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They call it a boost.
It’s the buzz you get from absorbing the spiritual-energy of the dead, and it absolutely terrifies Lidia Powell.
Shortly after meeting Ander at summer camp, Lidia is thrust into the world of psychic mediums and brought to a new school. At Mountain Heights Academy, even a casual pizza date is accompanied by a ghost, and only a frightened uberdork would refuse the boost. To Lidia, the peer pressure to absorb phantom apparitions is horrifying, but to everyone else, it's the drug of choice.
However, when one of the students delves into dark energy, Lidia suspects that a boost isn’t as innocent as it seems. Soon, the boost becomes an addiction and Lidia must act fast before the changes become irreversible.
It’s the buzz you get from absorbing the spiritual-energy of the dead, and it absolutely terrifies Lidia Powell.
Shortly after meeting Ander at summer camp, Lidia is thrust into the world of psychic mediums and brought to a new school. At Mountain Heights Academy, even a casual pizza date is accompanied by a ghost, and only a frightened uberdork would refuse the boost. To Lidia, the peer pressure to absorb phantom apparitions is horrifying, but to everyone else, it's the drug of choice.
However, when one of the students delves into dark energy, Lidia suspects that a boost isn’t as innocent as it seems. Soon, the boost becomes an addiction and Lidia must act fast before the changes become irreversible.
335 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2015
776 people want to read
About the author
D.A. Paul
1 book36 followersSince graduating from the University of Washington in 2014, Desiree has tried adhering to a more “adult” lifestyle. It didn’t work out. Undisturbed by her aversion to domestic and professional work, she has decided to pursue a more creative career and become a writer instead. Her first young adult novel, BOOST, will be available for purchase fall 2015.
danastasiap@hotmail.com
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
August 13, 2018
Review to be posted on my channel soon! I absolutely loved this book. It was a great supernatural story and was a fast read. It went in a lot of different directions that I didn't expect and I have very few problems with it. Keep an eye out for my review on my YouTube channel "https://youtube.com/user/emmmabooks
I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
August 19, 2015
ARC received from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Boost by D.A. Paul is probably best described as a mix of Ghostbusters, and Vampire Academy. The main character, Lidia, is a teenage girl (I'm assuming around 16? The age was never really given or I missed it somehow) who gets entangled into a world of ghosts, spirits, and demons.
She never wanted this life in the first place, never knew about it to be honest, and she wants to go home and live a normal life with her dysfunctional family. It's all a bit too much for her, getting whisked off away from her charming, normal boyfriend to go live in the mountains with a bunch of other teenagers who add high school drama to her already messed up world.
I was initially pretty skeptical and not for any logical reasons. Everybody in their life has that one person who you would rather chew your foot off than have to interact with them again for any amount of time. That one person, for me, is a girl named Lydia so every time I read about this main character, I remembered her. But, I got past that and was pleasantly surprised.
Okay, so I don't do most high school drama type books. I have never really liked them because I keep thinking "Shouldn't they be worrying about their grades and getting into college instead of who is dating who?" My high school was a bit weird, I only graduated with 55 people and we couldn't really have that much drama because it was impossible to have secrets in the first place. Whatever grudges we had (and there were some, no doubt) we kept them to ourselves. You were stuck with them anyways and how else were we going to get a senior prank together? That being said, sometimes I just can't relate to the mean girls and backstabbing that goes on in some YA books. My reference for normal high school life comes from old school Nickelodeon.
Odd note: if you google "high school drama gif" it's all Ouran High School Host Club and that makes me really happy.
But anyways, Lidia ends up moving away from her boyfriend Ethan and basically being stranded in the middle of nowhere in the weirdest private school ever with his best friend who is not only a flirt but also terribly attractive. Because that's going to go well. Lidia has to learn how to deal with being away from the stability in her life while trying to figure out how to deal with the ghosties that keep cropping up in her life.
My appreciation for Lidia sort of waxed and waned throughout the book. I enjoyed the fact that she didn't feel the need to dress up when Ethan came by and rejected her mother's pleas to "look a bit cuter". My mother, to this day, still does the same thing. I went to church without lipstick and blush a few weeks ago and you would think I walked out of the house naked. We all know those mothers and I liked that this girl actually stood up for herself a bit. I didn't like the body shaming or the trash talking though. I know it was a few isolated incidents but wanted a girl to be smothered with her "overly large breasts" just rubbed me the wrong way. It's not the girl's fault that she is well endowed.
Also, the vegan part.
Or semi-vegan. I get that some people do it for health, philosophical, and/or taste preference reasons and I completely respect that. What I don't like is when people call themselves vegan and then eat cheese and dairy saying that they couldn't resist the temptation. I don't care if an author makes a vegan character but PLEASE stop using it as a descriptor as if her diet dictates who she is as a person.
I got it.
She ate waffles for breakfast (which are made with milk by the way) and tried to avoid meat because it made her feel weird after something with her grandmother but it felt like it was every other sentence. Lidia was closer to a semi-vegetarian than a vegan and that really bothered me. It felt like it cheapened the point of her trying to be vegan.
Moving on from that, I actually really liked Ander for the most part. He's not a good boy and he's not a bad boy but somewhere in the middle. Lidia asked for him to leave her alone and he did so. He knew she was pissed off and he tried to protect her without being obvious about it. He respected the fact that Lidia was dating his best friend and respected her boundaries. He was flirty without being a jerk and there were no cringe inducing lines that you sometimes find in YA.
The idea of getting high off spirit energy is pretty unique and that was what held the book together for me. Getting a "boost" (hence the name) is literally like getting a tiny shot of adrenaline. It makes sense. Spirits = Energy. Energy = Endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people don't get into as much drama as angsty kids.
But despite all of the good, interesting things in this book, there were some major flaws that didn't work for me.
It felt like the stereotypical high school set up, that I'm starting to get really sick of seeing. We had the curvy sexy bitch girl. Check. We have the popular cool guy. Check. We have the awkward couple that everybody is slightly concerned about. Check. We have the guy with the lip rings. Check.
It just seemed like there was a formula there and nobody really stood out. Lidia was beautiful and random guys developed crushes on her and she not only had a sort of boyfriend but also had Ander and every other guy that looked at her. Give me a girl main character who is confident in herself but doesn't have boys wandering around her like cows off their feed. I want strong girls who have insecurities but are honest with themselves.
Building on that was the sex. They are teenagers at boarding school. They're going to get it on. But it felt out of place if we're going to be honest. There was very little sexual tension for me because it was treated so casually. I think that if they weren't all having sex with each other, the relationships might have worked better. It went from zero to a hundred real quick. Lidia was thrilled about someone's pinky touching her thigh and then they were in bed together.
It was rushed and there seemed to be little consideration for the stuff that happened between the first kiss and sex. That's not to say that it needed to be racy but it jumped around too much. There is awkwardness and deeper kisses between those things. There is more frustration and anxiety. The characters need to have more interaction with each other between those two settings other than just avoiding each other. It was a missed opportunity in that regard because there could have been more build up there.
The kids never actually seemed to be in class or at camp. They were supposed to be students and camp counselors but there was never any mention of them actually participating in any significant way. When I was at camp, the counselors were always busy and when I became in charge of 80 seven year olds for a few summers, I understood why. There is always something that needs to be done and you don't have a chance to go work on your tan. At school, there's always homework. Especially at a school that has high college acceptance rates and these kids barely seemed to go to class! I wanted a few classroom scenes but they were noticeably absent.
It just felt like parts of the book were missing. I was looking for tension. I was looking for teachers and kids getting caught out at night but it didn't seem to happen. This book could have been a hundred pages longer because it seemed like some of the descriptions and interactions had been pared down. Readers want to know what classroom life is like and what they do on their days off. Sometimes, it is good to see the characters lounging around talking shit and it just wasn't there for me.
But you know what? I probably would have really enjoyed this book in high school when I really think about it. It's a young adult book and I think it would be perfect for young adults. I wanted more from it but that might be because I like high tension and more crazy drama. I want high speed chases and hiding in the woods overnight with ghosts surrounding the main characters. The drama in this book was, I feel, suited for a particular age range and that worked well.
Review originally posted at Tara Belle Talking
August 22, 2015
This review and others here! www.reviewsofyabooks.blogspot.ca
Introduction (Goodreads synopsis)
They call it a boost.
It’s the buzz you get from absorbing the spiritual energy of the dead, and it absolutely terrifies Lidia Powell.
Shortly after meeting Ander at summer camp, Lidia is thrust into the world of psychic mediums and brought to a new school. At Mountain Heights Academy, even a casual pizza-date is accompanied by a ghost, and only a frightened uberdork would refuse the boost. To Lidia, the peer pressure to absorb phantom apparitions is horrifying, but to everyone else, it's the drug of choice.
However, when one of the students delves into dark energy, Lidia suspects that a boost isn’t as innocent as it seems. Soon, the boost becomes an addiction and Lidia must act fast before the changes become irreversible.
Cover
The cover is stunning, I like the haunting sort of vibe it gives off and I find extremely fitting for the book.
Lidia
Lidia is without a doubt my favorite protagonist I've read in a while, her personality is awesome, and she's the perfect voice to the story.
Ethan
I didn't have a problem with Lidia's boyfriend, Ethan, at all; he was a necessary character to keep the plot going, but oh dear lord if I was Lidia I would not be able to put up with him. To me he seems childish, so props to Lidia for being able to put up with him. I do admit that they make a good couple, though.
Ander
I love Ander. He's probably my favorite character overall in this book. He was so comical and I loved reading the most-of-the-time-light-hearted-rude-banter between him and Lidia. I honestly loved him from the moment he was introduced at the summer camp. I loved the relationship that he and Lidia had. It didn't seemed forced, it seemed pretty realistic especially in the way that they weren't always on the best terms, because no relationship, weather it's a friendship or romantic is perfect, and I liked how their relationship wasn't written that way. It wasn't written to be perfect.
Alex
Alex was a great character. He's not in the book as consistently as the other characters during the beginning but as the story goes on, he becomes a bigger and bigger part of the story and I loved reading his development.
Plot
The plot is so different than anything I've ever read before, and it drew me in from the very first page. I really want to stress the originality of it, especially of the concept of the "boost" itslef. I've read so many paranormal books where the protagonist is shipped off to a school for mediums, and some sort of dark magic is discovered, but the concept of "boosting" is so original and sets it apart in the best way possible from the other paranormal books I've read.
Ending
The ending is yet another thing I absolutely loved. A lot of books end with a quietness after the climax dies down, and a lot of times it's fitting, but this book ends with an uncertainty of what is going to happen next and it's aggravating in a wonderful sort of way. Even though this book isn't even published yet, I'm already aching for the sequel.
Conclusion
BOOST is hands down the best book I have read in 2015 and probably one of the best YA paranormal books I have ever read. I fell in love with everything about this book, the characters, the plot, the setting, everything. I'm probably going to recommend this to every single person I ever talk to. As I said, this book isn't even published and I desperately want more. I wouldn't really recommend this to people who are not settled nicely in the YA genre as there is mention of sex, a few steamy scenes, and some crude humor, but if you love paranormal books and are ready to be captivated by a wonderful book, this book is for you.
August 6, 2015
This is perfect for fans of Obsidian and Beautiful Disaster.
Lidia has been seeing dead people for ever since she can remember; she has learnt how to ignore the spirits that haunted her.
Summer before her junior year of high school, she joins her boyfriend as volunteers in a summer camp, where she finally meets her boyfriend's handsome best friend, Ander, and his brother, Alex.
All of a sudden, Lidia is sent to Mountain Heights Academy, one of the best schools in the country. But what she does not know, is that it's also a school special for mediums, just like her.
Boost. It's the great sensation of peacefulness and lightness you feel after absorbing a good spirit. But what happens when you absorb a bad one?
THIS BOOK IS SOOO GREAT!! I fangirled all the way through it. D.A. Paul created two amazing main characters, who are both hilarious and believable.
Ander is sassy, handsome and pretty much everything else we all want in a guy (fictional boyfriend material right here).
Lidia is hilarious and so relatable!
There's paranormalcy, romance, sassiness, mystery...romance :)
This story follows a fast-paced, page-turning, original plot, though I would have liked a bit more of detail on the secondary characters...You will seriously not be able to take your eyes off it. Trust me, I tell you firsthand, I did not get so much sleep because I wanted to keep on reading! I cannot wait for the next book to come out, this is so great!!!
I recommend this book SO MUCH!
Lidia has been seeing dead people for ever since she can remember; she has learnt how to ignore the spirits that haunted her.
Summer before her junior year of high school, she joins her boyfriend as volunteers in a summer camp, where she finally meets her boyfriend's handsome best friend, Ander, and his brother, Alex.
All of a sudden, Lidia is sent to Mountain Heights Academy, one of the best schools in the country. But what she does not know, is that it's also a school special for mediums, just like her.
Boost. It's the great sensation of peacefulness and lightness you feel after absorbing a good spirit. But what happens when you absorb a bad one?
THIS BOOK IS SOOO GREAT!! I fangirled all the way through it. D.A. Paul created two amazing main characters, who are both hilarious and believable.
Ander is sassy, handsome and pretty much everything else we all want in a guy (fictional boyfriend material right here).
Lidia is hilarious and so relatable!
There's paranormalcy, romance, sassiness, mystery...romance :)
This story follows a fast-paced, page-turning, original plot, though I would have liked a bit more of detail on the secondary characters...You will seriously not be able to take your eyes off it. Trust me, I tell you firsthand, I did not get so much sleep because I wanted to keep on reading! I cannot wait for the next book to come out, this is so great!!!
I recommend this book SO MUCH!
August 6, 2015
Really well written story. I really liked the characters and the whole idea behind the story. I liked the main character a lot and I fell in love with Ander and I wish they could have had more moments together. The only reason I won't give it a 5 is because of the whole Ethan thing. I've read a lot of books where there are love triangles, and even though this one is really well written, I simply hate a cheating girlfriend and brothers or friends fighting over a girl. However, the main story involved a lot of good stuff and I highly recommend it!
January 28, 2016
You can find this and other reviews on my blog: Mezzalilys Teen Book Reviews
Thanks to the author for sending me a copy of Boost in exchange for an honest review!
Lidia is thrust into the world of paranormal and mediums when she meets her boyfriends best friend Ander who saves her from a ghost. Soon after Lidia is attending Mountain Heights Academy where she must learn to use her powers and help others who may stray from the desired path.
I really enjoyed Boost the mix of paranormal and thriller elements really complimented each other well. I've never read a story about the absorption of the dead so it was a very interesting new topic to start reading about, I will definitely e continuing with this series to find out what is going to happen!
I really liked Lidia as she felt like a character I could actually relate to. She didn't just automatically think she wanted to get involved in something because she was special, she felt scared about her new-found abilities. She fought with herself and others about her true nature with casualties along the way. I wasn't overly fussed over the love triangle aspect as I felt the book could have sustained itself without it.
I really suggest you give it a read!
“I liked my face. Ethan liked my face. A lot of people liked my face. Besides, makeup was really just glorified face paint.”
Thanks to the author for sending me a copy of Boost in exchange for an honest review!
Lidia is thrust into the world of paranormal and mediums when she meets her boyfriends best friend Ander who saves her from a ghost. Soon after Lidia is attending Mountain Heights Academy where she must learn to use her powers and help others who may stray from the desired path.
I really enjoyed Boost the mix of paranormal and thriller elements really complimented each other well. I've never read a story about the absorption of the dead so it was a very interesting new topic to start reading about, I will definitely e continuing with this series to find out what is going to happen!
I really liked Lidia as she felt like a character I could actually relate to. She didn't just automatically think she wanted to get involved in something because she was special, she felt scared about her new-found abilities. She fought with herself and others about her true nature with casualties along the way. I wasn't overly fussed over the love triangle aspect as I felt the book could have sustained itself without it.
I really suggest you give it a read!
October 7, 2015
~I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review~
I was hooked from the first page. It was so intriguing, such a richly imagined twist to reality. I wouldn't call it Dystopia, but a fantasy set in contemporary.
Lidia is a headstrong girl with deep feelings about life; to her, it's either right, or wrong. Ander is my type of guy, and I knew they would get together from the beginning.
Boost has a very clear fantasy element that is well imagined; every part is explained for without the need for large informative paragraphs. I will definitely be looking out for Book Two.
I was hooked from the first page. It was so intriguing, such a richly imagined twist to reality. I wouldn't call it Dystopia, but a fantasy set in contemporary.
Lidia is a headstrong girl with deep feelings about life; to her, it's either right, or wrong. Ander is my type of guy, and I knew they would get together from the beginning.
Boost has a very clear fantasy element that is well imagined; every part is explained for without the need for large informative paragraphs. I will definitely be looking out for Book Two.
August 22, 2015
ARC Review!
This Was a fantastic book, was more than just a boo about Ghosts or Vampires, its more than just a "Normal" book. It was a fantastic book that left me wanting the next book! D.A> Paul does a great job developing the characters and explaining everything. I was hooked from the very start and finished it in almost one sitting! Fantastic read!
This Was a fantastic book, was more than just a boo about Ghosts or Vampires, its more than just a "Normal" book. It was a fantastic book that left me wanting the next book! D.A> Paul does a great job developing the characters and explaining everything. I was hooked from the very start and finished it in almost one sitting! Fantastic read!
August 3, 2015
This book left me wanted for more! What a great inner voice this main character has. she is a unique young adult who is discovering so many things that she wishes she she could just forget. I recommend this book to everyone.
September 14, 2015
This book was sent to me in return for an honest review.
First off let's start with the cover: it's awesome! I wasn't sure just how creepy the book was going to be at first, but I think it turned out to be a great balance for YA. At the beginning of the novel I wasn't sure how I felt. It seems like things weren't fleshed out enough and dragged a little until Lidia got to the camp, but once they did you can't put the book down. One thing that to not and that you really get inside the head of Lidia as the story goes on. She's conflicted, you're conflicted. Normally if there's a love triangle of any sort you know who he/she is going to end up with in the end. However, I couldn't even find myself being able to choose for Lidia.
The writing of the book itself wasn't perfect. There were a few moments that could have been given more attention but I think we'll see great things in future books from this author. Perfect read for Halloween!
First off let's start with the cover: it's awesome! I wasn't sure just how creepy the book was going to be at first, but I think it turned out to be a great balance for YA. At the beginning of the novel I wasn't sure how I felt. It seems like things weren't fleshed out enough and dragged a little until Lidia got to the camp, but once they did you can't put the book down. One thing that to not and that you really get inside the head of Lidia as the story goes on. She's conflicted, you're conflicted. Normally if there's a love triangle of any sort you know who he/she is going to end up with in the end. However, I couldn't even find myself being able to choose for Lidia.
The writing of the book itself wasn't perfect. There were a few moments that could have been given more attention but I think we'll see great things in future books from this author. Perfect read for Halloween!
May 31, 2019
I loved this story! It’s a YA story, but so completely different. It is like a train wreck, you can’t stop reading.
Now, the reason I gave it 1 Star .... this book was released in January 2015 as #1 in the Haunted Addiction Series of two books. It ended with a cliff hanger. Okie Dokie, I can deal because there is another book coming out. Wrong! I have looked, researched, etc. and I cannot find that the author has released another book, at all. Not in this series, not a stand alone book, not another series, nothing!
I would love to be wrong and if anyone knows about a second book I’d be so happy to hear about it!
Now, the reason I gave it 1 Star .... this book was released in January 2015 as #1 in the Haunted Addiction Series of two books. It ended with a cliff hanger. Okie Dokie, I can deal because there is another book coming out. Wrong! I have looked, researched, etc. and I cannot find that the author has released another book, at all. Not in this series, not a stand alone book, not another series, nothing!
I would love to be wrong and if anyone knows about a second book I’d be so happy to hear about it!
October 9, 2015
More like 4.5 stars
~I was given this ARC in exchange fore an honest review~
And I'm so glad I got the chance to read it. Great for October! This book was so good! The characters were flawed but perfect and who doesn't love a little controversy? And who doesn't love ghosts? I've missed supernatural books and this is certainly a great one
Full review:
http://areadaholic.blogspot.com/2015/...
~I was given this ARC in exchange fore an honest review~
And I'm so glad I got the chance to read it. Great for October! This book was so good! The characters were flawed but perfect and who doesn't love a little controversy? And who doesn't love ghosts? I've missed supernatural books and this is certainly a great one
Full review:
http://areadaholic.blogspot.com/2015/...
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews