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Unclaimed #1
Unclaimed
Until recently, Maddy Page’s life was pretty routine—morning runs, attending school, and avoiding the spotlight the rest of her family thrives in. But even with all the effort she puts into being unremarkable, someone’s noticed. And who wouldn’t want to be noticed by MJ? He’s handsome, funny, and makes her feel safe—a feeling she’s never experienced outside her dreams.
MJ is supposed to be on a mundane assignment—save a mortal from a demon on a killing spree. But before he can make contact with his charge, Maddy happens. While every mortal is supposed to have a file as well as a Guardian Angel, she doesn’t. She’s immune to his compulsions and has abilities mortals shouldn’t have. Worse yet, she isn’t aware she has them. MJ knows he should focus on his job, but the mysteries surrounding Maddy are frighteningly addictive.
And she’s in more danger than either of them realizes. With no Guardian and no file, if she dies, neither Heaven nor Hell can claim her soul.
MJ is supposed to be on a mundane assignment—save a mortal from a demon on a killing spree. But before he can make contact with his charge, Maddy happens. While every mortal is supposed to have a file as well as a Guardian Angel, she doesn’t. She’s immune to his compulsions and has abilities mortals shouldn’t have. Worse yet, she isn’t aware she has them. MJ knows he should focus on his job, but the mysteries surrounding Maddy are frighteningly addictive.
And she’s in more danger than either of them realizes. With no Guardian and no file, if she dies, neither Heaven nor Hell can claim her soul.
464 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 10, 2014
167 people are currently reading
1095 people want to read
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November 23, 2015
Laurie Wetzel is giving away ONE eCopy of Unclaimed at Tome Tender!
International where allowed - Click on Banner to Enter - Ends Nov 6
Maddy has walled herself off from anyone who could possibly hurt her, again. She thinks she is unworthy of love, having been abandoned at birth and feeling like her adoptive family doesn’t want her. But are they ignoring her because of her actions or is what she’s feeling real? Is there a place in the world where she can belong? Since she was younger she’s had strange dreams of love and safety, almost as if she were living in another body, but when MJ appears in her life, he manages to carve her defenses down and smooth out her prickly edges. MJ is a safe haven in a world that feels cold and uncaring; his hold over her is almost magical or ethereal.
But MJ has secrets that will either bring Maddy’s heart healing salvation or will shatter it, and steal her soul. He is not human and he has a job to do, but meeting Maddy, he knows there is something more to her, something untapped, untouched and he will do anything to protect her from the evil that is coming for her.
Prepare yourself for angels, demons, lies, hurt, and even budding love as Maddy is thrown headfirst into a world she never imagined where dreams may not be dreams at all, but are they designed to hurt her or help her? The stakes are high and Maddy’s soul is the prize.
Unclaimed by Laurie Wetzel is like looking into a pool of water, where one ripple will change the surface into a myriad of circles that all expand out in all directions. Full of mystery, with so many questions raised and while most are answered, or hinted at, the big mystery is who or what is Maddy and why is she on every list from heaven to hell and in between? It takes masterful writing to pull out everything but the rabbit from a hat, holding us mesmerized and waiting for it throughout each scene. Ms. Wetzel’s characters each hold a bit of mystery behind them and I love it! No info dumps here to spoil the plot, just a perfect crumb left at the precise moment we need it! Wonderful dialogue, wonderful characters, wonderful reading…I just wonder what will happen next!
Take this one to the top of the hidden gem pile!
I received a review copy from Laurie Wetzel in exchange for my honest review.
Series: Unclaimed - Book 1
Publication Date: August 10, 2014
Publisher: Wise Ink Creative Publishing
Genre: YA Paranormal Fantasy
Print Length: 361 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com
International where allowed - Click on Banner to Enter - Ends Nov 6
Maddy has walled herself off from anyone who could possibly hurt her, again. She thinks she is unworthy of love, having been abandoned at birth and feeling like her adoptive family doesn’t want her. But are they ignoring her because of her actions or is what she’s feeling real? Is there a place in the world where she can belong? Since she was younger she’s had strange dreams of love and safety, almost as if she were living in another body, but when MJ appears in her life, he manages to carve her defenses down and smooth out her prickly edges. MJ is a safe haven in a world that feels cold and uncaring; his hold over her is almost magical or ethereal.
But MJ has secrets that will either bring Maddy’s heart healing salvation or will shatter it, and steal her soul. He is not human and he has a job to do, but meeting Maddy, he knows there is something more to her, something untapped, untouched and he will do anything to protect her from the evil that is coming for her.
Prepare yourself for angels, demons, lies, hurt, and even budding love as Maddy is thrown headfirst into a world she never imagined where dreams may not be dreams at all, but are they designed to hurt her or help her? The stakes are high and Maddy’s soul is the prize.
Unclaimed by Laurie Wetzel is like looking into a pool of water, where one ripple will change the surface into a myriad of circles that all expand out in all directions. Full of mystery, with so many questions raised and while most are answered, or hinted at, the big mystery is who or what is Maddy and why is she on every list from heaven to hell and in between? It takes masterful writing to pull out everything but the rabbit from a hat, holding us mesmerized and waiting for it throughout each scene. Ms. Wetzel’s characters each hold a bit of mystery behind them and I love it! No info dumps here to spoil the plot, just a perfect crumb left at the precise moment we need it! Wonderful dialogue, wonderful characters, wonderful reading…I just wonder what will happen next!
Take this one to the top of the hidden gem pile!
I received a review copy from Laurie Wetzel in exchange for my honest review.
Series: Unclaimed - Book 1
Publication Date: August 10, 2014
Publisher: Wise Ink Creative Publishing
Genre: YA Paranormal Fantasy
Print Length: 361 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com
December 30, 2015
There might be light spoilers.
Unclaimed is told through the POV of Maddy and MJ. That didn't bother me, usually different POV can be confusing, but I enjoyed reading about those two.
Unclaimed starts off with Maddy Page , a 16 year old that started distancing herself from her family and friends. She gives up everything she enjoyed doing when on a trip with her uncle Duane, she learns of a secret. The secret really did affect her. She also has these dreams about a girl and a guy. Things start changing when she meets MJ and runs into her exes friend Justin, who creeps her out.
Maddy suddenly has these abilities to transport her and whoever she's touching to another dimension/the in-between/The Veil of Shadows and her emotions effect the weather. Justin tells her that bad people are coming after her to kill her, of course she doesn't believe him. She just doesn't like the guy. She also starts getting feelings for MJ. It was way insta love if you ask me. She opens up to him even when he was a total stranger, she felt comfortable with him. But her and MJ don't understand what's going on, why she has abilities, why she's different.
MJ wants to protect Maddy and he also wants to stay close to her to try and figure out what she is or he'll have to kill her. He also has secrets of his own. Dun dun duuunnn. Maddy is trying to piece together her dreams, who MJ is what Justin is, and wants to start over with her family. For a while she didn't know if love was real, if she was able to love or be loved.
Along the way she learns about herself and others. We learn more about her abilities. About who people really are, and a bit of what's really going on. For example there are demons, and her dreams aren't just fantasy.
Let's talk about some of the other characters.
MJ : we learn that he's a . His job is to protect his Charge, but something goes wrong and he makes a mistakes. Because of it he meets Maddy and sees that she's different. The rules say that he must kill her but he is curious and intrigued by her. He has his own abilities that don't seem to work on Maddy. MJ is a mystery for most of the book, really all the characters keep you wondering what they are.
Justin , he's an now he is just creepy. He's very manipulative, and doesn't take no for an answer. He enjoys messing with Maddy, always threatening her. I just think that he was creepy, but I will say that he does change a bit and leaves me wondering how I'll think of him in the next book.
