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Synth: Severed
How far would you be willing to go to make your dreams come true?
Poppy and Mila have been friends since second grade, but the separation of university has weakened their strong relationship. Clinging to the once indestructible friendship, Mila flies to Los Angeles to visit Poppy. But from Poppy’s edgy new look, to the peculiar location of their meeting—a nightclub in the heart of the city called Synth—it’s troublingly apparent that there’s something different about her best friend.
Poppy reveals she’s involved in a life-changing ritual and begs Mila to join. What Mila doesn’t realize is that she doesn’t have a choice. She’s being watched and Poppy has made promises that cannot be broken.
After an alcohol-fuelled argument Poppy is inexplicably called away, leaving Mila alone and abandoned in a strange city with no one to turn to… except for the owner of Synth. Reeve is young, stunning and entirely spellbinding, and assures Mila that he knows Poppy and will help find her. Stranded, Mila reluctantly accepts his generous assistance, but is completely blind to the truth: Reeve is head of the mysterious ritual.
Poppy and Mila have been friends since second grade, but the separation of university has weakened their strong relationship. Clinging to the once indestructible friendship, Mila flies to Los Angeles to visit Poppy. But from Poppy’s edgy new look, to the peculiar location of their meeting—a nightclub in the heart of the city called Synth—it’s troublingly apparent that there’s something different about her best friend.
Poppy reveals she’s involved in a life-changing ritual and begs Mila to join. What Mila doesn’t realize is that she doesn’t have a choice. She’s being watched and Poppy has made promises that cannot be broken.
After an alcohol-fuelled argument Poppy is inexplicably called away, leaving Mila alone and abandoned in a strange city with no one to turn to… except for the owner of Synth. Reeve is young, stunning and entirely spellbinding, and assures Mila that he knows Poppy and will help find her. Stranded, Mila reluctantly accepts his generous assistance, but is completely blind to the truth: Reeve is head of the mysterious ritual.
265 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 1, 2015
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63 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
February 2, 2016
Please find my review for this excellent book at http://forums.onlinebookclub.org/view...
November 6, 2019
Couldn't put it down. It sucked me in and kept me guessing.
May 9, 2016
I really enjoyed the book....I fell in love with the characters, and the story.
I read some of the reviews at first and I was nervous to read it - but after I read the great review on oninebookclub - i decided to buy it. The book was clear and concise , the authors had me wondering where the story would go and what was going to happen next - and the cliff hanger has me waiting for the next book with abated breath. Well done to the authors on this good read!
I read some of the reviews at first and I was nervous to read it - but after I read the great review on oninebookclub - i decided to buy it. The book was clear and concise , the authors had me wondering where the story would go and what was going to happen next - and the cliff hanger has me waiting for the next book with abated breath. Well done to the authors on this good read!
May 10, 2016
So Another one of my daughters book, she insisted I read.
The book was definitely for a younger audience, however It reminds me a lot of the twilight series, with the same set up between the characters, and triangles. I'll give the second book a glance when my daughter gets it, just to find out what happens.
Great Young Adult novel.
The book was definitely for a younger audience, however It reminds me a lot of the twilight series, with the same set up between the characters, and triangles. I'll give the second book a glance when my daughter gets it, just to find out what happens.
Great Young Adult novel.
August 7, 2016
This book is a two-author collaboration by L. M. du Preez & Z. Labuschagne, with each author writing from the view-point of the two main characters, Poppy and Mila.
The two girls have been life-long friends, but have drifted apart in recent times and are looking to catch up when Mila arrives from New York to visit Poppy in California. They meet at a night-club called Synth and Mila is amazed to see the change that has come over her friend. Poppy confides that she is attracted to Loch, the lead singer of a band performing at the club; Mila finds him arrogant and offensive. A misunderstanding over Loch drives a wedge between the two friends and Poppy leaves, abandoning Mila at the club and thereby forcing her to accept the hospitality of Reeve, the handsome night-club owner. The friends fail to reconnect after this and each becomes embroiled, respectively, with the rather strange-acting Reeve and the equally odd Niklhan, Reeve's partner in the club. They agree to participate in a ritual that will make all their dreams come true, and things start getting weirder and spiral out of control.
The readiness, even eagerness, both girls showed in accepting the word of total strangers and completing unpalatable tasks in order to participate in a ritual that they weren't being told the first real thing about struck me as very peculiar. I couldn't really relate to either of them. I didn't like Poppy at all - she came across as an irritating, hysterical person without any backbone, the type that gets blown hither and tither at other people's whim. Mila seemed somewhat more sensible, which made her giggly act in the swimming pool with Reeve seem out of sorts, as also her willingness to continue to live at his expense at his place when she could have so easily phoned her parents for money.
As to the secondary characters, I didn't really get a sense of them as well-rounded people - except Mackson, who was likeable.
The first part of the book is well-written, but the writing sags a bit in the middle and then picks up again - the part where Poppy nearly drowns in the ocean was convincing. The story was interesting enough, but ends abruptly; more of a cliff-faller than a cliff-hanger. This is the first part in a series, which might explain it.
I received a free copy of this book for an honest, non-reciprocal review.
The two girls have been life-long friends, but have drifted apart in recent times and are looking to catch up when Mila arrives from New York to visit Poppy in California. They meet at a night-club called Synth and Mila is amazed to see the change that has come over her friend. Poppy confides that she is attracted to Loch, the lead singer of a band performing at the club; Mila finds him arrogant and offensive. A misunderstanding over Loch drives a wedge between the two friends and Poppy leaves, abandoning Mila at the club and thereby forcing her to accept the hospitality of Reeve, the handsome night-club owner. The friends fail to reconnect after this and each becomes embroiled, respectively, with the rather strange-acting Reeve and the equally odd Niklhan, Reeve's partner in the club. They agree to participate in a ritual that will make all their dreams come true, and things start getting weirder and spiral out of control.
The readiness, even eagerness, both girls showed in accepting the word of total strangers and completing unpalatable tasks in order to participate in a ritual that they weren't being told the first real thing about struck me as very peculiar. I couldn't really relate to either of them. I didn't like Poppy at all - she came across as an irritating, hysterical person without any backbone, the type that gets blown hither and tither at other people's whim. Mila seemed somewhat more sensible, which made her giggly act in the swimming pool with Reeve seem out of sorts, as also her willingness to continue to live at his expense at his place when she could have so easily phoned her parents for money.
As to the secondary characters, I didn't really get a sense of them as well-rounded people - except Mackson, who was likeable.
The first part of the book is well-written, but the writing sags a bit in the middle and then picks up again - the part where Poppy nearly drowns in the ocean was convincing. The story was interesting enough, but ends abruptly; more of a cliff-faller than a cliff-hanger. This is the first part in a series, which might explain it.
I received a free copy of this book for an honest, non-reciprocal review.
March 6, 2016
When I read the synopsis for this book the idea sounded intriguing. The execution of the idea however, fell a little short. The writing was so-so. Throughout the book this mysterious "procedure" that gives you instant success is mentioned, and tasks have to be completed to be accepted but everything is so vague. At the end of the book there is some attempt at explanation but it is vague as well. Then.....cliffhanger. Sorry, didn't grab me enough to make me want to find out what happens. I'd give it 2.5 stars if I could.
February 12, 2018
I'm sorry to say that this book was a disappointment. I bought it--and the sequel--after enjoying du Preez's two novels immensely. This, however, lacked strong characterisation or a good narrative arc, has a non-ending, questions are never answered, and everybody in the book is straight-up petty and unlikeable. I actually wish I hadn't already purchased the sequel, as I have no intention of reading it.
1.5*
1.5*
February 20, 2016
This was ok, not brilliant but it still had me intrigued as to how it all would play out. Not sure I want to know enough to buy the next one though.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews