in hopes there would be more action. The action was a short and shocking anti-climax that left me wanting more. I may read the second book in the series just to see if the plot deepens and the characters become more complex. I hope so.
She gives this book 2 stars!
Happy reading,
~Sophie :)
Etude started with a interesting hook to engage the reader, but then proceeded quite slowly. Some parts of the plot and some of the characters seemed formulaic and mirrored the plot of a popular vampire series. For example, there is the girl who moves in with a male relative, a supernatural cute guy, a girlfriend, and the charming guy who also likes the girl. Unfortunately, the characters were not as interesting or easy to relate to. I wanted to care about these characters. I kept reading in hopes that I would, but I never did.
It was also easy to get lost as the characters spent a great deal of time thinking, talking,and explaining. The writing seemed stilted, consisting of words and expressions teenagers and young adults would not use. I appreciate that the author eventually clarified some of the confusing pieces of the plot, but I skipped most of this dialogue in hopes there would be more action. The action was a short and shocking anti-climax that left me wanting more. I may read the second book in the series just to see if the plot deepens and the characters become more complex. I hope so.
She gives this book 2 stars!
Happy reading,
~Sophie :)
April 12, 2012
I have read this book and I LOVE IT! It is my favorite book! I have read the Twilight Series and the Hunger Games Series and this absolutely rises above! The characters have depth and are all likeable (besides the bad ones of course) and the romance and relationships are REALISTIC which is one of the reasons I found this book attractive. It kept me interested all throughout and I believe anyone can relate to it! CANNOT WAIT FOR THE SEQUEL!!! <3
August 29, 2014
This book took me by complete surprise. Out of my box. When I saw the title "Etude " I only thought of music. There was music mixed up with the paranoral. Beth found the love of her life in Johnathan, he came from a different time. There was other realms where her mother was, after she died in an auto accident. There were twists and turns in the story that made it interesting.
October 22, 2024
my sister read this book a very long time ago and has suggested it to me recently. I read the entirety via her signed copy with a seed packet of 12-year-old forget-me-nots that she left in as a bookmark. This book absolutely oozes late 2000s energy, from the technology used to the everyday activities of the characters. I felt completely transported to the set time which feels a bit sad to say considering this book isn't even that old. definitely something personal to me, being on the tail-end of experiencing the time period depicted. i can see why my older sister liked this book so much.
the premise itself is very creative and put a pretty cool spin on immortality and religion without having the religious aspects being shoved in your face. still very obvious that this book was written by an LDS church member, but i don't consider that a bad thing in any regard. i think it was very insightful to hear what someone from a religious background wants to tell people in a similar point in their life as the main character, and how religion weaves into science and fantasy.
on the topic of both the time period depicted and an LDS author... wow this book is rigid. it feels almost stilted in how dedicated it is to its role as a "good girl" book. i think the conversation that Beth has with Marci is extremely valuable to anyone in a similar position to Beth, but then you have some lines like: "Boys... heck, men in general... don't think when it comes to sex. Their bodies take over and they just keep going until someone stops them."
It's lines like these that make me sit. and just think. about whoever wrote it and what got them to that point. i wish lines like this didn't have to exist at all. i wish nobody felt compelled to write them and publish them. I don't mean this in a "not all men!11!11!!" way, more of like a. "wow, it really was like this at a certain point in time." i don't know, the line just made me feel so icky and i honestly don't know how to express it. i can't believe this line can be said in a casual conversation about sex! and the characters don't think about how fucked up it is at all! it is so "boys will be boys" that it's genuinely upsetting!!!!!!!!!! condemn the behavior of any man who uses the excuse "oh too bad im a crazed sex machine i just can't control it haha"!!!!!!!! don't normalize it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! don't frame it as a lesson that all young girls should learn!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! what the fuck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
other than that, i honestly loved this book so dearly. it gave me such vivid flashbacks to roleplaying on roblox when i was 9 and improvising crazy stories with strangers about immortals and gods and half-vampire-half-angel-princesses fainting every 30 seconds or getting trapped in dungeons or dueling in a storm at the dead of night with magic heavenly light blades. i truly mean this as a compliment; i genuinely hold so much love for that period of my life and harbor so much appreciation for this book for being able to send me back to that time and now being able to analyze this story with a lot more nuance now that i actually care about plot and characters and not just saying "..." as dialogue.
i don't know if any of this was coherent. it's a great book and definitely a faithful representation of 2012. knocking off a star because that one line was distasteful and the genre simply isn't my cup of tea.
the premise itself is very creative and put a pretty cool spin on immortality and religion without having the religious aspects being shoved in your face. still very obvious that this book was written by an LDS church member, but i don't consider that a bad thing in any regard. i think it was very insightful to hear what someone from a religious background wants to tell people in a similar point in their life as the main character, and how religion weaves into science and fantasy.
on the topic of both the time period depicted and an LDS author... wow this book is rigid. it feels almost stilted in how dedicated it is to its role as a "good girl" book. i think the conversation that Beth has with Marci is extremely valuable to anyone in a similar position to Beth, but then you have some lines like: "Boys... heck, men in general... don't think when it comes to sex. Their bodies take over and they just keep going until someone stops them."
It's lines like these that make me sit. and just think. about whoever wrote it and what got them to that point. i wish lines like this didn't have to exist at all. i wish nobody felt compelled to write them and publish them. I don't mean this in a "not all men!11!11!!" way, more of like a. "wow, it really was like this at a certain point in time." i don't know, the line just made me feel so icky and i honestly don't know how to express it. i can't believe this line can be said in a casual conversation about sex! and the characters don't think about how fucked up it is at all! it is so "boys will be boys" that it's genuinely upsetting!!!!!!!!!! condemn the behavior of any man who uses the excuse "oh too bad im a crazed sex machine i just can't control it haha"!!!!!!!! don't normalize it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! don't frame it as a lesson that all young girls should learn!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! what the fuck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
other than that, i honestly loved this book so dearly. it gave me such vivid flashbacks to roleplaying on roblox when i was 9 and improvising crazy stories with strangers about immortals and gods and half-vampire-half-angel-princesses fainting every 30 seconds or getting trapped in dungeons or dueling in a storm at the dead of night with magic heavenly light blades. i truly mean this as a compliment; i genuinely hold so much love for that period of my life and harbor so much appreciation for this book for being able to send me back to that time and now being able to analyze this story with a lot more nuance now that i actually care about plot and characters and not just saying "..." as dialogue.
i don't know if any of this was coherent. it's a great book and definitely a faithful representation of 2012. knocking off a star because that one line was distasteful and the genre simply isn't my cup of tea.
September 17, 2018
Wow. What an incredible book.
The characters were very well developed. I felt for Beth and the tragedy she went through, and Melinda did such an amazing job with tapping into the emotions of each character.
The story itself was creative, different and unpredictable. I loved the development of the relationship between her and Jonathan, and looked forward to every page that showed the relationship grow.
I loved how Melinda was able to create a story that was supernatural, yet believable. A spiritual concept, with a scientific backing.
The writing was flawless. Her description on every page painted a picture for me that had me feeling like I was there in the room with the characters. I couldn't put this book down. I cannot wait until I can read book two.
The story was exciting, suspenseful, romantic, mysterious, and had twists and turns I didn't see coming. Great job!!
The characters were very well developed. I felt for Beth and the tragedy she went through, and Melinda did such an amazing job with tapping into the emotions of each character.
The story itself was creative, different and unpredictable. I loved the development of the relationship between her and Jonathan, and looked forward to every page that showed the relationship grow.
I loved how Melinda was able to create a story that was supernatural, yet believable. A spiritual concept, with a scientific backing.
The writing was flawless. Her description on every page painted a picture for me that had me feeling like I was there in the room with the characters. I couldn't put this book down. I cannot wait until I can read book two.
The story was exciting, suspenseful, romantic, mysterious, and had twists and turns I didn't see coming. Great job!!
January 24, 2024
I’m so glad I decided to read Ètude. After a slow start in the beginning pages, I was hooked. The more I read the more I couldn’t put it down. I wanted to know what would happen next. I am excited to read the second book to see what happens next.
Great job, Melinda Morgan!
Great job, Melinda Morgan!
December 31, 2024
I got this book from Mrs.Yates shelf and when I was reading it I summoned her
March 3, 2016
Melinda Morgan's Étude is a wonderful story about learning to live with tragedy, failed relationships, new friendships, believing the impossible and learning to love and trust again. I loved the way Melinda worked science and religion into a totally believable explanation of how her story's immortals came into being and why they are still here on earth. Certainly kept the sci fi lover in me turning the pages, even though, this is considered a YA paranormal romance and not a sci fi novel.
Beth had been an up and coming pianist with a full scholarship to her dream university until tragedy struck in the form of a deadly car accident, which killed her mother and left Beth's left hand crippled and burned. She and her father worked to pick up the pieces and when he was called away for a Special Ops assignment, Beth moved to Wyoming to live with her uncle Connor and his new wife. Since she missed so much of her senior year of high school, she was forced to repeat it and this is where the story begins.
All of the characters were well developed and well rounded. Beth seemed just that little bit more mature than her classmates which may be because she is a year older and has been through some trauma that also matured her. Her uncle Connor doesn't treat her like a child, but does lay down the law when it comes to protecting her.
Jonathon, Beth's love interest, is kind and gentle, (and a fantastic pianist in his own right), with that mysterious way about him that draws Beth in and has her falling completely in love with him. I don't remember if his age was ever stated, but he is much more mature than his young looks would have Beth believe. Their love is passionate without the sex, though they definitely do want to explore that part of their relationship, but only when the time is right.
Eric is a young star football player who develops a school-boy crush on Beth even when she has made it plain that she sees him as nothing more than a friend, especially since he used to date her new best friend, Darla. The scenes with Eric were the most heart-wrenching I have read in a long time. He made mistakes and couldn't take them back and his comments are so real and so true.
Carl, Beth's cousin is one man I would love to read much more about in the next two books. Both Jonathon and Carl are the type of men who are fun, kind and caring with a bit of a bad boy side...Carl is living his bad boy-ness right now where Jonathon's seemed to have happened sometime in his past.
Melinda Morgan's rich detail kept me turning the pages as she dropped little hints and clues here and there of the supernatural and how it intertwines with Beth's world. The story is full of music and how it evokes emotions and had me hitting up youtube to hear the études as I read. I would certainly love to hear "Eleanor's Theme" as Melinda heard it! Blossoming love, evil beings and gruesome battles to the death, time traveling...yes, this story left me with lots of unanswered questions which I'm sure will be answered in the next two books. Even though Étude is considered a YA paranormal romance genre, I believe a much more mature audience would enjoy reading it.
Beth had been an up and coming pianist with a full scholarship to her dream university until tragedy struck in the form of a deadly car accident, which killed her mother and left Beth's left hand crippled and burned. She and her father worked to pick up the pieces and when he was called away for a Special Ops assignment, Beth moved to Wyoming to live with her uncle Connor and his new wife. Since she missed so much of her senior year of high school, she was forced to repeat it and this is where the story begins.
All of the characters were well developed and well rounded. Beth seemed just that little bit more mature than her classmates which may be because she is a year older and has been through some trauma that also matured her. Her uncle Connor doesn't treat her like a child, but does lay down the law when it comes to protecting her.
Jonathon, Beth's love interest, is kind and gentle, (and a fantastic pianist in his own right), with that mysterious way about him that draws Beth in and has her falling completely in love with him. I don't remember if his age was ever stated, but he is much more mature than his young looks would have Beth believe. Their love is passionate without the sex, though they definitely do want to explore that part of their relationship, but only when the time is right.
Eric is a young star football player who develops a school-boy crush on Beth even when she has made it plain that she sees him as nothing more than a friend, especially since he used to date her new best friend, Darla. The scenes with Eric were the most heart-wrenching I have read in a long time. He made mistakes and couldn't take them back and his comments are so real and so true.
Carl, Beth's cousin is one man I would love to read much more about in the next two books. Both Jonathon and Carl are the type of men who are fun, kind and caring with a bit of a bad boy side...Carl is living his bad boy-ness right now where Jonathon's seemed to have happened sometime in his past.
