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Marked Girl #1
The Marked Girl
Worlds collide in Lindsey Klingele’s young adult novel The Marked Girl , an exciting fantasy tale turned upside down. Elissa Sussman, author of Stray , calls The Marked Girl “a magical debut with a big heart.”
When Cedric, crowned prince of Caelum, and his fellow royal friends (including his betrothed, Kat) find themselves stranded in modern-day L.A. via a magical portal and an evil traitor named Malquin, all they want to do is get home to Caelum—soon. Then they meet Liv, a filmmaker foster girl who just wants to get out of the system and on with her life. As she and Cedric bond, they’ll discover that she’s more connected to his world than they ever could’ve imagined…and that finding home is no easy task… The Marked Girl has humor, heart, and harrowing adventures, perfect for fantasy lovers and reluctant fantasy readers alike. The paperback includes a teaser to the sequel, The Broken World .
When Cedric, crowned prince of Caelum, and his fellow royal friends (including his betrothed, Kat) find themselves stranded in modern-day L.A. via a magical portal and an evil traitor named Malquin, all they want to do is get home to Caelum—soon. Then they meet Liv, a filmmaker foster girl who just wants to get out of the system and on with her life. As she and Cedric bond, they’ll discover that she’s more connected to his world than they ever could’ve imagined…and that finding home is no easy task… The Marked Girl has humor, heart, and harrowing adventures, perfect for fantasy lovers and reluctant fantasy readers alike. The paperback includes a teaser to the sequel, The Broken World .
416 pages, Paperback
First published June 7, 2016
75 people are currently reading
7706 people want to read
About the author
Lindsey Klingele
5 books220 followersLindsey Klingele grew up in Western Michigan, where she read every book she could get her hands on. She eventually moved to Los Angeles (the real land of make believe) and worked as a writers' assistant for TV shows such as THE LYING GAME and TWISTED. She still loves living in LA, especially since it's home to great television shows, truly excellent cheeseburgers, and her pitbull, Bighead.
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April 26, 2022
3.5
"This wasn't home."
•Since I first heard of The Marked Girl, it became one of the priorities in my wishlist. I'm not sure what exactly in the blurb caught my attention so much, the thing is that I almost couldn't wait for it. I didn't even expect that much: I thought (hoped) it could be entertaining and well-written at most, but doubted it would sweep me off my feet. Honestly, it worked out better than I expected (just ignore my being skeptical, distrutful and cautios by nature), so if I or any of you needed more evidence of the fact that having average expectations always pays off, here it is.
•What I really never expected was to find such a good world-building. I wouldn't call it extremely original or innovative, but sure it has some fresh and aptly employed elements: while I thought it was a bit simplistic that the language spoken in Cealum is English, things get more interesting when the focus shifts to the magic: . This process was described as a "type of evolutionary response", and in my opinion it's rather interesting and sufficiently believable. Since it's no mean achievement to justify the whole Portal system and magic system so simply and cleverly at once, I think it kind of sheds a different light on the whole story.
•I wanted to start from the world-building because truthfully, the rest is not above average; rather, sometimes it's even a little under.
None of the characters is able to leave an impression worth its salt. Liv, the main character, has her moments, and they are pretty good too:
“Okay, I can see you’re really, seriously committed to this whole man-of-mystery bit.” Liv said, her voice low. “But the vagueness stopped being charming around the time my face hit pavement."
She's snarky, funny, she also possesses a not insignificant dose of common sense, which I always find to be far less common than auspicable. On the other hand, however, she becomes downright insufferable when she loses herself daydreaming and mulling over how hot Cedric is. (Guess what: I don't care. And I tend to find people nicer when their supposedfly incredibly good looks are not pushed on me with such naivety, thank you.)
And what is more, Cedric as a character has his own problems. He comes off as the classic all-muscle-no-brain type, even though the author and he himself try to hide it or at least change the reader's mind about it. Unsuccessfully, I must say. In this sense, he's definitely not the kind of male lead I prefer. Apart from the good looks, I can't figure out what Liv (or anyone else, for that matter) could find charming about him.
The others are fine, no more and no less. As I already said elsewhere and as I'll keep saying, when I insert this sentence in a review I do it more sadly than when I rant, because it means those characters left me little or nothing.
•The plot, then again, does not shine for its uniqueness, but it's entertaining and gripping enough nonetheless. I think this is also due to the writing, simple, not particularly powerful or intense, but surely pleasant and fast-flowing.
➽ All in all, you could say that The Marked Girl has as many strengths as it has weaknesses. It may not be able to stand out in the young-adult fantasy/sci-fi panorama, but personally I had a very good time reading it. These were rather stressful days for me, and this book helped me forget the forgettable causes of anxiey and push aside for a little time the ones I had to deal with anyway, thus, I'm grateful I read it, and I'm actually already itching for the sequel. I hope it will be the same for you.
PRE-READING
Since I enter into an ecstatic state when I hear the words "parallel worlds"/"time travel" (I still haven't figured out which of the two is involved here), I hope this book 1) pulls me out of my reading slump (it's your fault, Study series) and 2) interrupts the row of boring books I've read lately (it's your fault, Study series).
"This wasn't home."
•Since I first heard of The Marked Girl, it became one of the priorities in my wishlist. I'm not sure what exactly in the blurb caught my attention so much, the thing is that I almost couldn't wait for it. I didn't even expect that much: I thought (hoped) it could be entertaining and well-written at most, but doubted it would sweep me off my feet. Honestly, it worked out better than I expected (just ignore my being skeptical, distrutful and cautios by nature), so if I or any of you needed more evidence of the fact that having average expectations always pays off, here it is.
•What I really never expected was to find such a good world-building. I wouldn't call it extremely original or innovative, but sure it has some fresh and aptly employed elements: while I thought it was a bit simplistic that the language spoken in Cealum is English, things get more interesting when the focus shifts to the magic: . This process was described as a "type of evolutionary response", and in my opinion it's rather interesting and sufficiently believable. Since it's no mean achievement to justify the whole Portal system and magic system so simply and cleverly at once, I think it kind of sheds a different light on the whole story.
•I wanted to start from the world-building because truthfully, the rest is not above average; rather, sometimes it's even a little under.
None of the characters is able to leave an impression worth its salt. Liv, the main character, has her moments, and they are pretty good too:
“Okay, I can see you’re really, seriously committed to this whole man-of-mystery bit.” Liv said, her voice low. “But the vagueness stopped being charming around the time my face hit pavement."
She's snarky, funny, she also possesses a not insignificant dose of common sense, which I always find to be far less common than auspicable. On the other hand, however, she becomes downright insufferable when she loses herself daydreaming and mulling over how hot Cedric is. (Guess what: I don't care. And I tend to find people nicer when their supposedfly incredibly good looks are not pushed on me with such naivety, thank you.)
And what is more, Cedric as a character has his own problems. He comes off as the classic all-muscle-no-brain type, even though the author and he himself try to hide it or at least change the reader's mind about it. Unsuccessfully, I must say. In this sense, he's definitely not the kind of male lead I prefer. Apart from the good looks, I can't figure out what Liv (or anyone else, for that matter) could find charming about him.
The others are fine, no more and no less. As I already said elsewhere and as I'll keep saying, when I insert this sentence in a review I do it more sadly than when I rant, because it means those characters left me little or nothing.
•The plot, then again, does not shine for its uniqueness, but it's entertaining and gripping enough nonetheless. I think this is also due to the writing, simple, not particularly powerful or intense, but surely pleasant and fast-flowing.
➽ All in all, you could say that The Marked Girl has as many strengths as it has weaknesses. It may not be able to stand out in the young-adult fantasy/sci-fi panorama, but personally I had a very good time reading it. These were rather stressful days for me, and this book helped me forget the forgettable causes of anxiey and push aside for a little time the ones I had to deal with anyway, thus, I'm grateful I read it, and I'm actually already itching for the sequel. I hope it will be the same for you.
PRE-READING
Since I enter into an ecstatic state when I hear the words "parallel worlds"/"time travel" (I still haven't figured out which of the two is involved here), I hope this book 1) pulls me out of my reading slump (it's your fault, Study series) and 2) interrupts the row of boring books I've read lately (it's your fault, Study series).
October 23, 2016
DNF at about 50%
“I’m saying that you’re special. You were born with a type of . . . ability. A strange and rare ability. But one that could attract dangerous people . . .”
This was an average story with average characters I felt nothing for or cared about. This book felt utterly generic. I am sure everyone of you already read a story about a special girl whose destiny is something mooooore. And then one day strange teenagers appear out of the blue and voilà, it's our speshial snowflake's finest hour. And, of course, hot boys are in the package: two for the price of one! Though I have to add, this book has a love triangle (kind of) between two girls and one special boy (is it me or this book has too many special snowflakes?).
These clichés are understandable, of course: show me a YA book without them, right? But the whole purpose of reading tons of YA books in finding the one where clichés turn into something original or exciting - that is a victory for any story. This book did not deliver any excitement or surprise or anything original, really. I hoped the fantasy element will perfect the story, but for the whole book we are stuck in the modern reality, and the way things were described in this one weren't aspiring - just plain stupid: I wasn't interested in observing how a bunch of teenagers from otherworld were adjusting to cars and wifi, leaving stupid comments in the process, nor was I interested in how the insta-love was rapidly growing and leaving breathless every female species in its way.Cedric didn’t respond, but continued to gently wipe bits of dried blood from the side of Liv’s head. He moved closer to get a better angle, and Liv was hyperconscious of how his whole body was just a few inches away from hers. For a moment she felt lightheaded and short of breath.
Short summery: A girl meets a boy. The boy is hot. And he is from another realm. The girl help the boy to adjust to our world and find a portal back home. In the process the girl learns she is a special flower. The girl and the boy fight bad guys. Then they run. Then they fight some more. Then things get more boring *yawns* The boy and the girl find portal and get to the other realm (finally!). The end.
Stop. What?! They got to the other realm only in the end of the book?! Fuck this shit! I am not going to read the second book to find out whether it's going to be better or not.
May 20, 2016
(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to HarperCollins and Edelweiss.)
This was a YA fantasy story set in LA.
I quite liked Liv as a character, but I wasn’t quite so keen on Cedric. Liv seemed quite focused on her goals, and quite set on protecting those she loved, which Cedric seemed a bit torn at times.
The storyline in this was about Cedric and two friends going through a portal from their own dimension – a place called Caelum, and ending up in modern-day LA. Then we had Liv and Cedric running into each other, and the story went from there, with Liv finding that she was actually key to Cedric getting back to Caelum.
We did get a bit of romance, but it was in the form of a love triangle, as Cedric was already engaged to a girl from his own dimension.
The ending to this was a cliff-hanger.
6.25 out of 10
“They had no backup, no weapons, no knowledge of anything around them.
They were entirely alone.”
This was a YA fantasy story set in LA.
I quite liked Liv as a character, but I wasn’t quite so keen on Cedric. Liv seemed quite focused on her goals, and quite set on protecting those she loved, which Cedric seemed a bit torn at times.
The storyline in this was about Cedric and two friends going through a portal from their own dimension – a place called Caelum, and ending up in modern-day LA. Then we had Liv and Cedric running into each other, and the story went from there, with Liv finding that she was actually key to Cedric getting back to Caelum.
We did get a bit of romance, but it was in the form of a love triangle, as Cedric was already engaged to a girl from his own dimension.
The ending to this was a cliff-hanger.
6.25 out of 10
April 27, 2016
3.5 stars... 3 stars?
***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***
The Marked Girl by Lindsey Klingele
Book One of The Marked Girl trilogy
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication Date: June 7, 2016
Rating: 3 stars
Source: eARC from Edelweiss
Summary (from Goodreads):
Once upon a time, in a land far, far away (Los Angeles)…
When Cedric, crowned prince of Caelum, and his fellow royal friends (including his betrothed, Kat) find themselves stranded in modern-day L.A. via a magical portal and an evil traitor named Malquin, all they want to do is get home to Caelum—soon. Then they meet Liv, a filmmaker foster girl who just wants to get out of the system and on with her life. As she and Cedric bond, they’ll discover that she’s more connected to his world than they ever could’ve imagined…and that finding home is no easy task…
What I Liked:
I'm not entirely sure what to say about this book. It certainly wasn't what I had been expecting. Clearly I hadn't read the synopsis closely originally, because I thought this book was set in Caelum instead of L.A. (meaning, Liv gets transported to Caelum, and not the prince and friends get transported to L.A.). In any case, I was still extremely pumped to be starting the book, even after making this realization. But this book wasn't as good as I expected. Still, it's definitely good enough for me to want to continue the series.
Cedric, crown prince of Caelum, and his betrothed Kat, and his friend Merek, have been transported to present-day Los Angeles, from their home kingdom of Caelum. A sinister evil (Malquin) and monsters (called wrath) are after Cedric. When the trio are transported to L.A., it's fate that the first person they meet is Liv, who was filming at the river at the time. And two months later, it is her again that shows up and helps them acclimate to present-day life. But all four of them quickly realizes that the wrath are not just after the prince and his friends, but Liv as well. Armed with the truth and three Guardians (Cedric, Kat, Merek), Liv must save herself while trying to help the trio find their way back home.
This book is told mostly from Liv's POV (third person), but there are a few chapters (and sometimes, breaks in a chapter) that are in Cedric's POV. There was no rhythm to whose POV was next, no structure to this. I would have preferred if the author had stuck to one POV or the other, or alternated chapters if she really wanted to have both POVs in the book. In any case, I preferred Cedric's POV, but his POV scenes were usually very short. Liv was definitely the main narrator.
I'm feeling kind of ambivalent towards Liv. Most of the time, I didn't mind her, but sometimes, her lack of common sense annoyed me. Still, she has an interesting sense of humor, and she isn't afraid to fight (even though monsters and grown men are, well, not the best opponents for her (she's your average teenager with no self-defense training or anything).
I really liked Cedric. He's so prim and proper and worried about getting back to Caelum to free his parents from Malquin and save his kingdom. He's the crown prince and he is really feeling the responsibility now. Cedric is quite noble and protective. I also really liked seeing him acclimate to the modern world! I think Klingele did a really great job there.
Kat, I didn't hate or love. Merek was so annoying, and I didn't start liking him until the end. He's kind of stuck-up and selfish, and it's not until the end of the book (ish) that he matures some. I really liked Liv's friend Shannon, though her personality bothered me sometimes. It's also what I really liked about her though.
The story... well, I'll get to that in the next section. While I was never necessarily bored, I kept waiting for the point, or some greater action or something. Actually, I wasn't sure what I was waiting for.
In general, this book wasn't bad. I could see myself reading the sequel. I think my expectations were really high for this book, which is one of the reasons why I was disappointed.
What I Did Not Like:
Liv was both likable and annoying. Most of the time, I liked her, and agreed with her. But sometimes, I found her to be selfish and impulsive and annoying. She doesn't always listen to the voice of reason, and it gets her (and everyone else) into trouble.
The story itself was not boring, but I felt like there was something missing. This book is four hundred pages, and I feel like it probably could have been less, because there was fluff-ish scenes in there. I feel like the story meandered and didn't really start getting to a point until the climax.
The tone of the book is kind of silly, not as serious or intense as you would expect. This book read a little young to me, not a Middle Grade voice but not what I would have expected from a YA fantasy. I didn't love the humor, to be honest.
I wasn't a fan of the romance. Cedric has been engaged to Kat since they were young, but they're friends. Cedric and Liv start to fall for each other... honestly, I just wasn't feeling it. I could see why Liv fell for Cedric, but not the other way around. I hate saying that, but I also don't think the author did the best job of convincing me of the romance. Liv is also annoying when it comes to her feelings for Cedric. I don't see a love triangle happening, but I could see Cedric trying to do what is best for his kingdom. Which I could see Liv selfishly NOT understanding. They barely know each other - how can Liv act like she has a claim over him?
I think, overall, I expected more from the story, probably more FANTASY. Don't get me wrong, there are monsters and magic and Knights and swords - but this book is set in modern-day L.A. I thought the setting took away from the story, to be honest. I would have rather seen this book set in Caelum first, and then the second book in the trilogy might be set in L.A. Basically the exact opposite of what is happening currently.
Would I Recommend It:
Ehhh, this isn't the most impressive novel out there. Certainly not the most impressive debut I've read for 2016, which is sad for me to say, because it was one of the ones I was most excited to read. It's barely even fantasy, so don't pick this one up if you're expecting an epic fantasy novel. Certainly don't pick it up if you're expecting a swoony romance (NOPE). Perhaps I'd recommend this book once all of the books in the series are published.
Rating:
3.5 stars -> rounded down to 3 stars. I don't regret reading this book, I don't think it was awful, and I WILL be pursuing the sequels, but I think this book could have been much better. I don't know if this is just me or if it's the book, but the book didn't work for me as well as I'd been hoping!
***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***
The Marked Girl by Lindsey Klingele
Book One of The Marked Girl trilogy
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication Date: June 7, 2016
Rating: 3 stars
Source: eARC from Edelweiss
Summary (from Goodreads):
Once upon a time, in a land far, far away (Los Angeles)…
When Cedric, crowned prince of Caelum, and his fellow royal friends (including his betrothed, Kat) find themselves stranded in modern-day L.A. via a magical portal and an evil traitor named Malquin, all they want to do is get home to Caelum—soon. Then they meet Liv, a filmmaker foster girl who just wants to get out of the system and on with her life. As she and Cedric bond, they’ll discover that she’s more connected to his world than they ever could’ve imagined…and that finding home is no easy task…
What I Liked:
I'm not entirely sure what to say about this book. It certainly wasn't what I had been expecting. Clearly I hadn't read the synopsis closely originally, because I thought this book was set in Caelum instead of L.A. (meaning, Liv gets transported to Caelum, and not the prince and friends get transported to L.A.). In any case, I was still extremely pumped to be starting the book, even after making this realization. But this book wasn't as good as I expected. Still, it's definitely good enough for me to want to continue the series.
Cedric, crown prince of Caelum, and his betrothed Kat, and his friend Merek, have been transported to present-day Los Angeles, from their home kingdom of Caelum. A sinister evil (Malquin) and monsters (called wrath) are after Cedric. When the trio are transported to L.A., it's fate that the first person they meet is Liv, who was filming at the river at the time. And two months later, it is her again that shows up and helps them acclimate to present-day life. But all four of them quickly realizes that the wrath are not just after the prince and his friends, but Liv as well. Armed with the truth and three Guardians (Cedric, Kat, Merek), Liv must save herself while trying to help the trio find their way back home.
This book is told mostly from Liv's POV (third person), but there are a few chapters (and sometimes, breaks in a chapter) that are in Cedric's POV. There was no rhythm to whose POV was next, no structure to this. I would have preferred if the author had stuck to one POV or the other, or alternated chapters if she really wanted to have both POVs in the book. In any case, I preferred Cedric's POV, but his POV scenes were usually very short. Liv was definitely the main narrator.
I'm feeling kind of ambivalent towards Liv. Most of the time, I didn't mind her, but sometimes, her lack of common sense annoyed me. Still, she has an interesting sense of humor, and she isn't afraid to fight (even though monsters and grown men are, well, not the best opponents for her (she's your average teenager with no self-defense training or anything).
I really liked Cedric. He's so prim and proper and worried about getting back to Caelum to free his parents from Malquin and save his kingdom. He's the crown prince and he is really feeling the responsibility now. Cedric is quite noble and protective. I also really liked seeing him acclimate to the modern world! I think Klingele did a really great job there.
Kat, I didn't hate or love. Merek was so annoying, and I didn't start liking him until the end. He's kind of stuck-up and selfish, and it's not until the end of the book (ish) that he matures some. I really liked Liv's friend Shannon, though her personality bothered me sometimes. It's also what I really liked about her though.
The story... well, I'll get to that in the next section. While I was never necessarily bored, I kept waiting for the point, or some greater action or something. Actually, I wasn't sure what I was waiting for.
In general, this book wasn't bad. I could see myself reading the sequel. I think my expectations were really high for this book, which is one of the reasons why I was disappointed.
What I Did Not Like:
Liv was both likable and annoying. Most of the time, I liked her, and agreed with her. But sometimes, I found her to be selfish and impulsive and annoying. She doesn't always listen to the voice of reason, and it gets her (and everyone else) into trouble.
The story itself was not boring, but I felt like there was something missing. This book is four hundred pages, and I feel like it probably could have been less, because there was fluff-ish scenes in there. I feel like the story meandered and didn't really start getting to a point until the climax.
The tone of the book is kind of silly, not as serious or intense as you would expect. This book read a little young to me, not a Middle Grade voice but not what I would have expected from a YA fantasy. I didn't love the humor, to be honest.
I wasn't a fan of the romance. Cedric has been engaged to Kat since they were young, but they're friends. Cedric and Liv start to fall for each other... honestly, I just wasn't feeling it. I could see why Liv fell for Cedric, but not the other way around. I hate saying that, but I also don't think the author did the best job of convincing me of the romance. Liv is also annoying when it comes to her feelings for Cedric. I don't see a love triangle happening, but I could see Cedric trying to do what is best for his kingdom. Which I could see Liv selfishly NOT understanding. They barely know each other - how can Liv act like she has a claim over him?
I think, overall, I expected more from the story, probably more FANTASY. Don't get me wrong, there are monsters and magic and Knights and swords - but this book is set in modern-day L.A. I thought the setting took away from the story, to be honest. I would have rather seen this book set in Caelum first, and then the second book in the trilogy might be set in L.A. Basically the exact opposite of what is happening currently.
Would I Recommend It:
Ehhh, this isn't the most impressive novel out there. Certainly not the most impressive debut I've read for 2016, which is sad for me to say, because it was one of the ones I was most excited to read. It's barely even fantasy, so don't pick this one up if you're expecting an epic fantasy novel. Certainly don't pick it up if you're expecting a swoony romance (NOPE). Perhaps I'd recommend this book once all of the books in the series are published.
Rating:
3.5 stars -> rounded down to 3 stars. I don't regret reading this book, I don't think it was awful, and I WILL be pursuing the sequels, but I think this book could have been much better. I don't know if this is just me or if it's the book, but the book didn't work for me as well as I'd been hoping!
June 9, 2016
This is quite a nice fantasy and time travel read, with Cedric and his gang Kat and Merek being deported from their homeland Caelum to modern-day L.A via a magical portal in order to escape from their enemy. A chance encounter enabled them to meet with Liv, who might have a bigger role to play than we realised, and thus their journey of adventure, battling wrath demons and finding their way home begins.
As you might have guessed, being stranded on unfamiliar grounds, how bizarre everything seemed to Cedric and his friends. Its so funny when Cedric is confused or in awe at the slightest things Liv deemed ordinary and mundane, from his love for soft pancakes and velvety syrup, his utter confusion with modern-day slang and not forgetting his fear of riding in cars. While he might have problems adapting to modern lifestyle, being a Guardian and Prince, there is no qualms about his speed and fighting skills.
I think my favourite character might just be our good old uptight and sarcastic Merek who is always head to head with Cedric. His bluntness, snide and callous remarks just add more humour to the story and certainly made my day! Not so secretly shipping Merek and Shannon who is Liv's best friend together;)
This is quite a nice start to a series and I hope we get to learn more of Caelum and have more progression of relationships!
As you might have guessed, being stranded on unfamiliar grounds, how bizarre everything seemed to Cedric and his friends. Its so funny when Cedric is confused or in awe at the slightest things Liv deemed ordinary and mundane, from his love for soft pancakes and velvety syrup, his utter confusion with modern-day slang and not forgetting his fear of riding in cars. While he might have problems adapting to modern lifestyle, being a Guardian and Prince, there is no qualms about his speed and fighting skills.
I think my favourite character might just be our good old uptight and sarcastic Merek who is always head to head with Cedric. His bluntness, snide and callous remarks just add more humour to the story and certainly made my day! Not so secretly shipping Merek and Shannon who is Liv's best friend together;)
This is quite a nice start to a series and I hope we get to learn more of Caelum and have more progression of relationships!
May 12, 2017
The Marked Girl by Lindsay Klingele
Once upon a time, in a land far, far away (Los Angeles)…
When Cedric, crowned prince of Caelum, and his fellow royal friends (including his betrothed, Kat) find themselves stranded in modern-day L.A. via a magical portal and an evil traitor named Malquin, all they want to do is get home to Caelum—soon. Then they meet Liv, a filmmaker foster girl who just wants to get out of the system and on with her life. As she and Cedric bond, they’ll discover that she’s more connected to his world than they ever could’ve imagined…and that finding home is no easy task…
Worlds collide in The Marked Girl, an exciting fantasy tale turned upside down.
This is one of those books where I was super excited for, but it ended up being quite disappointing for how average it is. I've read this book a milion times and so have you.There is nothing about The Marked Girl that marks it out of the dozens of Young Adult books out there, despite the exciting premise and gorgeous cover. This book had so much promise the plot could have gone in so many amazing directions but instead this book became just another YA novel about a girl who finds her prince charming and totally forgot about everything else. I get hes a prince and hes so handsome and charming but calm down . To make matters worse I felt nothing for this relationship, there was zero chemistry. Honestly though, I don’t really want them together anyway. We have the lovely love triangle aspect to contend with. Kat is our lovely second lady. Well first lady. Cedric is betrothed to Kat. A political alliance sure but still something of precedence. When somebody is wearing a ring, I think they deserve the respect of one being faithful, political alliance or no. Or at least some damn honesty. Am I supposed to root for them when he has no intentions of breaking his betrothal? At least he said as much and told them to keep distance. Best thing he did in this book. He decided he should do the right thing over what he wants. *le gasp* I doubt it will last.
Lets just fast-ward to the end and wrap up this up This whole novel was convenient. She JUST SO HAPPENED to see Cedric at the EXACT MUSEUM she was planning to hock his sword to ON JUST THE EXACT DAY she decided to have the appointment. Her foster mom JUST SO HAPPENED to get hospitalized for drinking herself stupid on the EXACT day Cedric breaks into her house OH SO CONVENIENTLY leaving her with no parental figure wondering what she’s doing/where she is going. Oh wait, her caseworker! OH WAIT HE HAS THE TATTOO TOO! NO WAY! HER SIBLINGS DO TOO SO THEY ARE IN DANGER! NOOO! OH WAIT! Cedric’s sister is potentially evil and forces Liv’s brother through the portal to Caelum! Now Liv HAS TO GO to Caelum too because GOD FORBID they go without her! What would happen to the Romance?!? Everything they did, everything they found, everyone they ran into. So convenient. I know it’s a YA novel but I like a little more depth, more thought into how/why things happen. Each thing just felt more frustrating than the last. Maybe Kat can find someone to fall in love with and/or miraculously decide that what Liv and Cedric have is just so SPECIAL that she doesn’t want to be between them. I wouldn’t be surprised in the slightest.
It was just blah, I think I've read too many books in this same vain and maybe I've outgrown them.
Once upon a time, in a land far, far away (Los Angeles)…
When Cedric, crowned prince of Caelum, and his fellow royal friends (including his betrothed, Kat) find themselves stranded in modern-day L.A. via a magical portal and an evil traitor named Malquin, all they want to do is get home to Caelum—soon. Then they meet Liv, a filmmaker foster girl who just wants to get out of the system and on with her life. As she and Cedric bond, they’ll discover that she’s more connected to his world than they ever could’ve imagined…and that finding home is no easy task…
Worlds collide in The Marked Girl, an exciting fantasy tale turned upside down.
This is one of those books where I was super excited for, but it ended up being quite disappointing for how average it is. I've read this book a milion times and so have you.There is nothing about The Marked Girl that marks it out of the dozens of Young Adult books out there, despite the exciting premise and gorgeous cover. This book had so much promise the plot could have gone in so many amazing directions but instead this book became just another YA novel about a girl who finds her prince charming and totally forgot about everything else. I get hes a prince and hes so handsome and charming but calm down . To make matters worse I felt nothing for this relationship, there was zero chemistry. Honestly though, I don’t really want them together anyway. We have the lovely love triangle aspect to contend with. Kat is our lovely second lady. Well first lady. Cedric is betrothed to Kat. A political alliance sure but still something of precedence. When somebody is wearing a ring, I think they deserve the respect of one being faithful, political alliance or no. Or at least some damn honesty. Am I supposed to root for them when he has no intentions of breaking his betrothal? At least he said as much and told them to keep distance. Best thing he did in this book. He decided he should do the right thing over what he wants. *le gasp* I doubt it will last.
Lets just fast-ward to the end and wrap up this up This whole novel was convenient. She JUST SO HAPPENED to see Cedric at the EXACT MUSEUM she was planning to hock his sword to ON JUST THE EXACT DAY she decided to have the appointment. Her foster mom JUST SO HAPPENED to get hospitalized for drinking herself stupid on the EXACT day Cedric breaks into her house OH SO CONVENIENTLY leaving her with no parental figure wondering what she’s doing/where she is going. Oh wait, her caseworker! OH WAIT HE HAS THE TATTOO TOO! NO WAY! HER SIBLINGS DO TOO SO THEY ARE IN DANGER! NOOO! OH WAIT! Cedric’s sister is potentially evil and forces Liv’s brother through the portal to Caelum! Now Liv HAS TO GO to Caelum too because GOD FORBID they go without her! What would happen to the Romance?!? Everything they did, everything they found, everyone they ran into. So convenient. I know it’s a YA novel but I like a little more depth, more thought into how/why things happen. Each thing just felt more frustrating than the last. Maybe Kat can find someone to fall in love with and/or miraculously decide that what Liv and Cedric have is just so SPECIAL that she doesn’t want to be between them. I wouldn’t be surprised in the slightest.
It was just blah, I think I've read too many books in this same vain and maybe I've outgrown them.
February 22, 2016
THE MARKED GIRL is not only a super fun light fantasy, it is a compulsively readable tale. Full of twists and turns, it was next to impossible for me to set this book down and think of other things. The characters were likable and relatable, and the plot moved quickly and kept me guessing! Just when I thought I had things figured out I was thrown another curve!
There is action, there is romance, but what really sets this book apart is its humor and heart. There were so many funny moments, mostly built around Cedric's experiences encountering the modern world for the first time. I also loved that Liv was a budding filmmaker, and though it's not heavy-handed, the book doesn't ignore the fact that the "real world" is the world of Hollywood and movies. Ethical conflicts and difficult questions come up, which helped balance the humor with heart. I highly recommend THE MARKED GIRL if you're looking for a compulsive, addictive read!
There is action, there is romance, but what really sets this book apart is its humor and heart. There were so many funny moments, mostly built around Cedric's experiences encountering the modern world for the first time. I also loved that Liv was a budding filmmaker, and though it's not heavy-handed, the book doesn't ignore the fact that the "real world" is the world of Hollywood and movies. Ethical conflicts and difficult questions come up, which helped balance the humor with heart. I highly recommend THE MARKED GIRL if you're looking for a compulsive, addictive read!
Read
July 24, 2018slow in the beginning, and kind of predictable.
August 19, 2016
Good book. Still gathering my thoughts though.
October 28, 2016
It's never a good sign when the whole time you're listening, you're thinking When is this going to be over?. There was nothing inherently wrong with this novel. It was just another case of nothing really new here mixed with I'm so boooored. Which is sad when I'm essentially using an audiobook to stave off boredom while I'm working. :(
March 2, 2016
Ok not going to lie. Yes this was on my TBR because I loved the cover and the synopsis sounded cute but I didn't have high hopes for it. Well my hopes should have been high! This was awesome I freaking loved every page! And Cedric *swoons* I need book 2 NOW!!!!
June 14, 2016
Actual rating: 3.5 stars
One thing you should know about me is that I am a hardcore contemporary girl, and as a hardcore contemporary girl, I don't usually read fantasy book. However, when the book is an urban fantasy, I am usually game. This is why I was super excited to read this book! Right from the start, I was really interested in the concept.
The Marked Girl is a really interesting book. People from another world called Caelum went through a portal escaping an enemy, only to land in LA. It's filled with both inner and outer conflicts, questionable motives and standing by each other. I also really enjoyed the romance in this book, even though it's just a teeny tiny portion of it.
However, I think that this book needs more polishing. Yes, the plot is interesting, but it needs something more to tie everything together in a nice bow. I'm also really curious about Caelum, and was disappointed that not much was mentioned about the world and how it works. Although I guess we'll learn about it in the next book. The story is also action-packed, but it still lacks this something to make it more enjoyable and unputdownable.
This book is really interesting, and I cannot wait to find out more about Caelum in book two! I don't think that this book is going to be for everyone, but for fantasy beginners, this will be an easy read. Overall, it's good but it lacks something to make it better.
One thing you should know about me is that I am a hardcore contemporary girl, and as a hardcore contemporary girl, I don't usually read fantasy book. However, when the book is an urban fantasy, I am usually game. This is why I was super excited to read this book! Right from the start, I was really interested in the concept.
The Marked Girl is a really interesting book. People from another world called Caelum went through a portal escaping an enemy, only to land in LA. It's filled with both inner and outer conflicts, questionable motives and standing by each other. I also really enjoyed the romance in this book, even though it's just a teeny tiny portion of it.
However, I think that this book needs more polishing. Yes, the plot is interesting, but it needs something more to tie everything together in a nice bow. I'm also really curious about Caelum, and was disappointed that not much was mentioned about the world and how it works. Although I guess we'll learn about it in the next book. The story is also action-packed, but it still lacks this something to make it more enjoyable and unputdownable.
This book is really interesting, and I cannot wait to find out more about Caelum in book two! I don't think that this book is going to be for everyone, but for fantasy beginners, this will be an easy read. Overall, it's good but it lacks something to make it better.
January 25, 2016
Thank you for the lovely Kit Kat from Let the Pages Reign for sending me this beautifulllll~ book~!
3.5 -> 3 stars because it was a good read! I may have expected a bit too much though.
After reading thoughts:
- 110% sure there's a sequel for this. You CAN'T end a book like that. :00
- It kind of fell short... Like I LOVE this idea, don't get me wrong. But as interesting as the story was, I felt a little bit disconnected from the characters.
- The romance? Usually I'm all about that stuff, but this one left me neutral and had me rolling my eyes so hard they fell out of the sockets. Let's not forget the "blue, blue eyes" of the love interest. *barf*
- Although I appreciate the character conflicts (prince being apprehensive of being a leader and a fit king, main girl trying to find her family amidst all the conflict, etc), I still couldn't connect to the characters. Boo.
- Supporting characters were meh. Most were either cute (stereotypical best friend) or frustrating (scathing betrothed and envious friend of the prince's).
- Okay I should've known from the title (The Marked Girl) that something would have made Liv different from the rest of them. You don't know the amount of sweat I wiped off my brow after confirming she wasn't a "Chosen One."
- Setting was set in modern day LA with magical elements that the characters discover.
- It was still a fun read! I just think I placed reallll high expectations. I guess I thought it would be more... epic and such. It was just pretty quick and amusing. I'm still looking forward to the sequel because I must know how the characters end up!
3.5 -> 3 stars because it was a good read! I may have expected a bit too much though.
After reading thoughts:
- 110% sure there's a sequel for this. You CAN'T end a book like that. :00
- It kind of fell short... Like I LOVE this idea, don't get me wrong. But as interesting as the story was, I felt a little bit disconnected from the characters.
- The romance? Usually I'm all about that stuff, but this one left me neutral and had me rolling my eyes so hard they fell out of the sockets. Let's not forget the "blue, blue eyes" of the love interest. *barf*
- Although I appreciate the character conflicts (prince being apprehensive of being a leader and a fit king, main girl trying to find her family amidst all the conflict, etc), I still couldn't connect to the characters. Boo.
- Supporting characters were meh. Most were either cute (stereotypical best friend) or frustrating (scathing betrothed and envious friend of the prince's).
- Okay I should've known from the title (The Marked Girl) that something would have made Liv different from the rest of them. You don't know the amount of sweat I wiped off my brow after confirming she wasn't a "Chosen One."
- Setting was set in modern day LA with magical elements that the characters discover.
- It was still a fun read! I just think I placed reallll high expectations. I guess I thought it would be more... epic and such. It was just pretty quick and amusing. I'm still looking forward to the sequel because I must know how the characters end up!
December 5, 2016
Right from the beginning I was hooked into the story. Starts off rather innocently because Liv is a filmmaker who is making a movie and in comes three very well spoken teenagers in their sleeping garments. Told from Liv and Cedric's point of views we get to see how each character and their world is seen from one another. My favourite parts are when the other realm teens observe our modern ways. And things like a gym where people are running but not going anywhere might seem like a waste of time. Their observations about our modern day technologies and whims are quite hilarious to people who have no idea what their purpose was. It's was refreshingly honest and true.
The characters weren't as developed, and they were pretty one-dimensional, but at least some of them learned their lesson by the end. The royals seemed to be pretty selfish only wanting to use the scroll to their advantage, not caring about all the other humans who could die by their fate.
There's quite a few plot lines here and there to keep the story moving and that was great because I was never bored. It's also a short read but the pacing was spot on so I finished it in two sittings. The story isn't unique or anything but if you're looking for a quick urban fantasy read, pick this one up!
RATING 4/5
QUOTES
"Did you know that your hair looks like it's bleeding?"
"They're the worst kinds of monsters. The ones who think they're doing right."
The characters weren't as developed, and they were pretty one-dimensional, but at least some of them learned their lesson by the end. The royals seemed to be pretty selfish only wanting to use the scroll to their advantage, not caring about all the other humans who could die by their fate.
There's quite a few plot lines here and there to keep the story moving and that was great because I was never bored. It's also a short read but the pacing was spot on so I finished it in two sittings. The story isn't unique or anything but if you're looking for a quick urban fantasy read, pick this one up!
RATING 4/5
QUOTES
"Did you know that your hair looks like it's bleeding?"
"They're the worst kinds of monsters. The ones who think they're doing right."
February 12, 2016
Full review coming closer to release date - but just let me say...this needs to be on your TBR.
February 27, 2016
Bad Thor fanfic.
November 25, 2018
OMG that was really REALLY good, I enjoyed everything about this book, Liv was just amazing and so relate-able, I liked Shannon her friend she have so much sass that I appreciated to keep me engaged in the story .. and that ending :D .. WOOOWWW I want to know what will happen ASAP
Read
August 4, 2022 sigh
Do you want the most stereotypical YA characters that are so bland you can hardly remember who is who? Well this is the perfect book for you!!
My first thought when reading the synopsis was "Wow this was a Wattpad fanfiction that actually managed to get published wasn't it?"
Anyways, lets get into this.
Story: 3/5
The story had an interesting concept with a royal family jumping to the modern world, needing to hide from horrible beasts who are chasing them- but it was terribly executed. Every line delivered was cringy, the royal family felt like they were peeled off of a Victorian soap opera and stickered in here awkwardly with the words beautiful and hot thrown in with their poorly designed "personalities".
And there's a love triangle. Because OF COURSE THERE IS A F*CKING LOVE TRIANGLE. And its not even believable either- Kat is upset that her betrothed is falling in love with some characterless chick that can't stop thinking about how she wears "chucks and jeans" because she's quirky like that and Kat won't F*CKING leave him. Ugh.
It had an original idea and SOME cool scenes. The enemies were really cool and I liked how they were described so... you get that.
Characters: 1/5
There is next to nothing redeemable about these characters. Liz is boring and "quirky" and screams wattpad Y/N character because she keeps talking about wearing "chucks and jeans" which honestly drives me insane. Her friends are annoying and forgettable at best.
Every time a member of our 'royal crew' speaks I want to rip my hair out. They talk in the most fake "old-timey" way possible and I hated every word they said.
Cedric isn't even a character- he's a "hot teenage boy" who says some nice stuff to Kat and Liz and then watches them fight over him.
And Kat. Have some self-respect, my gods woman.
Writing: 2/5
This reads like wattpad fanfiction in the worst way possible.
The writing is cheap and boring and hard to get into. The only redeemable descriptions were that of the villain and maybe some fight scenes. The dialogue was awful and the characterization was awful.
I'm glad I got through this book in one night so I can throw it in my "never again" book bin.
Do you want the most stereotypical YA characters that are so bland you can hardly remember who is who? Well this is the perfect book for you!!
My first thought when reading the synopsis was "Wow this was a Wattpad fanfiction that actually managed to get published wasn't it?"
Anyways, lets get into this.
Story: 3/5
The story had an interesting concept with a royal family jumping to the modern world, needing to hide from horrible beasts who are chasing them- but it was terribly executed. Every line delivered was cringy, the royal family felt like they were peeled off of a Victorian soap opera and stickered in here awkwardly with the words beautiful and hot thrown in with their poorly designed "personalities".
And there's a love triangle. Because OF COURSE THERE IS A F*CKING LOVE TRIANGLE. And its not even believable either- Kat is upset that her betrothed is falling in love with some characterless chick that can't stop thinking about how she wears "chucks and jeans" because she's quirky like that and Kat won't F*CKING leave him. Ugh.
It had an original idea and SOME cool scenes. The enemies were really cool and I liked how they were described so... you get that.
Characters: 1/5
There is next to nothing redeemable about these characters. Liz is boring and "quirky" and screams wattpad Y/N character because she keeps talking about wearing "chucks and jeans" which honestly drives me insane. Her friends are annoying and forgettable at best.
Every time a member of our 'royal crew' speaks I want to rip my hair out. They talk in the most fake "old-timey" way possible and I hated every word they said.
Cedric isn't even a character- he's a "hot teenage boy" who says some nice stuff to Kat and Liz and then watches them fight over him.
And Kat. Have some self-respect, my gods woman.
Writing: 2/5
This reads like wattpad fanfiction in the worst way possible.
The writing is cheap and boring and hard to get into. The only redeemable descriptions were that of the villain and maybe some fight scenes. The dialogue was awful and the characterization was awful.
I'm glad I got through this book in one night so I can throw it in my "never again" book bin.
June 7, 2016
Action-filled and steamy, The Marked Girl combines parallel universes and time travel, resulting in a wonderful debut novel packed with romance, adventure, and demons! It's a unique premise with characters that have intriguing, interconnecting story lines, and I can't wait to find out where the next book takes us. With all of that said, the book did slow down a bit towards the middle, and some aspects of the plot were slightly predictable. However, I still greatly enjoyed The Marked Girl, and would undeniably recommend it to all young-adult fantasy lovers!
Read my full review of The Marked Girl.
Read my full review of The Marked Girl.
October 28, 2016
Hmmmm...... lame, yes. First of all, I apologies to all the fan girls out there. Sorry for the low rating, but let me explain why.
First of all, those who know me, I literally judge a book by its cover. And this cover, pleased me, oh yes. But the story was just so flat. I could not understand the characters, and just the writing,
UGH.
But the plot, the idea, was GOOD. I liked the idea a lot. I just wish that the author would have written it a bit better.
This book was a disappointment, and I wish to not ever read a book as boring as this.
First of all, those who know me, I literally judge a book by its cover. And this cover, pleased me, oh yes. But the story was just so flat. I could not understand the characters, and just the writing,
UGH.
But the plot, the idea, was GOOD. I liked the idea a lot. I just wish that the author would have written it a bit better.
This book was a disappointment, and I wish to not ever read a book as boring as this.
May 31, 2016
What a unique read! Time travel, magic, and Los Angeles combine to create a wholly unique YA read with a romance that's swoon-worthy!
March 25, 2017
Wow, what a fun read! I really loved the concept to this one. I wasn't sue what to expect when I started The Marked Girl, but after reading the blurb I knew this was a me-book and I'm glad it didn't disappoint.
I really got a kick of this story line. It's such a light, enjoyable and imaginative escape that combines other-world fantasy that collides with the modern world of today. I loved the concept of wraiths, magical transporting portals and hidden scrolls, only to watch with pure amusement how Cedric, Kat and Merek try to figure out LA living. I really loved Lindsey Klingele's writing and thought it was strong and easy to lose myself within the story. I also loved that we get this in Liv and Cedric's point of views. With a story like this it's great to be inside the minds of these characters and see their reactions to the situation and to one another. The story itself is always moving with a lot of action and intrigue and has a lot of twist and turns that thickened the plot up beautifully and kept me guessing till the very end. I also loved the humor and contagious energy laced from the very beginning. The romance was light but I was ok with that. I'm usually a reader who likes a certain dose of sap in her reads, but this one was more complicated then other books and really there was so many more important things to deal with, but what we did get had some great moments.
All of these characters are well thought out and perfectly developed. Cedric is wonderful, confident and courageous. Born Prince and Guardian of Caelum, he was taught to protect the Kingdom from their sworn enemy, the Wraiths. In battle he is completely at ease and sure of himself but in the 'modern world' he is anything but. Truly, Cedric is absolutely adorable in childlike-wonder when discovering what this strange dimension entails. I laughed out loud several times and smiled every time he found something as simply as syrup on waffles awe inspiring. But Cedric is more then cute, he's also quite charming and brave and fiercely determined and it was effortless following him on this...vast journey. Liv is also a great character. She's had a hard life since she lost her parents and had to jump around the foster care system most of her life. But you could never tell by the way she acts. She's got a great voice and a positive personality and I commend her for wanting to do well and make something of her life. It was pretty decent of her to help out Cedric, obviously someone who's not all there if he believes in magical portals and demon men called wraiths, but eventually Liv can't deny that something is definitely off and offers to help Cedric and his friends find a way back home. Little did she know that she's more connected to them then realized. Shannon and Joe were great supportive characters and someone you'd want on your side. But, I thought Kat and Merek were just ok. Kat was selfish and Merek had a lot of attitude for my taste, but given the circumstances it was easy to give them some slack, still, I wasn't overly found of them. Even Malquin turned out to be more then I thought he was which was a great plot twist.
Bottom line, I had a lot of fun with this book and I'm greatly looking forward to getting my hands on the next one! We've only had a small glimpse of Caelum and I can't wait to discover it's secrets. So much fun and a great debut! It's exactly the escape I was looking for! Well done!
I really got a kick of this story line. It's such a light, enjoyable and imaginative escape that combines other-world fantasy that collides with the modern world of today. I loved the concept of wraiths, magical transporting portals and hidden scrolls, only to watch with pure amusement how Cedric, Kat and Merek try to figure out LA living. I really loved Lindsey Klingele's writing and thought it was strong and easy to lose myself within the story. I also loved that we get this in Liv and Cedric's point of views. With a story like this it's great to be inside the minds of these characters and see their reactions to the situation and to one another. The story itself is always moving with a lot of action and intrigue and has a lot of twist and turns that thickened the plot up beautifully and kept me guessing till the very end. I also loved the humor and contagious energy laced from the very beginning. The romance was light but I was ok with that. I'm usually a reader who likes a certain dose of sap in her reads, but this one was more complicated then other books and really there was so many more important things to deal with, but what we did get had some great moments.
All of these characters are well thought out and perfectly developed. Cedric is wonderful, confident and courageous. Born Prince and Guardian of Caelum, he was taught to protect the Kingdom from their sworn enemy, the Wraiths. In battle he is completely at ease and sure of himself but in the 'modern world' he is anything but. Truly, Cedric is absolutely adorable in childlike-wonder when discovering what this strange dimension entails. I laughed out loud several times and smiled every time he found something as simply as syrup on waffles awe inspiring. But Cedric is more then cute, he's also quite charming and brave and fiercely determined and it was effortless following him on this...vast journey. Liv is also a great character. She's had a hard life since she lost her parents and had to jump around the foster care system most of her life. But you could never tell by the way she acts. She's got a great voice and a positive personality and I commend her for wanting to do well and make something of her life. It was pretty decent of her to help out Cedric, obviously someone who's not all there if he believes in magical portals and demon men called wraiths, but eventually Liv can't deny that something is definitely off and offers to help Cedric and his friends find a way back home. Little did she know that she's more connected to them then realized. Shannon and Joe were great supportive characters and someone you'd want on your side. But, I thought Kat and Merek were just ok. Kat was selfish and Merek had a lot of attitude for my taste, but given the circumstances it was easy to give them some slack, still, I wasn't overly found of them. Even Malquin turned out to be more then I thought he was which was a great plot twist.
Bottom line, I had a lot of fun with this book and I'm greatly looking forward to getting my hands on the next one! We've only had a small glimpse of Caelum and I can't wait to discover it's secrets. So much fun and a great debut! It's exactly the escape I was looking for! Well done!
June 26, 2016
Man, what a freakin couple of weeks. Ugh, what can I say but life blows. I couldn’t read too much stuff going on to even concentrated. So when this pretty arrived at my door step. I give it a go just like all others before and miserably fail. I just needed a GREAT fantasy to get out of my funk and go somewhere else for at least a bit.
Well, that book was The Marked Girl. From the beginning I liked where this was going. I mean just read the beginning, it grabs you by the damn balls! Right from the first paragraph.
“Light glinted off the side of the sword as it raced down one perfect, sweeping motion. The blade slid into the exposed side of the young man who knelt, frozen, on the ground. Immediately, a small patch of deep red bloomed against his shirt, and he collapsed in a broken heap.”
I think it was a pretty good story. It had great parts and slow ones. Liv was young and lack of common sense like all teenagers. It will probably annoy some but understand that the character is young and immature. Hello, it is YA right lol. She does mature more into the book. So don’t worry about that.
Cedric is a sweetie and I really love his character. He was so, so, loveable and had amazing manners. Which of course a prince always has of no ;) I think the way he behaves and acts is great to see in YA books. I think a lot of teens, boys or girls, need to understand that manners and the way one conduct oneself in a specified way, especially toward others is a very important aspect to have.
I really liked The Marked Girl by Lindsey Klingele. Not only because it was a great story with great action to detail but because it takes A LOT to get me out of my funk. So, this book speaks volumes if you tell me ;) Can’t wait for the next book in the series.
Well, that book was The Marked Girl. From the beginning I liked where this was going. I mean just read the beginning, it grabs you by the damn balls! Right from the first paragraph.
“Light glinted off the side of the sword as it raced down one perfect, sweeping motion. The blade slid into the exposed side of the young man who knelt, frozen, on the ground. Immediately, a small patch of deep red bloomed against his shirt, and he collapsed in a broken heap.”
I think it was a pretty good story. It had great parts and slow ones. Liv was young and lack of common sense like all teenagers. It will probably annoy some but understand that the character is young and immature. Hello, it is YA right lol. She does mature more into the book. So don’t worry about that.
Cedric is a sweetie and I really love his character. He was so, so, loveable and had amazing manners. Which of course a prince always has of no ;) I think the way he behaves and acts is great to see in YA books. I think a lot of teens, boys or girls, need to understand that manners and the way one conduct oneself in a specified way, especially toward others is a very important aspect to have.
I really liked The Marked Girl by Lindsey Klingele. Not only because it was a great story with great action to detail but because it takes A LOT to get me out of my funk. So, this book speaks volumes if you tell me ;) Can’t wait for the next book in the series.
February 23, 2016
I read this book as an arc in return for a fair review.
Portal fantasy! Well, more of a reverse portal fantasy, really, because the fantasy realm people come to the modern world and not the other way around, and that's my favorite kind of portal fantasy. I love to see characters outside of our world or time reacting to our world. It's always fun when they see cars for the first time, or taste waffles and syrup.
Liv is an aspiring film director, living in foster homes in LA.
Cedric is a prince from the realm of Caelum.
Their worlds collide when Cedric is forced to flee his home through a magical portal when the castle is attacked by a traitor. All he knows before he makes the leap through the portal is that no one has ever come back before.
In the "real world" he meets Liv and their connection is almost immediate. It doesn't matter that he has a betrothed and is far from home, and it doesn't matter that she's a foster kid and a runaway. Maybe together, they can get Cedric back to his home.
But he's not the only one from Caelum on earth, and he's not the only one who has his eye on Liv.
