Intrinsical (The Yara Silva Trilogy, #1)

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Intrinsical (The Yara Silva Trilogy #1)

by Lani Woodland (Goodreads Author)

3.86 of 5 stars 3.86 · rating details · 1,357 ratings · 235 reviews

Sixteen-year-old Yara Silva has always known that ghosts walk alongside the living. Her grandma, like the other females in her family, is a Waker, someone who can see and communicate with ghosts. Yara grew up watching her grandmother taunted and scorned for this unusual ability and doesn't want that to be her future. She has been dreading the day when she too would see gho...more

Paperback, 290 pages

Published August 20th 2010 by Pendrell Publishing (first published August 20th 2009)

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Mar 27, 2011 Vinaya rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-liked, ya-fantasy, surprised-me

My ex-boyfriend used to have a bike he was madly in love with. I swear to god, that bike was like his first-born child. The thing is, it had this one, teeny-tiny problem...

Starting trouble!!!

Unfortunately, starting trouble is a big issue for me. I'm not like a lot of Goodreaders out there for whom finishing a book is almost a point of honour. If a story can't hold my interest from the word go, chances are, I will dump it unless I'm hating it so much that the pleasure of writing a scathing revie...more

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Mar 31, 2011 Melonie Piper rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book burts forth like a bull from a gate. Lani doesn't hold back on getting the story moving right away. Yara's journey of acceptance is masterfully laid out over the course of the novel with plenty of twists and turns along the way. The sensory details are amazing, and the way she incorporates the orange groves into the story is thrilling for anyone familiar with Corona to read, since it's such a part of the local history. It's refreshing to read a book with a female lead who starts out st...more

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Mar 25, 2011 Maja rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya, i-see-dead-people, reviewed-in-2011

Actual rating: 3.5 stars

Yara is a sixteen-year-old Waker - she comes from a long line of Brasilian women who can communicate with ghosts and apparently astral project. After moving to a boarding school with a wierd reputation, she saves the life of a boy named Brent and from there everything goes right and wrong at the same time! As usual, I don't want to write any spoilers, so I'll just say what I did and didn't like.

The story was really interesting and the writing was great. Brent is a fantas...more

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Aug 19, 2010 D.J. added it

Intrinsical is one of the most engaging and fast-paced novels I have read. Every single page made me want to keep reading and I hated when I was too busy to do so. Lani Woodland’s writing is beautiful and fresh. Her descriptions are well-written, never over the top, and create such vivid images. She has given Yara, the main character, a funny, beautiful, and realistic voice that makes the narration all the more enjoyable.

Ms. Woodland wastes no time throwing the reader into the story and letting...more

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Jun 22, 2011 Arlene rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fans of ghost stories

Recommended to Arlene by: Street Corner Booker Tour - Alexa

Shelves: ghosts, read-2011, ya-paranormal, young-adult

Rating Clarification: 4.5 Stars (closer to 5)

Book quote: I had the feeling that the past I was trying to put behind me wasn’t going to go quietly.

Books such as Instrinsical reinforce my love for paranormal stories because they strike a delicate balance between creeping me out and creating a suspended reality that I can easily come to believe. I definitely enjoyed this ghost story by Lani Woodland and the entire cast of characters she created were amazing! The writing was beautiful and the flow w...more Rating Clarification: 4.5 Stars (closer to 5)

Book quote: I had the feeling that the past I was trying to put behind me wasn’t going to go quietly.

Books such as Instrinsical reinforce my love for paranormal stories because they strike a delicate balance between creeping me out and creating a suspended reality that I can easily come to believe. I definitely enjoyed this ghost story by Lani Woodland and the entire cast of characters she created were amazing! The writing was beautiful and the flow was flawless, especially the last two thirds of the book where I was so glued to the pages, I found myself reluctantly stumbling upon the final scenes.

About the book: Yara Silva has grown up believing that ghosts walk among us because her grandmother is an Acordera or Waker – someone who could communicate with ghosts. Yara has lived her entire life hoping that this ability would pass over her for fear of being called crazy, but all that changes when she and her best friend enroll in Pendrell Academy which has been known to have a paranormal history. Yara gets caught up in the fray when she saves Brent, a fellow classmate, from a ghost attack and suddenly becomes a target.

I enjoyed this book for many reasons, but the main one has to be Yara and Brent’s budding relationship. I loved how Woodland chose to slow the pace down for these two characters because in the end, their feelings for each other felt real and believable. I have to say that I predicted a couple of the twists, but the one that happened in the last third of the book, caught me so off guard that I gasped in pleasant disbelief! What a twist!

Also, I have to note the beautiful art cover! I loved how it ties in with one of the most important scenes in the book. That recurring scene was emotional for me because of my love for the ocean, lake, pool… anything related to water, and it reminds me of one of my biggest fears. ~shivers~

When I finished this book, I rated it 4 stars, but as I’ve had a couple of days to process the perfection of this story, I’ve bumped it to 4.5, so that’s what I’m going with. Overall, this book was everything I enjoy in a great ghost story, including a slow romance, emotionally ridden scenes, creepy backdrop and likeable characters. I will definitely be signing up for the rest of Yara Silva’s journey. Awesome read! Thank you Alexa for sharing your book with me. :D

Favorite Quote:
The subdued light and the flowered-perfumed air created a romantic setting as we walked the well-worn paths of Pendrell. Conversations unsaid and experiences shared followed us like shadows, but we didn’t speak. There was an undemanding easiness in our silence, but it also crackled with insistent possibilities.(less)

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Aug 21, 2011 Parvathy rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: YA lover,Ghost whisperer fans, Paranormal addicts

Recommended to Parvathy by: goodreads

Shelves: elizabeths-and-darcys, expected-more, ghost-busters, movie-material, murder-mysteries, strong-females, young-adult

I accidently learned about this book while surfing through goodreads website and found the plot summary very intriguing. But after reading this book what I felt was something I have never felt for any other books and that is the feeling of an amnesiac. The moment I finished reading the book I forgot even reading it in the first place. The story is such a cliche that it gave a distinct impression as watching an episode of "Ghost Whisperer". The lead Yara Silva has the power to talk to the dead wh...more

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May 13, 2011 Nikki rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: any YA paranormal fans

Shelves: paranormal

3.5 stars

Intrinsical has been sitting on my shelf for a long time now. It is one of those books that I put off reading because as soon as I read the synopsis I loved it. It totally intrigued me... So I usually wait to let my expectations balance.

I was captivated as soon as I started, I was creeped out and was so happy to find something original. I loved Yara's confidence and flirtiness with Brent. The characters were realistic and relatable. I wish Steve and Cherie were featured more in the book...more 3.5 stars

Intrinsical has been sitting on my shelf for a long time now. It is one of those books that I put off reading because as soon as I read the synopsis I loved it. It totally intrigued me... So I usually wait to let my expectations balance.

I was captivated as soon as I started, I was creeped out and was so happy to find something original. I loved Yara's confidence and flirtiness with Brent. The characters were realistic and relatable. I wish Steve and Cherie were featured more in the book as I found them so funny, loyal and really cute together. Even more entertaining then Yara and Brent. (view spoiler)

(view spoiler)

The only thing that stopped me from loving Intrinsical is that I got confused at times. So many people gave this 5 stars so it's probably only me and my lack of sleep. Certain things that happened, I just felt myself thinking Huh? What? How did that happen? etc... (view spoiler)

When Yara first started gaining her waker abilities I felt like she was in denial... I wanted to slap her and say HELLO your family are wakers - you should know better! I really wish Yara's Grandmother arrived on campus and was some big badass waker! That would have been cool. After all, her Granddaughter could have used her help. (view spoiler)

Intrinsical didn't meet my expectations, I hyped it up too much in my mind. I still did enjoy it, its good especially as it is the first in a series. I will definitely be reading Indelible. The cover is also very beautiful! (less)

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Sep 04, 2011 Alexa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: own, signed, young-adult, 2011-reads, favorites

4.5 stars

I didn't know what to expect from Intrinsical. I just knew I wanted to read it and hoped that I would like it. While the beginning didn't grab me right away, I clearly remember the moment I became completely hooked. It was during the last two-thirds of the novel. It was filled with many surprises, and it was exactly what I was hoping for and more, exceeding any expectations I had! If I had to describeIntrinsicalin one word it would definitely be impressive.

I admit Yara, the main charact...more 4.5 stars

I didn't know what to expect from Intrinsical. I just knew I wanted to read it and hoped that I would like it. While the beginning didn't grab me right away, I clearly remember the moment I became completely hooked. It was during the last two-thirds of the novel. It was filled with many surprises, and it was exactly what I was hoping for and more, exceeding any expectations I had! If I had to describe Intrinsical in one word it would definitely be impressive.

I admit Yara, the main character, had to grow on me just a bit. She had a temper, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but combined that with the fact that she would keep secrets about her abilities.....well, it did get a bit frustrating at times. And then she would sometimes go into dangerous situations without thinking things through. But you know what? Sometimes risks are necessary. It may have seemed stupid at first, but in the end, it was smart and really brave. If she didn't follow her instinct, she never would have been able to get out the situation she and Brent were stuck in. I'm proud of her for making her own decisions, and I ended up really liking her feisty character.

The relationship between Yara and Brent was one of the things I really loved about this book. Right away it was easy to see that they were interested in each other. It seemed like a typical romance was about to bloom between them, and I thought it was only a matter of time before they were kissing and became a couple. But I was wrong! They became friends first. They didn't jump into a romantic relationship because all that mattered to them was helping each other stay alive. That's what they focused on, and I loved that. There were also times where they became irritated and frustrated with each other like normal people. I'm so glad for that because it made their relationship seem more natural and believable.

As I mentioned, I really enjoyed the last two-thirds of the novel. I thought the paranormal aspects were very unique, and it was filled with some pretty heart-pounding moments, which really surprised me! At first I didn't like that important information wasn't revealed right away, but I really came to like how it was all done. When I finished I just knew it wouldn't have been nearly as interesting and exciting if the author decided to not reveal only bits and pieces throughout the story. Another thing I really liked about the last two-thirds of the novel were the secondary characters like Yara's friend Cherie and Brent's friend Steve. I thought they were just going to continue to stay in the background, but nope! They became very important to the story, and they were just as great as Yara and Brent. I hope to see more of them in the sequel!

With a unique ghost story and one of the few I can think of off the top of my head that has a romance that develops gradually and naturally, I have to say that Intrinsical is definitely one of the better young-adult paranormals I've read. It didn't end in a cliffhanger (in fact, I was completely satisfied with the ending), but it still left me wanting more and feeling very impressed. I so look forward to Indelible, the next book in 'The Yara Silva' trilogy, to find out what happens next with Yara and Brent and their friends! Be sure to check out these books!(less)

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Oct 06, 2010 Michelle Flores rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Original Review - Here!

Gather: a peculiar girl, a boarding school, a hot guy with a peculiar talent, a “curse” and you’ll have Intrinsical / By: Lani Woodland. Intrinsical begins after Yara moves to her new school; Penderell along her best friend Cherie, who by some way or another, has always tried to contact the “supernatural” world. Ironically, Cherie lacks this gift while Yara is natural to it. After knowing details of Penderell’s “curse” with Brent, Yara will get to know more of her ca...more

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Dec 23, 2010 Jean Pearl rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Ghost freaks

Recommended to Jean Pearl by: Katie Burton's review

Ghosts. This book basically has that element that's very different from other YA books nowadays that are mostly focused on vampires and werewolves and angels. Reading it feels so refreshing. Like something that I really have been waiting for so long in awhile. It's so good to read something new and I really enjoyed having to finally read this. Intrinsical is a very good book. One that delved me in, making it hard for me to resist. I especially admire Lani's concept of astral projecting (summonin...more

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Dec 12, 2010 Ashley Lavering rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really loved Lani's discriptions. I also enjoyed the love story, especially the end. :-)

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Feb 16, 2011 Sara rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-own

I'm not typically one for "ghost stories". I've pretty much hated every one I've read in fact; therefore, I wasn't sure I'd even like this book but since it had such good reviews I figured I'd give it a try and I'm extremely glad I did!

I never retell the plot in my reviews but I will say that this story had me guessing until the end. It's funny because I bought the book for my Kindle and had I not, I SO would've cheated and taken a peek at the end, lol. There were moments in the book that had me...more

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Feb 27, 2011 Ashleigh Paige rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: the-decent-shelf-of-meh

Also appears on The Screaming Nitpicker.

Growing up, Yara Silva was always afraid that she would have the same Waker gene that her grandmother did. She never wanted to be made fun of the way her beloved grandmother was when she came for visits from Brazil. It seems like the trait may have passed her by, but then she enrolls at a boarding school and her dormant powers come to life as she saves fellow student Brent from being murdered by a dark mist. Now that dark mist is following her too and with...more Also appears on The Screaming Nitpicker.

Growing up, Yara Silva was always afraid that she would have the same Waker gene that her grandmother did. She never wanted to be made fun of the way her beloved grandmother was when she came for visits from Brazil. It seems like the trait may have passed her by, but then she enrolls at a boarding school and her dormant powers come to life as she saves fellow student Brent from being murdered by a dark mist. Now that dark mist is following her too and with little control over her powers, defeating it and solving the boarding school's old curse won't be easy for Yara.

First off, thank you to the author Lani Woodland for sending me a friend request on Goodreads (which I accepted, of course). That was a lovely gesture. Intrinsical has been on my radar since I ran across it and its lovely cover a few months ago and I was excited to get reading. I found a great debut novels within these pages. The execution was a little flawed, but that did not stop me from having fun on my journey into Yara's world.

Yara and Cherie were both likable girls and I loved reading scenes where the two of them interacted. Between the two, I preferred Cherie and found her to be a little more interesting. I didn't feel like I knew Steve well enough, so I won't say much about him. Brent... Well, let's just say that at the end of the book, I preferred Dallin over Brent. He may be the male lead, but Brent pulled a few tricks that don't fly with me. Something tells me that if Yara's grandmother had been in the book, I would have loved her like I loved Cherie.

The plot moved quickly and the writing style kept up with that pace instead of slowing it down, keeping me reading even when I got annoyed at one thing or another. There were a few turns of phrase that made me wonder if that was really there, but it was otherwise a book with focused, minimal prose--and that's just how I like it. Overly poetic and purple isn't my style. And one of the major twists that happened halfway through the book? I loved it. It's not one someone often sees while reading and I really enjoyed it.

Along with its strong points, the novel had its flaws. As I mentioned above, there were numerous instances where I wondered if someone really wrote that in a book. The villain came off as a little bit cheesy to me, which made taking him seriously a serious task in itself. Some points in the narrative that were confusing (how does someone smile into the right side of their mouth? Something hits Yara and falls, yet it's on top of her head?) and I ran across a plot hole. I would discuss it further, but I will not due to the difficulty I would have discussing it and my choice to honor a polite request I recieved asking me to omit certain spoilers.

Within the story, the calendar did not match up at all. Something happened to the top student in Yara's grade five days into classes and yet everyone knew who he was and that he was the top student in the grade. I find this highly implausible; at such an early point in the school year, there had to be multiple students with the same grade average and that would tie for top student. A certain character also mentioned that they had been dead for a couple of weeks. Wrong! When I went back and checked how much time passed between their "death" and when the character said that, I found that only four to five days passed.

Now then, my biggest complaint about the book: Its editing. My copy of Intrinsical is littered with red marks where I corrected mistakes ranging from missing punctuation to misspelled words. Classmates laughed all week as I read this book during class and fixed mistakes with my trusty red pen. Reading is supposed to be an escape and this time around, it didn't feel like one. I felt like I was reading someone's draft and not their final product. While I love editing and little would make me happier than to pursue it as a career, I don't want to read a book for pleasure and be reminded of the mistake-riddled article drafts my classmates on the school newspaper give me to edit.

While the story was enjoyable, I was kept from immersing myself in the story by a large plot hole, a cheesy villain, and horrible editing that pulled me out of the story each time I wandered past a mistake. I may pick up its sequel Indelible when it comes out in September 2011 and I may not. We'll see how I feel when the time comes.(less)

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Oct 26, 2010 Dana rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Feb 03, 2011 Krista (CubicleBlindness Reviews) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

This was the most unique ghost story I have ever read. It really took some unexpected twists that kept me very intrigued to see what happened next. I am going to list what I loved about this book.

1. The characters: You really want to be in this circle of friends, they are very likeable.

2. The dialogue: Very funny banter between Yara and Cherie and Yara and Brent, You will giggle a lot.

3. The bad-guy: is the guy you love to hate, he's got a great back-story and very selfish and evil.

4. The lo...more

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Feb 01, 2011 Lisa (Fic Talk) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Really enjoyed this. I liked how we got into the story from the very beginning. A little scary - because really, who wouldn't be slightly freaked out that a misty, swirly force that tries to kill someone in broad daylight and only you can see said mist? and then some invisible force that's coming at you and all you can see is the wet footprints it leaves behind?... exactly.
Add in a cute boy that is charming and serious, a reluctant heroine that learns a lot from said boy and grows because of him...more

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Jan 26, 2011 Denise rated it 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book and can't wait to see what else is in store for Yara and Brent. I really enjoyed reading the parts in the book when Yara and Brent are interacting. The plot and story line are great, but for me it was the sharp and witty conversations between those two that helped draw me in. I love both of them as characters. The writing was simple and just seemed to flow with a natural ease. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys YA supernatural/paranormal fiction you won't be disappointe...more

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Oct 11, 2012 Andrea rated it 4 of 5 stars

3.5 stars.

While I love to own books, I don't typically buy them unless I've read them first (unless it's part of a series that I really like). However, awhile back I read a good review about Intrinsical, and I enjoyed the sample I found online. So, when I saw a heads-up that the eBook was available for only 99 cents, I bought it (along with its sequel).

The idea of being a Waker was intriguing to me, and the boarding school setting (which just went co-ed) added a great element to the story. Yara...more

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Feb 06, 2012 Gothic Angel rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: most-favourite

I can't actually remember how I managed to stumble across this book. But when I did, I saw that it was very expensive in hardback, thus I wasn't actually going to buy it. I looked into getting it from the US instead but that was just as expensive. It was a lot of money for one book and what would happen if I didn't like it? Well, I can tell you now, it was a wonderful book and I am so glad that my friend Chele in the US gifted it to me on my Kindle.

When I first saw the cover for INTRINSICAL, I w...more

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Sep 29, 2011 Jennifer K Jovus rated it 5 of 5 stars

It seems there are a lot of paranormal books where a young girl is sent to private school and discovers she has supernatural abilities. For these reasons you would think that the story line of Intrinsical would be overdone and boring right? WRONG! On page one I realized that Lani Woodland wrote a wonderful story that sets itself apart from most YA paranormal books.

I read the first paragraph of Intrinsical and stopped, looked at the cover and description thinking "this is a young adult book"? I r...more It seems there are a lot of paranormal books where a young girl is sent to private school and discovers she has supernatural abilities. For these reasons you would think that the story line of Intrinsical would be overdone and boring right? WRONG! On page one I realized that Lani Woodland wrote a wonderful story that sets itself apart from most YA paranormal books.

I read the first paragraph of Intrinsical and stopped, looked at the cover and description thinking "this is a young adult book"? I reread the first paragraph and surmised that Intrinsical is not a dumb downed YA book. It's not that the language was Lord of the Rings -like but it also wasn't valley girl speak. At this point I knew I would like Intrinsical - knowing that it would be a paranormal read that also required more mind power if you will. (Bigger more descriptive words and a world I am not familiar with meant paying more attention to the story)

Lani Woodlands vivid imagery has me recalling even the tiniest detail. She creates a world that is absolutely realistic while throwing in a completely paranormal world too. While reading I was lost in the story forgetting about time and other responsibilities that needed my attention.

What Intrinsical does lack is a love triangle - and for that I am grateful. There is however a beautiful love story unlike any I have read before. I liked that the relationship Yara forms with her friend Brent. It is a strong friendship filled with trust, faith, communication and honesty - not physical contact. Proving that people can have relationships without smoochies.

If I were a teen girl Brent would be my book crush. He is adorable and everything a girl wants (and deserves) in a boy.

Intrinsical is a book that I would recommend for any young adult and adult reader that enjoys romance and some paranormal elements. There is NO swearing nor is there any sex in Intrinsical. There is some talk of suicide and murder - but both topics lack details. What I also liked and is a rarity in YA novels is that Yara has a close family with traditional family values.

Would I buy Intrinsical? Yes, it has been added to the for "when Morgan is a teen" bookshelf. I also think it would be a fun mother daughter read.

(less)

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Aug 16, 2011 Yona rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal

Hmmm I liked this one.
And the end i just love ends like this.
And Yara and Brent, i liked their relationship and the way it was developing, and how they discovered they powers, how they supported each other, how they would do anything to save one another, loved their connection and everything else, i just can write about them all day long and i have only good things to say.

I just loved this book. I really enjoy reading it, i started it today at noon and now it is 3.00 am, I couldn't put it away,...more

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Feb 21, 2011 Stormi (Lightning Book Promotions) rated it 3 of 5 stars

I have read a lot of great reviews about this book and it really sounded very interesting but it just really didn't hold my attention as well as I would have liked it too. I am also a none believer in the whole out of body experiences, where you can meditate your spirit out of your body and it can go floating around the town. I just have a hard time with that stuff and it was a huge part of the storyline.

Yara, was hoping that she wouldn't have the Waker gene like her grandmother and she really t...more

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Sep 26, 2011 Melissa rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book I saw on the YA scavenger hunt. I was intrigued right then. I got the book and was blown away by it.I instantly was hooked and could not put it down. Again these characters make you feel like you are right there with them. I was scared in some parts, laughed in other and cried quite a few times. Yara is strong girl who has so much going on it is crazy. She is someone I could relate to.

Yara tries to leave her crazy family a secret. She wants to be normal not to see ghosts. But she isnt...more

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Jan 06, 2011 Angela rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: y-a-books

I really liked this book. It had alot more depth to it than some Y-A books. It wasn't hormone driven like some can be, but still had that hint of romance.

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Mar 20, 2013 Melbourne on my mind rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013, paranormal, young-adult

Hmm. I honestly think at least some of my issues with this book were to do with the fact that the main character's name is 'Yara', and Melbourne's river is the Yarra. So any time her name was mentioned, I'd just see a river in my brain. Between that, and the fact that I kept reading 'Waker' (one who can astral project and communicate with the dead) as 'Wanker', I was clearly doomed to have problems with this book.

As is often the case with me, I enjoyed the idea more than the execution. A 16 year...more Hmm. I honestly think at least some of my issues with this book were to do with the fact that the main character's name is 'Yara', and Melbourne's river is the Yarra. So any time her name was mentioned, I'd just see a river in my brain. Between that, and the fact that I kept reading 'Waker' (one who can astral project and communicate with the dead) as 'Wanker', I was clearly doomed to have problems with this book.

As is often the case with me, I enjoyed the idea more than the execution. A 16 year old girl who suddenly finds she can communicate with ghosts? Excellent. And it throws you right into the action, which was excellent. But as the book progressed, I found myself sighing more and more often. A lot of the time, it was in relation to the school and how it was portrayed. So it's an expensive boarding school, right? Fine. Traditionally, such schools have a relatively small student population, especially in the US. So why does it have multiple dormitories if the dormitory Yana lives in is at least seven storeys high with enough rooms on each floor that Cherie ends up in room 774? Assuming at least 74 rooms per floor, and two students per room (as seems to be the case), you're talking over 1,000 students in that one building alone. A simple Google search shows that the largest school in the US that offers boarding has 1,650 students, but that less than 100 of those are boarders.

And when Brent mentioned that his brother hadn't been home in over two years, I had a serious "Uhhhh???" moment. It may be a boarding school, but schools still close over the summer. Hogwarts is not exceptional in refusing to let students stay over the summer break.

I also had some issues with the timing - one minute it's the first week of school and Yara's doing an introductory speech in class. The next minute, she's discussing how she's been at school for several months now, with little evidence to support a time cut of that magnitude. And as the book went on, there seemed to be some element of time travel involved that just didn't make any sense at all.

Look, I'm definitely nit-picking the negatives here. It was a fun read, with a nice mystery element on top of the expected paranormal side. And maybe if I didn't have first hand experience with boarding schools, I'd feel differently. (less)

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May 05, 2011 Cherryl Salgado rated it 4 of 5 stars

I was frustrated during the first few chapters. How the story started was too strong for me. I felt like everything was just dumped into my face. I was not able to connect with the characters and the way the story unfolded at first. I even stopped for like a day but finally decided that I'd better finish it for the sake of my reading challenge. Thank God I did because towards the middle, it got really interesting, and just started building from there.

I love Brent. He's absolutely dreamy for a g...more

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May 28, 2011 Em-em rated it 5 of 5 stars

Yara Silva comes from a family gifted with abilities to see and communicate with ghosts. She hopes that the gene that caused those abilities had skipped her. But when she went to Pernelle, things have suddenly changed after she saved a boy named Brent from a danger that no one could see other than her. That was the time that realized that the gene that she dreaded did not skip her and she is starting to develop her other abilities. With her abilities currently developing she discovers a danger t...more

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Nov 01, 2010 Gmr rated it 4 of 5 stars

Yara (and most of the other women in her family) is a Waker, that is one that can communicate with ghosts and aid them as needed. Sounds cool, right? not so much if you're a teenage girl in high school who happens to have no interest in this particular gift. Unfortunately for her....she may not have a choice. In fact, her very life as well as that of a close personal friend may depend on the strength of her abilities in order to make things right. You see at Pendrell prep school things have gone...more

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Jun 07, 2011 Karri rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, wow-an-actual-normal-girl

So I just started reading the book and I'm a bit in, but I really feel like stopping, I don't know why... I mean there isn't anything wrong with the book I just feel so detached from it, and the writing feels a little chopped. I am having such a hard time connecting with the book that I feel frustrated!
The plot is good (except for the clutch thing which felt incredibly random) and the characters are just dandy but I can't really connect to them either. Oh and the heroines name bothers me a litt...more So I just started reading the book and I'm a bit in, but I really feel like stopping, I don't know why... I mean there isn't anything wrong with the book I just feel so detached from it, and the writing feels a little chopped. I am having such a hard time connecting with the book that I feel frustrated!
The plot is good (except for the clutch thing which felt incredibly random) and the characters are just dandy but I can't really connect to them either. Oh and the heroines name bothers me a little.

******

Okay so I'm back again, and my hand are itching to slap that Yara girl! I'm sorry but having grown up with half of her family seeing ghost and having her granny go on and on about em', you'd think a girl could put the clues together and solve the mystery without (view spoiler) I really hope she finds a way out of this mess, I really do. I was just starting to connect to the book too :(
oh and when did Brent become the expert on all things dead?
******

okay so I finally finished it and I suppose I'll give it 2 ½ stars...
It picked up a bit more towards the final chapters and that's what changed my opinion of the book. I don't know why I don't like it, it has everything that would make me like it ´, so I am puzzled as to why I didn't love this book. I suppose all the little things that bothered me were just too big to be ignored.
The characters were good too except for Cherie and Brent, Cherie won me over after some time though but Brent just annoyed me a little and it all started after he (view spoiler). Which is sad as I liked him before that and even found his personality to be refreshing.
I think that the (view spoiler) was what changed the feeling I got from the book and ultimately changed my feelings toward it.
Even though I'm complaining there were quite a lot of good bits to, like not knowing how the novel would end (though I kind of had a feeling...) I liked Steve or whatever little we saw of him and I hope there is more of him in the next book, I also liked the actual mystery and like I've mentioned before most of the plot.

I will probably read the next book.(less)

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Oct 13, 2010 Deborah rated it 5 of 5 stars

Intrinsical by Lani Woodland is a new young adult paranormal romance that gives a new slant to what paranormal is all about. It is her debut novel and it is filled with everything that makes paranormal so exciting as she creates a new way of showing us how out of the ordinary life can really be. It is the perfect way to have a taste of Halloween anytime of the year. It delves into ghosts, curses, dark sinister mists, hauntings, and let's not forget a little romance along the way. I loved this st...more Intrinsical by Lani Woodland is a new young adult paranormal romance that gives a new slant to what paranormal is all about. It is her debut novel and it is filled with everything that makes paranormal so exciting as she creates a new way of showing us how out of the ordinary life can really be. It is the perfect way to have a taste of Halloween anytime of the year. It delves into ghosts, curses, dark sinister mists, hauntings, and let's not forget a little romance along the way. I loved this story from start to finish and it grabbed me and had me hanging on for dear life wondering what was going to happen next. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough as I devoured all the many unexpected twists that forced surprise from my mouth nurmerous times. In addition to the amazing story-weaving talents Lani possesses,where she easily casts the reader under the spell of her well-written,engaging characters; she also has an incredible eye for photography. She took the fabulous underwater picture that graces her cover. In Intrinsical, Yara was looking forward to attending Pendrell boarding school with her best friend,Cherie. It was a chance to escape all the jokes about her crazy ghost-talking grandmother. She wanted to be normal and with relief thought that the dormant Waker gene that let her grandmother see and talk to ghosts might just have missed claiming her. But when she sees a dark mist trying to attack Brent, a gorgeous, popular athlete, and tries to kill him, she impulsively jumps in to save his life. But this causes her to draw the attention of the dark mist as it begins to stalk her as she learns about the curse that has huanted her new school with dark spirits, as it seeks to threaten her life. At teh same time Brent turns his focus to Yara and wants to know more about the girl who saved his life. Then Yara's best-friend Cherie,excited to investigate all the stories fo hauntings around the school, hopes to make contanct with the ghosts of the curse. She drags her new boyfriend, Steve along with Yara and Brent into the heart of the curse. But she doesn't have teh ablity to make contact, even though she studied with Yara's grandmother, the ways of the Wakers, strange things begin to happen around them. Meanwhile, Yara learns that mabye the Waker gene didn't skip a generation after all. Fighting her heredity and her growing powers as a Waker she find herself pulled further and further into the realm of ghosts and dark spirits as she and her friends delve deeper into finding out about the long standing curse and the mystery behind the danger that lurks in the shadows as they learn that the deaths that occured at the school and the sinister nature of them is more than what anyone realized. Intrinsical held me spell bound until the last amazing twist-filled page. I lvoed the chacacters and how they grew with each new discovery they made. The ties of friendship and loyalty always being there protrayed in a depth that show the importance of courage, trust, and always being there for each other. They changed as they learned that they could be more than they ever imagined. I loved how well each new surprise sprang out at me unexpectedly as incredibe events where there was no turning back left you wondering how the characters could possilby overcome them adn how unpredictable it all was in the end. Be sure not to miss out on your own chilling ghost-filled copy of Intrisical and don't forget to leave the lights on.(less)

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About Lani Woodland

I've been an avid reader since elementary school . In sixth grade I began writing stories and recruiting (with force when necessary) my friends to act them out. I've always loved scary stories, and have a hard time enjoying any book without at least a little romance in it.

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Quotes from Intrinsical

“Wanna dance?" he asked
"I guess you'll do. All the cute guys are already taken," I answered with a grin.
"You wound me with your callousness," he sighed dramatically, taking me in his arms.
"I do have a black belt in demolishing overstuffed egos.” — 60 people liked it

“Will you please stop peeking at me like that? This is degrading enough as it is."
"Did it ever occur to you," I said, with a sly smile and a wink, "that you're irresistibly handsome, I can't keep my eyes off of you?"
He threw his head back in a laugh. "Of course. I should have realized.” — 42 people liked it

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Intrinsical (The Yara Silva Trilogy #1)

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