Melinda Morgan's rich detail kept me turning the pages as she dropped little hints and clues here and there of the supernatural and how it intertwines with Beth's world. The story is full of music and how it evokes emotions and had me hitting up youtube to hear the études as I read. I would certainly love to hear "Eleanor's Theme" as Melinda heard it! Blossoming love, evil beings and gruesome battles to the death, time traveling...yes, this story left me with lots of unanswered questions which I'm sure will be answered in the next two books. Even though Étude is considered a YA paranormal romance genre, I believe a much more mature audience would enjoy reading it.
July 14, 2016
I received this from Goodreads First Reads and although it took a long time for me to get to actually reading it, I don't regret it at all. At first I wasn't sure how to feel about a paranormal/fantasy romance. It seemed like the textbook romance book and I wasn't looking forward to that but after I started reading it, I was pulled into the world and couldn't stop. The main character Beth was a very relatable and many of the characters that Beth interacted with were just as well rounded. I love Jonathan's character, his revealed truth as well as his relationship with Beth.
I won't deny that the overall plot of the story is somewhat cliched, what with the new town new life, fated love with the perfect guy, and the main character was born destined for something. It's a usual young adult fantasy genre and is overused, but Etude takes those cliches and creates a story and character that makes me not really care about that and just get wrapped up in the story. This was a great read and very well written in my opinion. There was some confusing explanations when it came to describing the immortal world, and some rereading to understand some of it. Even the intimate scenes between the characters conjured easy images using beautiful language to express the scene.
Without spoiling the ending, I did guess the twist in the Epilogue a few chapters prior to the reveal but I still loved it and wouldn't have seen it coming if it wasn't hinted in the earlier chapters. Shortly after finishing the book I added the second one to my wishlist and I can't wait to read it, no lie there.
Overall a great book and a great read. I enjoyed it a lot and look forward to the sequel. I can't wait to find out what happens in the second book.
I won't deny that the overall plot of the story is somewhat cliched, what with the new town new life, fated love with the perfect guy, and the main character was born destined for something. It's a usual young adult fantasy genre and is overused, but Etude takes those cliches and creates a story and character that makes me not really care about that and just get wrapped up in the story. This was a great read and very well written in my opinion. There was some confusing explanations when it came to describing the immortal world, and some rereading to understand some of it. Even the intimate scenes between the characters conjured easy images using beautiful language to express the scene.
Without spoiling the ending, I did guess the twist in the Epilogue a few chapters prior to the reveal but I still loved it and wouldn't have seen it coming if it wasn't hinted in the earlier chapters. Shortly after finishing the book I added the second one to my wishlist and I can't wait to read it, no lie there.
Overall a great book and a great read. I enjoyed it a lot and look forward to the sequel. I can't wait to find out what happens in the second book.
March 11, 2014
Hooked from page one!
This book had me from the very first pages. … I loved the piano references, and I knew each piece that was mentioned … and I've played several Right-Hand-Only compositions. … Melinda's descriptions of the characters, their surroundings, thoughts, and feelings come through very clearly, making the story all the more believable. The mixture of science and immortality seemed like it was something that could happen. … The ending leaves you wanting more.
This book had me from the very first pages. … I loved the piano references, and I knew each piece that was mentioned … and I've played several Right-Hand-Only compositions. … Melinda's descriptions of the characters, their surroundings, thoughts, and feelings come through very clearly, making the story all the more believable. The mixture of science and immortality seemed like it was something that could happen. … The ending leaves you wanting more.
August 27, 2013
Very good. I can't wait for the second book! I think it is a plot that hasn't really been touched on before. A new kind of story.
September 3, 2013
Amazing-- intense, intriguing and I can't wait to read book #2
May 23, 2014
I'm not in love with this book, but liked it enough to probably read the next book since it ended in a bit of a cliffhanger. Reminded me of Twilight.
September 17, 2014
I enjoyed the book for the most part. I loved the way it started and drew me in but then I thought it dragged in places and also suffered from being predictable.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews