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Mystic #4
Melody
This is the fourth book in the Mystic series. A set of New Adult Paranormal novellas that uncover issues faced in the world, showing how strong women can make a difference.
Melody Acworth sounds like an angel. If she's not careful, she'll become one soon. Enrolled in singing lessons at age seven, she took to the stage and began to get fan letters. Some were good, some were detrimental to her psyche.
By the time Markaza, a mystic with purple hair and tattoos, shows up, Melody's on her last legs. Markaza works furiously to try and repair the mental damage done so she can get Melody to New York; where she must learn to use a power hidden deep within herself to save the world.
They're running out of time. As December 21, 2012 approaches at an alarming rate, Markaza's visions turn dark and foreboding. The creature grows stronger every day. Soon it will rise and destroy mankind unless all six women band together to fight it.
Just one lady left to recruit: Coralie. But she's in a world of trouble.
Melody Acworth sounds like an angel. If she's not careful, she'll become one soon. Enrolled in singing lessons at age seven, she took to the stage and began to get fan letters. Some were good, some were detrimental to her psyche.
By the time Markaza, a mystic with purple hair and tattoos, shows up, Melody's on her last legs. Markaza works furiously to try and repair the mental damage done so she can get Melody to New York; where she must learn to use a power hidden deep within herself to save the world.
They're running out of time. As December 21, 2012 approaches at an alarming rate, Markaza's visions turn dark and foreboding. The creature grows stronger every day. Soon it will rise and destroy mankind unless all six women band together to fight it.
Just one lady left to recruit: Coralie. But she's in a world of trouble.
120 pages, Paperback
First published September 24, 2013
102 people want to read
About the author
Jo Michaels
91 books273 followersJo Michaels loves writing novels that make readers gasp in horror, surprise, and disbelief. While her browser search history has probably landed her on a list somewhere, she still dives into every plot with gusto, hoping "the man" will realize she's a writer and not a psychopath about to go on a rampage. Her favorite pastimes are reading, watching Investigation Discovery, and helping other authors realize their true potential through mentoring. She's penned the award-winning Pen Pals and Serial Killers series and the best-selling educational book for children, Writing Prompts for Kids, which has rocketed the kids that use it into several awards of their own.
Most of Jo's books feature the places she's lived: Louisiana, Tennessee, and Georgia. That's given her a special amount of insight to what makes those locations tick. Her works are immersive and twisty, and she wouldn't want it any other way.
Most of Jo's books feature the places she's lived: Louisiana, Tennessee, and Georgia. That's given her a special amount of insight to what makes those locations tick. Her works are immersive and twisty, and she wouldn't want it any other way.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
August 9, 2015
Melody is the 4th novella in the Mystic Series by dare I say the magnificent Jo Michaels. I absolutely adore this series. Each book brings a new young lady into the fold and brings Markaza one step closer to her goal of finding the five women who will help her in her mission to save the world. Melody, like the other girls,faces soul crushing obstacles in her life. Markaza is up against something more powerful than she imagined, anorexia and Melody's desire to have the "perfect" body.
Melody's story really surprised me. I think as a woman I can understand the wish to have the body that society has deemed "perfect". It was very painful to see that someone could face this disease just from the cruetly that others have thrown at her. Again the author shows us a deeper meaning of pain and how brininging these women together can help them to grow and begin to heal. This series has flown to the top of my favorites list and I highly recommend it.
Melody's story really surprised me. I think as a woman I can understand the wish to have the body that society has deemed "perfect". It was very painful to see that someone could face this disease just from the cruetly that others have thrown at her. Again the author shows us a deeper meaning of pain and how brininging these women together can help them to grow and begin to heal. This series has flown to the top of my favorites list and I highly recommend it.
September 4, 2016
Perhaps it would have helped to have read the previous books in the series -- this is book four in a series that looks like it will ultimately have five or more books. Because this wasn't really a standalone book, it was difficult to follow in places -- what exactly is the WSTJ, and why is Melody important to it? What does Markaza want? I can only assume that these questions either were addressed in the first book or will be covered in a future book, but such questions left me feeling that this plot was a bit unmoored. We never learn what Melody's 'power hidden deep within herself' is, for example, or what danger she's supposed to fight.
The characters showed some verve and occasional wit, but they also left me with further questions. Why was Melody so ready to trust Markaza? (You could argue -- successfully -- that she was ready for any escape, but I mean Markaza specifically. Her introduction doesn't scream trust me.) What happens with her parents? Her career? She's 18, so leaving home -- under whatever circumstances -- is not implausible, but what about contracts, voice coaches, practice? Is music even something she wishes to continue? Is she still in school? A full-blown career is unusual for someone so young, and I wish the idea had been developed further.
Attention is given instead to Melody's anorexia, which...hmm. I appreciate that the series tackles interesting issues, but I can't say that this book showed much understanding of the treatment of eating disorders. I won't break down the numbers, but a hospital that willingly releases a patient in Melody's physical state should be sued for malpractice. (Meanwhile, 'Lily picked out clothes for Melody to wear home and she looked so good in them, they posed for a few photos before heading out' (page 75). Like hell she did.)
Conceptually this is cool -- the idea of a set of young women having to face both their demons and some kind of major external conflict. I wondered briefly whether it would have helped to combine the books into a longer work, since the books are short (the actual text of this one was shy of a hundred pages) and that would presumably have filled in a lot of the blanks in this book, though I imagine the author might have wanted more space to introduce each character than that would have allowed. Ultimately, though, I was left feeling that Melody worked to introduce the titular character and make some progress on her internal demons, but it didn't make strides plot-wise.
I received a free copy of this book via a Goodreads giveaway.
The characters showed some verve and occasional wit, but they also left me with further questions. Why was Melody so ready to trust Markaza? (You could argue -- successfully -- that she was ready for any escape, but I mean Markaza specifically. Her introduction doesn't scream trust me.) What happens with her parents? Her career? She's 18, so leaving home -- under whatever circumstances -- is not implausible, but what about contracts, voice coaches, practice? Is music even something she wishes to continue? Is she still in school? A full-blown career is unusual for someone so young, and I wish the idea had been developed further.
Attention is given instead to Melody's anorexia, which...hmm. I appreciate that the series tackles interesting issues, but I can't say that this book showed much understanding of the treatment of eating disorders. I won't break down the numbers, but a hospital that willingly releases a patient in Melody's physical state should be sued for malpractice. (Meanwhile, 'Lily picked out clothes for Melody to wear home and she looked so good in them, they posed for a few photos before heading out' (page 75). Like hell she did.)
Conceptually this is cool -- the idea of a set of young women having to face both their demons and some kind of major external conflict. I wondered briefly whether it would have helped to combine the books into a longer work, since the books are short (the actual text of this one was shy of a hundred pages) and that would presumably have filled in a lot of the blanks in this book, though I imagine the author might have wanted more space to introduce each character than that would have allowed. Ultimately, though, I was left feeling that Melody worked to introduce the titular character and make some progress on her internal demons, but it didn't make strides plot-wise.
I received a free copy of this book via a Goodreads giveaway.
October 2, 2013
Melody is young and talented, but her insecurities come to a head after she receives a cruel letter about her weight. Alone and devastated, she takes matters into her own hands and decides to control--she stops eating. Soon she's spiraling toward a life or death situation.
Markaza, thanks to some disturbing visions, knows she only has a short time to make a difference in Melody's life. Not just because Markaza wants to save Melody, but because many lives depend on Melody joining forces with some other amazing ladies. Ultimately, the whole world is depending on Melody and the other women Markaza is gathering against a very real evil.
First, I must admit this was the first book I've read in the Mystic series. Yet, I jumped right in and enjoyed the story and can't wait to go back and read the first three and all future installments. Melody is a damaged character, but she joins forces with some other ladies who are fighting their own demons. Each of them is finding a way to tap into their own strength. Women power!
Eating disorders are a timeless and cruel part of teenage life. It's a devastating illness, and the author does not shy away from telling a realistic tale of a young woman in its grips.
If you love a story centered around strong female characters, Mystic ~ Melody definitely fits the bill.
Rating: 4.5 stars, but worthy of the round up.
Note: I received an ARC. A positive review was not guaranteed or requested; the opinions expressed are my own.
Markaza, thanks to some disturbing visions, knows she only has a short time to make a difference in Melody's life. Not just because Markaza wants to save Melody, but because many lives depend on Melody joining forces with some other amazing ladies. Ultimately, the whole world is depending on Melody and the other women Markaza is gathering against a very real evil.
First, I must admit this was the first book I've read in the Mystic series. Yet, I jumped right in and enjoyed the story and can't wait to go back and read the first three and all future installments. Melody is a damaged character, but she joins forces with some other ladies who are fighting their own demons. Each of them is finding a way to tap into their own strength. Women power!
Eating disorders are a timeless and cruel part of teenage life. It's a devastating illness, and the author does not shy away from telling a realistic tale of a young woman in its grips.
If you love a story centered around strong female characters, Mystic ~ Melody definitely fits the bill.
Rating: 4.5 stars, but worthy of the round up.
Note: I received an ARC. A positive review was not guaranteed or requested; the opinions expressed are my own.
November 24, 2013
To be perfectly honest, I was a little nervous going into Melody. Although I really enjoyed the other Mystic novellas, anorexia and bulimia are diseases that I take very seriously and are close to my heart. I was pleased to see how well Jo handled the topic and how the relationship between the central characters are growing with each entry.
Jo is certainly one of my favorite feminist authors (although I’m unsure if she would label herself this way). Women in her books face serious problems but they are able to overcome not because they’ve found a man to rescue them but because of female camaraderie. Overcoming an eating disorder isn’t easy and Jo didn’t shy away from how many difficulties Melody faced.
The book was a lovely read and I especially loved the descriptive writing. There was a part where Melody compares herself to a wilted flower and it was very touching. My only complaint was I wish a few more of the sub-plots were fleshed out. Jo’s been stingy over revealing anything about the big bad that the women are going to face. I also wanted more of the romance developed. However, since romance isn’t really the focus of the novels, I kind of understand why not a lot of attention was placed on Lily’s romance with Melody’s doctor.
The novellas are short and I usually breeze through them in an hour or so. I’m looking forward to the next novella and I hope Jo plans to combine the series into one edition once the final book has been released.
Rating: 4.5/5 Stars
Jo is certainly one of my favorite feminist authors (although I’m unsure if she would label herself this way). Women in her books face serious problems but they are able to overcome not because they’ve found a man to rescue them but because of female camaraderie. Overcoming an eating disorder isn’t easy and Jo didn’t shy away from how many difficulties Melody faced.
The book was a lovely read and I especially loved the descriptive writing. There was a part where Melody compares herself to a wilted flower and it was very touching. My only complaint was I wish a few more of the sub-plots were fleshed out. Jo’s been stingy over revealing anything about the big bad that the women are going to face. I also wanted more of the romance developed. However, since romance isn’t really the focus of the novels, I kind of understand why not a lot of attention was placed on Lily’s romance with Melody’s doctor.
The novellas are short and I usually breeze through them in an hour or so. I’m looking forward to the next novella and I hope Jo plans to combine the series into one edition once the final book has been released.
Rating: 4.5/5 Stars
January 10, 2014
Melody is the fourth novella in the Mystic Series by Jo Michaels. This book is EXCELLENT! I could NOT put it down, I literally absorbed every page, grabbed the next book in the series and completed all 5 of them in one day, needless to say I did not get any sleep. But when I was finished I nearly cried because I would have to wait for book 6 to be released with Markaza's story. eeek I do not do well having to wait!
In Melody we have a young girl with the voice of an angel. Her singing transcends just the song and becomes oh so much more. But we also have a young girl struggling with her self-image. She suffers from Bulimia and Anorexia, two VERY dangerous illnesses which should not even be an issue, but thanks to the media and their ability to turn a troll into a princess they make women feel bad if they are an ounce over weight. Melody is dangerously underweight, and has done some serious damage to herself.
Markaza comes into her life and well... I won't tell you any more for fear I will spoil the book for you. But trust me when I say you will eat these books up. The characters and their troubles are extremely realistic, and I could relate to quite a few of the issues these women all face.
So what are you waiting for? Go grab yourself a copy! I must say one thing here... If you have NOT read the prior books please start at one, it is well worth it to do so and the story flows nicely when you read them in order.
In Melody we have a young girl with the voice of an angel. Her singing transcends just the song and becomes oh so much more. But we also have a young girl struggling with her self-image. She suffers from Bulimia and Anorexia, two VERY dangerous illnesses which should not even be an issue, but thanks to the media and their ability to turn a troll into a princess they make women feel bad if they are an ounce over weight. Melody is dangerously underweight, and has done some serious damage to herself.
Markaza comes into her life and well... I won't tell you any more for fear I will spoil the book for you. But trust me when I say you will eat these books up. The characters and their troubles are extremely realistic, and I could relate to quite a few of the issues these women all face.
So what are you waiting for? Go grab yourself a copy! I must say one thing here... If you have NOT read the prior books please start at one, it is well worth it to do so and the story flows nicely when you read them in order.
June 28, 2016
The fourth book of the Mystic series by Jo Michaels had me reminiscing my own childhood as Melody's story was unfold. Tears filled my eyes at the teasing and bullying of Melody. I could relate, all from being over weight. Beauty is skin deep is one of the hardest concepts to accept when everyone tells you otherwise. I was touched by Melody's story and this series has just been epic. Can't wait to continue reading.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews