Author: Sarah Beth Durst
Publisher: Bloomsbury, 368 pages
Expected Publication Date: October 14, 2014
*ARC received from publisher via NetGalley
From Goodreads:
Lies, secrets, and magic — three things that define Kayla's life.
Sixteen-year-old Kayla plans to spend her summer hanging out on the beach in Santa Barbara and stealing whatever she wants, whenever she wants it. Born with the ability to move things with her mind — things like credit cards, diamond rings, and buttons on cash registers — she has become a master shoplifter. She steals to build up a safety net, enough money for her and her mom to be able to flee if her dad finds them again. Well, that, and the thrill of using her secret talents.
But her summer plans change when she's caught stealing by a boy named Daniel — a boy who needs her help and is willing to blackmail her to get it. Daniel has a talent of his own. He can teleport, appearing anywhere in the world in an instant, but he lies as easily as he travels. Together, they embark on a quest to find and steal an ancient incantation, written on three indestructible stones and hidden millennia ago, all to rescue Daniel's kidnapped mother. But Kayla has no idea that this rescue mission will lead back to her own family — and to betrayals that she may not be able to forgive... or survive.
Review:
I enjoyed this action packed book filled with magic and two teenagers who have paranormal abilities. Loved the teleporting around the world in search of the three stones. Loved the antagonistic relationship between Kayla and Daniel.
However, I was a bit frustrated with the world-building. The rest of the world is normal and then you have some people with magical abilities and then there's Kayla and Daniel who have these amazing powers and there's no explanation for why this is the case. Until the very end. So the whole time I was reading this book I was wondering about it. I also couldn't understand why Kayla's dad killed her sister. I mean, they're on the run from him. Is he just a psycho? Evil? Was there something about her sister having an ability that gave him a motive to kill her? Again, this is not explained or even questioned until the end. Aside from those questions, the book was fun and it had an interesting plot filled with danger and mystery.
Posted by: Pam
Well hopefully the author will continue writing in this series so that they can build the world better and so our curiosity can be assuaged. This was a great review! I just followed this blog on bloglovin. I can't wait to read more of your reviews!
ReplyDeleteRebecca @ Vicariously!
Thanks! I'm pretty sure it's a standalone, but the answers are given, just at the VERY end. That was a little frustrating. ~Pam
DeleteI'll be reading this one so I'm glad to know that there are answers at the end. Maybe I won't be quite so frustrated. Then again, I don't normally like waiting that long to find out anything. Great review!
ReplyDeleteWell, at least you're expecting it. I just hate when I'm reading a book and I have questions I think are obvious and they aren't being answered (or even asked by the character). Hope you enjoy it, I'm looking forward to reading your thoughts! ~Pam
DeleteHmm I never heard of this one. Is it a standalone? I typically like books with powers but I'm not sure if that is enough to motivate me to pick it up...
ReplyDeleteYes, it's a standalone. Yay! ~Pam
DeleteNot sure about this one! Lauren was mixed too. The romance sounds good, but I'm kinda sick of teenage superheroes, ya know? Will have to think about it. Thanks for your review, Pam!
ReplyDeleteNice review. I haven't seen this one before but it seems quite interesting. I like that it's a standalone, been reading far too many series recently.
ReplyDelete