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Evolution #1
Evolution
Seventeen year old Jade Sommers life turned upside down the moment she saw the inch long cut across her face, heal right before her eyes.
Jade thought she was going insane, but her boyfriend Aiden Scott knew better. He knew what she was. And like him, she was born this way.
Now if finding out that people like her shouldn’t exist was bad enough, Jades best friend is kidnapped by the psycho who’s terrorised her dreams. With the help of Aiden, she has to figure out how to saver her, before it’s too late.
But what Jade doesn’t know, is not everything is what it seems. She is merely a puppet in a sadistic game to find out what she is truly capable of – and the game has only just begun.
Jade thought she was going insane, but her boyfriend Aiden Scott knew better. He knew what she was. And like him, she was born this way.
Now if finding out that people like her shouldn’t exist was bad enough, Jades best friend is kidnapped by the psycho who’s terrorised her dreams. With the help of Aiden, she has to figure out how to saver her, before it’s too late.
But what Jade doesn’t know, is not everything is what it seems. She is merely a puppet in a sadistic game to find out what she is truly capable of – and the game has only just begun.
219 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2012
291 people are currently reading
4341 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 245 reviews
July 16, 2013
Almost totally implausible. I wasn't even halfway through when I put it down. It raised more questions than it answered.
I originally got this purely because it was one of the free ebooks in the iBooks store.
It's set in Australia, which I liked - hardly any of the books I read are set in Australia. Typically, it was set on the East Coast following the life of a Year 12 student who suddenly finds out that she had superhuman abilities.
That it where I drew the line about things I liked about it. Some of it is plausible, like being more evolved and being able to use a larger percentage of their brains than regular humans; but then there is the stuff that is not plausible.
The first example was turning pond water into drinking water in Year 12 Chemistry. Are you kidding me? That's not even a year 9 experiment.
All of these more evolved people are stunningly attractive. Physical appearance is not controlled by your brain! It's in your DNA. Similarly, they all had super-fast metabolisms which allowed them to eat as much as they wanted and stay super-thin. That's controlled by the thyroid, which I will agree has input from the brain, but not as much as would allow this.
Then they could teleport?! What even?!?
The protagonist was slightly weak in my opinion. At the slightest hint that her boyfriend was only living in Australia temporarily (which equates to two years) she get's all self conscious and thinks that he has another girlfriend in England.
I originally got this purely because it was one of the free ebooks in the iBooks store.
It's set in Australia, which I liked - hardly any of the books I read are set in Australia. Typically, it was set on the East Coast following the life of a Year 12 student who suddenly finds out that she had superhuman abilities.
That it where I drew the line about things I liked about it. Some of it is plausible, like being more evolved and being able to use a larger percentage of their brains than regular humans; but then there is the stuff that is not plausible.
The first example was turning pond water into drinking water in Year 12 Chemistry. Are you kidding me? That's not even a year 9 experiment.
All of these more evolved people are stunningly attractive. Physical appearance is not controlled by your brain! It's in your DNA. Similarly, they all had super-fast metabolisms which allowed them to eat as much as they wanted and stay super-thin. That's controlled by the thyroid, which I will agree has input from the brain, but not as much as would allow this.
Then they could teleport?! What even?!?
The protagonist was slightly weak in my opinion. At the slightest hint that her boyfriend was only living in Australia temporarily (which equates to two years) she get's all self conscious and thinks that he has another girlfriend in England.
January 17, 2014
Pfft, I don't know what buggers me more. The stupid behaviour of the main character, the plot holes or the idea that being a superhuman due evolution (and able to teleport - wtf?).
Jade lacked a character. She was just a flat thing who's obsessed with her hot boyfriend. She's even obsessed and wants to have sex with him when Aiden's mother explains her that she's a "superhuman". Not very smart - besides being good at school - at all although she's "using all of her brain" and not just an 1/8 of it. Her mother is working all the time (no matter which kind of job the mom has, no one has to work ~20h/day (that's what you start to believe)). Jade's friendship with Chelsea is unbelieveable. Jade just starts to care about her so-called BFF after she was kidnapped.
There's no explanation why a bunch of humans were better than the rest of us, there's no background story for Jade, Aiden, ... - just for Chelsea's mom; wow.
And the abilities they have because of using all of the brain? Non-sense. Why you should be able to teleport because you use your entire brain capacity? The thing with reading minds and influencing emotions is believeable if it wouldn't be so over the top most of the time.
Furthermore the entire thing is rushed, too. Everyone seems to hide something and not willing to talk about and boom - While Jade is just 17 (?) and Aiden is - since there's no exact age given - maybe 17 or 18, too. It's too unbelieveable.
December 26, 2014
It's over? Really? Already? But nothing happened. Not really. I mean, it's not like everyone was just sitting around doing nothing, but wait it's really over? I'm sorry, I'm still trying to process what just happened. I mean, I know I read it, but what did I read? I think these people had special powers? Everything went by so fast, it was hard to keep up. I'm all for fast paced books, but I never thought there was such thing as too fast. I'd never run into that problem before. But it made everything seem so choppy and one scene jumping into the next and I barely had time to process one thing before another was thrown at me.
Nothing was explained. Apparently Jade and Aiden have these special abilities and are immortal, but we don't know why other than "Oh, we're advanced humans and were born this way." Okay? I'd prefer to have a better explanation than that, but no, after that little scene Jade is suddenly asleep in Aiden's room and onto the next scene. Or how about when Jade is in class with Chelsea and then suddenly she's on fire, running out of the classroom and Aiden is suddenly there taking her away from school? All that happened so fast, it's like I was hit in the face with a massive snowball and I have to stop and think about what the hell just happened. Nothing was ever explained about why or how all this is happening. Why's Jade's mom suddenly blowing her off? How does she supposedly know that Aiden can hear her thoughts? Why does her mom want Jade to stay with Aiden at all times? None of these questions were answered, and honestly, I don't care enough to find out if they're answered in the second book.
Aiden is way too perfect. He's like a cardboard cutout of the "perfect boyfriend." And all that crap about never using his emotional powers to influence Jade? I think that's total bull. Yes, he clearly uses that weird power to calm her down at the end, which I will get to in a minute, but what about all those times she was freaking out and he calmed her down? She clearly states that she likes it when he does that because it makes her feel better. Then he promises he would never use his powers against her. But he clearly does. And when he whisks her away at the end, I'm pretty sure that's kidnapping. No one is going to know where she went. I feel like that ending was just so there could be another book in the series.
This book would have been so much better had the author slowed down and fleshed out ideas instead of rushing to make a series. It would have been better as a stand alone and well written, instead of a poorly done series. The one thing I did like about this book was the voice. It was very clear that it was a teenager speaking without all the cringe worthy phrases I had to endure in The House of Night series. I just wish it was executed better.
January 7, 2014
This could have been a good book... it had potential but the lack of plot and development of characters really fell short for me. Instead developing the story line it seemed the author was more focused on 17 year olds having an active sex life and the parents being ok with it because "teenagers will be teenagers". Yeah... not a book for me. Did not finish.
February 27, 2020
I love the main character's name, Jade. I like that she is not only pretty but she is intelligent. Beauty and IQ are a perfect combo. But she isn't without her flaws, so she is very easy to relate to and see her as realistic. Her boyfriend, Aidan, is a good complement for her personality and they kind of balance each other out.
Jade has an accident at the start of the story, and when she realizes what's going on because Aidan tells her "who she is" it's pretty well written so that I was able to really feel how Jade must've felt, but I don't want to spoil it for others and tell why she freaked out.
Jade has an accident at the start of the story, and when she realizes what's going on because Aidan tells her "who she is" it's pretty well written so that I was able to really feel how Jade must've felt, but I don't want to spoil it for others and tell why she freaked out.
June 4, 2012
I was hooked from the first page, I couldn’t put it down! A Major page turner!
I really enjoyed this book by a new author, it was refreshing to read by an Australian author, and the story takes place there as well. I know some people have said things about spelling, and such, BUT I do know that they spell many words different in Australia than they do here in USA. I just want to point that out. I really did not notice anything at all wrong with this book. I was sucked into the story on the very first page. I mean, it literally grabs your attention!
Jade Sommers, is a fascinating character, and so is her boyfriend Aiden, YUM! The story starts with some strange things happening with Jade, and one of them is she finds she is healing from an injury, right before her eyes. I mean this happens within the first few pages. Of course she starts to freak out, not sure what is going on with her. Wanting to know what she is, how this is happening, ect.
I do not want to give away any huge spoilers here. I mean, this book is amazing, and has me eager for the sequel, as its going to be a series.
I really enjoyed the relationship between Jade and Aiden, it was so refreshing and sweet. He is a true “Knight in Shining Armor”, meaning he is very protective of Jade in a good way, and there for her when she is going through this rough time. I can understand this time is rough for Jade, it would be something to deal with what she has to deal with.
She gets some strange dream, or is it a vision? Of her best friend, Chelsea, being kidnapped and murdered, so she is freaking out about it, especially when she can’t locate Chelsea and finds out she is now missing. She is determined to find her.
Did I say how much I LOVE Aiden?? Yeah, he is HOT, and so charming, can’t stop thinking about him. The things he can do is quite amazing as well, I won’t go into that. You can find out for yourself. Let’s just say it would be pretty cool to be able to do what he can do.
Towards the end, I was on the edge of my seat, freaking out, wondering what was going to happen next, as something major happens, and I just had to find out what was going to happen, so was up until 3am to finish this book. Now I am anxious to read the sequel.
This book I recommend to anyone who likes the paranormal, suspense, and something that is a little different than what we usually find out there.
I really enjoyed this book, and hope you give it a chance too. Trust me, you won’t be sorry.
A favorite part in book, Kindle location 483:
All that occupied my mind was Aiden. No matter what life would throw my way, he was my constant. He made me feel safe. And right now I was wrapped in his arms, but it wasn't enough. I wanted more, I wanted all of him. I wanted him to take me in his arms, and carry me up those stairs.
That thought was quickly squashed when i realized that not only Aiden could hear my desire, but his mother could to.
