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Liked It “I picked this book up at Barnes and Noble intending to give it a try and even though I was a little hesitant at first I was so glad I did. |
Didn’t Like It “Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales |
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“ I picked this book up at Barnes and Noble intending to give it a try and even though I was a little hesitant at first I was so glad I did.
Katie C wrote this review Friday, February 22, 2013. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
I adored how they put the fun spin on angels in this book. It was unique and mysterious (just like angels). The authors put together the Grigori world very well and gave us just enough information to keep me excited without letting me know too much about what was going to happen.
Claire was a well written and likeable character. I liked that she didn’t always have angelic powers and gracefulness because she was a sweet young girl who was used to working for what she wanted and not just having everything handed to her. Even after experiencing some her crazy new talents she did her best to use them for good.
The secondary characters in this book were some of the best I have ever read about. Claire is lucky to have two of the coolest friends ever, Brian and Erica. They both were quirky, funny, and handled a crisis well. Which was good since there was a lot of them this year. I also liked that they were not clueless the entire time. Claire couldn’t hide from her best friends. It was easy to see that all three of them had a strong bond. Brian was great at putting some humor into any situation and Erica new just what to say to make Claire feel better. I would love to have friends like these in my life.
Alec wasn’t a brooding hero which was refreshing. He actually had a sense of humor and was really interesting to learn about. He and Claire had real connection that was really sweet. I also liked that even though he was super human in many aspects he also had very human moments. He embarrassed himself, made mistakes, and was afraid of many of the things teenagers are. It made him more relatable and I liked seeing that side of him.
After finishing this book I couldn’t help, but be excited for a possible sequel. There are still so many questions I have and I hope that one will definitely be made in the near future.
This is highly recommended to everyone who likes a good paranormal romance!”
“The story was pretty standard YA fare but I did like it enough to finish the book. I wasn't a fan of the writing style. ”
Kat wrote this review Sunday, December 23, 2012. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“this book was good but i don't think i will read the series...”
Lauryn:) wrote this review Wednesday, November 14, 2012. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“It was so beautiful!!!!!! I've never been this excited or happy about a book. (That's a lie, I have before thoe.) Its so sweet and amazing at the same time!!!! I wonder if theers a second book??”
Kobi wrote this review Saturday, October 27, 2012. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“This was a great book and I really hope the authors decide to make a sequel.”
Amanda M wrote this review Friday, September 14, 2012. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“This book is a great starter YA paranormal romance mystery. The main characters developed well throughout the book, and became quite engaging. It is also a good fast read that holds interest and leads to the anticipation of a sequel.”
Deneé wrote this review Thursday, August 16, 2012. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“it is definitely a cliff hanger because they can either write another book or just leave it at that. They can either write a second book on how they find the bad guy again and they atcually kill him or not which i kind of hope they do i liked the book and i would recommend it for someone who likes books with paranormal situations but doesn't like alot of romance in it but even if you like paranormal romances i recommend it to”
corrin wrote this review Saturday, July 28, 2012. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales
Dark Faerie Tales wrote this review Saturday, July 28, 2012. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
Quick & Dirty: Stereotypical characters fall into the YA trope of insta-love, but with an angel mythos that has an interesting twist to it.
Opening Sentence: It had been a really crappy morning.
The Review:
The premise of the novel was interesting, even if the angel mythology isn’t anything new. It’s got a few interesting twists that I enjoyed, but for the most part it’s got the same staples as most YA paranormals. The strongest part of the novel was the characters. I loved that Claire isn’t a social outcast or Ms. Popular, the two extremes already plentiful in this type of story. The friends she does have are brilliant. They’re fun, loveable, and hilarious, but they’re also smart and trustworthy. Claire tells them everything, even the crazy, and they want to help her.
At first I thought the title Forbidden was about Alec and Claire’s romance, but it isn’t. It’s about Claire and her life and the fact that she really, really shouldn’t exist. I didn’t like the way the author kept what she was from us so much of the story — I think it was an attempt at adding tension-filled mystery — because we know something’s wrong, we know about the angels, so just tell us already! But Claire’s sweet and crushing on a boy who doesn’t know she’s alive, and just an all-around typical high school student. When Alec shows up, mysterious and Scottish, her feelings begin to focus on him and her crush finally looks at her, but this isn’t a love triangle like I expected. Claire is smart and level-headed and follows her heart instead of embracing the drama of having two boys. Her brain made her a great heroine to read, but why are YA heroines so intensely smart and yet idiots at the same time? The insta-love made me want to punch both Claire and Alec.
Alec is good as well, but I had a few problems. Because this is a mother and son team, and Claire and Alec are written respectively by each, they didn’t flow together. At first I thought it might add to the voice and distinguish each of them, but instead it distracted me. As a character and a love interest, he’s good though. The stereotypical “bad boy” that can only be redeemed by our intelligent heroine. He seems all confident from Claire’s POV, but we can see from him how insecure he feels about trying to be normal and fit in. Because he belongs to a very old society that he’s run away from, he turns Claire’s already odd life upside down. Claire turns up as someone the Elders need to investigate and his hiding place is outed, placing them both in danger. No matter what Claire is, Alec’s going to protect her.
This is the beginning of a trilogy, according to the authors, but their publisher only picked up the one book. I’m not sure if I believe the rest of the series will deliver enough to be picked up. This book fell back on clichés — hard. While the twist on angel mythos was interesting, it was too drawn out and despite the characters having great potential, the authors let them fall into their respective molds. If the sequel does get picked up, I hope we see more of the humor and they make an effort to turn Claire and Alec into individuals.
Notable Scene:
She yanked the phone out and glanced at the screen, fully expecting the text to be from her mom.
Instead, it was from an unknown number. All it said was:
Don’t panic.
She glanced up and saw Alec secretly working his cell phone beneath the cover of his desk. Another message arrived:
I’ll share my notes. –A
She smiled. That was nice of him. She was putting her cell phone away when the sharp rap of knuckles against glass brought her eyes back to the classroom window. She froze in horror.
FTC Advisory: HarperTeen provided me with a copy of Forbidden. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.”
“This author never disappoints me! Now that she co-wrote her first book with her son, I look forward to reading more of their work together.
Brenda wrote this review Sunday, July 1, 2012. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
I enjoyed reading about Claire and her two best friends. Claire knew she was experiencing something weird and paranormal and she was able to confide in her friends without being judged her ousted. I loved that part of the book, what great friends she had. Then Alec comes along and Claire experiences love for the first time, but there is something about him that she can't pinpoint.
Loved the cover and the subject of angels. They left the book open for a sequel once you discover who Helena is.”