A couple of the other characters :
The Dream Girl as Maddy calls her, is in a good chunk of this book. We don't who she is, but Maddy keeps dreaming of her. The Dark Prince (Damien), a mysterious guy that can possible have a dark side to him, no pun intended. Something about his eyes. Ben, Maddy's ex makes a few cameos, that boy is crazy, i didn't like what I saw. Amber, is another person that just isn't friendly. Kelli, she's understanding I suppose, but does make me question her friendship to Maddy.
I enjoy reading about angels and demons, Unclaimed was different. Usually it's a human that meets an Angel but in this book we don't know what Maddy is. She has her own powers. There were moments where I didn't understand. I was a bit confused at first. I didn't understand the dreams, and that's how the book started. The insta love was a bit much, they literally just met, within four days, they're in love with each other. When Maddy meets MJ, all she talked about was his looks. I was like really. And MJ has been around for many centuries and somehow Maddy feels different to him, just by talking to her for a couple of minutes. 60% into the book, finally she starts questioning MJ. There's Secrets, secrets secrets, MJ wants no secrets between them but that's the next thing Maddy does, learns something but keeps it from him. He also does the same. He wants to know everything about Maddy but won't say anything about himself. Oh and is I guess those were the things that bothered me.
I did like reading Unclaimed. I want to find out what Maddy really is and learn more about the other characters. They all seem to have a connection with Maddy in some way.
***
Unclaimed is told through the POV of Maddy and MJ. That didn't bother me, usually different POV can be confusing, but I enjoyed reading about those two.
Unclaimed starts off with Maddy Page , a 16 year old that started distancing herself from her family and friends. She gives up everything she enjoyed doing when on a trip with her uncle Duane, she learns of a secret. The secret really did affect her. She also has these dreams about a girl and a guy. Things start changing when she meets MJ and runs into her exes friend Justin, who creeps her out.
Maddy suddenly has these abilities to transport her and whoever she's touching to another dimension/the in-between/The Veil of Shadows and her emotions effect the weather. Justin tells her that bad people are coming after her to kill her, of course she doesn't believe him. She just doesn't like the guy. She also starts getting feelings for MJ. It was way insta love if you ask me. She opens up to him even when he was a total stranger, she felt comfortable with him. But her and MJ don't understand what's going on, why she has abilities, why she's different.
MJ wants to protect Maddy and he also wants to stay close to her to try and figure out what she is or he'll have to kill her. He also has secrets of his own. Dun dun duuunnn. Maddy is trying to piece together her dreams, who MJ is what Justin is, and wants to start over with her family. For a while she didn't know if love was real, if she was able to love or be loved.
Along the way she learns about herself and others. We learn more about her abilities. About who people really are, and a bit of what's really going on. For example there are demons, and her dreams aren't just fantasy.
Let's talk about some of the other characters.
MJ : we learn that he's a . His job is to protect his Charge, but something goes wrong and he makes a mistakes. Because of it he meets Maddy and sees that she's different. The rules say that he must kill her but he is curious and intrigued by her. He has his own abilities that don't seem to work on Maddy. MJ is a mystery for most of the book, really all the characters keep you wondering what they are.
Justin , he's an now he is just creepy. He's very manipulative, and doesn't take no for an answer. He enjoys messing with Maddy, always threatening her. I just think that he was creepy, but I will say that he does change a bit and leaves me wondering how I'll think of him in the next book.
A couple of the other characters :
The Dream Girl as Maddy calls her, is in a good chunk of this book. We don't who she is, but Maddy keeps dreaming of her. The Dark Prince (Damien), a mysterious guy that can possible have a dark side to him, no pun intended. Something about his eyes. Ben, Maddy's ex makes a few cameos, that boy is crazy, i didn't like what I saw. Amber, is another person that just isn't friendly. Kelli, she's understanding I suppose, but does make me question her friendship to Maddy.
I enjoy reading about angels and demons, Unclaimed was different. Usually it's a human that meets an Angel but in this book we don't know what Maddy is. She has her own powers. There were moments where I didn't understand. I was a bit confused at first. I didn't understand the dreams, and that's how the book started. The insta love was a bit much, they literally just met, within four days, they're in love with each other. When Maddy meets MJ, all she talked about was his looks. I was like really. And MJ has been around for many centuries and somehow Maddy feels different to him, just by talking to her for a couple of minutes. 60% into the book, finally she starts questioning MJ. There's Secrets, secrets secrets, MJ wants no secrets between them but that's the next thing Maddy does, learns something but keeps it from him. He also does the same. He wants to know everything about Maddy but won't say anything about himself. Oh and is I guess those were the things that bothered me.
I did like reading Unclaimed. I want to find out what Maddy really is and learn more about the other characters. They all seem to have a connection with Maddy in some way.
***
January 12, 2016
ARC kindly provided by Laurie Wetzel in exchange for an honest review.
Review
Rating Plan
1 star : Strongly did not like the book, writing and plot was bad. Idea of the book was against my liking.
2 star : Didn't like it, didn't find it interesting or gripping. Seemed to drag on to me.
3 star : An average book. Wasn't bad or good. Everything else was well done. Original idea.
4 star : Like a 3 star but has potential to it as a series or the book grew on me as it progressed and certain scenes captured me. I Enjoyed it and read it in one sitting.
5 star : I LOVED IT! I stayed up late until 3 am. Author is a genius, characters, plot, idea, development, EVERYTHING was EXCELLENT. Nothing else can possibly be said except that its 5 STAR!
Review
First things first, don't let the blurb misguide you: ‘Unclaimed’ may sound dystopian but it's really not. It is more of a paranormal YA novel than anything else. I had strong suspicions that this was yet another angels and demons story but – shockingly – I did not mind. In fact I was quite pleased and very eager to read the 'Unclaimed'.
The novel also vaguely reminded me of 'Twilight' by Stephanie Meyer. I spotted quite a few little bits and pieces that matched up with 'Twilight'. What really made me suspect was when Maddy wrote up a list of things that MJ could be. So, if you're a "Twihard", this novel is for you!
The cover does NOT DO IT JUSTICE! Argh! I can't believe that the cover is so mediocre for such an awesome and amazing story! I mean, I'd totally slave away on an absolutely gorgeous cover for this novel if I could and if I had the skills but sadly, I don't. ‘Unclaimed’ needs to get a better and more amazing cover soon. Like ASAP! Because this novel deserves to be read and the current cover is just not doing it.
‘Unclaimed’ starts off quite mysteriously. There’s a looming presence of darkness and heaviness to the atmosphere which really intrigued me. It kept me on my toes and made me want to read more. It also – surprisingly – did not start the way I expected it to.
I really liked that the author jumped straight in to the action and the story. She didn't drone on and on and one and one and one – okay, you get the picture. I know that some authors choose to dedicate the first third of a novel to the 'introduction' but I just find that boring. Most of the time, such decisions make the novel poor and only RARELY are they a good decision.
Maddy's and MJ's relationship was so cheesy and sweet! Every time the two were together I got a rush of euphoria and happiness. The two were just perfectly adorable. Maddy was very distrusting and hesitant at first and MJ – the sweetie pie – was a perfect gentleman and VERY persistent.
Character establishment also happens quite quickly and effectively. I gleaned and learned a lot from just a few chapters and already feel like I know who all of them are, their personality, character and attitude. The characters were all complex, dynamic and perfectly loveable (or hateable).
The writing, I must say, was VERY good. It flowed well and nothing seemed stilted or out of place. (Something I noticed would happen quite often with new or indie and self-published authors.) It was confident and natural right from the beginning. I was so impressed with the author’s style, in fact, that I started to believe that maybe Laurie Wetzel is yet another pen name to an extremely talented and seasoned writer. (Laurie Wetzel has two published novels under her name and another in the series coming soon.)
The novel was also very bittersweet at times and melancholy. ‘Unclaimed’ is told in first person narrative with two character perspectives: Maddy’s and MJ’s. The grammar was also very good and I spotted no spelling or typing mistakes.
There are lots of surprises that happen. Shocks and secrets are galore! I found this utterly captivating and have to praise the author for her work! It made ‘Unclaimed’ much fun to read!
The ending was absolutely EPIC! It was a FANTASTIC FINALE! I just HAVE to give the author a standing ovation! It was just right: satisfied me as a reader yet made me beg for more!
This novels rivals Lauren Kate's 'Fallen' series and Becca Fitzpatrick's 'Hush, Hush' series! An OUTSTANDING FIVE STAR! Congratulations to Laurie Wetzel! I am DIEING to read 'Ignited'!
Rating Plan
1 star : Strongly did not like the book, writing and plot was bad. Idea of the book was against my liking.
2 star : Didn't like it, didn't find it interesting or gripping. Seemed to drag on to me.
3 star : An average book. Wasn't bad or good. Everything else was well done. Original idea.
4 star : Like a 3 star but has potential to it as a series or the book grew on me as it progressed and certain scenes captured me. I Enjoyed it and read it in one sitting.
5 star : I LOVED IT! I stayed up late until 3 am. Author is a genius, characters, plot, idea, development, EVERYTHING was EXCELLENT. Nothing else can possibly be said except that its 5 STAR!
May 23, 2015
Woah, okay I have some slightly mixed thoughts about this book, so it may be slightly indecisive of a review. By the end I can definitely say it was enjoyable, however as for the main theme being a paranormal romance I can't say I really felt much of the paranormal vibe until near the end. When I think of that genre I think of bat-shit, insane, scariness! This did not give me that. It honestly feels like another Twilight (with the whole blocked emotions thing), which I hate using as a negative because I actually adore that series.
My guilty pleasure kicked in and there was an extreme dose of insta-love. I wouldn't have minded to much but our main protagonists literally knew each other for 4 days and at many points did not know if they were a threat to each other. The characters were lovely to read about but the time span of everything was incredibly short and didn't allow emotions and opinions characters had for each other seem at all realistic.
I love the choice of song references (*cough cough* Evanescence *cough* Marilyn Manson) as it made the novel carry that modern weight, like everything could (if fleshed out well enough) be a plausible, realistic scenario.
I noticed this is another book that seems to focus on ''essence''! I've honestly never heard that word so much more than I have in the past couple of weeks! The book I read recently, Flight for Life (or something like that) was all about ''essence'' as well as demons.
Although my heart melted, raced and ached at a lot of parts and I found myself really enjoying the last third, I do think the whole story line, when understandable completely, was predictable, e.g using Hannah, and an obvious connection is bound to be unraveled between Amber and Maddy as they have too much in common. (One of those similarities were annoyingly just thrown out there half way through the book like it WASN'T A MAJOR IMPORTANT FACT!!!)
I loved how much the book goes into Maddy's, The Dream Girl's, MJ's and Justin's backstory for a first book and will look forward to further development.
I wanna talk a little about MJ specifically... Everything made sense to me about his background by page 350, but then more fantasy elements got thrown into the cauldron and I think too much was going on with genre choice to allow me to follow well.... Fantasy, Mythology, Romance and Paranormal.. It was all a little too much and what could have made an interesting, cultural twist for a likable character, kind have got overshadowed by everything else.
“Your own nose is actually in your field of vision, but your brain ignores it. It doesn’t see
what’s literally right in front of your face.'' Cool point by Justin, which I think can relate to Maddy in a lot of situations when it was blatantly obvious things were not ''normal'', but I can say so for myself as, although quite predictable, there were so many things I didn't pick up on!
Anyway, this is a book that has got me interested to continue on, as I enjoyed it for the most part, it just left me confused a tad.
Pick it up, give it a go and enjoy!
Gén
My guilty pleasure kicked in and there was an extreme dose of insta-love. I wouldn't have minded to much but our main protagonists literally knew each other for 4 days and at many points did not know if they were a threat to each other. The characters were lovely to read about but the time span of everything was incredibly short and didn't allow emotions and opinions characters had for each other seem at all realistic.
I love the choice of song references (*cough cough* Evanescence *cough* Marilyn Manson) as it made the novel carry that modern weight, like everything could (if fleshed out well enough) be a plausible, realistic scenario.
I noticed this is another book that seems to focus on ''essence''! I've honestly never heard that word so much more than I have in the past couple of weeks! The book I read recently, Flight for Life (or something like that) was all about ''essence'' as well as demons.
Although my heart melted, raced and ached at a lot of parts and I found myself really enjoying the last third, I do think the whole story line, when understandable completely, was predictable, e.g using Hannah, and an obvious connection is bound to be unraveled between Amber and Maddy as they have too much in common. (One of those similarities were annoyingly just thrown out there half way through the book like it WASN'T A MAJOR IMPORTANT FACT!!!)
I loved how much the book goes into Maddy's, The Dream Girl's, MJ's and Justin's backstory for a first book and will look forward to further development.
I wanna talk a little about MJ specifically... Everything made sense to me about his background by page 350, but then more fantasy elements got thrown into the cauldron and I think too much was going on with genre choice to allow me to follow well.... Fantasy, Mythology, Romance and Paranormal.. It was all a little too much and what could have made an interesting, cultural twist for a likable character, kind have got overshadowed by everything else.
“Your own nose is actually in your field of vision, but your brain ignores it. It doesn’t see
what’s literally right in front of your face.'' Cool point by Justin, which I think can relate to Maddy in a lot of situations when it was blatantly obvious things were not ''normal'', but I can say so for myself as, although quite predictable, there were so many things I didn't pick up on!
Anyway, this is a book that has got me interested to continue on, as I enjoyed it for the most part, it just left me confused a tad.
Pick it up, give it a go and enjoy!
Gén
August 17, 2014
4.5 Stars
Maddy has spent her whole life feeling unloved because her real parents abondoned her, although she didn't know she was adopted until 3 years ago. After she found out she gave up on everything, sports, friends, family pushing everyone away until she was left in her own bubble. She wasn't happy but she was contentor at least she thought she was until MJ.
A mysterious guy who showed up out of no where and caused feelings in her like never before. Even with all the weird things like him disappearing into thin air and the electric current she feels everytime she touches him, she can't seem to shake her feelings for him.
MJ has an assignment, but when he finds the wrong girl and then feels things with her he thought were long forgotten, he's determined to find a way to be with her. Even though she isn't his assignment he can't seem to keep away from Maddy and the more time he spends with her the more he realizes she's something special.
They are both drawn to each other, but they each have secrets. Will they learn to trust in each other before danger comes for them or will their unwillingness to share their secrets be their downfall?
Maddy is a strong female character she might not think she has allot going for her, but I loved seeing her journey as she realizes that those closest to her really love her and there's more to her existance than the lonliness she feels.
MJ is a bit cold and detached at first until he begins to feel and once he does he gives into the feelings with everything in him. He's not afraid of getting into trouble for breaking the rules, as much as he fears losing the feelings he's just been given back.
Trying to figure out what is what and who is who is part of what makes this book so interesting. You go with the characters on their journey as they learn about each other and learn how to trust. I enjoyed this story and am excited to see more of this series.
Maddy has spent her whole life feeling unloved because her real parents abondoned her, although she didn't know she was adopted until 3 years ago. After she found out she gave up on everything, sports, friends, family pushing everyone away until she was left in her own bubble. She wasn't happy but she was contentor at least she thought she was until MJ.
A mysterious guy who showed up out of no where and caused feelings in her like never before. Even with all the weird things like him disappearing into thin air and the electric current she feels everytime she touches him, she can't seem to shake her feelings for him.
MJ has an assignment, but when he finds the wrong girl and then feels things with her he thought were long forgotten, he's determined to find a way to be with her. Even though she isn't his assignment he can't seem to keep away from Maddy and the more time he spends with her the more he realizes she's something special.
They are both drawn to each other, but they each have secrets. Will they learn to trust in each other before danger comes for them or will their unwillingness to share their secrets be their downfall?
Maddy is a strong female character she might not think she has allot going for her, but I loved seeing her journey as she realizes that those closest to her really love her and there's more to her existance than the lonliness she feels.
MJ is a bit cold and detached at first until he begins to feel and once he does he gives into the feelings with everything in him. He's not afraid of getting into trouble for breaking the rules, as much as he fears losing the feelings he's just been given back.
Trying to figure out what is what and who is who is part of what makes this book so interesting. You go with the characters on their journey as they learn about each other and learn how to trust. I enjoyed this story and am excited to see more of this series.
May 7, 2015
Unclaimed by Laurie Wetzel was a great read. It is a good twist of a paranormal that will have you wondering what is going on and what will happen next. The way it was written was phenomenal. There were places that I thought one thing was going to happen but instead the total opposite happened.
In this book, we meet Maddy. She is a high school student that has weird dreams that have been going on for a long time in her life. She thinks her life is strange and that no one loves her. Her life is different from everyone around her and she doesn’t know why. Then her life goes from strange to stranger.
We also meet MJ. From the beginning, we can tell that this guy is not the normal person you see walking around each and every day. He is a supernatural being with a sole purpose.
Each of the characters in this book were excellently built and they each helped move the story along. The plot was also great and had me wanting more when I came to the end. The suspense in the story kept me reading until the end.
Unclaimed is a very fun and unique read. It is not your typical paranormal novel but yet it was great.
I can't wait for the second book when it is released!
In this book, we meet Maddy. She is a high school student that has weird dreams that have been going on for a long time in her life. She thinks her life is strange and that no one loves her. Her life is different from everyone around her and she doesn’t know why. Then her life goes from strange to stranger.
We also meet MJ. From the beginning, we can tell that this guy is not the normal person you see walking around each and every day. He is a supernatural being with a sole purpose.
Each of the characters in this book were excellently built and they each helped move the story along. The plot was also great and had me wanting more when I came to the end. The suspense in the story kept me reading until the end.
Unclaimed is a very fun and unique read. It is not your typical paranormal novel but yet it was great.
I can't wait for the second book when it is released!
September 29, 2014
One word for this book, WOW! So I have been in a book slump for months, nothing has been blowing me away and then I finally dived into this ARC and let me tell you it was amazing! The first 57% you spend slightly confused getting all the background information and going back and forth between Maddy and MJ. Then 57% and on, prepare yourself for a whirlwind you won't want to or be able to put down!
The story starts with Maddy who is having weird dreams and just in general weird things happening to her. Then you learn some of the background and eventually learn that this novel is a refreshing and unique take on angels vs. demons YA Paranormal. You will find yourself captivated by Maddy and wanting to know more about her, what she can do and what are her secrets. You will fall for MJ, he is sweet, tender, and wonderful. You will also meet Justin, who leaves you with more questions than answers. Can't wait for the next book!
The story starts with Maddy who is having weird dreams and just in general weird things happening to her. Then you learn some of the background and eventually learn that this novel is a refreshing and unique take on angels vs. demons YA Paranormal. You will find yourself captivated by Maddy and wanting to know more about her, what she can do and what are her secrets. You will fall for MJ, he is sweet, tender, and wonderful. You will also meet Justin, who leaves you with more questions than answers. Can't wait for the next book!
Read
September 8, 2015Huh....
.... Well, aren't you just a contradictory surprise.
I absolutely love this book and hate it all at the same time.
The Love:
The storyline is fresh and original which is pretty hard to do in the 'angels and demons' genre. The author has a very good writing style and the plot flows effortlessly. It has just enough suspense and just enough hints left at the end of the book to make me want more.
The hate:
Honestly, I really don't like the characters all that much. Which is pretty crucial to liking any book, if you ask me. I just don't like how Madison is portrayed as 'broken' just because she's adopted. And oh my MJ. What a stereotype. Ugh. Honestly, my favorite character is the villain, Justin! I guess I just have hope it gets better with them because I really enjoy the story.
.... Well, aren't you just a contradictory surprise.
I absolutely love this book and hate it all at the same time.
The Love:
The storyline is fresh and original which is pretty hard to do in the 'angels and demons' genre. The author has a very good writing style and the plot flows effortlessly. It has just enough suspense and just enough hints left at the end of the book to make me want more.
The hate:
Honestly, I really don't like the characters all that much. Which is pretty crucial to liking any book, if you ask me. I just don't like how Madison is portrayed as 'broken' just because she's adopted. And oh my MJ. What a stereotype. Ugh. Honestly, my favorite character is the villain, Justin! I guess I just have hope it gets better with them because I really enjoy the story.
August 13, 2014
Laurie has taken the conventions of a YA paranormal romance and turned them on their heads. Unclaimed is a fun, unique read with admirable characters and a dynamic storyline. I was easily carried away with Maddy and MJ’s story without hesitation or critical thoughts. Laurie made it so easy and interesting to get to know both main characters with the rotating first-person POV. I fell in love with the characters even as I gasped and despaired (and even yelled a bit) at the situations they found themselves in. This story is unpredictable in the best kind of way. I literally raced to the end and couldn't put it down. I’m impatiently excited for the release of book two—I want more Maddy and MJ!
August 11, 2014
I read this book in one sitting. I was looking for something fun and light. I got burned out on the paranormal romance thing with Twilight, but this book takes really cool traditional para tropes (angels, regular girl who is secretly super *special*, etc), and puts it in a fun, easy-to-read package.
I think the best part about this book is the structure. Really short chapters coupled with rotative POV means that I felt really close to both the hero and the heroine, and I kept getting sucked in chapter after chapter even though I told myself I was going to stop and take a break. This book moves FAST and is probably the best one I've scene covering the whole angels/demons trend right now.
I think the best part about this book is the structure. Really short chapters coupled with rotative POV means that I felt really close to both the hero and the heroine, and I kept getting sucked in chapter after chapter even though I told myself I was going to stop and take a break. This book moves FAST and is probably the best one I've scene covering the whole angels/demons trend right now.
April 28, 2017
The Bewitched Reader: Unclaimed (Unclaimed #1) by Laurie Wetzel
Maddy Page believes she is just another girl, a little bellow average that interests no one. Even though she sees herself that way, at night she is everything but common. Every night she dreams of being inside other girl's body and lets her take the lead while she experiences her life.
One day Maddy meets MJ and he is completely different from any guy she's ever met before. She soon finds herself confiding in him and starts to feel something she has ever only experienced in her dreams.
When Maddy sees MJ disappear and reappear in thin air she starts suspecting something else is going on. She doesn't really know him! He could be dangerous or want to hurt someone. She is determined to find out what he is so she does not run, she keeps trailing him. Because of her curiosity, Maggie ends up finding a reality she had never even imagined.
I actually loved following Maddy and MJ on their adventure. I really love mystical and magical stories that take a little bit of our world and turn it into something else. Something magical and fulfilling to read.
The love aspect of this story is not tiring and too "mushy" but still makes your heart beat faster and makes you wish to read what is coming. The characters actually evolve and change during the story and you actually feel they are real people, not some made up beings that are walking around.
There are many elements that make it easier to believe that this might happen, in an alternate world, a little bit similar to ours. I don't know if I would like to live in a world with so many problems (maybe even more than ours) but I actually find it fascinating.
This is a great book for all fantasy lovers out there. If you read Cassandra Clare's, Lauren Kate's and Becca Fitzpatrick's books I believe you'll love this kind of story.
The Bewitched Reader: Unclaimed (Unclaimed #1) by Laurie Wetzel
Maddy Page believes she is just another girl, a little bellow average that interests no one. Even though she sees herself that way, at night she is everything but common. Every night she dreams of being inside other girl's body and lets her take the lead while she experiences her life.
One day Maddy meets MJ and he is completely different from any guy she's ever met before. She soon finds herself confiding in him and starts to feel something she has ever only experienced in her dreams.
When Maddy sees MJ disappear and reappear in thin air she starts suspecting something else is going on. She doesn't really know him! He could be dangerous or want to hurt someone. She is determined to find out what he is so she does not run, she keeps trailing him. Because of her curiosity, Maggie ends up finding a reality she had never even imagined.
I actually loved following Maddy and MJ on their adventure. I really love mystical and magical stories that take a little bit of our world and turn it into something else. Something magical and fulfilling to read.
The love aspect of this story is not tiring and too "mushy" but still makes your heart beat faster and makes you wish to read what is coming. The characters actually evolve and change during the story and you actually feel they are real people, not some made up beings that are walking around.
There are many elements that make it easier to believe that this might happen, in an alternate world, a little bit similar to ours. I don't know if I would like to live in a world with so many problems (maybe even more than ours) but I actually find it fascinating.
This is a great book for all fantasy lovers out there. If you read Cassandra Clare's, Lauren Kate's and Becca Fitzpatrick's books I believe you'll love this kind of story.
The Bewitched Reader: Unclaimed (Unclaimed #1) by Laurie Wetzel
May 18, 2015
In exchange for getting this book for free I agreed to give an honest review and I will try my best=) Be warned, there might be some spoilers..!
First of all (sorry for the ranting to come): For the love of ....! I've read 470-something pages and I still wonder; WHAT is she?! There is such a build up around what the main character is through the whole book and in stead of FINALLy getting the answer, you get a "please continue to the next book to (maybe) get the answers"...bah! Leaving some questions unanswered is great when writing a series, but in this story there is so many questions already, we could at least have gotten the answer to the biggest one. Just to give some examples: Who/what were her parents, why are they dead? Why is Maddy so important? Who is Elisabeth and Damien really? What's the story with the guardian angel? If this aren't enough questions to build a follow up on, I don't know what is.
Triangle dramas has been quite popular for some time so no surprise that this book had one as well. I liked the fact that it was enhanced to the extremes; super good and evil, Heaven and hell and the neutral, unclaimed girl. Giving the bad guy some depths is also good, and especially the promise of him maybe work to "save" her from someone even worse than himself.
It is always interesting to see how authors choose to approach the "heaven/hell" subject and how they tell the story around it. This book gave some explanations about the frame around this story, but much is still left untold, and if you are a slightly curious person (like me) you'll be tempted to read the next book just to find out the rest.
The book is a bit long, and felt longer than it is because of me feeling like a question mark through at least the 100 first pages, since almost nothing was explained during those pages, just hinted at. It is part of what made me able to put this book down and stop reading for several days, in stead of devouring it right away. That made me forget things I'd read last time I picked up the book and unfortunately because of that I didn't manage to loose myself in the story.
A big pluss and something that got my smile out was the referance to Norway, what can I say; I love my country!:P
Was it the best book I've ever read? No, not even top 10, but it was definetly down my alley and I enjoyed it a lot. I might be frustrated by some of the questions, but to some degree I liked the book because of all the questions popping up throughout the book. I will most likely read the next book, I'm too curious not to!
First of all (sorry for the ranting to come): For the love of ....! I've read 470-something pages and I still wonder; WHAT is she?! There is such a build up around what the main character is through the whole book and in stead of FINALLy getting the answer, you get a "please continue to the next book to (maybe) get the answers"...bah! Leaving some questions unanswered is great when writing a series, but in this story there is so many questions already, we could at least have gotten the answer to the biggest one. Just to give some examples: Who/what were her parents, why are they dead? Why is Maddy so important? Who is Elisabeth and Damien really? What's the story with the guardian angel? If this aren't enough questions to build a follow up on, I don't know what is.
Triangle dramas has been quite popular for some time so no surprise that this book had one as well. I liked the fact that it was enhanced to the extremes; super good and evil, Heaven and hell and the neutral, unclaimed girl. Giving the bad guy some depths is also good, and especially the promise of him maybe work to "save" her from someone even worse than himself.
It is always interesting to see how authors choose to approach the "heaven/hell" subject and how they tell the story around it. This book gave some explanations about the frame around this story, but much is still left untold, and if you are a slightly curious person (like me) you'll be tempted to read the next book just to find out the rest.
The book is a bit long, and felt longer than it is because of me feeling like a question mark through at least the 100 first pages, since almost nothing was explained during those pages, just hinted at. It is part of what made me able to put this book down and stop reading for several days, in stead of devouring it right away. That made me forget things I'd read last time I picked up the book and unfortunately because of that I didn't manage to loose myself in the story.
A big pluss and something that got my smile out was the referance to Norway, what can I say; I love my country!:P
Was it the best book I've ever read? No, not even top 10, but it was definetly down my alley and I enjoyed it a lot. I might be frustrated by some of the questions, but to some degree I liked the book because of all the questions popping up throughout the book. I will most likely read the next book, I'm too curious not to!
July 29, 2015
Thank you Sheldon for totally nailed my reaction after reading this book. I’m in a fangirling mode right now and still can’t turn that off.
“I feel as if I were Alice, falling down the rabbit hole into a world of nonsense and make-believe. Her story ended with it all being a dream. I don’t think I’ll get that lucky.”
Maddy is different, or I would prefer, special. She’s good at everything, literally everything that she wanted to be good at, and has dreams that are way too vivid to just be dreams. However, after the secret that was revealed to her by her uncle years ago, she closed herself up. She believed she was unloved and never let anyone be so close to her heart. Until MJ… For me, Maddy is a very brave girl. She might not be those badass heroines that make people (or more specific, me) look up with awe (since I’m pretty sure I’m shorter than all of them), and quite pessimistic sometimes, but she is definitely brave and care for others.
When MJ, a Protector, came to Maddy’s town on an assignment, he mistook her for his charge Amber, and fell for her. And did I mention he is an angel, a freaking ANGEL?!? I’m totally swooning over him right now. Supernatural being? Check. You-are-my-eveything kind of guy? Check. Mystery? Check. I love the fact that, despite he is an angel, he gives out a vibes of imperfection, which makes him even more amazing. Hold your seat, and you will expect to see a lot of heart-throbbing and also super hilarious scenes wherever our dear MJ go.
Unclaimed is a great book, a really good one. Laurie Wetzel really knows how to capture we readers with all the mysteries tangled and woven in each other. I love the duo POV between Maddy and MJ, which give us a big hole to peek in our two protagonists’ mind. The character development is absolutely amazing and beautifully written. And the twist, oh, it was so perfect. The plot seems to tell you to turn right, but then the twist will drag you back and push you to the left. This book is an amazing page-turner and will make you wonder restlessly what will happen next. Highly recommend it!
Read this review and more on Book Is Glee
June 29, 2015
I actually bought this book because I signed up to read the second book in this series and found that there was just too much I was missing to really lose myself in the story. This first book was a fun read. The story isn't too unique. There are several books, especially lately, that fall in to the paranormal romance genre. Vampire, werewolves, angles. There is only so much an author can do to make the story unique when writing in this genre. That being said I have to admit that I am a sucker for these stories and even though this story isn't unique it is still a great read.
I loved most of the characters. They were very relatable. My favorite is definitely MJ. What girl isn't a sucker for an amazing guy? Especially one that always knows the right things to say and continually saves the love of his life. Despite liking the characters I did have a bit of a hard time dealing with Maddy. She is always down on herself and always thinks the worst. I understand teen angst, I really do, but hers was a bit over the top. She finds a great guy...she hates on herself, she finds out she is special...she hates on herself, etc. The only time she isn't hating on herself is when she is physically touching MJ because he has the power to fill her with peace, but the second he lets go the self hate begins again. While I get the need for it as part of the plot (don't want to give away too much) but I just wish that Maddy wasn't so negative. Maybe once I read book two I will understand a little better and it won't bug me as much.
The author does a great job with building the mystery around Maddy. She has several protectors that keep an eye on her and try to hide her from both Heaven and Hell. Both sides would love to control her powers. What are you supposed to do when both sides will do her harm? I love that the side that is supposed to be inherently good isn't able to be trusted. After all Lucifer began in Heaven only to fall because of his desires. What is to stop others from following in his footsteps? Luckily Maddy is unknowingly surrounded by beings trying to protect her, even if they aren't traditionally the 'good guys'. The problem is that there are always questions surrounding the motives of these protectors. Hopefully they are just wanting to be there for Maddy and hopefully the second book will answers these and many other questions.
I loved most of the characters. They were very relatable. My favorite is definitely MJ. What girl isn't a sucker for an amazing guy? Especially one that always knows the right things to say and continually saves the love of his life. Despite liking the characters I did have a bit of a hard time dealing with Maddy. She is always down on herself and always thinks the worst. I understand teen angst, I really do, but hers was a bit over the top. She finds a great guy...she hates on herself, she finds out she is special...she hates on herself, etc. The only time she isn't hating on herself is when she is physically touching MJ because he has the power to fill her with peace, but the second he lets go the self hate begins again. While I get the need for it as part of the plot (don't want to give away too much) but I just wish that Maddy wasn't so negative. Maybe once I read book two I will understand a little better and it won't bug me as much.
The author does a great job with building the mystery around Maddy. She has several protectors that keep an eye on her and try to hide her from both Heaven and Hell. Both sides would love to control her powers. What are you supposed to do when both sides will do her harm? I love that the side that is supposed to be inherently good isn't able to be trusted. After all Lucifer began in Heaven only to fall because of his desires. What is to stop others from following in his footsteps? Luckily Maddy is unknowingly surrounded by beings trying to protect her, even if they aren't traditionally the 'good guys'. The problem is that there are always questions surrounding the motives of these protectors. Hopefully they are just wanting to be there for Maddy and hopefully the second book will answers these and many other questions.
August 19, 2014
"I'm unlovable. Even my birth parents didn't want me."
This is in dual POV of Maddy and MJ. Maddy has had dreams all her life and always felt different from her family till one day a few years ago, the truth came out. That day changed not only her life but the way she looked at the world itself. Maddy Page only dreams of love since in real life she believes she is unlovable.
Maddy then runs into some trouble and meets MJ, the mysterious person who has supernatural abilities she cannot explain. The day she runs into MJ is also when her dreams change, more secrets are revealed but she is tries to uncover the truth, danger comes her way. There is a lot of suspense and supernatural but I don't want to give anything away. Just read it and create your own imagination.
"A kiss is much more complicated than dancing. Kisses are the basis for every tragic love story. If I kiss him...I'll be hooked. I can't allow myself to fall for him, to fall for a nameless mystery."
The author will pull you into each page with Maddy as she goes through every emotional feeling. I felt the true heart break on each page and I also felt my heart skip a beat Maddys and MJs love for one another. This does end in cliffhanger and will get the next book in 2015. I recommend you watch and listen to Laurie Wetzel's video on her page as well. I truly commend this author on her debut album. I will create teasers for the blog tour later.
I received this ARC as a gift from the author in exchange for an honest review and for a blog tour. YA Paranormal is one of my favorite genres because it is an escape from not only the real world but also to use your imagination.
July 12, 2015
Firstly I would like to thank the lovely author and NetGalley for kindly providing me with a copy of "Unclaimed" to read and review.
This will be my first time reading this author's work, but she certainly knows how to hook a reader from the very beginning, making us the readers craving more and more
I can only imagine how and what Maddy is going through when she learns the truth of her parents, the truth that the family she lives with and loves, isn't actually her blood family....
Having distancing herself and her heart from those who are truly there to support and love her, won#t go down well and Maddy will lose her support when she truly needs it the most.
Having lived with a little voice in her head and vivid and sometimes daunting dreams plaguing her mind, Maddy must find out her true heritage, she is unbelievably unique, she's a strong yet weak character, who only wants to be loved, by those around her
Then we get to meet the heavenly handsome MJ and we can tell from the very moment we lay our eyes on him that this guy is not the normal person that we see in our everyday lives. He is something else.... and is here for one reason and one reason only....but will all that matter when he meets the luscious Maddy?
There is a lot of suspense and supernatural things going on, but I don't want to give anything away. Just be sure to read it and create your own imagination.
Unclaimed has a lot of twists and turns, mystery and intrigue, but be warned, there's a lot of things that need to be explained and understood, and you won't get everything immediately.
This will be my first time reading this author's work, but she certainly knows how to hook a reader from the very beginning, making us the readers craving more and more
"I feel as if I were Alice, falling down the rabbit hole into a world of nonsense and make-believe. Her story ended with it all being a dream. I don't think I'll get that lucky."
I can only imagine how and what Maddy is going through when she learns the truth of her parents, the truth that the family she lives with and loves, isn't actually her blood family....
Having distancing herself and her heart from those who are truly there to support and love her, won#t go down well and Maddy will lose her support when she truly needs it the most.
Having lived with a little voice in her head and vivid and sometimes daunting dreams plaguing her mind, Maddy must find out her true heritage, she is unbelievably unique, she's a strong yet weak character, who only wants to be loved, by those around her
Then we get to meet the heavenly handsome MJ and we can tell from the very moment we lay our eyes on him that this guy is not the normal person that we see in our everyday lives. He is something else.... and is here for one reason and one reason only....but will all that matter when he meets the luscious Maddy?
There is a lot of suspense and supernatural things going on, but I don't want to give anything away. Just be sure to read it and create your own imagination.
Unclaimed has a lot of twists and turns, mystery and intrigue, but be warned, there's a lot of things that need to be explained and understood, and you won't get everything immediately.
August 12, 2015
I really liked this book. This book has lots of twists and turns. There is love, romance, danger, angels, and demons in this book. MJ is a protector class angel and he is on his detail before he is reborn. In fact he is the original protector. Maddie is a sad, mad, confused girl. She learned 3 years ago that she was adopted and since then she has almost completely withdrawn from life. MJ finds her running in the park and mistakes her for his charge. He makes the mistake of telling that she is danger and someone wants to kill her and using some of his angel abilities in front of her. Once Maddie lets him know that he isn’t who she thinks he is he tries to erase her memory using another angel ability. This is when MJ starts to learn things about Maddie and her whole life begins to change. Maddie has always felt that she is different from everyone in her family but she is going to learn she is different from everyone on earth as well as heaven and hell. People from both sides are trying to help her and protect her. She must learn to overcome lots of things in the future for she is destined to change everything. I loved this book and have read it before and just didn’t realize it until I began to read for the blog tour, but I loved it so much the first time I read it again. Maddie goes through so much and I felt so bad for at times. So just can’t catch a break. MJ wants to help and protect her but with both of them keeping so many secrets it isn’t easy. There are others who want Maddie for their own reasons, MJ loves Maddie and wants her for just who she is not what she can get him. I can’t say enough about this book and can’t wait to read the next one. This book has a great story that is wonderfully written. The characters are engaging and have depth. They pull you into the story.
I was given this book in return for an honest review.
I was given this book in return for an honest review.
June 29, 2015
Maddy realized at a young age she was different. She excelled at everything she put her effort in. At age thirteen, her uncle disclosed a
secret to her which caused her to withdraw and put up walls. She was miserable. Now in her sixteenth year of age, a jerk, Justin, is further
complicating her life! Can life get any worse? Yes!
BJ is sent to assist Amber. However the uncanny resemblance of Maddy and Amber causes him to come to the aid of the wrong girl! He tries
to correct it but through a series of events he is captivated by Maddy. Who needs him more? Much mystery and uniqueness follows Maddy.
Maddy has experienced a romantic, intriguing dream for years. Lately the dream is changing. Unusual things are happening. She finds herself
caught up in a life between reality and fantasy.What is going on? Why are these things happening to her?
The adventure, drama. romance, mystery, action and intrigue will keep your interest from the first page to the last, and leave you eager for more!
The characters are very-well developed and feel real. The situations a cleverly worded so you will feel as though you are there! The views of Maddy, Justin an BJ smoothly flow from one scene to another. The Book Title and Cover are done very well and fits the story.
You will be eager to delve into the newly released sequel 'Ignite' to continue the suspense, romance and action!
secret to her which caused her to withdraw and put up walls. She was miserable. Now in her sixteenth year of age, a jerk, Justin, is further
complicating her life! Can life get any worse? Yes!
BJ is sent to assist Amber. However the uncanny resemblance of Maddy and Amber causes him to come to the aid of the wrong girl! He tries
to correct it but through a series of events he is captivated by Maddy. Who needs him more? Much mystery and uniqueness follows Maddy.
Maddy has experienced a romantic, intriguing dream for years. Lately the dream is changing. Unusual things are happening. She finds herself
caught up in a life between reality and fantasy.What is going on? Why are these things happening to her?
The adventure, drama. romance, mystery, action and intrigue will keep your interest from the first page to the last, and leave you eager for more!
The characters are very-well developed and feel real. The situations a cleverly worded so you will feel as though you are there! The views of Maddy, Justin an BJ smoothly flow from one scene to another. The Book Title and Cover are done very well and fits the story.
You will be eager to delve into the newly released sequel 'Ignite' to continue the suspense, romance and action!
July 23, 2015
I am so glad that I came across this book. I loved the suspense that this book had, and the mix of romance, thriller and sci-fi. I was so enthralled in this book that I finished it in just a few days!
Maddy was a relatable character for me. Even though she dealt with situations that I would never encounter, I felt she was a very well written, complex character that I could connect with.
I haven’t been much of a sci-fi reader, but this book had me hooked and makes me want to read more sci-fi books. Although the romance involved was important to the story line, I found myself reading quickly when the more action-packed, mystery, and sci-fi parts came into play. As I said, the romance was important to the storyline, but I just found myself being frustrated with Maddy in certain situations. Although, Maddy’s frustration about the romance is displayed in the books which made it a more complex/less frustrating situation to read about.
If you love YA romance/sci-fi, I would definitely recommend this book. I am so happy I had the chance to read it, and I can’t wait for the remainder of the series!
Maddy was a relatable character for me. Even though she dealt with situations that I would never encounter, I felt she was a very well written, complex character that I could connect with.
I haven’t been much of a sci-fi reader, but this book had me hooked and makes me want to read more sci-fi books. Although the romance involved was important to the story line, I found myself reading quickly when the more action-packed, mystery, and sci-fi parts came into play. As I said, the romance was important to the storyline, but I just found myself being frustrated with Maddy in certain situations. Although, Maddy’s frustration about the romance is displayed in the books which made it a more complex/less frustrating situation to read about.
If you love YA romance/sci-fi, I would definitely recommend this book. I am so happy I had the chance to read it, and I can’t wait for the remainder of the series!
August 16, 2015
Maddy is different, she's special, and the only person who doesn't seem to know that fact is her. Ever since she learned a secret about her past, she's questioned everything about her life. What is love? Who loves her? Can she feel love? She questions her family's love of her, and she holds back when she's amongst her friends. Everything she does feels as though it's an act that she has to keep up, and when she meets a handsome stranger, her life takes an unexpected turn.
MJ is a mystery to her, and he only reveals himself to her by accident. Through this accident Maddy starts to think maybe he's not quite the handsome stranger she thinks he is, maybe he's something else entirely, maybe he isn't human. That's when a series of events starts to unfold and Maddy's uncomplicated life takes a turn.
If you like supernatural romance books, then this one definitely delivers. I thought it had just the right amount of action/twists and turns, as well as a good amount of lovey dovey thrown into the mix.
MJ is a mystery to her, and he only reveals himself to her by accident. Through this accident Maddy starts to think maybe he's not quite the handsome stranger she thinks he is, maybe he's something else entirely, maybe he isn't human. That's when a series of events starts to unfold and Maddy's uncomplicated life takes a turn.
If you like supernatural romance books, then this one definitely delivers. I thought it had just the right amount of action/twists and turns, as well as a good amount of lovey dovey thrown into the mix.
September 13, 2014
Fantastic! Loved all the characters, and hooked right from the beginning. I went into this book without reading what it was about, so I went in blind. But by the 2nd chapter, she had me! Trying to piece together the puzzle of this twisty captivating story, it was kind of fantastic to not know what to expect, kind of like Maddy. I love MJ! He is so wonderful, definite book boyfriend material right there! But I still have so many guesses to so many unanswered questions and who's who and who's what, leaving me anxiously waiting for book 2. Never a dull moment and any time I wasn't reading, I just wanted to come back and find out what was gonna happen! Great debut novel!! I will definitely be back for more!
June 2, 2015
I liked this a lot more than I thought I would. The description is the most generic thing ever (also I would say inaccurate) so I wasn't expecting much. I was pleasantly surprised. Wetzel's world-building is really interesting. I wish it had been expanded upon a little more, though. The climax did have me on the edge of my seat so I'll probably be picking up the sequel.
August 5, 2015
What is evil? what is good? when the lines are blurred and the truth is revealed what happens next. I loved this book and the angel demons subject is one of most favorites books to read and this is one of my top 10 favorite books I've read so far. Can't wait to read ignite and see what happens next.
August 9, 2015
This is my first go at a Paranormal book and I must say I was pleasantly surprised that I liked it so much. I loved the characters and thought they were all very well written. This book has left me wanting to read more because of the suspense and when you think you will know what will happen next you get blown away by it being completely different.
September 7, 2014
I won this book in a giveaway, and I have to say it was AMAZING!!! I could not put it down, and I really loved the plot and the characters. I will speak for everyone, when I say we can't wait any longer for the second book!
May 7, 2018
Hmm...where to start....
I added this book to my TBR ages ago....I think I discovered it through a giveaway. Promptly forgot about it...and was only reminded of it again when I saw it sitting (in basically mint condition) on the shelves of a library. I took a look at the blurb on the back, and to be honest....I was a bit...disappointed? It sounded kinda cliche and...trivial, but I remembered having high expectations and hopes for this when I first saw it ages ago...so....I took a chance, and borrowed it!
The book started out decently enough. And throughout the rest of the book, I found myself enjoying it quite a bit! And especially the last...third-ish of the book. There's this darker side of me that enjoys it when bad characters are getting their way...it's....PLEASING to read about. But then the hero had to come save the day again....
