Gravity (The Taking, #1)

Dec 21, 2012 Jana (The Book Goddess) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: entangled, 2012-reads, blog-reviewed, debut-author-2012, favourites

NOTE: I read the early arc version - not the finished arc.

I was never really into aliens (until I read Obsidian!) and then I became quite obsessed with them. When I came across Gravity during it's cover reveal, I thought it was the perfect book. I mean helloooooo, have you seen the cover? The summary? The killer line 'DON'T. EVER. PEEK.'?? How can I NOT want this book? Obviously I was dying to get my hands on this. I had a hell lot of expectations for this book and lemme tell you, it exceeded my...more NOTE: I read the early arc version - not the finished arc.

I was never really into aliens (until I read Obsidian!) and then I became quite obsessed with them. When I came across Gravity during it's cover reveal, I thought it was the perfect book. I mean helloooooo, have you seen the cover? The summary? The killer line 'DON'T. EVER. PEEK.'?? How can I NOT want this book? Obviously I was dying to get my hands on this. I had a hell lot of expectations for this book and lemme tell you, it exceeded my super high expectations and more!

Don't. Ever. Peek. This book was addicting. Like, seriously can't stop reading and can't go to sleep addicting. I started this on Saturday night, read 42% and then finished it in the morning. That's how good this book was, in my opinion. From the very first chapter, I was captivated. This book starts out with a bang. I like how we were thrown in and didn't waste time explaining lots of information and boring us with it all. Though I did have a bit of a problem with the explanation of the Ancients later on and the world-building but fortunately that didn't take it away from the enjoyment of the book. (Found out after I read the book that the author and her editor is changing a few bits about the book - so I think these issues will be resolved. Keep in mind that I read the very early ARC version, not the finished ARC.)

I did NOT expect to like Ari as much as I did. In fact, I adore her so frigging much! You ALL know how very picky I am of female characters, and more than half of them annoy me to death, but NOT Ari. She's smart and brave and one of those girls you kinda want to be and want to be friends with. She's very layered and interesting. And you can't help but feel sorry for her obligations and duties that she has to fulfill since she's the Commander's daughter. And I really like that her upbringing is different from the rest of YA that I read. She's rich, kinda spoiled but she doesn't abuse her family's power. I just lurve this girl.

Jackson. He's now one of my newest book boyfriends (notice how the numbers keep going up?;) ). I didn't really expect all that character development on him. He's very complex. Oh, but one thing I have to say is that the summary tells you that Jackson is 'arrogant' and you kinda think that he'll be a delicious bad boy. Well, I think he's not really a bad boy. He's more of a good guy than a jerk (I love both) but that's not necessary a bad thing. He's funny, sexy, sometimes sweet, which I think people will find refreshing after all the big alpha males out there.

This will definitely be in my top five of 2012! I loved loved loved this book and I already pre-ordered it as soon as I finished! Woot! :)
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May 29, 2013 Jessica (Goldenfurpro) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own, challenge-spring, challenge-5th, read-in-2013, released-in-2012, aliens, dystopian-and-post-apocalyptic, covers-blueness, pov-girl, hall-of-awesome-4-stars-or-more, school-year-2012-2013, series-books, sci-fi, need-to-review, entangled-teen

AFTER READING:
OH MY CHEESE!!!!!!
This book was even better than I expected!!

BEFORE READING:
This book sounds so ABSOLUTLELY AMAZING!! XD
First off it has aliens! ALIENS!!
There are very few cool teen books with aliens in it
I have only read 1 maybe 2 books with aliens in it
ALIENS!! XD
And it's also dystopian!! That's my favorite genre
YAY!
but here's the sad part.....
ITS NOT OUT YET!!!!!
*cries*
Why? Why must I wait so long?
come to me october! come to me soon! so I can read this O-mazing book!
Come s...more

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Dec 20, 2012 Ariana rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, characters-named-ari-ariana, to-review

Dear Ari,
You better live up to my name!!! (^.^)

FULL REVIEW:

Oh, it felt so good, so personal to read my name in this story.
Ari.. Ari.. Every time I read this name it filled me with joy and my heart started to beat a bit faster. It was like the book had been written just for me.
Well, you can’t blame me for all this excitement, because it’s not like it rains all the time with characters that share my name (and if you’re wondering – which you are totally not, but I don’t care – “Ari” is a girl (fi...more

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Nov 30, 2012 Sam rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: best-covers, arc-or-galley, science-fiction, romance

3.5 stars

“Two such different species can’t coexist on one planet. It’s survival of the fittest and we must survive.”

Of all things that fall into the science fiction region, aliens happen to be my choice subject matter. Funnily enough, very few alien books have truly mesmerised me and the few that have are usually operated by something other (generally romance). Melissa West’s debut novel caught my attention several months ago with its promise of a futuristic Earth and an interesting opposition...more 3.5 stars

“Two such different species can’t coexist on one planet. It’s survival of the fittest and we must survive.”

Of all things that fall into the science fiction region, aliens happen to be my choice subject matter. Funnily enough, very few alien books have truly mesmerised me and the few that have are usually operated by something other (generally romance). Melissa West’s debut novel caught my attention several months ago with its promise of a futuristic Earth and an interesting opposition between two species. While a few blemishes prevented thorough enjoyment of Gravity, I, for the most part, relished immersing myself into this story. My main concerns fall under inconsistency and romance issues, but, nevertheless, Gravity proved to be a gripping read.

To get the negatives out of the way, I will address them first. Ari Alexander is assigned to Jackson Locke for the Taking, a process by which Ancients obtain the required antibodies needed for adaptation to Earth. While this process is intriguing (and puts the two in a very interesting position), I failed to understand its full purpose. Ancient bodies are mostly composed of a substance called Xylem, the same way human bodies are mostly composed of water. Unlike water, Xylem has the ability to heal. Surely then, it could deal with pathogenic illness, making the presence of antibodies unnecessary? Another aspect that refused to leave me alone was Jackson’s ability to catch the general train of Ari’s thoughts. It was mentioned a mere handful of times and played very little role during the plot. If reading her mind was a possibility, I would have expected that to have had a more noteworthy part in their relationship.

This brings me on to the romance, my main issue with this book. I simply wasn’t convinced. Although the changes to the finished copy addressed the pacing of the romance, it still felt somewhat contrived and rapid. Ari has very little reason to trust Jackson, yet she does so with unrealistic swiftness. There is a lack of genuine chemistry there on in, and because of that, it is not nearly as affecting as I might have hoped.

Flaws aside, appreciating Ari as the protagonist is more than easily done. Despite a few moments of lapse, she is intelligent and a quick thinker. Her training to become an Operative forms a fierce and courageous personality, one that is admirable. She is not heartless and her determination to prevent a war, not just for her people, but for Jackson’s too, makes her all the likeable. Jackson, too, is a likeable character. He is not at all the arrogant bad-boy the book description suggests, but rather a sweet and intriguing character. Though I have to admit, he is perhaps a little too lost among the sea of average male characters to leave a lasting impression. Nevertheless, and although my thoughts on him as a love interest are scattered, I appreciated his role in the story and look forward to uncovering more about him.

Plot-wise, the book is brilliant and completely engrossing. While it took a fraction longer than might have been expected to fully grasp the story, the ideas were original and exciting and did not disappoint in the end. After a few twists beyond the finale, the sequel is one that I will definitely have to read. Some surprising questions are raised that promise an exciting follow up to come.

(This review also appears on my blog)(less)

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Nov 18, 2012 Giselle rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, ebook, science-fiction

While I do love and enjoy sci-fi novels, I have rarely come about any that involve Aliens. I can actually only recall 2: I Am Number Four, and Obsidian. Both were good and a great change from the same old. In Gravity, we get another unique addition into the genre. The world Melissa has created has some holes and grey areas, but overall, the mix of dystopian and aliens is a great way to create an original post-apocalyptic world with very neat, but also very scary, aspects.

We begin this book with...more While I do love and enjoy sci-fi novels, I have rarely come about any that involve Aliens. I can actually only recall 2: I Am Number Four, and Obsidian. Both were good and a great change from the same old. In Gravity, we get another unique addition into the genre. The world Melissa has created has some holes and grey areas, but overall, the mix of dystopian and aliens is a great way to create an original post-apocalyptic world with very neat, but also very scary, aspects.

We begin this book with a prologue that occurs during Ari's childhood, when she has to face for the first time the very real fact that aliens are among them now, and what it means to live in this world with them. This chapter sets a great intriguing tone for the book. Making it instantly exciting, while heightening our curiosity of the journey we're about to embark upon. Then when we meet Ari again as a teenager, it's during a very stressful evening where, immediately, secrets are unraveling. We are off to a great start!

Like I said, there are some grey areas in the world building when it comes to learning about these aliens. The Ancients are a fascinating bunch, although they have some key differences--like changing eye color and flawless beauty--they look like humans and have a neat way of traveling to our planet. We also get some greatly interesting biological detail. What we don't get that I wish we had is a lot more about the history of these aliens coming to earth. I'm not saying we don't get any information, we do, but I wanted more than the basics. When I think of a post-war world like this, I like to be able to imagine its history unfolding, and this was more like a hop. Bits and pieces that give a passable explanation, but not enough to really throw me into this world convincingly.

Nevertheless, the idea for the world is both alarming and exciting, and I loved it. We are in the brink of a war with these beings. Things start to get tense when the first attack is seen early on in the book, and it keeps a great steady pace throughout. I did, however, feel a little underwhelmed with the romance that develops from the very beginning. I understand that it's an unusual situation since Jackson has been developing feelings for Ari his whole life, but from her side, she's only just met him, yet she trusts him immediately. This, to me, seems like a way to try to play in insta-love without ramifications. Although mild in this case, there will never be a "good way" to play in insta-love. It lacks connection and chemistry, and without these key elements I never feel very interested in the love story--which does come to the forefront for a big part of the book.

What kept me rolling through despite not liking the romance is Ari herself. I loved her narration, especially that it's in first person. She is a character who is brave and independent; she's tough as nails and her training has made her a true fighter. I love nothing better than a strong female protagonist who can hold her own.

With that said, my issues do lay mostly with the romance. It's a rather large part of the book so no matter how much I loved the plot--which was a lot--I couldn't get truly wrapped up in it as the romance kept getting in the way of my enjoyment. If I would have rated this on everything BUT, it would have gotten a solid 4!

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An advance copy was provided by the publisher for review.

For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads

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Mar 11, 2013 equilibri rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: cover-love, stupidity-is-a-crime, hour-of-the-eye-roll, burn-in-book-hell

- Incoherent plot, the premise lacks believability, the events and circumstances are never properly explained
- No resolution to the story
- Lack of proper background or world-building
- Incredibly dull, weak characters
- Cheesy, nausea-inducing insta-love

10 likes · like · see review

Oct 21, 2012 Atmika marked it as to-read

Shelves: arc, blog-tour, young-adult, aliens, 2012

I was a little confused in the beginning. There were too many details and not enough explanation but don't give up on the book. Read on and it does get better. Once the story picks up there is no looking back. I got the book quite late for the tour and wasn't really sure that I could do a review but once I started reading I was hooked. I needed to know what happened next and I need the next book in the series NOW!. Ahh......the ending. I have so many questions. Please Melissa, if you could send...more I was a little confused in the beginning. There were too many details and not enough explanation but don't give up on the book. Read on and it does get better. Once the story picks up there is no looking back. I got the book quite late for the tour and wasn't really sure that I could do a review but once I started reading I was hooked. I needed to know what happened next and I need the next book in the series NOW!. Ahh......the ending. I have so many questions. Please Melissa, if you could send me the next book too I will be forever in your debt. I can't stand not knowing!!! Okay, enough with my drama.

Let's talk about the characters. I loved Ari. She is smart, self-less, caring, kickass, so in short, she's awesome. I am a little picky when it comes to female protagonists. I generally hate them and the whole "damsel in distress" stuff just gets on my nerve. So it's refreshing to read about girls that can fight for themselves. Ari cared about people, even strangers. She risked her life to save them. How can you not like her?
I thought that she made a brave choice when she decided to help Jackson and go against everything she believed in order to avoid a war that will just lead to destruction and loss of lives. I was really angry at Ari's dad and Cybil. They were so arrogant that they refused to see reason. They are complex characters and hopefully in the next book we will see a softer side to them.

Jackson is an ancient. Humans are not allowed to see ancients but Ari sees him and it turns out that he needs her help to save humanity but for that she has to tell him secrets and lie to her father. Jackson was sweet, cute and totally swoon worthy. I think I have a crush on him.
He genuinely cared about Ari and I am a little ashamed to say that I doubted him a little but I guess that just proves how invested I was in the story.
I liked Lawrence too. He was a great friend and so was Gretchen. All the characters are well developed. I am excited to learn more about Zeus, who is the leader of the Ancients. I think he will be quite a complex and interesting character in the coming books.

The plot is different and unique. Though I did feel that the romance was a rushed. Ari fell for Jackson too soon. I liked the story, the characters and the writing. I definitely recommend it. READ IT!!

Favorite Quotes

"I am absolutely, mind-bendingly in love with you. In every way. Every ounce of my body. My entire being…it belongs to you."

He cradles my face with his hands and kisses me with such passion it takes my breath away. He pulls away and looks into my eyes. “ I've never been happier in my life than I am right now, here, with you."

“There is a lot of gray between life and death. Life isn't worth living if you aren't with the ones you love."

I read an early version of the book. Their may be some changes in the finished book. Sorry for the confusion. :) (less)

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Nov 09, 2012 Jennifer rated it 4 of 5 stars

Don't ever peak. In 2140, aliens, called Ancients, have come to earth. Well actually they travel through portals. Each night, Ari, as well as everyone else, must put on their patch blindfold that paralyzes them, and allow the Ancient assigned to them to enter their bedroom for The Taking. One night Ari loses her patch and opens her eyes to see her classmate Jackson hoovering above her. Ancients are not supposed to be living undercover and she knows she should report him to her father, The Comman...more Don't ever peak. In 2140, aliens, called Ancients, have come to earth. Well actually they travel through portals. Each night, Ari, as well as everyone else, must put on their patch blindfold that paralyzes them, and allow the Ancient assigned to them to enter their bedroom for The Taking. One night Ari loses her patch and opens her eyes to see her classmate Jackson hoovering above her. Ancients are not supposed to be living undercover and she knows she should report him to her father, The Commander, but first she wants to get answers from him. Jackson he explains that he needs her help because his people are ready to acclimate and live among the humans, and if earth does not agree, war will ensue.

The world building was very intriguing but still sometimes I was lost with some unanswered questions. I was a little confused why the Ancients needed to take the nutrients from humans every night? Did they not eat? The Ancients did say they needed to come to earth because they were out of water but I wasn't sure why they have to take nutrients every night. The humans began studying the Ancients and performing horrible experiments on them. The Ancients don't need water since their bodies are made of xylem so the humans believe they were lying and are trying to take over earth. I wondered why Ari never once really sat down and discussed these things with her father, The Commander. She is supposed to be learning to take over his job and one day but I felt like she was in the dark with everything happening. I never fully got an idea of why the aliens wanted to live on earth or why the humans didn't trust them. I do hope to learn more in the next book.

As the daughter of The Commander, Ari was raised with a lot of pressure to follow in his footsteps. She has had the best of training so she is very kick ass. Ari is supposed to marry the President's son, Lawrence, to enable a very strong leadership/partnership. They have a very important future planed protecting earth from the Ancients but Ari can't stop thinking of Jackson. Her dad's entire life is based on protecting the earth from his kind. Jackson was witty, kind of cocky, and sweet, but I felt things moved a bit fast. I guess part of that was that Ari always fantasized about the Ancient assigned to her for the Taking which was kind of surprising to me because I think I would be scared about anal probing and other weird alien mojo! Since the alien comes into my room at night while I'm out of it. lol That part was a bit freaky! The alien just hoovers above the person but does have the potential to take until death. It didn't feel too love triangley but I felt like Lawrence really cared about Ari and that they had potential but Ari sees him as a friend only. Ari spends most of her time with Jackson trying to help him stop a war.

Jackson held back some important information and I thought Ari trusted him way too much. I just don't think I personally would have helped him get so much insider information. Once again I would have at least questioned my dad about his plans. The romance wasn't perfect but it did have it's swoony moments. I am a romance junkie but it was the plot that was really keeping my attention. All the things the aliens were willing to do to get to earth versus everything the humans were trying to do to stop them. There were some unexpected twists and very exciting action scenes. I did not want to put the book down. The ending has a little cliffhanger, just enough to leave you pondering and wanting to know what will happen next.

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"No one talks about it. No one talks about them at all. "The Ancients prefer discretion," Mom once told me. But some say it's because they're so freakish we'd drop dead of fright. Others say they're too attractive, too tempting.
I prefer this theory."

"Well go ahead, try it on," Jackson says as he leans against the wall beside my window, his arms crossed. "I won't watch. Much."

"You shouldn't love me, but assuming you ignore me, like always, know this: I am absolutely, mind-bendingly in love with you. In every way. Every ounce of my body. My entire being...it belongs to you."

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*I received an eARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review* (less)

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Dec 12, 2011 Heather rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

LOVE this book. Think HUNGER GAMES meets the television show "V" with a hint of MATCHED and you'll have a pretty good feel for Melissa's series.

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Oct 29, 2012 Shreya (CCReviews) rated it 4 of 5 stars

*A copy was provided for review purposes*

Gravity literally made me feel like I was floating; it made me lose my breath at certain points, and had me squealing like a love-struck girl. Everything from the out-of-this-world plot to the witty dialogue was able to hook my interest. It had me ADDICTED. I really loved how the beginning of the book didn’t start off slow but just delved into the juicy parts and got even more interesting from there onwards. As for the plot, like I said before, it was AH-...more *A copy was provided for review purposes*

Gravity literally made me feel like I was floating; it made me lose my breath at certain points, and had me squealing like a love-struck girl. Everything from the out-of-this-world plot to the witty dialogue was able to hook my interest. It had me ADDICTED. I really loved how the beginning of the book didn’t start off slow but just delved into the juicy parts and got even more interesting from there onwards. As for the plot, like I said before, it was AH-MA-ZING. Alien’s are a once-in-a-few-months kind of genre for me, and even then, they have to be very well written and thought out to get me into it, and Gravity accomplished just that. The idea of there being two separate worlds somehow interconnected to each other with portals, as well as there being an ‘ancient’, who comes from another realm, assigned to a blindfolded human…is just...you have to read it to comprehend how marvelously composed this book was. Did I mention that these particular extraterrestrial beings also happen to want to take over the world? Hmmm…It’s WAR OF THE WORLDS baby!

Characters like Ari are the reason why I pick up YA books and love them to death. She was one kick-ass, strong, smart, kind, and funny heroine who made me want to hug her really tightly for being so awesome. Engaging? A definite check! From sentence one to the torturous last period, Ari had me so captivated that even a sumo wrestler couldn’t have snapped me out of my state. Her character was a very interesting one as well. She grew up with a commander for a father and was raised to follow in his footsteps, reason being why she’s so kick-ass. When I think of Ari, I instantly think of Dru from the Strange Angels series by Lili St.Crow. Both of them are independent and not irritating in the bit. Ari’s also engaged, surprise, surprise, another love triangle, this one being between her betrothed Lawrence, and her ancient Jackson. Let’s just say she has intimate feelings for both of them, and both of them are great guys. End of story, case closed. So as Ari tries to basically figure out her past, the present, and what’s to come in the future for Earth, she discovers many dangerous secrets and threatening consequences. All throughout the book, she creates an adrenaline pumping sensation for the reader, and that’s what I most enjoyed about her character, that you never get tired of her.

Both Jackson and Lawrence were honestly sweet and great guys. Let me make this clear, Jackson is NOT a jerk. I’ve seen this come up in other reviews, and I want to make it clear that even though he’s described as being an arrogant bad-boyish character, he is actually kind, with a rakish kind of charm. Lawrence isn’t much different from him aside for the fact that both of them come from very different backgrounds. Ari has a very down-to-earth and wonderful relationship with both of them, and I feel like this is one of the rare love triangles in which the guys aren’t tearing up each other’s throats. I hope to see more of a development between these characters in the next book, but for now, this is all I can offer about the romance as it wasn’t the main interest in the book, thank god!

Sooo, from my review, you guys can probably tell how much I loved it. I’m dying to read the next book RIGHT NOW, and this book hasn’t even come out yet! Honest to god, this book was a magnificent mix of a unique plotline, heart-pumping action, engaging characters, and flowing dialogue! I highly recommend this book!
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Nov 06, 2012 Alisi ☆ needs to stop starting new books ☆ rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Anyone

Shelves: urban-scifi, absolute-favorites

I have to admit that this book has some problems but really? For a first book in a series and a debut novel on top, this is one really good book.

The book blurb is a bit misleading, though, and the beginning is a bit confusing -- I think it's more because of the blurb than the actually beginning.

So, here is what the book is really about.

From the beginning of our history, humans and these Aliens knew of each other. The Aliens would heal the world when humans majorly fucked it up. This apparently...more I have to admit that this book has some problems but really? For a first book in a series and a debut novel on top, this is one really good book.

The book blurb is a bit misleading, though, and the beginning is a bit confusing -- I think it's more because of the blurb than the actually beginning.

So, here is what the book is really about.

From the beginning of our history, humans and these Aliens knew of each other. The Aliens would heal the world when humans majorly fucked it up. This apparently happened more than once; no surprise there.

After WWIV, however, when humans asked for help, the Aliens put a condition on it: their world is dying. They save Earth if humans allow them to live among them. That is where The Taking comes in. The Aliens get both the human shape (though, much more pretty) and human anti-bodies to survive on Earth. Each human has an Alien assigned to him or her and, at midnight, must put a patch on his or her forehead to put that person to sleep during The Taking.

It would seem that the humans want to renege on their agreement. This book takes place in what once was the USA so... I don't know. You'd think they would've learned better. xP This is the source of the conflict. Humans want to destroy the Aliens and the Aliens are starting to fight back.

I loved the characters, save the father. West did a good job keeping the plot going. Some of the "hidden plot" stuff was rather easy to see but it didn't deter. I actually like that the humans were bastards. That's much more like how we are than the "clasp hands and sing" variety.

Some of the details weren't necessarily kept straight. For example, food. Most people couldn't afford an apple but at one point the girls go downtown for deserts and candy (both of which, based on number of ingredients, would be way, waaaay more expensive than apples.)

More pointed plot problems (there be SPOILERS in these here waters):

(view spoiler)

Some reviews say this is like the Hunger Games but I strongly disagree. It's written better, for one. The character and plot is better too. Much more believable.(less)

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Nov 20, 2012 Ella rated it 2 of 5 stars

Blah I couldn't even finish it and I take finishing books prettttty seriously so that's saying something. The premise really caught my eye and I was excited to see where it was going but then it crashed and burned not so magnificently and imploded on itself and a little all over me too. The concept of the the taking was fantastic but then it fell into the realm of insta love which I can sometimes handle but here it was forced, awkward, not believable at all, and not to mention about as steamy as...more

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Dec 16, 2012 Amanda rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: dystopian-utopian, reviewed-books

2 stars.
"In the future, only one rule will matter: Don't. Ever. Peek."

Maybe my expectations for Gravity were too high. All the teasers, excerpts and reviews I read oozed awesome aliens, sweet romance and everything right up my alley. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a pretty disappointing experience.

In the world of Gravity, Ancients, an alien race, and humans live together on Earth. After WWIV destroyed Earth as we know it, the Ancients came to Earth with an offer. They fixed Earth in exchange...more

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Nov 05, 2012 Kayleigh {K-Books} rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: entangled-teen, unreleased

Gravity (The Taking #1) Review on K-Books

"I won't let ignorance murder the people I love."

Wow. I seriously have no words at all to explain just how amazing this book is. It completely took my breath away with it's serious awesome-ness. This is one of the first sci-fi/alien kind of books that I have read and loved. I have never actually had anything against Alien books I had read a couple and thought they were okay but I had never found one that I had thought was phenomenal until I read Obsidian...more

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Oct 19, 2012 Eileen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, dystopian, ebook, owned, romance, tour-stop, young-adult

check out more of my reviews at ***Singing and Reading in the Rain***!

With badass characters (and yes, I just said badass. But I didn't say it out loud! My parents would kill me. SHH THAT DIDN'T JUST HAPPEN) and a tough heroine, Gravity will definitely appeal to one's sense of survival and if you're die-hard fans of dystopian who love to read about rebellions and wars, but without the gory details.

Gravity's synopsis is a little disorienting, to be a little honest. I would've liked a little backg...more check out more of my reviews at ***Singing and Reading in the Rain***!

With badass characters (and yes, I just said badass. But I didn't say it out loud! My parents would kill me. SHH THAT DIDN'T JUST HAPPEN) and a tough heroine, Gravity will definitely appeal to one's sense of survival and if you're die-hard fans of dystopian who love to read about rebellions and wars, but without the gory details.

Gravity's synopsis is a little disorienting, to be a little honest. I would've liked a little background information in the beginning to keep myself from completely losing my state of mind, which, let's be honest, is very minimal at this point. The world-building of Gravity completely was lost on me. We're introduced to this society where Ancients, a race of aliens—for lack of a better word—live on Earth with humans in an uneasy truce. What are Ancients exactly? How did they get onto Earth? Why do they have a truce? Why are humans uneasy towards Ancients? How did the world become like this? There's no background story at all, and I was totally confused. I would've liked a more thorough explanation as to why the world had turned into that kind of society.

One thing I loved about Gravity was Ari's character. She was tough; she didn't take criticism lying down; and she knew how to work a gun. She can defend herself at a moment's notice, especially since she's specially trained in combat. She is definitely one of those kick-butt heroines that you want to read about. She completely lit up the novel for me. I loved Ari's will, determination, and constant curiosity to learn more.

Something else that grated me the wrong way was Jackson. He seemed like the perfect love interest. He was handsome, built, sweet, and also a great fighter. It made his whole persona seem extremely cookie-cutter and simple. There wasn't one flaw I could find within Jackson, and it annoyed me to some extent because of everything that was going on around Gravity in addition to Jackson.

Even with its flaws, Gravity is most certainly worth the read and any fan of a light dystopian read will enjoy this one. Gravity's amazing main character Ari made this a perfect novel.

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Oct 27, 2012 Stephanie Ward marked it as to-read

Shelves: blog-tour, ebook, for-review

4.5 Stars

Everything about Ari's life has been determined for her without her consent or opinion, including what job she'll have and who she'll marry. The only problem is that Ari doesn't want that life. On top of that situation, for years Ari has been visited nightly by an Ancient - an alien being - who takes vital nutrients from her so he can survive. One night, Ari breaks all the rules and looks up at her Ancient, only to discover the most popular boy from her school - Jackson Locke - hovering...more

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Oct 29, 2012 Juhina rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: entangled, blog-tour, ebook, review-books

Gravity, oh gravity I had such high hopes for you. The synopsis was so intriguing, I am not sure there was any dystopian/Sci-Fi fan who wasn't anticipating this novel. I just need to point out first that I read an early edition and I have heard many changes occurred, most of which I had problems with so keep in mind that many of the issues I will mention have probably been rectified.

In Gravity we've got two species, the humans, and the Ancients. You really don't know much on how the Ancients ar...more Gravity, oh gravity I had such high hopes for you. The synopsis was so intriguing, I am not sure there was any dystopian/Sci-Fi fan who wasn't anticipating this novel. I just need to point out first that I read an early edition and I have heard many changes occurred, most of which I had problems with so keep in mind that many of the issues I will mention have probably been rectified.

In Gravity we've got two species, the humans, and the Ancients. You really don't know much on how the Ancients arrive or their relationship to humans or why they do things called The Taking (even after I finished the book I really didn't get it). However Ari finds out who her Ancient is and is surprised that it is Jackson, the most popular guy in school and her rival for top seed in school and becoming an operative. I felt Ari was a bit naive and very easily manipulated to give any information one needs even if it betrays her father. I also felt like the world building was a bit weak and while the beginning didn't give much, and that helped in keeping the readers on their toes, I hoped by the end I would have answers to many of my earlier questions.

However I really loved the last couple of chapters for the novel. The direction Melissa West, while not all that unique, was still one that got me excited for the second book. The whole biological warfare and the struggle between wondering whether the Ancients were good or not and what their world was like was what made me enjoy the novel in the end. I won't really mention the romance because I personally tried my best to ignore it. It was too insta love for me but I'm glad it didn't overshadow the main plot. I do hope a love triangle (gasp!) would emerge in the second book, but not a flimsy one where Jackson still ends up with her, no competition, but one where the other guy might just get her in the end! as the saying goes, all's fair in love and war.

I do recommend this novel, especially the edited and modified edition for the readers who found the synopsis to be intriguing. Give it a try, I am pretty sure if I read the changed version I would have liked it so much more! I recommend this to fans of The Shadow Society by Marie Rutkoski and Sci-Fi/Futuristic genre lovers! (less)

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Oct 25, 2012 Giselle at Book Nerd Canada marked it as to-read

Shelves: wishlist, e-pub, blog-tour

Sydia is the city where our main character Aria lives in what happens to be North America. The world has been broken up into sectors, and people live with the alien race called the Ancients. Aria’s world is one of strict order, governed by her father, the military commander. She has to follow rules, abide by them or suffer the consequences. So when her Ancient comes to take her, and she realizes it’s her nemesis, Jackson, the handsome and popular boy from her school, her normal life is swept out...more Sydia is the city where our main character Aria lives in what happens to be North America. The world has been broken up into sectors, and people live with the alien race called the Ancients. Aria’s world is one of strict order, governed by her father, the military commander. She has to follow rules, abide by them or suffer the consequences. So when her Ancient comes to take her, and she realizes it’s her nemesis, Jackson, the handsome and popular boy from her school, her normal life is swept out from under her.

I did have the funniest notion that Aria was falling for an alien. AN ALIEN. Not of your species. I found it odd, but then again love is never simple. The heart wants what it wants, and Aria wanted Jackson. It obviously complicated matters since Aria is set to marry the president’s son Lawrence, but rest assured, this isn’t a love triangle. (So overdone). I liked Aria, she had strength as a character, but was as vulnerable as a kitten, and when her decisive actions were needed she quickly took the spot to lead. Her mistakes had consequences, but that’s what the teen years are for right? Make mistakes and learn from them. And Aria learns a lot. Her best friend Gretchen is feisty and loyal. More into fashion than Ari, she would dress her up in the prettiest outfits. And when they dress up in the future, they don’t go to brick and mortar stores. I found the option to dress so fascinating. I hope they invent this in the future!

“Gretchen selects another category of dresses. The program pulls a virtual version of her body and then crosschecks the perfect dress color, length, and shape, making sure not to duplicate any purchases in the last two years, then gives her fifty options. Each dress appears on the virtual Gretchen, and within a second she’s clicking for the next to appear.”

Humanity is still the same as ever. There’s still the same superiority of the classes. The rich, and the poor. The educated, and the non-educated. It felt rather realistic to an extent. I also found it fascinating that humans weren’t able to produce food at massive proportions anymore. They had food pills. Like what astronauts eat. (I hope that doesn’t come true..)

Gravity is just wonderfully plot driven, that you don’t get all your info dumped in the beginning, which I rather enjoyed. You’re constantly wondering, “Why are the Ancients on earth? What’s their purpose? Why does Jackson need Aria’s help? Who can she trust? Etc.” The best way to describe this is Alias meets Roswell. Spies, and aliens mashed together into one sci-fi adventure. I really enjoyed it.

Pick this one up if you’re into science fiction, dystopia, and aliens. Oh and the romance isn’t as cheesy as others, even though it was rather quick.(less)

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Oct 28, 2012 Mirely rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-publication-read, 2012-reading-challenge, 2012-reviews, blog-tour, arc, egalley, aliens, female-lead, ya-romance, ya-dark, sci-fi, dystopia, war, faves, pp-101-to-200, blessed-by-the-cover-gods

I try not to do this too often but please be one with your Spoiler Sensitivity Levels and know that this might be a bit spoiler-ish but not too bad.

First off, I have been CRAVING for this book ever since its cover was released; synopsis written and the site went live. It’s been a long time coming. For those that don’t know my first love has always and forever will be Science, more specifically anything space related, aliens and all. When this book came about I just couldn’t help but to be super...more

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Nov 03, 2012 Barb Lie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Gravity by Melissa West, is her debut novel, and a wonderful start in her sure to be a successful career. Gravity is the first book in her The Taking series. This is Y.A. with a SciFi and Romance theme. Yes, there are so many YA books out there now, but this one is a bit different, and has a real catchy promotional phrase…..Don’t. Ever. Peek. Once you start Gravity, you will not put this book down.

since this book is not released til later in November, I will post my full review at that time.

Ba...more

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Apr 26, 2013 Carriek rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: sci-fi, romance, ya-fiction, ya-adult-crossover

It is refreshing to have a teenage female protagonist who is physically and mentally strong. Awesome. With action, romance, and aliens all rolled into one book, this would be a great book for both boys and girls as well as adults looking for a YA book. The worst part was the ending because it is the start of a new story in Ari's life. I hope there is a sequel soon!

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May 20, 2013 Kim (Book Swoon) rated it 4 of 5 stars

In the future, only one rule will matter:

Don’t. Ever. Peek.

I'm so glad I finally got the chance to read Gravity by Melissa West. I loved it! It combines some of my favorite elements all rolled up into one amazing reading experience. Of Course there's Aliens and a Dystopian setting in the mix, but it also has some other great element such as: secret spies (Humans vs. Aliens), scientific laboratories with strange experiments, plenty of action, romance, and yes, a surprise twist at the end.

The Sett...more

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Mar 26, 2013 Kristen Marie rated it 3 of 5 stars

There have been quite a few alien stories that I've read, and what I like about alien stories is that there are so many possibilities to take the plot. Gravity was interesting, not in the way that humans clash against aliens, but in the take of form that the aliens find themselves. I mean, there are LOTS of books where aliens look like humans, like I am Number Four, and where aliens take over humans like The Host, but what I liked about Gravity was the science-y take on it.

Xylem. I think it's t...more

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Feb 26, 2013 Grace rated it 1 of 5 stars

There are very few books that truly make me want to bail, hinting that there is no redemption to be found in later pages. This was one of them. I got it off of Amazon's Daily Deals push, and for me, it was awful.

Everything happens at once, there's absolutely no build, which means everyday logic gets totally bizarre: there's a war on! But also school! But things are blowing up! But we still have to go to training! Things just don't connect, it all flies in the face of logic, ESPECIALLY when you c...more There are very few books that truly make me want to bail, hinting that there is no redemption to be found in later pages. This was one of them. I got it off of Amazon's Daily Deals push, and for me, it was awful.

Everything happens at once, there's absolutely no build, which means everyday logic gets totally bizarre: there's a war on! But also school! But things are blowing up! But we still have to go to training! Things just don't connect, it all flies in the face of logic, ESPECIALLY when you consider that the heroine of the book is meant to be a 17 year old Commander-in-training. Ari should have cold military logic in her bone marrow, and yet she's inclined to say stuff like "I don't know why, I just trust him". Oh, well, great. I'm sure the rest of humanity is delighted their future leader is a hormonal idiot. (Not that this futuristic society makes a lick of sense, by the way. It doesn't. At all.)

Everyone's very firmly wearing a black hat or a white hat, or in Ari's mom's case, a lame hat. None of the characters have any shading, and their moves are telegraphed like blows to the head. There is no foreshadowing: Ari looks at a guy, and the next line is "Ooooh, you like him!". And this happens throughout the book. Every single character is two-dimensional and flat. No showing, all telling.

