Lovin' los libros

Gravity (The Taking #1)
   by: Melissa West

Publication Date: Dec. 18, 2012
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Genre: Science Fiction
Age Group: Young Adult
Source: Borrowed from the Library
Page Count: 284 pages
Order Links: Amazon | B&N
My Rating: 4/5 stars

I really enjoyed Gravity! I do love a good sci-fi and this book certainly gave me just that! Not to mention- HOT ALIEN ALERT! Dang, do I love those. Set in a futuristic world where humans are forced to cooperate with aliens, known as Ancients, Gravity has a bit of everything for all readers: mystery, intrigue, romance, action, adventure- you name it! Sometimes science fiction books can start off confusing as the author works to set the stage and begin their world building, but I did not find that to be the case here at all. I was drawn into the storyline and this idea of the Taking pretty quickly.

The Taking happens to humans every night- they wear a mask where they are basically made immobile while an Ancient comes and performs the Taking on them- the Ancients take some of the humans antibodies in order to survive. However, the mask also serves to protect the Ancients' identity.

Our protagonist, Ari, is destined to become the Commander as well as set to marry her friend Lawrence (Law) who is to be the future President. As a seventeen year old, she already has a lot of expectations and responsibilities placed on her- she is working hard to earn her spot as the top seed in Op training, beating out Jackson Locke- her biggest competition. Imagine her surprise as she discovers her Ancient is none other than the beautiful, tough boy himself! Her world is completely turned upside down at this new revelation and sends her seeking answers to things she may not be ready to know. I liked Ari's character a lot. She is tough, fierce, and strong. Yet, she is realistic too. I really like how she thinks through things before doing them. She doesn't rush in to situations blind. She is smart and calculated and I really liked that about her.

Jackson, on the other hand, I had trouble reading. At school, he comes across as cocky and confident and treating Ari as if she's nothing more than a blip on his radar. However, when it's just the two of them he is different. He is sweet, genuine, and more open. We do realize there is a reason for his duality, but it still made him a difficult character to trust. Jackson needs Ari's help- the treaty the humans have with the Ancients isn't holding like it should be and some of the Ancients are going rogue, determined to cohabitate with the humans. Jackson is asking a lot of her: help him prevent a war between their races and essentially betray everyone she loves or do nothing. I ended up really liking Jackson's character- he is a victim of circumstance and did what he had to do, knowing Ari would be affected by those decisions.

Doing nothing isn't Ari's style. If she feels she can help prevent horrible things from happening, she's going to step up and do what she needs to, no matter the consequences. The more she works with Jackson, the more she starts to fall for the Ancient. Of course, this is crazy: she's a human, next in line to be the Commander, AND she already has a prearranged marriage. Yet, the heart wants what it wants! She knows Jackson is holding things back from her, yet she doesn't realize just how much those things will affect her. One of those things is revealed at the end of the novel and WHOA. Did NOT see that twist coming at all.

I loved all the twists and turns this story took. I couldn't stop reading- it was so engaging and I just had to know how everything would play out! So many things happen that will change Ari's life forever, and I am looking forward to seeing this series continue in Hover. (I wish I could elaborate and say more, but I definitely don't want to ruin this story for anyone- go read it yourself!)




Hover (The Taking #2)
   by: Melissa West

Publication Date: Aug. 13, 2013
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Genre: Science Fiction
Age Group: Young Adult
Source: e-ARC provided by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Page Count: 352 pages
Order Links: Amazon | B&N
My Rating: 5/5 stars




Wow. What a sequel!!! I am seriously floored right now! I enjoyed the first book as you saw above, but I LOVED this second one! It has everything I could ever want- romance, action, betrayal, and it's a SCI-FI! Woooo! I'm so glad I read these back to back- but... holy cliffhanger on this one! I can't believe I have to wait for Book 3! *pouts* I did NOT see that twist coming... well, I was suspicious, but never did I think that ending would actually happen!

The book picks up right where Gravity left off, only this time we find Ari on Loge. I was definitely curious about the Ancients' home world, since we only learned bits and pieces about it in the last book. I loved being in this new setting and seeing the type of people the Ancients actually were! (They surprised the heck out of me that's for sure! Let's just say they are not as repressed of a people as I thought under Zeus's leadership...)

Ari is healing from the neurotoxins that were released on Earth, designated to kill the Ancients and is dealing with her feelings concerning Jackson. She is unsure of him, feeling betrayed by his omission of important information, and now she is on a planet by herself with no allies to turn to. Where most people would be terrified into a stupor, Ari is as fierce and strong as ever. Then again- Ari has been raised and bred to be the next Commander. Her father has trained her to be the girl she needs to be, and while Ari may have seen that as harsh- she does end up realizing he did it for her own good. That's not to say Ari is a machine- she is human and she still has feelings. She has such compassion for others and will do whatever it takes to keep her loved ones safe from Zeus's growing threat.

Zeus. UGH. Talk about EVIL. West did a great job creating such a villain- even his mannerisms scream 'DANGER!' He is ruthless and does not hesitate in putting Ari through torture to find out what he needs. So what do you do with the big bad? Make plans to eliminate him of course! Easier said than done! Zeus is no idiot. He is cunning, as well as intuitive. This will be no easy task for Ari. Thankfully, Jackson IS on her side and will do whatever is necessary to assist her- even betraying his grandfather. Yeah, didn't see THAT coming!

As much as Ari tries to push Jackson away, she can't help but start to see how different he is than on Earth. Here, he is seen as a leader and yet remains protective of her, knowing what that could do for his reputation. I love that Ari isn't so quick to jump back in with him. He has to earn her trust back and the only way to do that is through his actions. We see so many different sides to Jackson in this book and it made me love him so much more than I already did. He is strong and determined, but there is a vulnerability to him that breaks my heart. His concern for his grandmother (Zeus's wife) is absolutely touching- he knows that she won't leave him and Zeus treats her horribly. He has to assume so many different personas- one minute he goes from being a hard, cold, unfeeling leader to a guy who has to push aside his feelings for the girl he loves because she just wants friendship. It's terribly frustrating for him and I loved that we got to see the many different layers of Jackson. Once Ari realizes the type of man he actually is and all the responsibilities he carries and the internal battles he wages to protect those he loves, it is then she starts to let him back into her heart again.

"I pushed Jackson away, yet he continues to stand beside me, forever thinking I am better than I am, more capable than I am- stronger than I am. Some may think you choose to have feelings for another due to what you see in that person, their strengths and weaknesses. But I think it's also in how that person sees you. And Jackson Castello, right or wrong, sees me, really sees me. How can I push that away? How can I deny that while I see him as mysterious and difficult, I also see him as kind and generous and so much braver than he realizes? He isn't perfect. He is so far from perfect. But maybe it isn't about him being perfect... maybe it's about him being perfect for me."

Their relationship progressed perfectly, and literally (at 91% to be exact) had me gasping for breath. Swooooooon!

While most of our time is spent in Loge, Ari does have some communication with her friends and family on Earth. However, every time they communicated, I felt more and more uneasy about what was to come. Things are happening down on Earth that Ari is not privy to, and things are definitely not as they seem. Her friends Law and Gretchen, who she has known for years, are acting differently and she can't pinpoint what is going on. Is it just the stress over the impending war or is there something more going on?

Some new characters are introduced in this novel that are quite significant. Emmy and Vill, being two of my favorites. Emmy is the Healer assigned to help Ari and yet she is so much more than meets the eye. When Ari thought she had no allies here, she couldn't have been more wrong. Emmy is proof of that- after building a rapport with Ari, Emmy trusts her enough to confide in her that Loge is dying and the Ancients need a new place to live. And Emmy thinks Ari will be the one to help lead them. Talk about responsibility! Vill, is actually Emmy's grandson as well as Jackson's roommate. He does not play a huge role in the book, but he offers Ari some sound advice- not just about Jackson, but also about her. He is a true friend to both of them and I hope we get to see him again in the next book!

"You are a leader, Ari. You were born a leader and you will die a leader. It is who you are. Everyone who meets you knows it. And you know it, even if you question it. You react like a leader, thinking ahead of time so you know your actions are properly directed."
...

"You'll find yourself again. Before you know it, you will be leading again. But you first need to see Jackson, really see him, for who he is, instead of what you thought he was or who you now believe him to be."

As I said, there is a cliffhanger, and I cannot wait to get my hands on the third book, Collide, to find out what happens next for Ari, Jackson, and both the Ancients and humans!