Oh wells. It was still nice to see the bad guy have some more fun for a change!
I don't really have many complaints about this book, actually. At least...nothing to do with the content of it. Solid 3 stars.
The one complaint I do have though...is the thickness of the book and...I had difficulty holding it comfortably! Probably just me, my hands are....small and awkwardly sized, but with such a thick book and thick pages....eep. Speaking of thick pages....I liked that the pages were thick, they were so nice to flip through....but it also gave me some issues. I often found myself trying to pry apart a page...thinking they were two.....
Anyways! Back to the actual content of the book? We got narrations from both Maddy and MJ...but...we got a lot more of Maddy than we did MJ? Which is a shame...because I enjoyed reading MJ's thoughts. I also found Maddy's personality to be a bit...annoying sometimes? Being headstrong is good, but only to a certain extent!
Can't wait for the next book! Squee!
I added this book to my TBR ages ago....I think I discovered it through a giveaway. Promptly forgot about it...and was only reminded of it again when I saw it sitting (in basically mint condition) on the shelves of a library. I took a look at the blurb on the back, and to be honest....I was a bit...disappointed? It sounded kinda cliche and...trivial, but I remembered having high expectations and hopes for this when I first saw it ages ago...so....I took a chance, and borrowed it!
The book started out decently enough. And throughout the rest of the book, I found myself enjoying it quite a bit! And especially the last...third-ish of the book. There's this darker side of me that enjoys it when bad characters are getting their way...it's....PLEASING to read about. But then the hero had to come save the day again....
Oh wells. It was still nice to see the bad guy have some more fun for a change!
I don't really have many complaints about this book, actually. At least...nothing to do with the content of it. Solid 3 stars.
The one complaint I do have though...is the thickness of the book and...I had difficulty holding it comfortably! Probably just me, my hands are....small and awkwardly sized, but with such a thick book and thick pages....eep. Speaking of thick pages....I liked that the pages were thick, they were so nice to flip through....but it also gave me some issues. I often found myself trying to pry apart a page...thinking they were two.....
Anyways! Back to the actual content of the book? We got narrations from both Maddy and MJ...but...we got a lot more of Maddy than we did MJ? Which is a shame...because I enjoyed reading MJ's thoughts. I also found Maddy's personality to be a bit...annoying sometimes? Being headstrong is good, but only to a certain extent!
Can't wait for the next book! Squee!
March 27, 2017
I have never read a book that avoided plot quite like Unclaimed. I kid you not, it takes approximately 400 pages to really get the main story going. Prior to that it's all classic, young adult themed "character building." There's an entire chapter when the special snowflake main character Maddy and her soon to be angel boyfriend MJ (who is the saving grace of this story, no pun intended) go BOWLING. Not that it couldn't contribute to the plot, but this outing happens in spite of the plot. 20 pages spent literally avoiding what needs to be done. Listen, I remember being a teenage girl. I remember how hard it is to be honest with yourself. But Jesus Christ, when you've got angels and demons coming at you left and right, you've got to pull your shit together!
Also, you know that phrase in writing, "show, don't tell?" This book is a great example of an author doing the exact opposite; telling you everything, not showing it. The story suffers throughout because there is no real suspense. As soon as the reader is introduced to a new mystery, the perspective changes from Maddy to MJ, or from MJ to Maddy, and our questions get answered seemingly right away. This book could have been so good had the author chosen one POV character and just stuck with them. But no. That would have been too hard. So instead of a great thriller, the reader is given hundreds of pages of exposition so they don't get lost or confused within the greater world that the author is trying to build.
Having said all of this, I love the Unclaimed series. It is that perfect level of being so terribly bad, it's good. Definitely a guilty pleasure.
Also, you know that phrase in writing, "show, don't tell?" This book is a great example of an author doing the exact opposite; telling you everything, not showing it. The story suffers throughout because there is no real suspense. As soon as the reader is introduced to a new mystery, the perspective changes from Maddy to MJ, or from MJ to Maddy, and our questions get answered seemingly right away. This book could have been so good had the author chosen one POV character and just stuck with them. But no. That would have been too hard. So instead of a great thriller, the reader is given hundreds of pages of exposition so they don't get lost or confused within the greater world that the author is trying to build.
Having said all of this, I love the Unclaimed series. It is that perfect level of being so terribly bad, it's good. Definitely a guilty pleasure.
May 20, 2017
I received this book from a giveaway in a group that I'm a member of last year and it's been sitting on my bookshelf, waiting for me to have time to read it. I was looking forward to reading it, too. However, I was disappointed in it. I did not make it past one hundred pages (and I did honestly want to finish it).
The storyline overall is good. I liked the plot and I thought that it had potential whenever I started it. However, the farther I got, the less I liked it. I did not care for the characters of MJ and Maddy. Honestly? Justin was my favorite and I was disappointed that he was only in the first one hundred pages for a brief period of time (I did skim ahead and see that he was in it later).
I think part of the reason I disliked it is because I'm a little too old to be reading it. If I were a thirteen year old, I probably would have absolutely loved it.
Maybe it doesn't deserve a one star review, but I didn't think it was right to rate it higher than that considering that I didn't finish. I might return to it later, but most likely I will not.
I do want to say thank you to the author for the book. I tried to finish. I honestly did. I just couldn't. Thank you.
The storyline overall is good. I liked the plot and I thought that it had potential whenever I started it. However, the farther I got, the less I liked it. I did not care for the characters of MJ and Maddy. Honestly? Justin was my favorite and I was disappointed that he was only in the first one hundred pages for a brief period of time (I did skim ahead and see that he was in it later).
I think part of the reason I disliked it is because I'm a little too old to be reading it. If I were a thirteen year old, I probably would have absolutely loved it.
Maybe it doesn't deserve a one star review, but I didn't think it was right to rate it higher than that considering that I didn't finish. I might return to it later, but most likely I will not.
I do want to say thank you to the author for the book. I tried to finish. I honestly did. I just couldn't. Thank you.
May 25, 2024
The best way to describe this book is like eating a burger that is all bun and once you actually get to the meat is just uncooked and freezer burnt.
I was given this book from a friend a few years ago to read, and I finally decided to give a shot. And to say the least it was tedious to complete. The characters' motives are shallow and don't hold weight, along with their rather flat personalities dulling the experience.
The plot wasn't a slow burn, it was molasses. There was a lot of redundancy and filler that didn't add to the story. Regarding the plot, it needs more high risk stakes and more impactful character interactions/developments.
Additionally, the setting of this book was in Mankato, MN. Which is an actual town that I'm familiar with, so it was hard to buy into the fictional spin on it. Others, who are not familiar with the IRL town likely would not find this an issue.
I will say, I did finish the book. For the first publication from the author, it's a start. As most of the critiques will likely be remedied with more experience. Therefore, I find that 3/5 stars is an appropriate rating.
I was given this book from a friend a few years ago to read, and I finally decided to give a shot. And to say the least it was tedious to complete. The characters' motives are shallow and don't hold weight, along with their rather flat personalities dulling the experience.
The plot wasn't a slow burn, it was molasses. There was a lot of redundancy and filler that didn't add to the story. Regarding the plot, it needs more high risk stakes and more impactful character interactions/developments.
Additionally, the setting of this book was in Mankato, MN. Which is an actual town that I'm familiar with, so it was hard to buy into the fictional spin on it. Others, who are not familiar with the IRL town likely would not find this an issue.
I will say, I did finish the book. For the first publication from the author, it's a start. As most of the critiques will likely be remedied with more experience. Therefore, I find that 3/5 stars is an appropriate rating.
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