Klingele did a great job of weaving the fantasy with the contemporary. I absolutely loved how, even after weeks on earth, Cedric and the others still knew so little about our society and world. I found that really believable and true to life.
There's fantastic romance in this book as well as a lot of great action, if you're looking for fight scenes.
Recommend for fans of portal fantasy, and YA fantasy with a strong romantic element.
Portal fantasy! Well, more of a reverse portal fantasy, really, because the fantasy realm people come to the modern world and not the other way around, and that's my favorite kind of portal fantasy. I love to see characters outside of our world or time reacting to our world. It's always fun when they see cars for the first time, or taste waffles and syrup.
Liv is an aspiring film director, living in foster homes in LA.
Cedric is a prince from the realm of Caelum.
Their worlds collide when Cedric is forced to flee his home through a magical portal when the castle is attacked by a traitor. All he knows before he makes the leap through the portal is that no one has ever come back before.
In the "real world" he meets Liv and their connection is almost immediate. It doesn't matter that he has a betrothed and is far from home, and it doesn't matter that she's a foster kid and a runaway. Maybe together, they can get Cedric back to his home.
But he's not the only one from Caelum on earth, and he's not the only one who has his eye on Liv.
Klingele did a great job of weaving the fantasy with the contemporary. I absolutely loved how, even after weeks on earth, Cedric and the others still knew so little about our society and world. I found that really believable and true to life.
There's fantastic romance in this book as well as a lot of great action, if you're looking for fight scenes.
Recommend for fans of portal fantasy, and YA fantasy with a strong romantic element.
February 24, 2016
I LOVE THE COVER! YEE HA!!!
Now… the book, it was probably the most predictable thing ever.
The things/scenes I thought that will happen happened.
*MC’s Corner*
Note: Spoilers.
• The concept was very unoriginal, I’m sorry.
I mean, if you want to write a book with the concept that has been done many times, you gotta stand out. Sadly this one failed.
• I see a bit of potential with the way the scenes were put together and the way it ended. I gave it 4 stars and finished this thing.
• I am the kind of reader that if the book is written by some author that I don’t know/never read their books and then I feel the story of the book I’m reading is predictable–it happens a lot of times–I’m not going to finish it. The only way I am going to finish something like it is when I see a redeemable quality/part of it. If you asked me if I am going to buy this book… sadly I won’t. My ARC is enough.
• I also felt like the people from the other world felt more like they were from the past.
ARC provided by HarperTeen (HarperCollins Publishers) & Edelweiss in exchange of honest review. Thank you!
@gleekidMC
Now… the book, it was probably the most predictable thing ever.
The things/scenes I thought that will happen happened.
*MC’s Corner*
Note: Spoilers.
• The concept was very unoriginal, I’m sorry.
I mean, if you want to write a book with the concept that has been done many times, you gotta stand out. Sadly this one failed.
• I see a bit of potential with the way the scenes were put together and the way it ended. I gave it 4 stars and finished this thing.
• I am the kind of reader that if the book is written by some author that I don’t know/never read their books and then I feel the story of the book I’m reading is predictable–it happens a lot of times–I’m not going to finish it. The only way I am going to finish something like it is when I see a redeemable quality/part of it. If you asked me if I am going to buy this book… sadly I won’t. My ARC is enough.
• I also felt like the people from the other world felt more like they were from the past.
ARC provided by HarperTeen (HarperCollins Publishers) & Edelweiss in exchange of honest review. Thank you!
@gleekidMC
June 20, 2016
Oh god! I wasn't expecting this. I got curious after seeing the book trailer but I didn't expect to like it this much. I shiiiiped Cedric and Liv like hell. Love Kat and Shannon, especially Shannon. Haaaaaate Emm. Peter's and idiot.
I'm dying 'cause I need the next one, so freaking much
July 14, 2016
Hooo boy.
I think I'm batting about 50% this month on books I'm reading. I've had a few lately that I've wanted to DNF but I managed to stick it out and finish them. Unfortunately, this particular book was one that actually made me more mad by the end. Would you DNF at 95%? Yeah, I thought it was a dumb idea, too. But I considered it for half a second.
But back to my book review....
The Marked Girl is Ms. Klingele's debut novel. It's being described as a fun, light, young adult fantasy novel.
When Liv is out by the L.A. River filming her class movie with a few friends, they are all startled by the sudden appearance of three teenagers dressed in what appear to be renaissance costumes. I mean, these three kids popped up out thin air. And they are acting super weird. Like they've never been on Earth before. Which is what is really happening!
Told in dual POV most of the time, although not consistently, we learn through Cedric, the Prince and heir to the throne of Caelum, that he, his betrothed, and a mutual friend are those three teens and they've just come through a magic portal from an alternate dimension. Their kingdom is under attack from a deadly race of wraiths and their only chance of escaping capture is through this portal.
I liked the basic premise of the story and the mystery behind the "magic" being used in both Caelum and on Earth. I also liked some of the surprising reveals towards the end of the book.
Unfortunately, I felt not a hint of chemistry between Liv and Cedric. Their relationship beyond friendship seemed forced to me. Toss in a love triangle to the mix and I outwardly groaned.
Finally, what had me almost tossing my precious iPad across the living room is this one character "flaw" that is quite often written into a story, but isn't all that noticeable most of time. Bear with me as I try and explain. I absolutely loathe when a person (character in this instance) thinks they know better than any another person and tries to tell everyone what to do. They go into overprotective mode. They then start to "rescue" a person who really doesn't need rescuing; the person made a choice, they need to live with it. It's like this overprotective character knows better than anyone else. AHHHHHH! I want to bang my head when I read this crap!
Let's just say, I hated the ending of this book. Sorry. It's probably me, not the book. Perhaps it's my advanced age and wisdom that's clouding my judgement of a story targeted to a teen audience.
Yep, I'm going with that.
Review appears on
July 25, 2016
I went into this book with low expectations but came out of it being pleasantly surprised. The premise of this novel sounded so promising when I first added it to my lists, and I honestly didn't know what to expect, but this was so much better than I expected it to be.
All of the characters are really well-written and well-developed, and there's so much action. It was all so much fun to read and it's exactly what I'd expect, and love, out of a YA fantasy. This novel was really fast-paced and really exhilarating to read - it was so much fun to keep up with this crazy adventure that all of these characters went on together, and it was so interesting to watch them piece together their plan as they kind of explored and began to connect the dots. I loved the clashing of the different realms - the fantasy and then the modern one - and it was really, really funny to see Cedric and his little group learn to navigate the modern world, despite how helpless and totally confused they were.
I really don't have much to say about this book because there isn't much I can say without spoiling it, I think, but this was really a lot of fun to read and I definitely think it's going to be a promising series. The cliffhanger ruined me and I'm so, so excited for the next installment of this series!
All of the characters are really well-written and well-developed, and there's so much action. It was all so much fun to read and it's exactly what I'd expect, and love, out of a YA fantasy. This novel was really fast-paced and really exhilarating to read - it was so much fun to keep up with this crazy adventure that all of these characters went on together, and it was so interesting to watch them piece together their plan as they kind of explored and began to connect the dots. I loved the clashing of the different realms - the fantasy and then the modern one - and it was really, really funny to see Cedric and his little group learn to navigate the modern world, despite how helpless and totally confused they were.
I really don't have much to say about this book because there isn't much I can say without spoiling it, I think, but this was really a lot of fun to read and I definitely think it's going to be a promising series. The cliffhanger ruined me and I'm so, so excited for the next installment of this series!
June 15, 2016
Can't wait for the next book!!
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