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Mystic City (Mystic City #1)

3.8 of 5 stars 3.80 · rating details · 2,308 ratings · 509 reviews

For fans ofMatched, The Hunger Games, X-Men, and Blade Runner comes a tale of a magical city divided, a political rebellion ignited, and a love that was meant to last forever. Book One of the Mystic City Novels.

Aria Rose, youngest scion of one of Mystic City's two ruling rival families, finds herself betrothed to Thomas Foster, the son of her parents' sworn enemies. The un...more

Hardcover, 416 pages

Published October 9th 2012 by Delacorte Books for Young Readers (first published October 1st 2012)

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Feb 03, 2013 Lilian Cheng rated it 2 of 5 stars

I need to stop being lured in by blurbs that mention The Hunger Games and sparkly covers (though it is one of most enchanting covers I've seen in a while.) A much more accurate blurb would be: a Romeo and Juliet retelling with magical people who are nowhere as cool as X-men. I didn't go into this book with high expectations, but I was expecting a lot more action (that wasn't made up of aimless running around) and a lot less love proclamations. In the end, I couldn't get past the extremely predic...more

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Dec 17, 2012 Bonnie marked it as dnf · review of another edition

Shelves: the-love-triangle-of-doom

DNF - No rating

Boring and predictable and I have far better books to be spending my time reading.
Insta-love and love triangles... I've developed a zero tolerance policy and I can't stand for the bullshit.
I tried! But no. Just... sorry, but no.

11 likes · like · see review

Oct 07, 2012 Katy rated it 2 of 5 stars

This book had such an interesting premise, and I was really looking forward to it, but overall, it was disappointingly just okay.

Predictable - Sadly, I was able to guess what was going to happen after reading the first couple of chapters. I mean, yes, I had an idea from the summary, but this book did not have any twists or turns or any surprises with one exception - the kiss did make me think "WTH," but that was it. I guessed what was really going on, the whole romance thing, who was related...more

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Aug 12, 2012 oliviasbooks rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Fans of Awaken (Kacvinsky), Blue Bloods (de la Cruz) and maybe Gossip Girl (von Ziegesar)

Shelves: read-2012, scifi-dystopian-apocalyptic, urban-fantasy-paranormal, witches-sorcerers-magic, young-adult-fiction, mystery-crime-sleuthing, thriller, in-love-with-the-cover, love-story-romance, love-triangle, debut

I would shelve Theo Lawrence’s young adult debut Mystic City as Futuristic Romantasy, if I had to be precise. It takes place in a future, but alternative version of Manhattan. The plot relies heavily on its fantastic elements, namely on the existence of Mystics, who are people who have magic, which is used as energy, as the stuff which makes skyscrapers float high above the flooded landscape with its crumbling, moldy buildings, and as the basic ingredient of a wonder drug called Stic. And the st...more

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Sep 25, 2012 Rose *The Book List Reviews* rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: arcs-galleys-requests-tours

4.5 Stars

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of this book through NetGalley and I am so glad I requested this title. When I was looking through the available titles from Random House, I was immediately drawn to Mystic City because of the cover art. It is such a gorgeous cover that I immediately wanted to know what the book was about.

Mystic City is the first book in a dystopianesque trilogy set in future Manhattan. The world has been severely affected by global warming and most of Manhattan is...more 4.5 Stars

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of this book through NetGalley and I am so glad I requested this title. When I was looking through the available titles from Random House, I was immediately drawn to Mystic City because of the cover art. It is such a gorgeous cover that I immediately wanted to know what the book was about.

Mystic City is the first book in a dystopianesque trilogy set in future Manhattan. The world has been severely affected by global warming and most of Manhattan is now under water. The city is separated into classes. The wealthy live in the Aeries, a large network of skyscrapers that are interconnected by a rail system. The Aeries are divided by two warring families, the Roses and the Fosters. The poor live below in "The Depths" which are dirty, hot and somewhat submerged; they share the Depths with the mystics. Mystics have magical powers and those powers have helped to build up and power the city. However, decades earlier, a tragic explosion put the powers of the mystics into question and now mystics are forced to register with the government and be drained of their powers twice a year so that they cannot become too powerful or dangerous to the people. But there are mystic rebels who refuse to register and lose their powers...they are biding their time, staying under the radar and ready to fight for the equality they deserve.

The story begins with Aria Rose's engagement party way up in the Aeries. Aria is engaged to Thomas Foster, the son of her father's rival. However, the families have chosen to end their conflict and come together for the union of Aria and Thomas (and conveniently just in time for election season when a mystic candidate is challenging the Roses/Fosters for the first time in decades). The only problem, Aria doesn't remember falling in love with Thomas. She can't remember any part of their relationship or their engagement. She's been told that she overdosed on Stic, a drug made from the power of mystics, and that she lost her memory, but some things just aren't adding up... and then there's Hunter, the gorgeous rebel mystic who has caught her attention.

I loved this book. I couldn't put it down, and when I was forced to, I couldn't stop thinking about it. Theo Lawrence weaves an exciting and engaging tale of love and loss as we follow Aria through her struggles to regain her memory, find her true love and fight for what she believes in. Mystic City kept me captivated from beginning to end. I was completely crazed wondering what Aria's memories would show. The book gives clues here and there as to what those missing memories might contain, but you have to work to figure it out along with her. Just when you think you have it figured out, something happens that will have you questioning whether you know anything at all. It's not until you're a significant way into the story that the secrets start to unravel and then the story is non-stop! I had more than a few "OH MY GOD!" moments.

There's no shortage of dystopian-like stories out there today and many of them fall short. However, Mystic City was a great start to what I believe will be an amazing trilogy. Love, loss, political unrest, rebellion, magic... what more could you ask for?! It was an incredibly exciting read and the twists and turns will keep readers completely hooked from beginning to end!

*The only reason this isn't a 5 star book for me is because the beginning felt a bit confused. I wasn't sure what kind of world the author was trying to build. The way the world/people were described in the beginning left me feeling a bit confused and having a hard time picturing the characters and how everything would make sense. The way the author began describing the characters with tattoos on their faces, etc. made me think of something similar to Hunger Games, where the wealthy were decked out in ridiculous fashion made to stand out. But then there were paparazzi and other aspects of this "world" that felt a bit too normal and real to exist in this story. After the first few chapters, I felt like it all came together and made sense and the story was so amazing that I couldn't focus on anything else, so it really didn't take much away from the book as a whole.

Reviewed at thebooklistreviews.blogspot.com (less)

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Oct 08, 2012 Kara rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, cover-love, debut-authors-2012, dystopian, fantasy, for-review, magic, net-galley, new-york, romance, sci-fi, young-adult

I don't even know where to start with this review. Here I am, days later, and I am still so conflicted about this book. In theory, I loved it. Mystic City had every element of a book I should love: magic, romance, drama, intrigue, suspense, etc. And yet I found that it fell sort of flat in its execution. Not completely, but enough that it hindered my enjoyment of the story.

The most important part of this book was the setting. Hands down. Without that, this book wouldn't work. This was a futurist...more I don't even know where to start with this review. Here I am, days later, and I am still so conflicted about this book. In theory, I loved it. Mystic City had every element of a book I should love: magic, romance, drama, intrigue, suspense, etc. And yet I found that it fell sort of flat in its execution. Not completely, but enough that it hindered my enjoyment of the story.

The most important part of this book was the setting. Hands down. Without that, this book wouldn't work. This was a futuristic NYC with technology that ran completely on mystic energy. Electricity was never mentioned but I am assuming they don't use it anymore. There were two areas of NYC: The Depths, which was a lot like a futuristic Venice, complete with flooded canals and gondolas; and, The Aeries, which was where all the rich people and government officials lived. They lived up at the tops of skyscrapers with bridges and roads and futuristic mystic-powered trains connecting them. I kinda loved the world building. It reminded me of a cross between Zanarkand from Final Fantasy X and Stark from the computer game The Longest Journey and Dreamfall. Incidentally, if you haven't played any of those games, you are truly missing out.

But here's the thing. As much as I loved the setting, I just feel like it fell sort of flat. The writing wasn't vivid. There was a lot of telling. I was missing sensory language and description that would have made me more able to mentally picture the setting, which I think was a huge part of why the book sort of failed for me. I hate to use that word, because I did like parts of it. But without a believable, vivid setting, I am going to complain. I am such a sucker for a great setting, and very rarely do I love books that don't have one.

Where the book shined though was in its story. I actually really loved the story. It was suspenseful, exciting, and truly kept me turning those pages. I didn't love the characters but I didn't dislike them, and to a point I cared what happened to them, which was enough for me to really enjoy what was going on. Basically, the rich government that lives in The Aeries controls the city. Aria is the daughter of a powerful family that has their hands deep in the corrupt government. She is engaged and supposedly in love with the other powerful family's son, Thomas. Problem is, she has no recollection of falling in love with him and getting engaged. They claim she overdosed on drugs and lost her memory. But right away, we know something is afoot.

She meets Hunter, a boy from The Depths and she starts to question all she has been told. And that is really where the story begins. It's kind of got a Romeo and Juliet vibe complete with guns and organized crime. I can't tell you much without revealing spoilers, but there is a ton of action and I enjoyed it quite a bit. I loved the magic in this book. I thought it was brilliantly rendered. But the city itself, not so much. It's hard to explain in words.

I liked Aria. I thought she was written well. She wasn't a favorite character and there were times when she did get on my nerves, but for the most part I found myself rooting for her. I don't understand why she put up with some of the crap that she did, and I don't get why she didn't stand up for herself more, but every character is supposed to have flaws. It makes them more realistic. It's just all about whether the reader can deal with those flaws. And in this case I could, because I respected a lot of the relationships she had with the people around her.

One thing I don't get though? And I am not sure if this is a plot hole or what, but why didn't she and Hunter just leave? If there are other mystic cities out there (as is mentioned more than once), why didn't they just LEAVE? Sneak out? It was never even an option! But if you are so worried about getting killed and you truly love each other, pack up your shit AND GO! Maybe I missed something, but I never could figure that out.

Anyway, I don't want to tell anyone not to read this book. Because most of it I really enjoyed. I'm going to read the next one. I think a lot of the problems I had might be personal ones. I have particular preferences that another reader might not have. In some cases, I feel like I am nitpicking. But somehow parts of this book did not work for me. That doesn't mean they won't work for you. You know that if I found a book absolutely terrible and not worth reading, I would say so. This is not one of those books. So take from that what you will.(less)

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Apr 04, 2013 Gabriela rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley-reads

I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review through NetGalley and Delacorte Books. Thank you to the author for an opportunity to read the book.

Spoiler Alert:
Mystic City is a YA Dystopian book set in a futuristic Manhattan about a rich teen girl that is manipulated into a semblance of an engagement by her family and her so-called fiancée; although she knows in heart that all is not what it seems.

The story line is a great idea; action, intrigue, murder, drugs, sex, a secret love affair b...more I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review through NetGalley and Delacorte Books. Thank you to the author for an opportunity to read the book.

Spoiler Alert:
Mystic City is a YA Dystopian book set in a futuristic Manhattan about a rich teen girl that is manipulated into a semblance of an engagement by her family and her so-called fiancée; although she knows in heart that all is not what it seems.

The story line is a great idea; action, intrigue, murder, drugs, sex, a secret love affair between two opposing families...what's not to like? Unfortunately the execution and development of the story not to mention the characters is what makes this YA although I personally feel it should be a New Adult read, go awry.

It is Manhattan in the future and it is flooded, global warming has caught up with the world and there is a new species of humans called "Mystics", they possess special energetic powers and were the engineers of the construction of new cities above all the water, all over the world. When the powers that be saw that "Mystics" could take over and rule, a tragic explosion conveniently occurs and suddenly Mystics are being made to register and are drained of their powers; not only for the energy to sustain the city but to make a drug called "Stic" that temporarily makes ordinary humans feel "Mystic".

Aria Rose, who comes from one of the two most powerful families in Manhattan wakes up and is suddenly being told that she almost OD'd on "Stic" furthermore she has some short-term memory loss that includes her secret love affair and engagement to Thomas Foster, the son of her family's long standing rival. At every turn her family preys on her sense of decency and they make her feel ashamed for taking drugs, manipulating her to doing what they want her to do however Aria feels that something is amiss with her supposed drug incident and her love affair with Thomas. Both families are involved in politics and the "Stic" business; they have united against a candidate who plans on giving the "Mystics" their rightful place in Manhattan. They "embrace" the supposed teens'love affair to bring "peace" to the city after a centuries long war against one another. Only Aria and Thomas' love affair is a facade made up by Aria's father so their families could unite voters to keep the "Mystic" out of office and continue their oppression of mystics to secure their energy source and their lucrative business in the worldwide distribution of "Stic".

Aria seems unaffected by her station, making her character likable however all the other characters are just flat,insipid, and her parents sound just hateful. The story starts off really slow, and Aria eventually evolves and develops some backbone but everyone else including her true love interest, Hunter is just stagnant. Not until the very end of the story when Aria finally gets her memories back, do we get glimpses of what her love affair with Hunter was really like and the other characters develop through her eyes. The story suddenly takes off and just when it really begins to get interesting it abruptly ends.

It is so frustrating when a great idea begins to develop but then doesn't quite come to fruition. There is drug use, a quite sensual scene, murder, and violence; the tag states a read for ages 12 and up but personally I think it should be 16 and up.

I give it 3.5 Stars(less)

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Apr 17, 2013 Lucy rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: dystopian fans

Shelves: beautiful-titles, characters-i-wanna-bitch-slap, covergasm, dystopia, expected-more, heroines-i-love, kickass-strong-heroines, magic, tortured-heroines, young-adult-series, heroes-i-like, good-couples, science-fiction

This book was really a breath of fresh air. I loved the new spin on the dystopia genre.

The political feud between the Roses and the Fosters, with those two families fighting for control over Mystic City, together with all the crimes they and their lackeys committed to gain that power and to scared all those who had different views, gave a very interesting mafia vibe to the entire book.

Plus, the fact that the mystics, citizens with magical powers who are, in fact, more powerful than the non-mysti...more

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Oct 07, 2012 Kimba (Caffeinated Book Reviewer) rated it 5 of 5 stars

I was drawn to the gorgeous cover of Mystic City and the synopsis with its promise of a dystopian world. Theo Lawrence has a new fan. I absolutely immersed myself into the world he has created and cannot wait for the next installment in this series. From his phenomenal world building, writing style and likeable characters Lawrence completely drew me in to this fantasy world laced with paranormal elements, hatred, oppression and rebellion.

The tale begins when we meet Ari Rose. She is the youngest...more I was drawn to the gorgeous cover of Mystic City and the synopsis with its promise of a dystopian world. Theo Lawrence has a new fan. I absolutely immersed myself into the world he has created and cannot wait for the next installment in this series. From his phenomenal world building, writing style and likeable characters Lawrence completely drew me in to this fantasy world laced with paranormal elements, hatred, oppression and rebellion.

The tale begins when we meet Ari Rose. She is the youngest scion of one of Mystic cities most powerful families. After a Stic overdose in which she almost dies, she wakes to find herself betrothed to Thomas Foster, the son of her parent’s sworn enemy. The upper city of Manhattan is basically divided into two political camps those who support the Roses and those who support the Fosters. When a mystic from the Depths begins a political campaign for the upcoming election, the families decided to join forces through the marriage of Ari and Thomas. Ari is confused, she cannot believe she would have tried a drug, let alone overdose and she has no memories of Thomas. Despite her concerns, her parents keep pushing the wedding plans. When Ari meets Hunter, a swoon-worthy rebel mystic who lives in the Depths, she begins to recall lost memories. Convinced he holds the key; she begins to try and regain her lost memories. The tale that unfolds is breathtaking, filled with danger, lies, actions and romance.

When I first met Ari, I wasn’t sure what to make of her, but as she regained her memory she became surer of herself and her personality fully emerged. I ended up really liking this brave girl, as I discovered more about her and the stand she was prepared to take. She is selfless and sweet. Hunter was confident, mysterious and smexy, except when it came to Ari. From the beginning it’s apparent she is important to him and that he cares about her. I found him to be noble, protective and I became attached. Thomas seemed like a spoiled rich kid, who tried to manipulate and mold Ari. When he didn’t get his way, he tried to buy her happiness. Ari’s maid Davida was fascinating and added to the tale. Ari’s friends and those she meets in the Depth helped propel the tale and each had distinct personalities. Turk and Kiki were my favorites. I look forward to learning more about them. The people in the Rose’s circle were fascinating and it was interesting to figure out who to trust.

The world-building and plot stole my breath away. I love world-building and Lawrence painted a Manhattan skyline that blew my mind. From the upper city to the Depths, I found the world mesmerizing. Filled with gadgets, scanners and a complex society I was in sheer heaven. I adore when a writer is able to create the world in my mind with a stroke of a pen. His attention to detail from the character’s dress to the murky tunnels delighted me. Having been to Manhattan, NY several times I was able to imagine this new world with its extreme weather and partially immersed buildings. The society was intriguing. We are slowly given details about how this dystopian world came to be, the mystic’s role in it and the caste system. I simply gobbled all of this information up. The plot was perfectly paced, with plenty of twists and turns. The romance is sweet and unfolded slowly. The characters are well fleshed out and we even see growth as Ari begins to fill in the missing pieces. I am completely enthralled with this new series and cannot wait to get my hands on book two.

I highly recommend Mystic City to fans of dystopian, fantasy and romance. I have pre-ordered a finished copy for my book shelf. I might add this is the first, non-eBook I have ordered all year since I am trying to go digital, but I want a physical copy of this one.

I want to thank Random House for providing this copy in exchange for my unbiased review. Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer (less)

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Aug 15, 2012 Sharon rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-october-release, dystopian, young-adult, netgalley

I'm not sure how to rate this book, probably a 3 for the beginning and a 4 for the ending so will settle on a 3 1/2 :)

Review: Mystic City is the first book in the Mystic City series by Theo Lawrence and was kindly provided to me by Netgalley for Random House Children’s Books.

I was initially drawn to Mystic City from the beautiful cover and really intriguing synopsis, it is a story which follows the Rose and Foster families who have been embroiled in a political feud for generations but have form...more

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Oct 16, 2012 fooloveratook rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: cover-lust, own-arcs, young-adult

If the Capulets and the Montagues had been mobsters or thugs, and these mobsters were the political superstars of Manhattan, we would've instead had the Roses, a family to which Aria Rose belongs, and the Fosters, the family of her alleged long-time lover and present fiance, Thomas. The problem with that last bit is that Aria wakes up one day and remembers nothing. She has a giant hole in her memory spanning who knows how long and has been told that she underwent a procedure to save her from ODi...more If the Capulets and the Montagues had been mobsters or thugs, and these mobsters were the political superstars of Manhattan, we would've instead had the Roses, a family to which Aria Rose belongs, and the Fosters, the family of her alleged long-time lover and present fiance, Thomas. The problem with that last bit is that Aria wakes up one day and remembers nothing. She has a giant hole in her memory spanning who knows how long and has been told that she underwent a procedure to save her from ODing on a special mystic drug. Only, when she meets Thomas, a seed of doubt is planted, because her feelings for him are nothing like she imagined they would be. Even more suspicious is that the families' feud--which had been underfoot for generations--has now ended... over her romance? Forgive Aria (and myself), if she's a little wary and suspicious.

And that was the biggest draw. The Romeo and Juliet undertones, the big mystery overlapping the plot related to Aria's lost memory and her real secret lover. The mystics and their desire to be treated as equal, and the magic that is associated with them. A near-apocalyptic New York in a city called Aeries floating over a futuristic Manhattan.

Where things got screwy was about halfway into the book. Initially, we are introduced to Aria's enigmatic rescuer after an attempted assault in the ghetto of her world. And he seems like everything I'd want in a love interest, striking, flawed, sexy, and, of course, mysterious. He even ACTS the part. And then when next we meet, his personality is totally different and he's abruptly at ease with Aria with no explanation. Of course, we've already pieced together his true identity and connection to Aria's life, but his character is so inconsistent. Add to that, the romance had to be one of the cheesiest I've read. Cleverly, Lawrence tries to escape the trap of instalove by eventually giving us their history. But this fails, because Aria and Hunter aren't a lovable pairing, where we bask in their chemistry and come alive reading their kisses. And, to top it off, it's Romeo and Juliet-themed, a romance (if you could call it that) I was never fond of. Ultimately, there was just no substance to it, and though the mystery of Aria's secret love began as intriguing, the romance fit in kind of randomly.

The one thing this book had going for it is the world-building, though I wish more of it had been explained. Still, it's magical and vibrant for the imagination. And the rift between the mystics and the higher-ups, the Foster supporters and Rose supporters, has a palpable effect, riddled with tension. If this aspect had been the main focus, and Aria wasn't so dense as to piecing together the truth, I might've enjoyed this book a lot more.

That being said, I had no real feelings toward Aria. I neither liked nor disliked her. I could only feel occasional irritation at her sappy comebacks with regards to the romance and her slow revelations about the loss of her memory. The only detail we really received about her personality is her compassion, and even that feels like just a move to make her likeable instead of feeling natural and innate.

MYSTIC CITY by Theo Lawrence didn't lose anymore stars because, in spite of all that I disliked about it, I still felt compelled to finish the book and mildly interested in the direction of the overarching plot of the series. However, I'm sorely disappointed with this book, and I don't think I'll be continuing the series.

(less)

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Oct 12, 2012 Dani GR Motherfuqqer rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

15 freakin stars, why oh why did it have to end there? I had to silent scream and try not to pull my hair out.
Review a comin
too emotional to do one right now so later.
*sniff sniff*

~~~~~~~~~~
Review can be found at my Kindle Book Love Blog.

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Mar 11, 2013 equilibri rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: burn-in-book-hell, wtf-was-that, hour-of-the-eye-roll, utopia-dystopia

Interesting premise, horrible execusion. The supposed 'mystery' was glaringly obvious from the first pages; then it is 'revealed' as a 'shocking twist' at the climax of the story. The story line was really poor and boring, driven by stupid actions, repetative scenes, implausible world-building and caricature characters. There was, of course, sickly-sweet 'romance' with no background or chemistry, based only on the main characters being really 'hot'. This is all topped off with unnecessary killin...more

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Apr 29, 2013 Ruth rated it 2 of 5 stars

(view spoiler) Found the story to be quite predictable and I didn't get trembles from the climax or anything. Cleanly written and I love the society it's just very predictable, their love cliche.
I found the Romeo and Juliet part just cheesy and unnecessary. There is not point referencing your couple as a pair of the most well known couples in the world, I feel its too much of a overestimation but I get the fact that she wan...more

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Apr 03, 2013 Paigeewa rated it 1 of 5 stars

I have to be honest and say that I didn't finish this. I gave it a valiant effort, read half of it, and just had to put it down. The characters, the plot, and the world building just weren't holding my interest and I found myself getting annoyed more often than not as I kept reading.

I'm sure Theo Lawrence is a nice guy, but he has no clue how to write girls and I wish he would have made Hunter the POV character. And I'm not saying that guys don't know how to write female characters and thus wome...more

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Mar 27, 2013 Nerissa rated it 3 of 5 stars

On the whole, I found this book interesting but cliche. The plot was really really cliche though at first it seemed like quite a new idea. And it is quite a cool new idea! It managed to keep me reading for 2 whole hours to finish the book. I really love the idea of the mystics, the forbidden lovers ‘love triangle’, Romeo and Juliet inference thing, Elissa’s plot twist, Patrick’s plot twist, ALL THE CHARACTERS! and most of all Hunter.

Hunter is hands down my favourite character. I love his person...more

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Mar 17, 2013 J. Lynne rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, young-adult

I'm not sure if I will be able to communicate my reaction to this book accurately.

I wanted to love this book mainly because I was so in love with its premise. The futuristic, "magical" world fascinated me. But, I didn't love it, or like it that much.

I thought this novel suffered from a slight lack of character/plot development. The whole book came off as shallow to me. While I understood the characters' motivations, I didn't live them. Aria, while more developed than other characters, wasn't st...more

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Mar 02, 2013 Harlee rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: dystopia

Manhattan is not what it once was. The corrupt rulers and upperclass live in the luxury of the Aeries, with it’s skyscrapers floating high above the eroding landscape below. The technology of the city runs completely on an energy drained and collected from the registered Mystics, the magic-wielding lower-class forced to live in the poverty of the Depths.

We’re immediately introduced to Aria Rose, the daughter of one of the two ruling families of the city. She finds herself engaged to Thomas Fost...more Manhattan is not what it once was. The corrupt rulers and upperclass live in the luxury of the Aeries, with it’s skyscrapers floating high above the eroding landscape below. The technology of the city runs completely on an energy drained and collected from the registered Mystics, the magic-wielding lower-class forced to live in the poverty of the Depths.

We’re immediately introduced to Aria Rose, the daughter of one of the two ruling families of the city. She finds herself engaged to Thomas Foster, the son of her parents’ sworn enemies, without any memory of meeting him, much less falling in love with him. She’s told the gaps in her memory are due to her alleged Stic, a drug created by Mystic energy, overdose. Their union will erase the division between the two political rivals and ensure they retain their possession of power. Romeo and Juilet, anyone? Yeah, not so much. As Aria struggles with regaining her memory and believing in her “passionate” romance, she meets Hunter, a rebel Mystic from the Depths, and discovers the world she was forced to forget.

I’m not even going to pretend to not judge a book by it’s cover. I mean, just look at it, it’s gorgeous. Possibly one of my favorites, ever. And the premise of this book was wonderful. It had all the elements of an exciting story - dystopia, magic, romance. Also, I am actually obsessed with New York City, so I was really interested as I began reading. I thought the author did a great job a painting a vivid picture of the revamped city, referencing streets and specific Manhattan landmarks. Other than that, I felt as though there wasn’t much depth to the story or characters.

While the book was written from Aria’s point of view, I didn’t feel as though we had much insight into her feelings or emotions. There was only a few times when we saw her get passionate about something or stand-up for herself. Oh, and she was extremely naive and gullible, and that was slightly irritating.

I’m not gonna complain about the story being predictable, because I sort of had an idea of what was gonna happen before I even began the story. However, I thought there could have been a plot twist or two to keep things interesting. The vibrant world-building is definitely the highlight of this book. Despite the unlikable characters and shallow relationships, I was compelled to see where the story was going to go and finish the book. (less)

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Feb 21, 2013 Lisa rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: dystopian, teen

I am having difficulty trying to decide whether I should give "Mystic City" two stars or three. I want to give it three because I made it through the entire book and would actually read the sequel. But, there is just something that makes me pause. Let me try to explain.

You know those books that you read because they sound really interesting - have a great premise, interesting characters, the blurb on the back is good and the first few pages draw you in? And then, something happens - right on cue...more

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Feb 02, 2013 Shelly rated it 1 of 5 stars

this book was just... awful.
I wasn't expecting much. It has a good plot, I'll admit. But the way in which the story was executed is just.... terrible. The plot seemed so magical. Forbidden love, controlling parents, the fighting and conflicts, the action. But dear god was that girl stupid. And I knew the moment Hunter appeared how this sotory was going to go. The whole plot was predictable and I was so disappointed. The characters were flat and bland and predictable aswell. Hunter struck me imed...more this book was just... awful.
I wasn't expecting much. It has a good plot, I'll admit. But the way in which the story was executed is just.... terrible. The plot seemed so magical. Forbidden love, controlling parents, the fighting and conflicts, the action. But dear god was that girl stupid. And I knew the moment Hunter appeared how this sotory was going to go. The whole plot was predictable and I was so disappointed. The characters were flat and bland and predictable aswell. Hunter struck me imediately, after reading his letters, as a psycho, posessive controlling freak who is insecure and really, not the kind of guy you should be hanging out with. Let alone starting a serious relationship with. She was stupid and I cannot believe the author encouraged the idea that their love was special.
The story was just... ugh. The writing, so many words that were not needed. I do not even have an idea what the main character looked like. At one point her best friend describes her as "a stick of celery with boobs and a butt" I assume that means she's skinny, but has big boobs and a nice butt, but only a few pages later, she is trying on her wedding dress and claims "the padding makes her look like she actually has breast"
The writing was contradictive and over extravagant at tiimes. I would not recommend this book to anyone. I'm annoyed I let my boyfriend convince me to buy it when he was trying to rush me out of the shop. I wasted good money on this book. It promised an exciting and thrilling story, and yet I was just bored the whole time I read it. The details that were meant to "hint at something strange" and keep you on your toes till the big surprise was shown to you gave away the big surprise. "Her eyes were bluer than I remembered. Gad they not been brown before? Had I forgotten so much?"
Well, that gave away the next point immediately! I was just so annoyed. And it suddenly turned into a bloodbath out of nowhere. And hardly any detail was given as to what happened.
The characters reastions were too strong, or too calm.
at one point the lead girl appears to be dead, and everyone thinks she is. But when she stands up, Hunter doesn't react at all, the love of his life apparently comes back to life, and he says "we need to get out of here". No shock that she's alive her happy or well. Juts.... "let's get out of here".
I will never recommend this book. Far too disappointing.(less)

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Jan 29, 2013 Breanne rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: dystopia

3.5 stars

This is a cool book. The world is interesting and fun to read about, and I love the idea of the "top" and "bottom" of a skyscraper city as being two culturally and socially distinct spheres. The plot is interesting, and I mostly like Aria as a character.

I ran into some problems at the end of the book. It got very fast-paced and exciting, but I wasn't pulled along enough by the main character herself to really keep my interest. Here's some more detail: (view spoiler)...more

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Jan 25, 2013 Cassi rated it 3 of 5 stars

Manhattan lies underwater (one of the only good features of this book).
The corrupt rulers of this new city live high above the flood and survive by channelling the energy of the mystics-a magic-wielding underclass who are forced to live amongst the poor in the squalor of the Depths. High in the Aeries, Aria Rose's fiance has promised that their marriage will unite two of the city's ruling dynasties. But the gaps in Aria's memory tell her that this romance isn't all it seems-and the appearance of...more Manhattan lies underwater (one of the only good features of this book).
The corrupt rulers of this new city live high above the flood and survive by channelling the energy of the mystics-a magic-wielding underclass who are forced to live amongst the poor in the squalor of the Depths. High in the Aeries, Aria Rose's fiance has promised that their marriage will unite two of the city's ruling dynasties. But the gaps in Aria's memory tell her that this romance isn't all it seems-and the appearance of Hunter, a gorgeous rebel mystic and passionate revolutionary, is about to change the course of her life for ever.

I was drawn in by the shiny and sparkly cover, and I'm sad to say that is one of the few things that will help its sales. The book is like any other of its type, cheesy and dry. It has that classic mistake of putting in an explanation moment in the middle of one of the major danger times. The romance was strange, and the characters were way to boring, all in set positions with hardly any emotions for anyone. The only character I believe in the whole thing was Davida, and she was hardly an important character in the grand scheme of things.

I think that there was a massive problem with how things were running in this future city of Manhattan. If the Mystics had so much power in the first place, why weren't they ruling from the start? I know that it says that there are not many of them, but they way the book describes how they were treated, you'd think that they were monsters of horrifying power.

There was also a major issue with the explanation moment for this book, as it was in a much more dangerous setting than any other book. They had 10 minutes to get out before armed men attacked, but instead Aria vomits, Hunter cleans it up slowly, and then they sit down and talk to each other like they weren't about to die or anything, someone please bring the milk and cookies out!

I also thought that Aria was WAY to gullible. It would of been ok if she was slightly gullible, but not this much. She took in every lie that they fed her, even the most obvious of ones. It was so clear that she wasn't in love with Thomas, even without the 'memories', anyone could see that. Her friends were awful, and yet she thought that they were marvelous and amazing, even if they called Mystics scum, and money was everything. It was all well and good that she got a job, but they helped no one, and dragged the plot back instead of pushing it forward. And when she did go out and do something, mostly just wandering aimlessly through streets looking for clues about her past, she wound up in the wrong place, and the only thing that kept her from being robbed or dying in a corner was pure luck. Even thought the book was told in her point of view, all we got were descriptions of what she was doing, with no reasonings, and we hardly got to find out what she felt half the time, her emotions hidden away so no one could find them. She was a pretty bad protagonist.

There was a lot irrelevant things happen in the book. Like dinner scenes that had no point or purpose, and decisions that were stupid and not thought out. There was way to much description of the clothes instead of the people, so we hardly got to learn anything about everything.

The story was so predictable. It was obvious her mind hap been wiped in the first few books, even in the starting pages, but Aria took more than half the book to realise half the truth. And what's with the prologue. I wasn't sure if that was the first time her and Hunter were split up, or just a glimpse of what happened in the future. Either way, it was kinda uncalled for.

I'm not excitedly looking forward to what comes next in the series, but I'm willing to give it a try, only to see if the author has taken it upon themselves to try harder.(less)

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Jan 18, 2013 Aria rated it 2 of 5 stars

Review can also be found here.

Mystic City by Theo Lawrence is a book that I’d like to call…not fresh? Sure, the book cover is beautiful but its plot is quite predicable and cliché. The blurb’s misleading, the characters are very two-dimensional and although I was initially excited about the description being the book and the fact that the main character shares the same name as me, I find that the way that her reactions and how the fact that things just don’t click into place in her mind—despite...more

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Jan 09, 2013 Amanda rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: loved-it

I found another book (Terra, Terrestrials #1) on GR today and the plot of that book was so similar to this one's. Extremely similar types of dystopian societies.

Anyways, the plot was likeable enough and it definitely made me want to finish the book, even though (and here's what, in my opinion, was the worst thing about Mystic City) EVERYTHING WAS INCREDIBLY PREDICTABLE. Even when I was reading the blurb in the library, I immediately expected Hunter to be the guy who Aria really forgot about and...more

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Nov 30, 2012 Sara rated it 5 of 5 stars

Mystic City by Theo Lawrence stars Aria who wakes up in the hospital with chunks of her memory missing. She is told that the memory loss was caused by an overdose of a magical drug and that she is engaged to the son of her father's political rival whom she was sneaking around to see. She soon finds out that things are not as they appear, that her father will do anything to keep the power he desires.

This was an interesting book that lovers of paranormal romance will enjoy. The world building was...more

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Nov 23, 2012 Sarah Schoel rated it 3 of 5 stars

When I first started to read this book I was tempted not to like it. The writing style wasn't what I usually go for in books and some of the points in the story weren't very believable. Throughout the story though I was attracted to the plot and the characters, even though it wasn't very realistic, and a lot of what happened wasn't well explained. I would have liked more detail. The story starts out at an engagement party for Aria who is going to marry Thomas Foster, the "love" of her life, even...more

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Nov 23, 2012 Kathy Martin rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is a familiar fantasy story. Upper class young woman discovers that the world she lives in is a lie through falling in love with a member of the lower classes. It has been done before. This rendition, however, is well-done and very readable. Less experienced readers will find the story especially compelling as the story will be newer for them.

Aria is the daughter of one of the families that control Manhattan. She is scheduled to marry the scion of the rival family thus ending the rivalry be...more This is a familiar fantasy story. Upper class young woman discovers that the world she lives in is a lie through falling in love with a member of the lower classes. It has been done before. This rendition, however, is well-done and very readable. Less experienced readers will find the story especially compelling as the story will be newer for them.

Aria is the daughter of one of the families that control Manhattan. She is scheduled to marry the scion of the rival family thus ending the rivalry between them. She is told that she is in love with Thomas but doesn't remember falling in love with him. Her family has told her that she has had a bad reaction to a drug called Stic which is made of distilled mystic energy and that her memory loss is because she almost died. She tries very hard to recover her memories and fall in love with Thomas again but isn't very successful. She really doesn't like him.

When she travels to the underside of the city where the poor and the drained mystics live, she meets a young man named Hunter and falls for him. Hunter is a mystic who is undrained and who still has his powers. His mother is running for mayor and that lets Aria begin to understand why her parents are so insistent that she marry Thomas and reunite the two rival families. Together they can field a candidate who will be able to defeat her and retain their control of Manhattan.

I was especially intrigued by the world that Theo Lawrence created with global warming melting the polar ice and causing the flooding of New York City. The Depths now have canals running where streets ran before. The mystics have been confined to what was once Central Park but which is now almost completely flooded. Aria and her class live high above this flooded land in the Aerie. The city is powered by energy drained from the mystics. People of Aria's class are afraid of what the mystics might do if they weren't kept drained and essentially powerless. The mystics have a variety of powers including being able to heal and being able to hurl energy bolts as weapons.

I thought the political intrigue running through the story added to the interest too. I never knew what side some of the characters were on and really hoped that Aria was trusting the right people. I liked the romance between Hunter and Aria which had echoes of the story of Romeo and Juliet up to having them use those names as they corresponded secretly with each other. Watching Aria try to follow the clues and recover the memories her parents stole from her made her a very sympathetic character.

Fans of fantasy dystopias will be a good audience for this first book which is, naturally, the first book in a trilogy.(less)

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Nov 20, 2012 Cheryl rated it 4 of 5 stars

Aria Rose should be happy. She is engaged to Thomas Foster. With Aria’s engagement to Thomas, this means that the two feuding families will become one. Just like Romeo and Juliet. It seems that Aria is the only one that is unhappy. Everyone else around her tells her how much Aria and Thomas are good together but Aria has no memories or her and Thomas. This is because Aria’s memories are gone.

Hunter has a secret. He is a mystic. He also helps the key to helping Aria piece her memories back toget...more

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Nov 20, 2012 Heidi rated it 4 of 5 stars

Four Stars: A dystopian book with strong world building and a star crossed romance.

Aria finishes her final primping. She takes a nervous breath and prepares to greet the crowd of guests waiting for her, including her fiancé, Thomas. The problem is she doesn't remember Thomas or any part of their secret courtship. Aria just awoke from a drug overdose. It seems that she carried on a hidden love affair with the son of her father's biggest political rival. Her accident exposed the secret tryst, but...more

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Nov 18, 2012 Fairytale Nerd rated it 3 of 5 stars

View the BOOK REPORT CARD at The Fairytale Nerd.

LOVE:

The first thing that I noticed about this book is the way it was written. It’s just so seductive. And the world building is fantastic. In Aeries, there are very tall skyscrapers, and those buildings are connected by bridges. Everything was beautiful and bright above (the upper levels). But below (the lover levels), it is dark, and there are canals and you travel by gondolas.

I loved the fact that Aria doesn’t remember Thomas, her fiancee. (For...more

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What did you think of this book?	5	15	May 05, 2013 10:11am
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About Theo Lawrence

THEO LAWRENCE is a graduate of Columbia University and the Juilliard School. A Presidential Scholar in the Arts for Voice, he has performed at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and Off-Broadway.

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Quotes from Mystic City

“I always knew this story would break my heart” — 16 people liked it

“Your mother stands against everything my parents believe in," I say. "But I'm not my parents."
"Aria," Hunter whispers into my ear.
"Yes?"
"Just kiss me."
We press our lips together gentle, and it's like I am alive, on fire, like I can do anything in the world. I know this because he's a mystic, but there's something more familiar, something safe and sexy and irresistible about the way his lips feel, his tongue brushing lightly against mine. Our passion is like what's described in my love letters: it's like coming home, finally, when I never even knew I'd been away.” — 10 people liked it

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