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The Yara Silva Trilogy #1
Intrinsical
Yara Silva has always known that ghosts walk alongside the living. The women of her family are Wakers, born with the ability to see and talk to ghosts. But having grown up watching the toll it's taken on her family, Yara has dreaded the day her abilities would surface. At sixteen, her powers have yet to show, and the longer they take, the more hopeful she is they’ll pass her by, leaving her to live a normal life.All that changes on Yara’s first day at her elite boarding school, when a dark mist only she can see attacks Brent, a handsome fellow student. Yara rushes to his rescue, but her act of heroism draws the attention of a dark spirit, which begins stalking her. Thrown headfirst into a legacy she never wanted, Yara finds herself entrenched in a sixty-year-old curse that haunts the school, threatening not only her life, but the lives of her closest friends as well.The past isn’t going to go quietly. But it’s up to Yara to put it to rest, once and for all.
315 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 20, 2009
54 people are currently reading
14163 people want to read
About the author
Lani Woodland
19 books415 followersI became an avid reader in elementary school, when I first discovered the Babysitters Club and Sweet Valley Twins series. In sixth grade, I began writing plays and recruiting (with force when necessary) my friends to act them out. Most of these early works were inspired by She-Ra, the epitome of girl power to my young self.
I have a hard time enjoying any book without at least a little romance in it. I live in Southern California with my husband, our two children and a large collection of board games. I have worked as a spot-welder, babysitter, janitor, photographer, gymnastics coach, and movie extra. I enjoy bonfires at the beach, hole-in-the-wall restaurants, speed talking, chocolate as a cure-all, and the word "precisely."
I'm the author of Breaking Pointe, Stronger, THE YARA SILVA TRILOGY, including: Intrinsical, Indelible, and Inevitable, and Out of Bounds, the third book in the Pom Pom Periodicals series. With Erica Cameron I'm the co-author of the Laguna Tides series, starting with Taken By Chance. I also co-wrote the pirate adventure Pieces of Jade, books one and two of The Pom Pom Periodicals (That’s The Spirit, Give Me A C) and two short stories in Enchanted: Love Stories of the Paranormal with Melonie Piper.
I have a hard time enjoying any book without at least a little romance in it. I live in Southern California with my husband, our two children and a large collection of board games. I have worked as a spot-welder, babysitter, janitor, photographer, gymnastics coach, and movie extra. I enjoy bonfires at the beach, hole-in-the-wall restaurants, speed talking, chocolate as a cure-all, and the word "precisely."
I'm the author of Breaking Pointe, Stronger, THE YARA SILVA TRILOGY, including: Intrinsical, Indelible, and Inevitable, and Out of Bounds, the third book in the Pom Pom Periodicals series. With Erica Cameron I'm the co-author of the Laguna Tides series, starting with Taken By Chance. I also co-wrote the pirate adventure Pieces of Jade, books one and two of The Pom Pom Periodicals (That’s The Spirit, Give Me A C) and two short stories in Enchanted: Love Stories of the Paranormal with Melonie Piper.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 261 reviews
March 27, 2011
My ex-boyfriend used to have a bike he was madly in love with. I swear to god, that bike was like his first-born child. The thing is, it had this one, teeny-tiny problem...
Starting trouble!!!
Unfortunately, starting trouble is a big issue for me. I'm not like a lot of Goodreaders out there for whom finishing a book is almost a point of honour. If a story can't hold my interest from the word go, chances are, I will dump it unless I'm hating it so much that the pleasure of writing a scathing review motivates me to finish it. Petty, I know, but we are what we are.
So the only reason I pushed through the first fifty-odd pages of Intrinsical was because (disclosure time!) I've been interacting with Lani Woodland, and I really like her and I wanted to like her book. I swore to myself that I would be honest in my review, regardless of personal considerations, but there were times during that initial phase where I was seriously considering dropping the book and re-relegating it to the TBR pile forever.
It's not that the initial part of the story is bad. In fact, it would have made a great movie script. The action begins on page one, dumping you right into a hot little mess. But I found myself unable to connect to the story or the characters because I was too busy editing in my head. There were typos, awkward sentence structures and disconnected dialogues, all of which would have played out great on the silver screen (well, not the typos, duh!) but on paper, it was a little frustrating.
But then Lani did a very clever thing. She put a little whodunnit type mystery in the plot, giving me all the clues, so that a big, bright cartoon lightbulb light up in my head a few chapters before the heroine gets it. Suddenly I found myself jumping around going, see it, see it, it's right there in your FACE!!! This could, of course, have gotten more than a little irritating if it had stretched too long, but Yara figures it out a few pages in, and I slumped in relief, glad to know the MC wasn't TSTL. The story moved quickly and smoothly from there, grabbing my attention and holding it.
There are two things I really liked about Intrinsical. The first is the way in which the story unfolded. The plot is like a giant jigsaw puzzle, with pieces getting fitted together through the course of the book and adding to the big picture gradually. So there is no infodump, but neither is the reader left in a big black hole until the Grand Reveal at the end. Instead, it is more like accompanying the MCs on their journey of discovery, so that you can share all these Aha! moments with them as they figure out all the angles of the plot.
The second is the romance. One of my favourite romantic devices, and one that is rarely used in YA pnrs, is The Dance. If you understand what I mean by The Dance, brownie points for you! For those who aren't on the same page as moi, let me explain. You know how you meet a guy, and there's spark and fizz and all that jazz? But it's not the crazy you're-my-soulmate-i-will-fall-into-your-arms kind of tru wuvv. You circle each other, you flirt, you toss out innuendos, and somewhere deep down you know the guy likes you, and the guy knows you like him back, but you're not acting on it yet. You circle each other, feel each other out, dance on that fine line that divides the two of you, until you're finally ready to take that step into commitment. THAT is The Dance. It's a romance that you know is inevitable, but you get to savor its development. A big, shiny gold star to Lani for giving it to me! I really liked the romance between Yara and Brent.
I also liked the horror-paranormal aspect of the whole book. It's rare to read a paranormal book that flirts with the horror genre. Most of them tend to be grandiose in conception and weak in execution, always worrying about the fate of the world and putting it in the hands of lovestruck teenagers. Intrinsical, on the other hand has dark, evil ghosts and possessions and a solid plotline that focuses on the fate of the MCs alone, leaving the world to fend for itself. That said, though, there are a lot of convenient plot twists that happen without explanation. The mythology and the mechanics of the ghost world definitely need more work.
I was a little irritated by Cherie at first, I was scared she was falling a victim to Vee Syndrome (stupid, overenthusiastic friend who drags the protagonist into untenable situations blindly), but then Yara explains the origin of Cherie's obsession with the paranormal, and I found I could forgive her after all. Also, the way she's portrayed after Yara's "accident" really made me sympathise with her. I'd love to see more of her and Steve (who developed a real personality towards the end of the book!) in the rest of the series.
All in all, Intrinsical was, to my surprise, a highly readable book. 3.5 stars, except GR would rather make stupid 'G' signs than program those half-stars in! I do wish the first quarter of the book had received a little more editorial attention, but I'm glad I persisted, because the story really took off from there. I'll definitely be coming back for Indelible. My recommendation? Try it!
Starting trouble!!!
Unfortunately, starting trouble is a big issue for me. I'm not like a lot of Goodreaders out there for whom finishing a book is almost a point of honour. If a story can't hold my interest from the word go, chances are, I will dump it unless I'm hating it so much that the pleasure of writing a scathing review motivates me to finish it. Petty, I know, but we are what we are.
So the only reason I pushed through the first fifty-odd pages of Intrinsical was because (disclosure time!) I've been interacting with Lani Woodland, and I really like her and I wanted to like her book. I swore to myself that I would be honest in my review, regardless of personal considerations, but there were times during that initial phase where I was seriously considering dropping the book and re-relegating it to the TBR pile forever.
It's not that the initial part of the story is bad. In fact, it would have made a great movie script. The action begins on page one, dumping you right into a hot little mess. But I found myself unable to connect to the story or the characters because I was too busy editing in my head. There were typos, awkward sentence structures and disconnected dialogues, all of which would have played out great on the silver screen (well, not the typos, duh!) but on paper, it was a little frustrating.
But then Lani did a very clever thing. She put a little whodunnit type mystery in the plot, giving me all the clues, so that a big, bright cartoon lightbulb light up in my head a few chapters before the heroine gets it. Suddenly I found myself jumping around going, see it, see it, it's right there in your FACE!!! This could, of course, have gotten more than a little irritating if it had stretched too long, but Yara figures it out a few pages in, and I slumped in relief, glad to know the MC wasn't TSTL. The story moved quickly and smoothly from there, grabbing my attention and holding it.
There are two things I really liked about Intrinsical. The first is the way in which the story unfolded. The plot is like a giant jigsaw puzzle, with pieces getting fitted together through the course of the book and adding to the big picture gradually. So there is no infodump, but neither is the reader left in a big black hole until the Grand Reveal at the end. Instead, it is more like accompanying the MCs on their journey of discovery, so that you can share all these Aha! moments with them as they figure out all the angles of the plot.
The second is the romance. One of my favourite romantic devices, and one that is rarely used in YA pnrs, is The Dance. If you understand what I mean by The Dance, brownie points for you! For those who aren't on the same page as moi, let me explain. You know how you meet a guy, and there's spark and fizz and all that jazz? But it's not the crazy you're-my-soulmate-i-will-fall-into-your-arms kind of tru wuvv. You circle each other, you flirt, you toss out innuendos, and somewhere deep down you know the guy likes you, and the guy knows you like him back, but you're not acting on it yet. You circle each other, feel each other out, dance on that fine line that divides the two of you, until you're finally ready to take that step into commitment. THAT is The Dance. It's a romance that you know is inevitable, but you get to savor its development. A big, shiny gold star to Lani for giving it to me! I really liked the romance between Yara and Brent.
I also liked the horror-paranormal aspect of the whole book. It's rare to read a paranormal book that flirts with the horror genre. Most of them tend to be grandiose in conception and weak in execution, always worrying about the fate of the world and putting it in the hands of lovestruck teenagers. Intrinsical, on the other hand has dark, evil ghosts and possessions and a solid plotline that focuses on the fate of the MCs alone, leaving the world to fend for itself. That said, though, there are a lot of convenient plot twists that happen without explanation. The mythology and the mechanics of the ghost world definitely need more work.
I was a little irritated by Cherie at first, I was scared she was falling a victim to Vee Syndrome (stupid, overenthusiastic friend who drags the protagonist into untenable situations blindly), but then Yara explains the origin of Cherie's obsession with the paranormal, and I found I could forgive her after all. Also, the way she's portrayed after Yara's "accident" really made me sympathise with her. I'd love to see more of her and Steve (who developed a real personality towards the end of the book!) in the rest of the series.
All in all, Intrinsical was, to my surprise, a highly readable book. 3.5 stars, except GR would rather make stupid 'G' signs than program those half-stars in! I do wish the first quarter of the book had received a little more editorial attention, but I'm glad I persisted, because the story really took off from there. I'll definitely be coming back for Indelible. My recommendation? Try it!
June 22, 2011
Rating Clarification: 4.5 Stars (closer to 5)
Book quote: I had the feeling that the past I was trying to put behind me wasn’t going to go quietly.
Books such as Instrinsical reinforce my love for paranormal stories because they strike a delicate balance between creeping me out and creating a suspended reality that I can easily come to believe. I definitely enjoyed this ghost story by Lani Woodland and the entire cast of characters she created were amazing! The writing was beautiful and the flow was flawless, especially the last two thirds of the book where I was so glued to the pages, I found myself reluctantly stumbling upon the final scenes.
About the book: Yara Silva has grown up believing that ghosts walk among us because her grandmother is an Acordera or Waker – someone who could communicate with ghosts. Yara has lived her entire life hoping that this ability would pass over her for fear of being called crazy, but all that changes when she and her best friend enroll in Pendrell Academy which has been known to have a paranormal history. Yara gets caught up in the fray when she saves Brent, a fellow classmate, from a ghost attack and suddenly becomes a target.
I enjoyed this book for many reasons, but the main one has to be Yara and Brent’s budding relationship. I loved how Woodland chose to slow the pace down for these two characters because in the end, their feelings for each other felt real and believable. I have to say that I predicted a couple of the twists, but the one that happened in the last third of the book, caught me so off guard that I gasped in pleasant disbelief! What a twist!
Also, I have to note the beautiful art cover! I loved how it ties in with one of the most important scenes in the book. That recurring scene was emotional for me because of my love for the ocean, lake, pool… anything related to water, and it reminds me of one of my biggest fears. ~shivers~
When I finished this book, I rated it 4 stars, but as I’ve had a couple of days to process the perfection of this story, I’ve bumped it to 4.5, so that’s what I’m going with. Overall, this book was everything I enjoy in a great ghost story, including a slow romance, emotionally ridden scenes, creepy backdrop and likeable characters. I will definitely be signing up for the rest of Yara Silva’s journey. Awesome read! Thank you Alexa for sharing your book with me. :D
Favorite Quote:
The subdued light and the flowered-perfumed air created a romantic setting as we walked the well-worn paths of Pendrell. Conversations unsaid and experiences shared followed us like shadows, but we didn’t speak. There was an undemanding easiness in our silence, but it also crackled with insistent possibilities.
Book quote: I had the feeling that the past I was trying to put behind me wasn’t going to go quietly.
Books such as Instrinsical reinforce my love for paranormal stories because they strike a delicate balance between creeping me out and creating a suspended reality that I can easily come to believe. I definitely enjoyed this ghost story by Lani Woodland and the entire cast of characters she created were amazing! The writing was beautiful and the flow was flawless, especially the last two thirds of the book where I was so glued to the pages, I found myself reluctantly stumbling upon the final scenes.
About the book: Yara Silva has grown up believing that ghosts walk among us because her grandmother is an Acordera or Waker – someone who could communicate with ghosts. Yara has lived her entire life hoping that this ability would pass over her for fear of being called crazy, but all that changes when she and her best friend enroll in Pendrell Academy which has been known to have a paranormal history. Yara gets caught up in the fray when she saves Brent, a fellow classmate, from a ghost attack and suddenly becomes a target.
I enjoyed this book for many reasons, but the main one has to be Yara and Brent’s budding relationship. I loved how Woodland chose to slow the pace down for these two characters because in the end, their feelings for each other felt real and believable. I have to say that I predicted a couple of the twists, but the one that happened in the last third of the book, caught me so off guard that I gasped in pleasant disbelief! What a twist!
Also, I have to note the beautiful art cover! I loved how it ties in with one of the most important scenes in the book. That recurring scene was emotional for me because of my love for the ocean, lake, pool… anything related to water, and it reminds me of one of my biggest fears. ~shivers~
When I finished this book, I rated it 4 stars, but as I’ve had a couple of days to process the perfection of this story, I’ve bumped it to 4.5, so that’s what I’m going with. Overall, this book was everything I enjoy in a great ghost story, including a slow romance, emotionally ridden scenes, creepy backdrop and likeable characters. I will definitely be signing up for the rest of Yara Silva’s journey. Awesome read! Thank you Alexa for sharing your book with me. :D
Favorite Quote:
The subdued light and the flowered-perfumed air created a romantic setting as we walked the well-worn paths of Pendrell. Conversations unsaid and experiences shared followed us like shadows, but we didn’t speak. There was an undemanding easiness in our silence, but it also crackled with insistent possibilities.
March 31, 2011
This book burts forth like a bull from a gate. Lani doesn't hold back on getting the story moving right away. Yara's journey of acceptance is masterfully laid out over the course of the novel with plenty of twists and turns along the way. The sensory details are amazing, and the way she incorporates the orange groves into the story is thrilling for anyone familiar with Corona to read, since it's such a part of the local history. It's refreshing to read a book with a female lead who starts out strong and keeps getting stronger. I also appreciate that the book is free from swearing. Overall, it's a book I would read again and again, because there's so much in it to enjoy.
March 25, 2011
Actual rating: 3.5 stars
Yara is a sixteen-year-old Waker - she comes from a long line of Brasilian women who can communicate with ghosts and apparently astral project. After moving to a boarding school with a wierd reputation, she saves the life of a boy named Brent and from there everything goes right and wrong at the same time! As usual, I don't want to write any spoilers, so I'll just say what I did and didn't like.
The story was really interesting and the writing was great. Brent is a fantastic character, and at times I wished that he was the center of the story. Yara just wasn't developed enough as a character and because of that she seemed a bit detached most of the time. I liked the dynamic of her relationship with Brent and I really hope it will stay as simple and sweet in the next book. Another big advantage of this book is that there is NO love triangle!
I've learned my lesson about first installments by now, which means I will definitely read the next book as soon as it comes out. My YA loving friends, this is a 'must read' for you. My fellow UF people, next time you find yourselves surrounded by Disco the vampire and his friends, Intrinsical might make a nice break from it all.
Yara is a sixteen-year-old Waker - she comes from a long line of Brasilian women who can communicate with ghosts and apparently astral project. After moving to a boarding school with a wierd reputation, she saves the life of a boy named Brent and from there everything goes right and wrong at the same time! As usual, I don't want to write any spoilers, so I'll just say what I did and didn't like.
The story was really interesting and the writing was great. Brent is a fantastic character, and at times I wished that he was the center of the story. Yara just wasn't developed enough as a character and because of that she seemed a bit detached most of the time. I liked the dynamic of her relationship with Brent and I really hope it will stay as simple and sweet in the next book. Another big advantage of this book is that there is NO love triangle!
I've learned my lesson about first installments by now, which means I will definitely read the next book as soon as it comes out. My YA loving friends, this is a 'must read' for you. My fellow UF people, next time you find yourselves surrounded by Disco the vampire and his friends, Intrinsical might make a nice break from it all.
July 18, 2011
I am a sucker for books set in boarding schools. You see I grew up on a steady diet consisting of Enid Blyton books, books that are almost always set at boarding schools. Remember St. Clares? Mallory Towers? Or Elinor Brent Dyer's Chalet school series? No? Well okay, suffice it to say that where I grew up, these books were fairly popular. So anyway, back to Intrinsical.
I thought that the first novel was a strong opener in the trilogy. I enjoyed it thoroughly and if you have been following my reviews, you will know that it takes a fair bit to win me over. (Hur.)
1. The main character is likeable and relatable. This might seem very simple but to me, if the main character isn't likeable, I won't be able to read the book. I have to like her and I liked Yara. Actually, the first few pages alone won me over. I love it when gender roles are changed and the damsel in distress ends up being the prince on the white charger.
2. You know how in great horror movies, it is the atmosphere, the tenseness of the moment, taut nerves stretched tight, beating hearts sounding loud in the unnatural stillness of a room - Intrinsical creates the setting and atmosphere brilliantly. I felt my heart beat speed up and race, there were certain moments when I was almost afraid to turn the page. It was deliciously thrilling.
3. The friendship. There is a pushy friend but Ms. Woodland spends time developing her and her pushiness comes to make sense and becomes more forgivable when you are armed with the pertinent facts.
4. The mythology is engaging and believable. I have read a book or two that asks the reader to suspend their belief to such as extent that the belief might as well be orbiting around Jupiter. Intrinsical utilizes many techniques to create a mythology that actually makes sense.
5. The romance does not make me roll my eyes. I really loved the way it's handled with subtlety. Lani takes the time to actually develop their relationship, portray their attraction and let me tell you, the gradual development of any relationship rocks any grand insta-love you might be shipping. (Oops, fan girl term, short for worshipping the OTP...er, one true pair.) Anyway, Yara and Brent and their relationship (or the development of it) is very fun to read.
Intrinsical is a remarkable premise that will hold your attention and keep it so that you will be as impatient to read the second in the trilogy as I am. It is smartly written and the author has welded elements of romance, supernatural, thriller and intrigue in a manner that will make you wish the book was longer.
I thought that the first novel was a strong opener in the trilogy. I enjoyed it thoroughly and if you have been following my reviews, you will know that it takes a fair bit to win me over. (Hur.)
1. The main character is likeable and relatable. This might seem very simple but to me, if the main character isn't likeable, I won't be able to read the book. I have to like her and I liked Yara. Actually, the first few pages alone won me over. I love it when gender roles are changed and the damsel in distress ends up being the prince on the white charger.
2. You know how in great horror movies, it is the atmosphere, the tenseness of the moment, taut nerves stretched tight, beating hearts sounding loud in the unnatural stillness of a room - Intrinsical creates the setting and atmosphere brilliantly. I felt my heart beat speed up and race, there were certain moments when I was almost afraid to turn the page. It was deliciously thrilling.
3. The friendship. There is a pushy friend but Ms. Woodland spends time developing her and her pushiness comes to make sense and becomes more forgivable when you are armed with the pertinent facts.
4. The mythology is engaging and believable. I have read a book or two that asks the reader to suspend their belief to such as extent that the belief might as well be orbiting around Jupiter. Intrinsical utilizes many techniques to create a mythology that actually makes sense.
5. The romance does not make me roll my eyes. I really loved the way it's handled with subtlety. Lani takes the time to actually develop their relationship, portray their attraction and let me tell you, the gradual development of any relationship rocks any grand insta-love you might be shipping. (Oops, fan girl term, short for worshipping the OTP...er, one true pair.) Anyway, Yara and Brent and their relationship (or the development of it) is very fun to read.
Intrinsical is a remarkable premise that will hold your attention and keep it so that you will be as impatient to read the second in the trilogy as I am. It is smartly written and the author has welded elements of romance, supernatural, thriller and intrigue in a manner that will make you wish the book was longer.
July 1, 2012
A girl that can see ghosts.
A boy that can astral-project his soul.
And a best friend whose obsession about an eerie curse could put them all in danger.
Yara, Brent and Cherie are three teens who share two things in common - the prestigious private school they attend and the fact that they all believe in ghosts. Yara most of all, as she is a Waker - a person who has the gift of communicating with and seeing ghosts, a gift passed down through her family. But Yara doesn't want this gift. She doesn't want to be 'crazy' or shunned by those around her.
Hoping for a fresh start, she and her best friend Cherie come to Pendrel school, where Cherie hopes to discover more about the rumoured Pendrel Curse. Yara begs her to leave well enough alone, already having visions and ghostly sightings that don't bode well. Yara is drawn to new acquaintance Brent and eventually discovers that he has the ability to astral-project. But her new found peace doesn't last for long; 'accidental' suicides, murders and drownings start to occur and as the body count goes up, Yara and her friends are in a race against time and the supernatural.
Can they discover the murderer's true identity? And at what cost?
I loved how the romance stuff didn't overpower the storyline at all - we got to discover alot about the whole Waker thing, see her abilities and Brent's and that made me glad. When an author takes the time to create a concept it's nice to see them explain it at length and use it in the plot. Actually, it's nice to see a book that keeps to the plot, and doesn't simply mention the supposed plot now and then and sticks to the make out sessions. Brent and Yara's subtle draw to one another is adorable and adds to the general emotional response of this book. I loved every minute of reading it, and Cherie's humour, Brent's wicked comments (he's more than just a pretty face!), Yara's determination and of course the best scene...the 'Dallin asks Yara to the dance in front of an invisible Brent' scene (that was hilarious!!)...made it a spectacular paranormal YA book that I will most certainly read again and again. :D
A boy that can astral-project his soul.
And a best friend whose obsession about an eerie curse could put them all in danger.
Yara, Brent and Cherie are three teens who share two things in common - the prestigious private school they attend and the fact that they all believe in ghosts. Yara most of all, as she is a Waker - a person who has the gift of communicating with and seeing ghosts, a gift passed down through her family. But Yara doesn't want this gift. She doesn't want to be 'crazy' or shunned by those around her.
Hoping for a fresh start, she and her best friend Cherie come to Pendrel school, where Cherie hopes to discover more about the rumoured Pendrel Curse. Yara begs her to leave well enough alone, already having visions and ghostly sightings that don't bode well. Yara is drawn to new acquaintance Brent and eventually discovers that he has the ability to astral-project. But her new found peace doesn't last for long; 'accidental' suicides, murders and drownings start to occur and as the body count goes up, Yara and her friends are in a race against time and the supernatural.
Can they discover the murderer's true identity? And at what cost?
