Gift by Andrea J. Buchanan - Reviews, Discussion, Bookclubs, Lists

Jul 31, 2012 Booknut rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: down-to-earth, elemental-powers, mythology

Daisy has always had a gift. A gift that is the bane of televisions, MP3 players and school firealarm systems - it is as if electricity flows through her very being, and from a young age Daisy has had to learn to control and tame her gift...keeping it hidden.

And nothing seems unusual until a girl in her class, Vivi, nearly kills herself in the school bathrooms...saying the words, "He's gone!" with a desperation that makes its mark on Daisy. Who is this 'he' that no one but Vivi seems to see? And...more

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Jul 11, 2012 Nikki rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: e-arc

Cross posted here and at my blog: Take Me Away... On the Pages of Your Story

From the moment I read the synopsis I was intrigued by the premise. It truly was one that I hadn't heard of before and I just had to read the book, because I nosily wanted to know what her gift was. So I began reading... And then I couldn't stop. I finally found out that the main character's gift is the ability to mess with (or mess up) electronics, like cell phones, microwaves, and radios. Unfortunately, this is where m...more

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Jun 10, 2012 Danyelle Leafty rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: bookshelf-2012

Not what I expected, but awesome twists. :)

From the description (or at least, my memory of it), the title, and the cover, I expected something a little more paranormal. Ghosts, arguably, *are* paranormal, but I expected that element to come from the MC, rather than on of the other characters.

I read an ARC I received from the publisher, so I wasn't able to make use of the enhanced e-book options.

I really enjoyed the twists, but some of them were a little confusing to me--mostly because my own pr...more

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May 01, 2013 Fhey rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-and-review

I requested for this book and was granted to read it for a honest review.

First of all I was intrigue by the cover itself I thought it was like a Sci-fi thingy. But after I had read the description made me more curious then finally I was granted to read it and found out it's about a ghost and a human gift.

It's about Daisy, Vivi, Danielle, and Kevin four teenagers and Patrick the ghost. The story revolves around the fact that Daisy had this special gift which has something to do with electricity,...more

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Apr 16, 2013 Martyanne rated it 4 of 5 stars

GIFT by Andrea J. Buchanan (Established Goodreads author)

Do you believe in Ghosts? What would it take for you to believe?
What if a friend told you she can see one and has since she was little? What if you suddenly feel cold areas, and each time your friend looks at that area, and her ghost is there -- so the coldness is the Ghost? What if the Ghost knows your secrets?and tells your friends? What if you start hearing the ghost in your own head?

I enjoyed this book and the answered and unanswered q...more

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Mar 17, 2013 Mutmainna rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed, arcs-i-received, ng-wins, paranormal-mystery, fantasy

##This is concise review.Read the full at my blog HERE.##
I started this book with a little bit of less enthusiasm than usual, and yet I don’t know why. Well maybe the title of the book didn’t appeal to me much. It seems to be an appropriate title, related to the storyline but somehow it just didn’t seem to fit for me. However I must admit that the storyline proved me quite wrong. As I started going deeper, I realized it really is good story. The only problem to me was that I don’t like stretchin...more

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Feb 11, 2013 Marie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: good

Gift is aimed at children way younger than me- a young adult. I'd say 14-15 maybe? Therefore I didn't enjoy it that much although I blame that on the ageing of this book. The writing was a little childish for me, and the story short and not developed enough although saying this, these are things that a younger reader would appreciate. When I was that age reading children books I didn't want depth I just wanted a quick fast and exciting story- which exactly what this was.
In this story you meet...more

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Dec 23, 2012 Yellow Eyed rated it 4 of 5 stars

I think I would have enjoyed this book a lot more if I was 10-13. When I requested this book, I didn't quite catch the fact that this was a children's read. So I'm kind of proud of myself that I actually finished this.

This book had a pretty good start. I was just expecting/hoping for more fire power and I was a little bit disappointed with it, Not only did it take ages for it to even come up but she didn't really get to use it. I thought it'd be a lot more active but I didn't really feel like i...more

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Dec 21, 2012 Heather K (dentist in my spare time) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: net-galley, paranormal, romance, young-adult

**Possible minor spoilers ahead**

"Gift" is a YA book with an interesting premise. A young girl has a complicated secret that she is desperately trying to hide: She can control electricity and even harness some of its power. I was immediately intrigued and was excited to see where the book led. The first chapter was even very promising and I started to get very high hopes. However, "Gift" doesn't quite live up to its potential.

My issue with this book is that it tries to do too much. The main ch...more

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Aug 21, 2012 Marius Viktor Aragon rated it 4 of 5 stars

My rating ~ 4/5 stars
My review ~
Gift is a supernatural fiction for children to young adult age groups, but really, anyone can read it. I found this one really enjoyable, and the plot kept me hooked. I must say, that this book is very well written. The author has chosen every word carefully and has some powerful insights. The author's writing was very smooth and I loved how she narrated one chapter to another in a very fluid manner. Daisy, our female protagonist in this book, has a very unique an...more

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May 20, 2012 cupcake rated it 3 of 5 stars

What if you had the power to affect electricity and electrical devices? Would you struggle, daily, if not hourly, to keep your power under control, or would you allow yourself the freedom to let go? This is one of the dilemmas facing Daisy Jones, the 16-year-old protagonist of Andrea Buchanan's teen lit novel, Gift. As Daisy says:

I told her how when I was a baby my mom noticed the radio garbling or going static if she happened to be holding me while she touched it to switch stations or fiddle wi

...more What if you had the power to affect electricity and electrical devices? Would you struggle, daily, if not hourly, to keep your power under control, or would you allow yourself the freedom to let go? This is one of the dilemmas facing Daisy Jones, the 16-year-old protagonist of Andrea Buchanan's teen lit novel, Gift. As Daisy says:

I told her how when I was a baby my mom noticed the radio garbling or going static if she happened to be holding me while she touched it to switch stations or fiddle with the volume. I told her how as a toddler I was able to change the channels on our television when I pressed my hands against the screen, trying to say hi to Cookie Monster. How anything - everything - electric went on the fritz when I touched it. Cordless phones, digital watches, microwaves, blow dryers. I told her how it was kind of a family joke when I was little, or a joke between me and my mom anyway, since that was all the family we had - there goes another toaster, Daisy must have sneezed - and how for a while that's all it was: a joke. How as I got older it got more intense. How people started noticing, how stuff happened at school, how it stopped being funny.

To combat her "gift," Daisy practices yoga breathing exercises, which keep her emotions under control. Over the years, she discovered that if she can't moderate herself, things tend to go haywire. This, of course, could be a metaphor for teenagers everywhere, electrical gifts or not.

But then Daisy starts to experience bad dreams, nightmares in which she knows she is in danger. She is not "Daisy" in these dreams, but rather a woman named Jane. Her best friend, Danielle, is in the dream, too, as is another classmate, Vivi. Like Daisy, they are not themselves, but she knows that it's them, nonetheless. One of them wields a bloody knife, another one is missing, and the third is in peril.

The girls struggle to interpret the dreams. Brought together when Daisy rescues Vivi from an apparent suicide attempt, the three bond. Daisy and Danielle have the same dreams, and Daisy begins to be visited by Vivi's ghost/soulmate/guardian angel, Patrick. Also helping them out is Kevin, who is smitten with Daisy and determined to help her understand what is happening.

Is Patrick the beacon of goodness that Vivi believes him to be? Does he have Daisy's best interests at heart when he urges her to use her powers? Or is there a darker, more sinister motive afoot? And what about Kevin and Danielle?

Gift is an engrossing, entertaining book that middle and high school kids will enjoy. Most teenagers experience friction in their friendships, and this book explores that. They also struggle with accepting themselves, the good and the bad. Daisy's gift symbolizes that torturous high school experience.

As I tend to do, though, I found myself distracted by questions I wanted answered. If Daisy short circuits electronics by touch, what will happen when she needs to do schoolwork on a computer? Does her mother write a note or something? What about when she goes to college? How will she avoid computers then? One scene that took place in a hospital room also kind of threw me, because I started wondering what would happen if she got ill and needed treatment or tests.

But those questions are not the point of Gift. Entertaining, relatable characters and an interesting story are.

Thanks to NetGalley for the preview copy. This review also appears on .(less)

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Apr 14, 2012 Patty rated it 4 of 5 stars

Gift
By
Andrea J. Buchanon

Brief Summary...

Vivi, Daisy, Danielle, Kevin and the allusive Patrick are involved in dreams, body takeovers and secrets. Someone is talking to them and manipulating them in their dreams.

My Thoughts...

This was quite a unique premise. Daisy has a huge secret. She has some sort of weird electrical energy that causes all kinds of things to go crazy, spark, short out and break when she is around...thus no cell phones, internet or iPods for Daisy. She is clever, smart and has...more

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Apr 04, 2012 Seanean rated it 3 of 5 stars

http://librarytalker.blogspot.com/201...

Daisy Jones has tried her entire life to be "normal". Born with the gift to control (or fry) electronics, she spends each day just trying to keep her powers from destroying every cell phone and computer near her.

After being sent one day to find a classmate who'd been gone on a pass a bit too long, Daisy finds that she's not the only girl with a strange secret.

Daisy, her friend Danielle, and this new, mysterious girl, Vivi, end up being drawn into a strange...more

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Mar 28, 2012 Amanda Freeman rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: YA, paranormal, romance, mystery

Quick review:
"Gift” by Andrea Buchanan is an animated and entertaining read. I enjoyed the characters and found the story intriguing. Daisy must somehow disentangle her dreams and learn to channel her unnatural ability before it is too late. Determining who is a friend or foe is hard enough in high school without including the supernatural. The witty comments keep the atmosphere light while the mystery and suspense keep the reader turning pages. “Gift” is sure to appeal and satisfy a wide range...more Quick review:
"Gift” by Andrea Buchanan is an animated and entertaining read. I enjoyed the characters and found the story intriguing. Daisy must somehow disentangle her dreams and learn to channel her unnatural ability before it is too late. Determining who is a friend or foe is hard enough in high school without including the supernatural. The witty comments keep the atmosphere light while the mystery and suspense keep the reader turning pages. “Gift” is sure to appeal and satisfy a wide range of readers with its assimilated mystery, paranormal, and romance.

Full review:
Andrea Buchanan delivers an extraordinary tale of suspense with her book, “Gift.” Each character is appealing in his or her own right, which is refreshing and appreciated. Often there is a character that is terribly abrasive or implausibly perfect; this is not the case with Buchanan’s cast. I found myself interested not only in the fate of the group, but quickly became invested in the individuals as well. The similarities between the personas in the dreams and the people in reality are immediately evident making the sequence of the dreams a powerful story narrative. The story effectively transitioned from the dream world to modern day reality while captivating the reader in both realms.
Daisy, our female protagonist, possesses an otherworldly bond with electricity that has forced her to be an outsider her entire life. Daisy’s only friends, Danielle and Vivi, accept Daisy’s condition but never fully embrace its implications. Kevin, Daisy’s love interest, is much more empathetic and relates to her in such a way that ultimately a genuine connection develops. The element that truly unites these individuals, however, is Patrick. Throughout the book, Patrick is an enigma. The characters, along with the reader, question both his existence and his purpose. The cryptic dreams and ambiguous Patrick keep everyone guessing and create quite a compelling plot. I recommend this book to teens and adults alike; the traces of paranormal and romance develop an appealing backdrop for the prevailing mystery genre.

Andrea Buchanan (less)

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Mar 20, 2012 Rhonda rated it 4 of 5 stars

Review: Gift by Andrea J. Buchanan
4 STARS
It was good story with some twists to it. I kept waiting for a while wondering what her power was and where did she get it. It was slowly panned out.
Daisy is the new kid in town. Daisy is a Sophomore at Castle Creek High.
The story opens when Mr. Terry asks Daisy to go look in the bathroom for Vivi who should have been back by now. Daisy finds Vivi on the bathroom floor not making sense saying its the only way to be with Patrick. Vivi had taken the whole...more

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Mar 15, 2012 Bethany rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Lovers of Paranormal Mystery/Thrillers ;)

Shelves: arc, netgalley, sci-fi, paranormal

Gift was a book that I recieved from netgalley. I was very intrigued by the synopsis and I will say that the novel definitely had some high points. Overall, this book did not blow me away. But there were definitely moments that were 'edge of my seat' moments. The auto-writing...Ooo, I think I got actual goosebumps.

I thought the characters in this novel were well developed and each had there own unique dynamics. The storyline completely drew me in. I think one of the strengths of this novel was t...more

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Feb 12, 2012 Tia rated it 3 of 5 stars

Andrea J. Bunchanan did an amazing job on "Gift", when I first read the description I was so excited to read it. When I received my ARC copy, I raced through it. To me this book is more a mystery than anything else, with a touch of "paranormal" I guess you could say. It wasn't the BEST book I have ever read but it certainly kept me guessing.

I found the main character in the story was pushed into a corner. Her mother telling her lies and pushing her into a corner about not using her "gift" then w...more

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Mar 12, 2013 Dianne rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery, netgalley, own, ya-paranormal-romance

Gift by Andrea J. Buchanan takes an “electrifying” twist to YA paranormal reading, adds in an enigmatic entity from the past who shows up in dreams and creates a mystery for a group of teens to figure out!
Daisy is a sophomore at Castle Creek High who has spent her life with an unusual ‘gift’ or affinity to electricity. Any electrical device can go haywire in her presence and only her best friend Danielle has been aware of her ability. Vivi has had a ‘dream friend’ named Patrick all of her life a...more

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Mar 05, 2013 Sheri Boston rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley, ghosts, magic, paranormal, reviewed, romance, science-fiction, supernatural, young-adult, 2013-reading-challenge

Originally posted on my blog!! :) :)

Plot (4/5):

This definitely wasn't your average YA paranormal book. With a unique plot and strong, entertaining and very likeable characters. Daisy's struggle to remain normal and keep her secret hidden becomes difficult while she and her friends try to discover the reason behind the paranormal ties that bind them together. It keeps you guessing!

Characters (4/5):

The characters are so fun. You've got Daisy the main character who's struggling with a "gift" that i...more Originally posted on my blog!! :) :)

Plot (4/5):

This definitely wasn't your average YA paranormal book. With a unique plot and strong, entertaining and very likeable characters. Daisy's struggle to remain normal and keep her secret hidden becomes difficult while she and her friends try to discover the reason behind the paranormal ties that bind them together. It keeps you guessing!

Characters (4/5):

The characters are so fun. You've got Daisy the main character who's struggling with a "gift" that is dangerous unless she stays in constant control of her emotions and the ability itself. Which is enough to keep anyone in a constant state of worry and stress. Danielle her BFF is so funny and sarcastic I love her. The things that come out of her mouth at times adds enjoyable entertainment factors to the situation. Vivi is your classic mess that you can't help but want to take care of. Kevin is sweet and caring and really comes through for Daisy. Even Mr Terry one of their teachers has his comedic moments and Daisy's mom has her moments of coolness. It's got a well rounded cast.

Pacing (5/5):

I feel like everything moved along pretty fluidly. There wasn't a time really where I was feeling it was sluggish.

Ending (5/5):

So the ending was great. I was very pleased with how things wound up. And the last bit at the very end was so cute and sweet. A real "awww" type of moment!

Overall Satisfaction (4/5):

I really liked this book. The characters were likeable and except for a few times here and there when I wanted to strangle one or all of them at some point. But that's pretty much true about any book I've read. Seeing something going on as the person reading and observing and you want to scream at these people "Oh my gosh how can you not see this happening?!" But if they did... it would make for a more boring story am I right? It was a lot of fun to read and discover how everything and everyone tied together. I would more than likely read this book again and I recommend it to paranormal lovers out there!

Overall grand total I give it a 4.4 out of 5 :)(less)

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Mar 31, 2012 Lauren rated it 3 of 5 stars

Normally I’m not a big fan of ghost stories. When it comes to supes my preference is normally witches, vampires, and then werewolves. However, my curiosity got the best of me after I read the synopsis; I became instantly intrigued. I have to say, out of all the books I’ve ever read, Gift has one of the best and most-alluring opening chapters I’ve ever seen. By the time the first chapter ended I was was desperate to read on.

Gift starts off with introducing our main character and heroine, Daisy Jo...more Normally I’m not a big fan of ghost stories. When it comes to supes my preference is normally witches, vampires, and then werewolves. However, my curiosity got the best of me after I read the synopsis; I became instantly intrigued. I have to say, out of all the books I’ve ever read, Gift has one of the best and most-alluring opening chapters I’ve ever seen. By the time the first chapter ended I was was desperate to read on.

Gift starts off with introducing our main character and heroine, Daisy Jones who is in a serious predicament. She’s been searching throughout her school for a fellow classmate, named Vivi. She finally finds Vivi keeled over in a girl’s bathroom, clutching a bottle of Advil PM. (This is the part where I knew I was instantly hooked.) Vivi:

"“You don’t understand,” she sobbed. “It’s the only way we can be together. I just have to sleep, and then-” She stopped suddenly, focusing her heavy-lidded eyes on a space above my head. “Patrick you came back.” A smile briefly transformed her face as she closed her eyes and slumped to the floor."

Crazy right!? At this point I had a dozen or so questions bubbling in my mind. Was Vivi going to be okay? What drove her to OD? And also, who the heck was Patrick?! At the time I was unaware, but I soon learned that this first chapter was but the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the crazy, mysterious, and awesome, that is Gift.

It’s a slight spoiler… but Vivi does end up living through this first incident and in doing so becomes quite close to Daisy, and Daisy’s best friend, Danielle. The three girls quickly discover shared experiences revolving around bizarre dreams and visits with a supernatural entity. Early on in the book we find out that Daisy has a very peculiar “gift” that she constantly wishes she could give back. She’s able to manipulate energy in a some-what uncontrollable way which causes her to steer clear from electronic gadgets such as TVs, celephones, mp3s, etc. in order to hide her anomaly. It surprises everyone including Daisy when they discover her gift is connected to “Patrick” and the weird things that begin to happen.

Gift is all about the three girls, and a boy named Kevin (he comes along later) who are desperately trying to figure out what some crazy shared dreams mean and what “Patrick” really is and wants with the girls. Towards the end I was kind-of able to guess the big revelation, but the majority of the book; I was stumped. I think that Gift’s plot was really unique and I loved how they fit a little Greek mythology into the story. Instead of incorporating Greek characters, the author took a different approach by incorporating Greek themes instead.

I give this book a 3/5 star rating because there’s some parts I didn’t care for. For instance, I mentioned that the first chapter hooked me right in, however the chapters following were kind of a slump for me. The story was moving very slowly and only my deep need to know what or who “Patrick” was, kept me going. I was also confused in how Gift ended in the sense that I wasn’t sure if we could expect a sequel or some type of continuation. I really hope there is another book because Daisy had a tiny, family revelation and it never really played out. If there is another book I’m anxious to see if we get more on that development.(less)

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Sep 24, 2012 Meganm922 rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book looked incredibly interesting and different, which is why I requested to review it. The story is mainly about Daisy, a high school sophomore that has a secret power. To Daisy, being able to make electronics go haywire seems more of an inconvenience than a power. Fortunately, she is able to control her abilities to some degree and tries to fit in at her school. When a teacher asks Daisy to look for Vivi, Dai...more I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book looked incredibly interesting and different, which is why I requested to review it. The story is mainly about Daisy, a high school sophomore that has a secret power. To Daisy, being able to make electronics go haywire seems more of an inconvenience than a power. Fortunately, she is able to control her abilities to some degree and tries to fit in at her school. When a teacher asks Daisy to look for Vivi, Daisy finds her on the brink of death. Vivi and Daisy become fast friends as she tries to explain what happened. Vivi has a soulmate and he’s not alive. Patrick is a ghost.

This turn of events brings Daisy’s best friend Danielle, Daisy, and Vivi together as they try and figure out what is happening. They are having strange dreams and only Vivi seems to be able to communicate with Patrick. Daisy ends up meeting a dreamy senior named Kevin when she was supposed to meet up with Vivi for lunch. She finds out he’s a TA for her favorite teacher and asks him for help with her situation in the guise of writing a story.

The plot combines dreams, ghosts, Daisy’s electrical power, and the past for an interesting adventure for the four teenagers. Daisy and Kevin find out that have a connection, as well, which added the element of romance to the book. I found the plot to be unique, though somewhat predictable after a certain point. While there were surprises thrown my way, I felt as if I figured out the main mystery before Kevin did.

The characters were well developed, but I couldn’t connect with any of them. I felt as if there was something missing. The best developed character was Danielle, but I couldn’t stand her. There were avenues explored in this book that didn’t work with me because they didn’t end up really connecting to the plot or they were only explored vaguely.

While the plot was strong, I felt like there were elements that didn’t quite fit in and wondered why they were even there to begin with if they weren’t going to connect in some way. For instance, the three girls and Kevin use their favorite teacher’s classroom as a place to get together during lunch to discuss their strange events. They were afraid that he would eavesdrop and occasionally, he would make a comment that made it seem like he was listening, but nothing ever happened after the plot got rolling to suggest he ever was listening. I guess I expected him to have some sort of role as the plot developed and nothing happened. Also, Daisy’s father is not in the picture and she discovers that her mom may be hiding something. Once she found out what her mom was hiding, I figured that secret would also connect to the plot, but it only served to steer Daisy in the wrong direction and nothing about her father was ever spoken of again.

Because the plot was so unique and combined many various elements, I guess I just expected something more. I finished reading with slight disappointment and wished there was just more to it. It was a great read and certainly something different and I would still recommend it, but it left me wanting more the entire time I was reading.
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Apr 01, 2013 Lindy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013-ebook-challenge, 2013-tbr-reading-challenge, blog-review, for-review, netgalley, ya-paranormal

I really enjoyed reading "Gift," by Andrea J. Buchanan. The story was highly entertaining, and I was riveted to every page. The way the author began the story, had me completely hooked! "I found her in the bathroom of the 300 building. Slumped in the corner, pressed up against her own reflection in the mirrored wall, she could have been crying, or sleeping, or ignoring me. But I knew as soon as I saw her that something was seriously wrong." (EARC, Loc. 44) The moment I read this initial sentence...more I really enjoyed reading "Gift," by Andrea J. Buchanan. The story was highly entertaining, and I was riveted to every page. The way the author began the story, had me completely hooked! "I found her in the bathroom of the 300 building. Slumped in the corner, pressed up against her own reflection in the mirrored wall, she could have been crying, or sleeping, or ignoring me. But I knew as soon as I saw her that something was seriously wrong." (EARC, Loc. 44) The moment I read this initial sentence, I wanted to know who this girl was, and what was wrong with her. I thought this sentence was an amazing attention getter! There were a variety of reasons that I enjoyed reading, Gift, such as, the supernatural subject matter, partnered with mythology, the mystery, the romance, the plot twists, and how the author incorporated multi-media to tell the story in a variety of unconventional ways, from multiple point of views .

I loved all of the supernatural elements, and the use of mythology in Gift. The main character in the story, Daisy, had a unique supernatural "gift," or as she sometimes referred to it, a "curse." Daisy could control electrical currents. Anytime she touched a cell phone, or mp3 player, the battery would die. She had been kicked out of her old school when all of the computers in the lab had caught on fire. Her home was devoid of electronic devices. They didn't own a television, radio, cell phones, or even a toaster. Daisy had to work hard at staying calm through meditation, and Yoga, to keep her gift under control. The other characters in the story were Danielle, (Daisy's best friend) Kevin, (Daisy's love interest) Vivi, (Daisy's new friend) and Patrick, (the ghost.) Vivi also has a gift. Since she was a young child, she had been able to see a ghost, named Patrick. It was fun, and interesting to learn the story of Orpheus. I enjoy mythology a lot, and this was a fun surprise. Throughout the story, many parallels were drawn between Orpheus, and the plot of, Gift.

The plot in Gift was entertaining, because it contained mystery, romance, and many twists, turns, and surprises throughout the story. Both Daisy, and Danielle, consistently shared nightmares in which they were different women, in a past life. Daisy was a woman named Jane, and Danielle was a woman named Veronica. They were best friends in the reoccurring dreams, along with a servant named Lily, and Jane was in love with Veronica's brother, James. I enjoyed the mystery of trying to figure out who was sending the girls the dreams, the meaning behind the dreams, who James and Lily were in this lifetime, and how it was all connected to the present. I also enjoyed trying to figure out if Patrick was really a ghost that Vivi saw, or a product of her imagination, and if he was real, was he good, or evil... The romance in the story was written perfectly. Daisy and Kevin got to know each other really well, became friends, and liked each other a lot, but there wasn't any instant-love, which many Y.A. stories are guilty of. Also, the romance didn't dominate the story. It complimented the plot, but the main point of the story was Daisy's gift, the reoccurring shared nightmare's between Daisy, Danielle, and Patrick, the ghost. As the plot was revealed, there were many twist, turns, and surprises, along the way.

My absolute favorite part of Gift was how Ms. Buchanan used multiple forms of media to contribute to the story being unique, entertaining, fun, and creative. "Kevin," wrote songs for Daisy, and played them to her with his guitar. At the end of the story, the author has the lyrics to these songs, and the links to you-tube videos of them being sung. "Vivi," created a graphic novel to tell her perspective/point of view of the story. This is also placed after the story ends. I loved seeing the story simplified, and displayed with all of the detailed graphics, and to the point narration. This was a fun, and creative way to retell the story through Vivi's point of view. Also, throughout the book there were many graphics that depicted the girls dreams, and I enjoyed looking at them, and thought they added a fun, and creative flair to the story. "Danielle," wrote in a diary, her thoughts, feelings, and, perspective on the events that occurred in the story. This diary did an excellent job of showing Danielle's personality, and who she was as a character.

Gift was a well-rounded story that encompassed interesting, fun, and creative elements, such as, the supernatural, mythology, mystery, romance, plot twists, and a variety of artistic, and creative media, to build a great story! This story, and the way it was executed was unique, refreshing, and a nice change of pace from the typical and cliche YA books on the market. I recommend Gift, if you are looking for a unique and entertaining ghost story!

I give, Gift, by Andrea J. Buchanan, 4 Fun-Flavored, Entertainingly Creeptastic, Fast-Paced, On The Edge Of Your Seat Stars! I highly recommend this story, if you enjoy reading YA Paranormal Romance, and specifically ghost stories. This was the perfect story for readers who enjoy unraveling a good mystery, love delving into the realm of the supernatural, and enjoy the incorporation of mythology. Gift exceeded my expectations, and if you love a plot-driven story, that will have you guessing, as well as being surprised by some plot twists, and surprises. Gift is a great choice for a bookish escape!

For more book reviews, visit A Bookish Escape at Http://www.abookishescape.com

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Jul 24, 2012 Valeria rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, annoying-protagonist, boring, i-have-special-powers, author-literally-lost-the-plot

Sometimes, for nostalgic purposes, I dig out my old English folder with my collection of essays and stories from high school English class. I'd sit by the fire and read through my old work, sometimes with my mum, and we'd laugh and smile at what a terrible story teller I was. My stories were confusing, unstructured, wildly impossible and just plain embarrassing.

Reading Gift felt exactly like reading one of my old stories.

I found the writing juvenile, the author kept using very short chapters i...more Sometimes, for nostalgic purposes, I dig out my old English folder with my collection of essays and stories from high school English class. I'd sit by the fire and read through my old work, sometimes with my mum, and we'd laugh and smile at what a terrible story teller I was. My stories were confusing, unstructured, wildly impossible and just plain embarrassing.

Reading Gift felt exactly like reading one of my old stories.

I found the writing juvenile, the author kept using very short chapters in between long ones and had an annoying habit of cutting off in the middle of a scene. The plot - what plot ? - was all over the place. I had no idea where the story was going or if it was going to go anywhere since nothing seemed to be happening plot wise. Put simply, I was confused.

The protagonist ( I can't remember her name ) was irritating. There was one scene where she stands at a bus stop feeling sorry for herself because she has to take a bus while everyone else had cars. I recall her thinking that she was embarrassed and felt like a complete loser. Eh ? What is so terrible about taking a bus ? It's cheaper than maintaining a car and it's eco friendly. I actually felt angry too because some people don't even have the luxury of taking a bus. When I lived in rural Ukraine, I had to walk many miles to get to school because we didn't have buses that ran through our village and I wouldn't be able to afford one every day anyway. So seeing the protagonist turn her nose up at taking a bus pissed me off beyond belief. Stop behaving like spoiled brat and get your sorry ass on the damn bus.

But the main problem I have with Gift is that it's boring. Nothing happens. We follow the protagonist through her classes at school, where she get's a pop quiz in history, sees a girl hallucinating about an angel, meets some cool guy, has lunch, rides home on a *gasp* bus and talks to her friend Dana - or was Diana ? Meh, I don't care. Oh and the protagonist has some sort of strange reaction to electricity but she's totally cool with that so it's all good in the hood.

A quarter of the way through I knew this book wasn't for me. I was on my third cup of coffee and fighting to stay awake. Maybe this book will be interesting for other people but as for me, I'm packing my old English folder away and returning it back to the dark, dusty box it came from, where Gift will join it shortly.
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Apr 02, 2012 Pam rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-read

GoodReads Synopsis: High school sophomore Daisy Jones is just trying to get by unnoticed. It doesn’t help that she’s the new girl at school, lives in a trailer park, and doesn’t even own a cell phone. But there’s a good reason for all that: Daisy has a secret, unpredictable power—one only her best friend, Danielle, knows about.

Despite her “gift” (or is it a curse?), Daisy’s doing a good job of fitting in—and a cute senior named Kevin even seems interested in her! But when Daisy tries to help Vi...more

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Mar 14, 2012 Mrsinserra rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebooks, arc-s

This story is mainly about a girl named Daisy who has an extraordinary power, she is electric. She can mess with any electrical device; and has to practice yoga and meditation in order to be able to control her ability.

This story has 4 main characters, 3 girls and a boy, Daisy, Danielle, Vivi, and Kevin. Each of the characters has an important role to play. Daisy is electric, Vivi can talk to a ghost, Kevin is Daisy’s Boyfriend, he is good at research, and has a form of epilepsy that plays into...more

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Mar 26, 2013 Andy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: net-galley-arcs

Daisy is a fifteen year old sophomore at Castle Creek High. She lives alone with her mother in a nice trailer park, really more like “a ‘community’” of small “modern, eco-friendly, pre-fab construction” modular homes. Daisy has only ever known a life where it has been just her mother, herself and their cat Romeo. She never knew her father and her mother never talks about him. She has also never really been comfortable enough in her other schools to make a real friend because she has a secret. S...more

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Apr 07, 2012 ~Kate~ rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, dont-own, ebooks, ghosts, funny-in-parts, magic, romance, 3-stars, arc, paranormal-romance, ya

I stumbled across this book whilst looking what to request on Netgalley and it sounded like an interesting book. Although I wasn't a huge fan of the cover (usually what attracts my attention on netgalley) I requested it anyway and I am glad I did.

There was always something going on in this book all though not all of it was understandable. For most of the book I wasn't sure whether I actually believed what was going on as it seemed more like little children with an overactive imagination. Don't g...more

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Apr 01, 2012 Desiree rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley

I really don't have very much to say about this book. I usually take quite a lot of notes on books that I plan to review. I write down the things that I loved, things I hated, what didn't make sense to me, etc. With Gift I literally had no notes. Not a single one, good or bad.
This was a cute book. It was a fun and fluffy read. I enjoyed the concept of the story but I think that the execution could have been better. My favorite part was the characters. They all had their fun and different quirks....more

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Apr 01, 2013 Bèbè rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc-copies

photo tumblr_inline_mjvl1hLkwf1qz4rgp_zps4c7f8f11.gif

OH HEY I GOT YOUR ATTENTION!! HEYYYY SEXY! *WINK WINK*

Overall score: 4 stars

SUMMARY. Daisy Jones had a gift. She always knew that this was something that nobody should know about and even telling her best friend was hard enough to reveal and finally admit to herself what she is capable of. Sending out electric waves and feeling each person's energy was tough enough but then she is somehow stuck with Vivi, shy and always out of it girl who says she can talk to Patrick, her soulmate. At the same...more

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Jun 01, 2012 Renee Rearden rated it 3 of 5 stars

ARC approved by NetGalley

High school is difficult enough on the everyday kid. Throw in reincarnated souls, unfinished business and the ability to wield electricity and you’ve got one heck of a story line.

Daisy’s character is the right combination of strength of character, engaging personality and vulnerability. She faces difficult choices, and finds support from a group of friends she wasn’t looking to find.

The secondary characters help the story shine—mostly. Vivi is strange and fragile and eng...more

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