Then there's the "tactical" side of things, which is just insulting. The merry band of morons run around saying they need to find "the strategy", as though there's going to be a binder lying around labeled THE STRATEGY that they can just steal. Any tactical operation these highly-trained teenagers undertake is similarly dim-witted; no one seems to have thought through the repercussions of their actions. And for those who've read the book, spoilers:

(view spoiler)

I also don't get what "Gravity" has to do with anything. There's no space travel in the book, no one floats, there is absolutely no connection. As for "Don't. Ever. Peek."? Well, why the hell not? Nothing bad happened to Ari because she "peeked". Also? SHE DIDN'T PEEK. Peeking implies an intentional impulse to look at something you're not supposed to see. But I guess "Don't. Ever. Have a reflexive reaction to liquid splashing into your face." is not as catchy. And the entire Taking thing is just gross and insane, and dropped almost instantly for good reason, because if you put any thought at all into the likelihood of parents giving their 10 year olds a device that will plunge them into immobilized darkness while an alien comes into their bedroom and drips on them and does Other Things, you will understand how little thought was put into MOST of this damn book. Anonymous aliens climbing in the windows of paralyzed 10 year olds, and their parents are totally cool with this. Come ON.

Initially I thought this book might be good for preteens based on the lack of sophistication of the plotting and writing, but then there's content in there (sexiness, torture, death) that implies the author was trying to write for a YA audience. Total miss, in my opinion. I wouldn't give it to a teenager because it's too simplistic, I wouldn't give it to a child because it's too gory/objectifying. Add on top of that a truly weird way with vocabulary words (prying a bowl into someone's mouth? Craving to get an answer to a question?) that implies an unusual relationship with verbs, this really was one of the worst reads I've come across. Bad characterization, bad plotting, bad english, bad logic, bad time had by me.(less)

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Jan 24, 2013 Sarah rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: dystopian

A review of Gravity (The Taking #1) by Melissa West

1.5/5

I thought I was going to like this book. I really did. I almost did like it. And, honest to God truth here, all this book needed was a proper editor. Because the book’s biggest flaw was the simple fact that it was poorly written and executed (which is a pretty freaking big flaw).

Let’s start with the positive: the plot was readable even if it had more holes than Swiss cheese (more on that later). It’s a YA science fiction dystopian novel abo...more

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Jan 20, 2013 Angel Leigh rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-reading-challenge

After reading the first paragraph I was hooked. Really Hooked. I couldn’t put the book down. I had to keep reading and didn’t stop until I reached the end. My kind of book.

The action started from the first page. No boring details, just everything you needed to know. The world building was strong. Very futuristic and different. There was an alien presents but it wasn’t overpowering. There is nothing really that I can fault about it. The writing was clean and crisp. The characters, so different fr...more

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Jan 04, 2013 Cassi rated it 3 of 5 stars

Gravity has a good storyline, with the idea of aliens saving a futuristic Earth, and humanity trying to destroy their saviours, all because of the classic corrupt government. It was smart to have Ari as the daughter of one of the main people that aim to destroy the Ancients. It brought a quality in Ari, one that lets her defy what she knows to save the world, and the ones beyond that. I love the future world that Melissa West has created, but she did leave out details with explaining the world....more

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Dec 30, 2012 Preet rated it 3 of 5 stars

So...I've been kind of back and forth with Gravity. I most definitely enjoyed it, but I felt a little iffy on some things. These people called Ancients come to reap nutrients(I'm assuming) daily from people. Now, I totally loved how I was thrown into that as a first scene, but I truly don't get how the taking really works and would LOVE to have known more about it.

As far as characters go, I thought Ari was really great. I liked that she thought for herself and tried to question motives. I unders...more

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Dec 26, 2012 Danielle rated it 3 of 5 stars

I've been waiting for this book for SO LONG! Literally, I think I've waited a good 4 months on my library waiting list for this book and I've finally got it!! Except, I'm a bit disappointed. The synopsis was quite riveting and I was very much eager to find out what happens in the story. I find storylines with aliens very fascinating and I desperately want to read Obsidian by Jennifer Armentrout. It is on my top TBR list.

What I Liked: The storyline is fantastic. Though not totally original, it i...more

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Dec 26, 2012 BookHookup rated it 5 of 5 stars

This was originally reviewed by Jag and Celeste on The Book Hookup

**A copy was provided by Entangled Teen but that did not influence the review**

Aliens:
*Celeste: Well, it’s official. I never knew I loved stories about aliens but between this and JLA’s Lux series I’m totally sold.
*Jag: For realz! I honestly never thought I could get into the alien genre but wow, this book sealed the deal for me.

The story:
*Jag: I’d been eye-balling this book on amazon for a while and when it came across our email...more

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topics	posts	views	last activity
Gravity is $.99 for a limited time only!	1	13	Mar 11, 2013 07:44pm
The Ending!?	15	65	Mar 06, 2013 03:12am
Book Giveaways: Gravity by Melissa West Giveaway	4	45	Dec 12, 2012 06:34pm
Book Giveaways: Gravity by Melissa West Giveaway	1	13	Dec 10, 2012 01:51pm
Entangled in Romance: Gravity by Melissa West	4	75	Dec 07, 2012 11:41am
Nice Story	1	23	Nov 15, 2012 01:36pm
quotes weren't in book?? so confused!	5	57	Nov 10, 2012 01:52am

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Gravity (The Taking #1)

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