I loved how the romance stuff didn't overpower the storyline at all - we got to discover alot about the whole Waker thing, see her abilities and Brent's and that made me glad. When an author takes the time to create a concept it's nice to see them explain it at length and use it in the plot. Actually, it's nice to see a book that keeps to the plot, and doesn't simply mention the supposed plot now and then and sticks to the make out sessions. Brent and Yara's subtle draw to one another is adorable and adds to the general emotional response of this book. I loved every minute of reading it, and Cherie's humour, Brent's wicked comments (he's more than just a pretty face!), Yara's determination and of course the best scene...the 'Dallin asks Yara to the dance in front of an invisible Brent' scene (that was hilarious!!)...made it a spectacular paranormal YA book that I will most certainly read again and again. :D
May 15, 2018
I nearly droped this book because of it's shaky start. I'm glad I didn't. An intriguing plot with enough twists and turn to keep you on edge. The story bursts forth from the first page. Yara Silva is a Waker. She can communicate with ghosts. On her first day at Pendrell Academy she saves the life of a student, Brent from a ghost attack. Pendrell has a history of being cursed and Yara unwittingly becomes it's target.
Apart from the way the book started the story is overall well executed. We get hints and clues until the whole story slowly unfolds like a big jigsaw puzzle. It has an air of mystery that will creep you out.
Another aspect of the story I really liked was the romance. It was subtle and took a while for the attraction betweeen Yara and Brent to develope. It felt natural and believable. I thought Yara's character was a bit underdeveloped and I would have liked to know more about her family of Wakers, especially her Grandmother. I hope to meet her in the next book. Overall it was an interesting read.
Apart from the way the book started the story is overall well executed. We get hints and clues until the whole story slowly unfolds like a big jigsaw puzzle. It has an air of mystery that will creep you out.
Another aspect of the story I really liked was the romance. It was subtle and took a while for the attraction betweeen Yara and Brent to develope. It felt natural and believable. I thought Yara's character was a bit underdeveloped and I would have liked to know more about her family of Wakers, especially her Grandmother. I hope to meet her in the next book. Overall it was an interesting read.
November 13, 2011
4.5 stars
Unique, creepy and completley absorbing! Loved the surprising twists and these charcacters and the writing are remarkable!
Need.Indelible.Now!
...better review later.
Unique, creepy and completley absorbing! Loved the surprising twists and these charcacters and the writing are remarkable!
Need.Indelible.Now!
...better review later.
September 4, 2011
4.5 stars
I didn't know what to expect from Intrinsical. I just knew I wanted to read it and hoped that I would like it. While the beginning didn't grab me right away, I clearly remember the moment I became completely hooked. It was during the last two-thirds of the novel. It was filled with many surprises, and it was exactly what I was hoping for and more, exceeding any expectations I had! If I had to describe Intrinsical in one word it would definitely be impressive.
I admit Yara, the main character, had to grow on me just a bit. She had a temper, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but combined that with the fact that she would keep secrets about her abilities.....well, it did get a bit frustrating at times. And then she would sometimes go into dangerous situations without thinking things through. But you know what? Sometimes risks are necessary. It may have seemed stupid at first, but in the end, it was smart and really brave. If she didn't follow her instinct, she never would have been able to get out the situation she and Brent were stuck in. I'm proud of her for making her own decisions, and I ended up really liking her feisty character.
The relationship between Yara and Brent was one of the things I really loved about this book. Right away it was easy to see that they were interested in each other. It seemed like a typical romance was about to bloom between them, and I thought it was only a matter of time before they were kissing and became a couple. But I was wrong! They became friends first. They didn't jump into a romantic relationship because all that mattered to them was helping each other stay alive. That's what they focused on, and I loved that. There were also times where they became irritated and frustrated with each other like normal people. I'm so glad for that because it made their relationship seem more natural and believable.
As I mentioned, I really enjoyed the last two-thirds of the novel. I thought the paranormal aspects were very unique, and it was filled with some pretty heart-pounding moments, which really surprised me! At first I didn't like that important information wasn't revealed right away, but I really came to like how it was all done. When I finished I just knew it wouldn't have been nearly as interesting and exciting if the author decided to not reveal only bits and pieces throughout the story. Another thing I really liked about the last two-thirds of the novel were the secondary characters like Yara's friend Cherie and Brent's friend Steve. I thought they were just going to continue to stay in the background, but nope! They became very important to the story, and they were just as great as Yara and Brent. I hope to see more of them in the sequel!
With a unique ghost story and one of the few I can think of off the top of my head that has a romance that develops gradually and naturally, I have to say that Intrinsical is definitely one of the better young-adult paranormals I've read. It didn't end in a cliffhanger (in fact, I was completely satisfied with the ending), but it still left me wanting more and feeling very impressed. I so look forward to Indelible, the next book in 'The Yara Silva' trilogy, to find out what happens next with Yara and Brent and their friends! Be sure to check out these books!
I didn't know what to expect from Intrinsical. I just knew I wanted to read it and hoped that I would like it. While the beginning didn't grab me right away, I clearly remember the moment I became completely hooked. It was during the last two-thirds of the novel. It was filled with many surprises, and it was exactly what I was hoping for and more, exceeding any expectations I had! If I had to describe Intrinsical in one word it would definitely be impressive.
I admit Yara, the main character, had to grow on me just a bit. She had a temper, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but combined that with the fact that she would keep secrets about her abilities.....well, it did get a bit frustrating at times. And then she would sometimes go into dangerous situations without thinking things through. But you know what? Sometimes risks are necessary. It may have seemed stupid at first, but in the end, it was smart and really brave. If she didn't follow her instinct, she never would have been able to get out the situation she and Brent were stuck in. I'm proud of her for making her own decisions, and I ended up really liking her feisty character.
The relationship between Yara and Brent was one of the things I really loved about this book. Right away it was easy to see that they were interested in each other. It seemed like a typical romance was about to bloom between them, and I thought it was only a matter of time before they were kissing and became a couple. But I was wrong! They became friends first. They didn't jump into a romantic relationship because all that mattered to them was helping each other stay alive. That's what they focused on, and I loved that. There were also times where they became irritated and frustrated with each other like normal people. I'm so glad for that because it made their relationship seem more natural and believable.
As I mentioned, I really enjoyed the last two-thirds of the novel. I thought the paranormal aspects were very unique, and it was filled with some pretty heart-pounding moments, which really surprised me! At first I didn't like that important information wasn't revealed right away, but I really came to like how it was all done. When I finished I just knew it wouldn't have been nearly as interesting and exciting if the author decided to not reveal only bits and pieces throughout the story. Another thing I really liked about the last two-thirds of the novel were the secondary characters like Yara's friend Cherie and Brent's friend Steve. I thought they were just going to continue to stay in the background, but nope! They became very important to the story, and they were just as great as Yara and Brent. I hope to see more of them in the sequel!
With a unique ghost story and one of the few I can think of off the top of my head that has a romance that develops gradually and naturally, I have to say that Intrinsical is definitely one of the better young-adult paranormals I've read. It didn't end in a cliffhanger (in fact, I was completely satisfied with the ending), but it still left me wanting more and feeling very impressed. I so look forward to Indelible, the next book in 'The Yara Silva' trilogy, to find out what happens next with Yara and Brent and their friends! Be sure to check out these books!
Read
January 25, 2016Creepy, ghostly story that twists and turns until up is down and left is right. Some really great imagery on the cover that matches the story perfectly. I really liked the astral projection pieces.
October 7, 2010
The Original Review - Here!
Gather: a peculiar girl, a boarding school, a hot guy with a peculiar talent, a “curse” and you’ll have Intrinsical / By: Lani Woodland. Intrinsical begins after Yara moves to her new school; Penderell along her best friend Cherie, who by some way or another, has always tried to contact the “supernatural” world. Ironically, Cherie lacks this gift while Yara is natural to it. After knowing details of Penderell’s “curse” with Brent, Yara will get to know more of her capabilities and what factor they will play to break the “curse” that has affected Penderell academy for decades. A word to summarize Intrinsical is; unpredictable, and I love that. Woodland teases the reader taking the story from one point to another gracefully, and what makes it more interesting are the clues left along the way. At lasts a story about humans but with a touch of fantasy for what readers are craving no matter what. I have liked the result from when all the pieces from the puzzle are over the table. The “curse’s” story itself possesses feeling and even for a second, the reader will feel some compassion for him or those involved. The role that Yara and Brent play or both of their families are a good touch that makes the story outstanding. My only point is that I would have liked to see more of Penderell Academy as a Boarding School with more strict laws, since it looked like the characters could come and go how they pleased. At the end, this doesn’t take anything from the story, but it would have been something nice to see. The end leaves a possibility for a sequel and if there’s one: where do I sign? Intrinsical, a great presentation letter for a debut author where a girl will not only fight to break a “curse”, save her life and her love interest’s, but overall, to settle terms with who she really is.
Gather: a peculiar girl, a boarding school, a hot guy with a peculiar talent, a “curse” and you’ll have Intrinsical / By: Lani Woodland. Intrinsical begins after Yara moves to her new school; Penderell along her best friend Cherie, who by some way or another, has always tried to contact the “supernatural” world. Ironically, Cherie lacks this gift while Yara is natural to it. After knowing details of Penderell’s “curse” with Brent, Yara will get to know more of her capabilities and what factor they will play to break the “curse” that has affected Penderell academy for decades. A word to summarize Intrinsical is; unpredictable, and I love that. Woodland teases the reader taking the story from one point to another gracefully, and what makes it more interesting are the clues left along the way. At lasts a story about humans but with a touch of fantasy for what readers are craving no matter what. I have liked the result from when all the pieces from the puzzle are over the table. The “curse’s” story itself possesses feeling and even for a second, the reader will feel some compassion for him or those involved. The role that Yara and Brent play or both of their families are a good touch that makes the story outstanding. My only point is that I would have liked to see more of Penderell Academy as a Boarding School with more strict laws, since it looked like the characters could come and go how they pleased. At the end, this doesn’t take anything from the story, but it would have been something nice to see. The end leaves a possibility for a sequel and if there’s one: where do I sign? Intrinsical, a great presentation letter for a debut author where a girl will not only fight to break a “curse”, save her life and her love interest’s, but overall, to settle terms with who she really is.
August 17, 2011
4.5 Stars! An Intriguing, haunting story with an intense pull leaving you gasping for more. Intrinsical was a tempting read by the cover alone. It’s mystical dark beauty had me curious and I was not disappointed! It fits perfectly with the story and just makes sense.
The writing is smooth and effortless which makes the story fly through your fingers. The plot was fresh and brilliant. Lots of twists and intricate details bring forth a visual reality only a crafted and skilled imagination could create. It was very easy to picture the scenes and feel the mood and connection with where the characters are.
There are many swoon worthy moments, but you will come to be very intoxicated by one particular individual. Need I say more?
Yara is a Waker, which is a name for people who can see ghosts. The ability gets stronger with age as Yara is figuring out. A Waker, though, does more than just look at spirits; they have the ability to communicate with them as well. There is a curse, a soul stealing ghost, a wicked funny best friend, a hot love interest and so much more.
Your most heroic characters as well as the most villainous have secrets. That alone doesn’t make them bad people, only believable people and that’s what Lani does to her characters. They feel believable.
I am looking forward to the next book in this series. I will most definitely be reading it. Thank you, Alexa for sharing your copy with me.
The writing is smooth and effortless which makes the story fly through your fingers. The plot was fresh and brilliant. Lots of twists and intricate details bring forth a visual reality only a crafted and skilled imagination could create. It was very easy to picture the scenes and feel the mood and connection with where the characters are.
There are many swoon worthy moments, but you will come to be very intoxicated by one particular individual. Need I say more?
Yara is a Waker, which is a name for people who can see ghosts. The ability gets stronger with age as Yara is figuring out. A Waker, though, does more than just look at spirits; they have the ability to communicate with them as well. There is a curse, a soul stealing ghost, a wicked funny best friend, a hot love interest and so much more.
Your most heroic characters as well as the most villainous have secrets. That alone doesn’t make them bad people, only believable people and that’s what Lani does to her characters. They feel believable.
I am looking forward to the next book in this series. I will most definitely be reading it. Thank you, Alexa for sharing your copy with me.
August 21, 2011
I accidently learned about this book while surfing through goodreads website and found the plot summary very intriguing. But after reading this book what I felt was something I have never felt for any other books and that is the feeling of an amnesiac. The moment I finished reading the book I forgot even reading it in the first place. The story is such a cliche that it gave a distinct impression as watching an episode of "Ghost Whisperer". The lead Yara Silva has the power to talk to the dead which makes her a waker. Reluctant to accept the role of a new generation waker in the family Yara tries everything in her power to stop her abilities from manifesting itself.That is until she moves to her new school. There she has her first experience with the paranormal when she saves the life of Brent another one of the lead characters. What follows is series of the unexplainable events which includes astro projection, dying, coming back to life, breaking curses and learing to fight while having an out of body experience. Somewhere along the lines I think there is a minute theme of time travel. The book is a page turner but after the first 100 pages the book just seems to drag on. But the writing style is engaging. All in all it is a very forgetful book which did not work for me but one thing is for certain and that is even after being the first book in a series it did have a very satisfying end.
August 21, 2010
This book is sure to entertain and keep you turning pages until the very end. Just finishing, I am proud to say the book is far from predictable. The plot line is well thought out and keeps you guessing. If you are categorizing this with another Twi-knock off, read it and prove yourself wrong. Woodland has done a fantastic job of setting up the various different characters and in my opinion nailed the plot line with refreshing twist and turns that keeps the reader dying for more. Woodland uses simple-easy to understand language, with great imagery but not an overwhelming amount. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a good suspense story. The romance is almost just in there for kicks and giggles. You will not be disappointed.
August 18, 2013
Intrinsical started out pretty good, even if it was quite predictable.
There was some creepy scenes, and Yara seemed like an okay character.
Though, as the story progressed, Yara started acting annoying, and moments popped up where all i could think was "really?!"
The twist about halfway through the book was quite good, i didn't see it coming.
However, shortly after, Yara and Brent started playing volleyball, and i just didn't get why. It wasn't exactly the best time to be messing around.
The twist at the end got me really annoyed. It just seemed like such a sloppy way to get the book back on track.
The ending was alright, but i found the issue Yara and Brent had with the party was quite annoying.
There was some creepy scenes, and Yara seemed like an okay character.
Though, as the story progressed, Yara started acting annoying, and moments popped up where all i could think was "really?!"
The twist about halfway through the book was quite good, i didn't see it coming.
However, shortly after, Yara and Brent started playing volleyball, and i just didn't get why. It wasn't exactly the best time to be messing around.
The twist at the end got me really annoyed. It just seemed like such a sloppy way to get the book back on track.
The ending was alright, but i found the issue Yara and Brent had with the party was quite annoying.
Read
August 19, 2010Intrinsical is one of the most engaging and fast-paced novels I have read. Every single page made me want to keep reading and I hated when I was too busy to do so. Lani Woodland’s writing is beautiful and fresh. Her descriptions are well-written, never over the top, and create such vivid images. She has given Yara, the main character, a funny, beautiful, and realistic voice that makes the narration all the more enjoyable.
Ms. Woodland wastes no time throwing the reader into the story and letting Yara’s story take flight. The events of the story are sometimes confusing and glossed over, but overall, everything fits together to present a fresh and exciting story.
Ms. Woodland wastes no time throwing the reader into the story and letting Yara’s story take flight. The events of the story are sometimes confusing and glossed over, but overall, everything fits together to present a fresh and exciting story.
October 21, 2010
Extremely unique and well thought premise. For anyone who loves the paranormal! Lani Woodland has a brilliant voice - her exquisite detailing kept me reading Intrinsical up late into the night. Definitely an author to watch!
April 7, 2011
I LOVED IT!!!
Where do I start, this book was awesome. I love, love, love ghost stories. Absolutely my favorite type of paranormal story. Vamps are fun, witches run a close second and were's, eh not so crazy about were stories cause of the dominance thing. When I read about this book I was sooo excited, a ghost story! Yay! But it is YA so that gave me a little hesitation because my luck with YA lately has been real poo. So I purchased the book on my new Kindle, my darling precious (my first ebook!), and with a bit of trepidation and excitement all mixed up I began reading. And I couldn't stop!
This book did exactly what I want me books to do to me - it suprised me, caught me off guard, made me think I had it all figured out and then pulled the rug out from under my feet. I giggled, I felt saddness over the lives lost and I even felt sad in the end for the 'bad guy'. I also got all excited with Yara over Brent and I LOVED that even though she felt drawn to him, she never was 'oh he is my soulmate, can't live without him, i love him and i've known him 2 minutes!' It was refreshing to watch their relationship grow slowly with the connection they both felt. I did get a little bit annoyed at times with their relationship when they kept pulling back from each other and then connecting & almost admitting what they felt, then one of them pulling back again, I wanted to scream at them, either of them, JUST KISS HIM/HER, ADMIT HOW YOU FEEL, GO FOR IT!! BUT I also realized that this IS a YA book and these are teens. I remember being a teen and I wasn't as bold then as I am now, so I would then calm down and continue to enjoy the story. And I did enjoy it thoroughly.
Yara, the main character, is a Waker. This means she can communicate with and see spirits and help them cross over to where ever they belong, 'the other side'. She does not want to be a Waker and kind of dismisses her heritage. She wants to be a 'normal' girl, not a crazy chick who see's the dead and talks to air. She actually doesn't even come into her Waker abilities until she comes to Pendrill Academy. Once there, she encounters the Pendrill Curse, where 1 or 2 students commit suicide every few years apparently because of stress. She also encounters ghosts that seem to be related to a horrible accident that had occured at the school over 60 years ago. The story that unfolds combines these 2 encounters and creates a fabulous twisting and turning paranormal story that took my breath away several times. I would think I had it all figured out and BAM, not so much. I love that. I loved the story and I can't wait to read the next installment.
If you enjoy ghost stories with a little romance and some great twists and suprises, pick up Intrinsical. You will love it :)
Where do I start, this book was awesome. I love, love, love ghost stories. Absolutely my favorite type of paranormal story. Vamps are fun, witches run a close second and were's, eh not so crazy about were stories cause of the dominance thing. When I read about this book I was sooo excited, a ghost story! Yay! But it is YA so that gave me a little hesitation because my luck with YA lately has been real poo. So I purchased the book on my new Kindle, my darling precious (my first ebook!), and with a bit of trepidation and excitement all mixed up I began reading. And I couldn't stop!
This book did exactly what I want me books to do to me - it suprised me, caught me off guard, made me think I had it all figured out and then pulled the rug out from under my feet. I giggled, I felt saddness over the lives lost and I even felt sad in the end for the 'bad guy'. I also got all excited with Yara over Brent and I LOVED that even though she felt drawn to him, she never was 'oh he is my soulmate, can't live without him, i love him and i've known him 2 minutes!' It was refreshing to watch their relationship grow slowly with the connection they both felt. I did get a little bit annoyed at times with their relationship when they kept pulling back from each other and then connecting & almost admitting what they felt, then one of them pulling back again, I wanted to scream at them, either of them, JUST KISS HIM/HER, ADMIT HOW YOU FEEL, GO FOR IT!! BUT I also realized that this IS a YA book and these are teens. I remember being a teen and I wasn't as bold then as I am now, so I would then calm down and continue to enjoy the story. And I did enjoy it thoroughly.
Yara, the main character, is a Waker. This means she can communicate with and see spirits and help them cross over to where ever they belong, 'the other side'. She does not want to be a Waker and kind of dismisses her heritage. She wants to be a 'normal' girl, not a crazy chick who see's the dead and talks to air. She actually doesn't even come into her Waker abilities until she comes to Pendrill Academy. Once there, she encounters the Pendrill Curse, where 1 or 2 students commit suicide every few years apparently because of stress. She also encounters ghosts that seem to be related to a horrible accident that had occured at the school over 60 years ago. The story that unfolds combines these 2 encounters and creates a fabulous twisting and turning paranormal story that took my breath away several times. I would think I had it all figured out and BAM, not so much. I love that. I loved the story and I can't wait to read the next installment.
If you enjoy ghost stories with a little romance and some great twists and suprises, pick up Intrinsical. You will love it :)
May 13, 2011
3.5 stars
Intrinsical has been sitting on my shelf for a long time now. It is one of those books that I put off reading because as soon as I read the synopsis I loved it. It totally intrigued me... So I usually wait to let my expectations balance.
I was captivated as soon as I started, I was creeped out and was so happy to find something original. I loved Yara's confidence and flirtiness with Brent. The characters were realistic and relatable. I wish Steve and Cherie were featured more in the book as I found them so funny, loyal and really cute together. Even more entertaining then Yara and Brent.
The only thing that stopped me from loving Intrinsical is that I got confused at times. So many people gave this 5 stars so it's probably only me and my lack of sleep. Certain things that happened, I just felt myself thinking Huh? What? How did that happen? etc...
When Yara first started gaining her waker abilities I felt like she was in denial... I wanted to slap her and say HELLO your family are wakers - you should know better! I really wish Yara's Grandmother arrived on campus and was some big badass waker! That would have been cool. After all, her Granddaughter could have used her help.
Intrinsical didn't meet my expectations, I hyped it up too much in my mind. I still did enjoy it, its good especially as it is the first in a series. I will definitely be reading Indelible. The cover is also very beautiful!
Intrinsical has been sitting on my shelf for a long time now. It is one of those books that I put off reading because as soon as I read the synopsis I loved it. It totally intrigued me... So I usually wait to let my expectations balance.
I was captivated as soon as I started, I was creeped out and was so happy to find something original. I loved Yara's confidence and flirtiness with Brent. The characters were realistic and relatable. I wish Steve and Cherie were featured more in the book as I found them so funny, loyal and really cute together. Even more entertaining then Yara and Brent.
The only thing that stopped me from loving Intrinsical is that I got confused at times. So many people gave this 5 stars so it's probably only me and my lack of sleep. Certain things that happened, I just felt myself thinking Huh? What? How did that happen? etc...
When Yara first started gaining her waker abilities I felt like she was in denial... I wanted to slap her and say HELLO your family are wakers - you should know better! I really wish Yara's Grandmother arrived on campus and was some big badass waker! That would have been cool. After all, her Granddaughter could have used her help.
Intrinsical didn't meet my expectations, I hyped it up too much in my mind. I still did enjoy it, its good especially as it is the first in a series. I will definitely be reading Indelible. The cover is also very beautiful!
December 27, 2010
In a Sentence: Intrinsical is a fast-paced, refreshing addition to the supernatural boarding school tale.
My Thoughts
About forty pages into Intrinsical, I was already kicking myself for not picking up the book sooner. I'm extremely pleased to say that author Lani Woodland's debut novel has proven to me that she has quite the knack for storytelling.
I was immediately drawn into the book by the prologue. By page three, something exciting was already happening, and I soon became completely absorbed in the story. One of the things I noticed right off the bat was the author's way with words. Woodland described her scenes and characters with a sort of free-flowing prose that was sometimes lyrical in nature. The dialogue was also well-crafted, as were the interactions amongst the characters.
I read through Intrinsical rather quickly, and there were definitely times when I had trouble putting the book down. I think the reason for this is that, for the large majority of the book, Woodland did a fantastic job of revealing just enough of the plot so that the reader wasn't confused, but also kept back enough information to keep her audience guessing. For me, the overall effect of this was the creation of a suspenseful, anticipatory tone that had me flying through pages.
When I finished the book, the first thing I thought about was the characters. FINALLY. A YA relationship that has an aspect of reality to it. Okay, so I've found some realistic portrayals of relationships (both platonic and romantic) in YA literature before, but the good ones seem to be few and far in-between. The relationships between Yara and her best friend, Cherie, and the one between Yara and Brent were very well done.
I can't wait to read more of Yara's story. Lani Woodland's Intrinsical is a book I would highly recommend to fans of the supernatural, suspenseful, and exciting.
My Thoughts
About forty pages into Intrinsical, I was already kicking myself for not picking up the book sooner. I'm extremely pleased to say that author Lani Woodland's debut novel has proven to me that she has quite the knack for storytelling.
I was immediately drawn into the book by the prologue. By page three, something exciting was already happening, and I soon became completely absorbed in the story. One of the things I noticed right off the bat was the author's way with words. Woodland described her scenes and characters with a sort of free-flowing prose that was sometimes lyrical in nature. The dialogue was also well-crafted, as were the interactions amongst the characters.
I read through Intrinsical rather quickly, and there were definitely times when I had trouble putting the book down. I think the reason for this is that, for the large majority of the book, Woodland did a fantastic job of revealing just enough of the plot so that the reader wasn't confused, but also kept back enough information to keep her audience guessing. For me, the overall effect of this was the creation of a suspenseful, anticipatory tone that had me flying through pages.
When I finished the book, the first thing I thought about was the characters. FINALLY. A YA relationship that has an aspect of reality to it. Okay, so I've found some realistic portrayals of relationships (both platonic and romantic) in YA literature before, but the good ones seem to be few and far in-between. The relationships between Yara and her best friend, Cherie, and the one between Yara and Brent were very well done.
I can't wait to read more of Yara's story. Lani Woodland's Intrinsical is a book I would highly recommend to fans of the supernatural, suspenseful, and exciting.
August 18, 2013
(Source: Purchased on kindle from Amazon.co.uk)
16-year-old Yara Silver is just starting school at a formerly all-boys boarding school with her best friend Cherie.
The school is said to be haunted after three boys were killed in the old swimming pool there, and Cherie is keen to go ghost hunting, even if Yara isn’t so happy about it.
Yara’s grandmother is a Waker, which means that she can talk to ghosts, and Yara isn’t happy when it seems like she might have inherited the same gift, as she doesn’t want people to think that she’s crazy.
Can Yara really talk to ghosts? What is the weird black mist that she keeps seeing? And will tracking this ghost ultimately cost her her life?
This was an interesting YA paranormal romance, but I did have some ‘What?’ moments.
I liked Yara, but I didn’t love her. She did things at times that I wasn’t impressed by, and I thought that at times she could have been more mature. When you’re in the life-and-death situation that she was in, I wouldn’t rank playing volleyball as being high up your list of priorities.
The storyline in this book was okay. There were some creepy moments in the beginning, but these tailed off as the book got going which was a shame. I found the first 1/3 of the book to be quite predictable, although we did get one event then which proved to be quite a twist, that I hadn’t seen coming.
Unfortunately though this twist was then later undone, which just didn’t sit right with me. It seemed like a bit of a cop-out, like killing off a main character and then later saying that it was all a dream.
The ending was okay, although I’m not really sure where the next book is going to go now. Thankfully there wasn’t a cliff-hanger though!
Overall; an interesting YA paranormal romance.
6.5 out of 10.
16-year-old Yara Silver is just starting school at a formerly all-boys boarding school with her best friend Cherie.
The school is said to be haunted after three boys were killed in the old swimming pool there, and Cherie is keen to go ghost hunting, even if Yara isn’t so happy about it.
Yara’s grandmother is a Waker, which means that she can talk to ghosts, and Yara isn’t happy when it seems like she might have inherited the same gift, as she doesn’t want people to think that she’s crazy.
Can Yara really talk to ghosts? What is the weird black mist that she keeps seeing? And will tracking this ghost ultimately cost her her life?
This was an interesting YA paranormal romance, but I did have some ‘What?’ moments.
I liked Yara, but I didn’t love her. She did things at times that I wasn’t impressed by, and I thought that at times she could have been more mature. When you’re in the life-and-death situation that she was in, I wouldn’t rank playing volleyball as being high up your list of priorities.
The storyline in this book was okay. There were some creepy moments in the beginning, but these tailed off as the book got going which was a shame. I found the first 1/3 of the book to be quite predictable, although we did get one event then which proved to be quite a twist, that I hadn’t seen coming.
Unfortunately though this twist was then later undone, which just didn’t sit right with me. It seemed like a bit of a cop-out, like killing off a main character and then later saying that it was all a dream.
The ending was okay, although I’m not really sure where the next book is going to go now. Thankfully there wasn’t a cliff-hanger though!
Overall; an interesting YA paranormal romance.
6.5 out of 10.
September 16, 2010
Chilling, fast paced and haunting.
I have to say this novel is NOT one you can read while tired, or with other things on your mind, there's WAY to much going on and if you miss something, it can really hurt the story...I wanted to finish last night but after having to reread things, I decided to give up and finish during the light of day.
It's intricate details are amazing - this plot is one of the best one's I have ever read, so thought out, each "element" fitting precisely in the correct place - Honestly I was not at all sure this book could have a closure, at least not in this "book" if that makes sense - but in a totally awesome way Lani not only pulled things together, she did so with out rushing or making things feel as though they were pulled from left field!
WOW what a rush! Full review to come!
I have to say this novel is NOT one you can read while tired, or with other things on your mind, there's WAY to much going on and if you miss something, it can really hurt the story...I wanted to finish last night but after having to reread things, I decided to give up and finish during the light of day.
It's intricate details are amazing - this plot is one of the best one's I have ever read, so thought out, each "element" fitting precisely in the correct place - Honestly I was not at all sure this book could have a closure, at least not in this "book" if that makes sense - but in a totally awesome way Lani not only pulled things together, she did so with out rushing or making things feel as though they were pulled from left field!
WOW what a rush! Full review to come!
March 2, 2011
I really liked this story, it was a completely different paranormal romance from what I have been reading which was a nice change. This story starts of swiftly and just keeps going, I kept thinking what is going to happen next and how are they ever going to get out/fix what has happened. Character building I thought was good, I really came to care for Yara who was strong, smart, resourceful, and had moments that did annoy me a little, Cherie was a great and loyal best friend, Brent was handsome, smart, loyal and full of chivalry, and a good friend, Steve was a good friend too. I liked the adventure and romance of this story. It was interesting to see how it all played out in the end! Well done!
langauge clean
clean romance
langauge clean
clean romance
August 23, 2010
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Lani Woodland did a wonderful job on developing her characters, bringing them to life. I found this book to be light and refreshing to read, and was also quite happy to see Yara as a powerful character, strong and able to stand on her own. Lani Woodland has such a fresh and sweet eloquence to her writing. I definitely hope to read more of her soon!
July 11, 2015
Teen paranormal romance. If you like that genre, this is a pretty good book for its type. Extra brownie points for the Latina main character and having Hispanic culture actually worked into the plot in a way that makes sense.
May 12, 2011
Very fresh, original read! Totally loved it!!
July 24, 2011
Rating 4.5 stars Such a beautiful haunting tale (plus plenty of swoon worthy moments). Full review coming.
Thank you Alexa for sharing your copy. You are the best!
Thank you Alexa for sharing your copy. You are the best!
May 25, 2019
This and other reviews can be found on The Psychotic Nerd
MY THOUGHTS
I wasn't sure what to expect from this book. I've had it on my TBR since 2012 and some of those books have been misses rather than hits lately. I ended up actually liking this book, though I don't have particularly strong feelings towards this book.
Yara is starting at a new school, a prestigious boarding school that has just started accepting girls, along with her best friend Cherie. Cherie wants to investigate the school's curse in which top students end up dead every two years and may be connected to a mysterious accident at the swimming pool sixty years ago. Yara doesn't really care to investigate. Her grandmother can see and talk to ghosts, a gift Yara worries will pass on to her. When she sees a dark mist attack a classmate, sees ghostly footprints, warnings, and a dream about drowning, Yara thinks that there is something dark on campus, but will she survive long enough to find out?
I like to read ghosts stories, that's one of the things that has not changed since 2012. This book wasn't outright frightening, it had its scary moments, but I could easily fall asleep after I started reading this book. As I've read many YA ghost books, I can say that this one certainly brings new ideas to the genre. There is a classification of "Waker" for the one who sees ghosts, there's astral projection, and even the common trope of a school curse was dealt with in a unique way. What really made me interested in this story is a major twist midway through the book. I don't want to spoil it, so I'm being very vague, but throughout the twist, I really wanted to know how the characters were going to get out of this situation and I loved how it increased the interactions between the characters. What I did not like was how the situation was solved because it happened very quickly and I had thought that they did not solve it, but suddenly they did? It was just confusing.
Yara was an okay main character. It is clear that she does not want her ability to see ghosts and that that comes from how others have treated her grandmother, but I still did not feel like I knew her. There is very little backstory on her life, mostly some related to her grandmother, but we never really get a chance to know more about her family. She has a brother who died and she's probably still grieving, but that barely even gets a mention. It sometimes made it feel like she did not have a life outside of the school even though I know that is not true. There is also not much about her personality that makes her different from other main characters.
When it comes to the romance in this book it was okay but I would have been fine without it. I'm not really a fan of romance in YA books anymore especially if it doesn't really do anything for the story. The love interest is Brent and he's okay I guess. I didn't really like him very much in the beginning. As he and Yara interacted during the midpoint of the book I liked him a little better, but I still kind of felt like the relationship between them was being forced. They've been through all of this stuff together so they just have to become a couple. I guess there is attraction between them, but I think I just wanted this book to deviate from the typical paranormal romance.
IN CONCLUSION
Overall, I did like this book. Some elements within the plot and the romance I did not like as much, but I did like the other paranormal and ghostly elements in this book, such as the twist midway through the book. I have an ecopy of the next book so I will be continuing the series.
MY THOUGHTS
I wasn't sure what to expect from this book. I've had it on my TBR since 2012 and some of those books have been misses rather than hits lately. I ended up actually liking this book, though I don't have particularly strong feelings towards this book.
Yara is starting at a new school, a prestigious boarding school that has just started accepting girls, along with her best friend Cherie. Cherie wants to investigate the school's curse in which top students end up dead every two years and may be connected to a mysterious accident at the swimming pool sixty years ago. Yara doesn't really care to investigate. Her grandmother can see and talk to ghosts, a gift Yara worries will pass on to her. When she sees a dark mist attack a classmate, sees ghostly footprints, warnings, and a dream about drowning, Yara thinks that there is something dark on campus, but will she survive long enough to find out?
I like to read ghosts stories, that's one of the things that has not changed since 2012. This book wasn't outright frightening, it had its scary moments, but I could easily fall asleep after I started reading this book. As I've read many YA ghost books, I can say that this one certainly brings new ideas to the genre. There is a classification of "Waker" for the one who sees ghosts, there's astral projection, and even the common trope of a school curse was dealt with in a unique way. What really made me interested in this story is a major twist midway through the book. I don't want to spoil it, so I'm being very vague, but throughout the twist, I really wanted to know how the characters were going to get out of this situation and I loved how it increased the interactions between the characters. What I did not like was how the situation was solved because it happened very quickly and I had thought that they did not solve it, but suddenly they did? It was just confusing.
Yara was an okay main character. It is clear that she does not want her ability to see ghosts and that that comes from how others have treated her grandmother, but I still did not feel like I knew her. There is very little backstory on her life, mostly some related to her grandmother, but we never really get a chance to know more about her family. She has a brother who died and she's probably still grieving, but that barely even gets a mention. It sometimes made it feel like she did not have a life outside of the school even though I know that is not true. There is also not much about her personality that makes her different from other main characters.
When it comes to the romance in this book it was okay but I would have been fine without it. I'm not really a fan of romance in YA books anymore especially if it doesn't really do anything for the story. The love interest is Brent and he's okay I guess. I didn't really like him very much in the beginning. As he and Yara interacted during the midpoint of the book I liked him a little better, but I still kind of felt like the relationship between them was being forced. They've been through all of this stuff together so they just have to become a couple. I guess there is attraction between them, but I think I just wanted this book to deviate from the typical paranormal romance.
IN CONCLUSION
Overall, I did like this book. Some elements within the plot and the romance I did not like as much, but I did like the other paranormal and ghostly elements in this book, such as the twist midway through the book. I have an ecopy of the next book so I will be continuing the series.
July 16, 2020
http://birumuthayal.blogspot.com/2020...
Kitap resmen haftalardır elimde sürünüp durdu. Kitap konusuyla, kapağıyla başlangıçta ilgimi çektiği için bekletmeden okuyayım dedim. Ama, açıkçası umduğumu bulamadım.
Kitap resmen haftalardır elimde sürünüp durdu. Kitap konusuyla, kapağıyla başlangıçta ilgimi çektiği için bekletmeden okuyayım dedim. Ama, açıkçası umduğumu bulamadım.
May 19, 2011
I’ve been meaning to read this story for a while. Every time I look at that gorgeous cover, I wonder what the heck took me so long? Many review requests, my own writing… Either way, I will remember in the future when a book is calling to me to be read, to drop everything and just read it! I was almost angry with family and friends for pulling me away while reading. I didn’t want to stop.
Sixteen-year-old Yara is an amazing character. Right from the beginning—which is breath-holding-ly exciting—she was fierce and determined. She relates with teens of today on so many levels. I remember being that age and embarrassed over every little thing in my family—not wanting to be associated with them, but wanting to be ‘normal’ or average, just like everyone else. Of course, looking back, we can all see how silly it was, but that’s not how you feel at the time. And Yara’s character is so perfectly developed around this issue. Her character growth over the story is wonderful. I love it when you can actually SEE the character change through her experiences, not just told she did so at the end. And her actions show this in a vibrant way that made me root for her through the whole story. She’s smart and I enjoyed being inside her head as she rationalized her situations. It’s refreshing. I also share a little issue she has with her angry management lol. We would get along well ;)
Brent… Oh, boy of my dreams, is cocky. Yes. Cocky in every way that I love my lead guys to be. He’s gorgeous, and he knows it. But what I love about him is he is so fleshed out, he’s not just full of one-liners trying to make me believe he’s cocky and then show me what a decent guy he is. His personality sparkles on every page through his actions and even his inactions. There were so many sides of his character I came to love, I truly see him as a real person—with interests, flaws, habits, strengths, and courage. There are no words to describe what a phenomenal job Ms. Woodland did creating him and delivering a truly swoon-worthy lead guy. I. Love. Brent.
The relationship between Yara and Brent. Let me tell you, this story has an amazingly fleshed out plot, but even if it didn’t, I would have gladly followed the story to the end, loving every second of it, just to watch Yara and Brent interact—to listen to their conversations that at times had me laughing my head off and at other times biting my nails. I loved theirs weren’t like so many other relationships in books where they fall in love in an instant and its all chemistry. *POILER* Oh, they had chemistry, but they were real, they questioned their emotions and made me believe it when they professed their love.*
I WANT MORE! Right now. I really loved the side characters and the story arc. It held mystery and I love it when I don’t see the ending coming. I also liked that this story completely wrapped up. It didn’t leave you on a huge cliffhanger waiting for the end to be tied up, but then again, just getting to know these characters makes it hard to wait to go through another adventure with them. If you’re looking for something fresh in the YA market, something that rekindles your love for YA, check out Intrinsical. I will be waiting anxiously for the second installment.
Sixteen-year-old Yara is an amazing character. Right from the beginning—which is breath-holding-ly exciting—she was fierce and determined. She relates with teens of today on so many levels. I remember being that age and embarrassed over every little thing in my family—not wanting to be associated with them, but wanting to be ‘normal’ or average, just like everyone else. Of course, looking back, we can all see how silly it was, but that’s not how you feel at the time. And Yara’s character is so perfectly developed around this issue. Her character growth over the story is wonderful. I love it when you can actually SEE the character change through her experiences, not just told she did so at the end. And her actions show this in a vibrant way that made me root for her through the whole story. She’s smart and I enjoyed being inside her head as she rationalized her situations. It’s refreshing. I also share a little issue she has with her angry management lol. We would get along well ;)
Brent… Oh, boy of my dreams, is cocky. Yes. Cocky in every way that I love my lead guys to be. He’s gorgeous, and he knows it. But what I love about him is he is so fleshed out, he’s not just full of one-liners trying to make me believe he’s cocky and then show me what a decent guy he is. His personality sparkles on every page through his actions and even his inactions. There were so many sides of his character I came to love, I truly see him as a real person—with interests, flaws, habits, strengths, and courage. There are no words to describe what a phenomenal job Ms. Woodland did creating him and delivering a truly swoon-worthy lead guy. I. Love. Brent.
The relationship between Yara and Brent. Let me tell you, this story has an amazingly fleshed out plot, but even if it didn’t, I would have gladly followed the story to the end, loving every second of it, just to watch Yara and Brent interact—to listen to their conversations that at times had me laughing my head off and at other times biting my nails. I loved theirs weren’t like so many other relationships in books where they fall in love in an instant and its all chemistry. *POILER* Oh, they had chemistry, but they were real, they questioned their emotions and made me believe it when they professed their love.*
I WANT MORE! Right now. I really loved the side characters and the story arc. It held mystery and I love it when I don’t see the ending coming. I also liked that this story completely wrapped up. It didn’t leave you on a huge cliffhanger waiting for the end to be tied up, but then again, just getting to know these characters makes it hard to wait to go through another adventure with them. If you’re looking for something fresh in the YA market, something that rekindles your love for YA, check out Intrinsical. I will be waiting anxiously for the second installment.
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