Check out my blog for more reviews and extras as i get them http://concisebookreviewsbymichelle.b...
November 2, 2014
I enjoyed this story. I enjoyed it alot. I enjoy stories of the young aged characters coming to their extraordinary powers/gifts/etc. I enjoy how they work through the responsibilities of these powers. I enjoy how these powers gets into trouble, mess up their lives, or etc. A lot of character building goes through the adjustment of the powers. That's what I love.
I received this story from a free download on Amazon. When I download free stories, I usually get what I paid for, a 1 or 2 star book. But I am very pleased with this book. It is very well written! The paragraphs had a cadence that made reading absolutely effortless.
The themes in the story felt like a twist of things I've read/watched before. Have you watched Heroes? If so, expect something slightly similar, but, a different set of dynamics. Have you watched NCIS? If so, expect Abby. I don't want these comparisons to be a put down--I'm just simply trying to explain my thoughts.
All in all, I nearly rated this 5 stars. I feel this books is about 4.49 stars. There was very little that knocked the stars down. (As I am not an author, I do not feel like I have merit to make these claims) I feel the author could work on developing the character's traits a little more. I was only able to identify or connect with the side characters briefly. Chrissy, the annoying High School friend. I want more background with her story. I want to hate her more.
Some more that I suggest for the author is to build more impactful scenes.
In the end, I want to re-read this book. When I do, it will ultimately change my rating to either 5 stars or a flat 4 stars.
I received this story from a free download on Amazon. When I download free stories, I usually get what I paid for, a 1 or 2 star book. But I am very pleased with this book. It is very well written! The paragraphs had a cadence that made reading absolutely effortless.
The themes in the story felt like a twist of things I've read/watched before. Have you watched Heroes? If so, expect something slightly similar, but, a different set of dynamics. Have you watched NCIS? If so, expect Abby. I don't want these comparisons to be a put down--I'm just simply trying to explain my thoughts.
All in all, I nearly rated this 5 stars. I feel this books is about 4.49 stars. There was very little that knocked the stars down. (As I am not an author, I do not feel like I have merit to make these claims) I feel the author could work on developing the character's traits a little more. I was only able to identify or connect with the side characters briefly. Chrissy, the annoying High School friend. I want more background with her story. I want to hate her more.
Some more that I suggest for the author is to build more impactful scenes.
In the end, I want to re-read this book. When I do, it will ultimately change my rating to either 5 stars or a flat 4 stars.
July 10, 2017
Goodreads Summary
Seventeen year old Jade Sommers life tuned upside down the moment she saw the inch long cut across her face, heal right before her eyes.
Jade thought she was going insane, but her boyfriend Aiden Scott knew better. He knew what she was. And like him, she was born this way.
Now if finding out that people like her shouldn’t exist was bad enough, Jades best friend is kidnapped by the psycho who’s terrorised her dreams. With the help of Aiden, she has to figure out how to saver her, before it’s too late.
But what Jade doesn’t know, is not everything is what it seems. She is merely a puppet in a sadistic game to find out what she is truly capable of – and the game has only just begun.
What I liked
This book is very fast paced. At only 142 pages, there isn't any filler writing, so I never got bored. I liked that the story started off with Jade and Aidan already together. Most YA books I've read have the relationship develop during the story, so this was a nice change.
There were a number of twists and turns that I didn't see coming, so this book definitely kept me guessing. The end really threw me for a loop.
What I didn't like
While I did enjoy how fast paced the book was, there were a number of times where I wished that the author would have slowed down and given me some more information. There were times throughout the story where I was a little confused because things weren't explained enough. Also, a few things just didn't make sense (see my updates).
Brief thoughts
Overall, this was a pretty good book, especially since I got it for free on Amazon. I plan on reading the rest of the series.
3.5 stars
You can find this and more of my reviews on my blog
Seventeen year old Jade Sommers life tuned upside down the moment she saw the inch long cut across her face, heal right before her eyes.
Jade thought she was going insane, but her boyfriend Aiden Scott knew better. He knew what she was. And like him, she was born this way.
Now if finding out that people like her shouldn’t exist was bad enough, Jades best friend is kidnapped by the psycho who’s terrorised her dreams. With the help of Aiden, she has to figure out how to saver her, before it’s too late.
But what Jade doesn’t know, is not everything is what it seems. She is merely a puppet in a sadistic game to find out what she is truly capable of – and the game has only just begun.
What I liked
This book is very fast paced. At only 142 pages, there isn't any filler writing, so I never got bored. I liked that the story started off with Jade and Aidan already together. Most YA books I've read have the relationship develop during the story, so this was a nice change.
There were a number of twists and turns that I didn't see coming, so this book definitely kept me guessing. The end really threw me for a loop.
What I didn't like
While I did enjoy how fast paced the book was, there were a number of times where I wished that the author would have slowed down and given me some more information. There were times throughout the story where I was a little confused because things weren't explained enough. Also, a few things just didn't make sense (see my updates).
Brief thoughts
Overall, this was a pretty good book, especially since I got it for free on Amazon. I plan on reading the rest of the series.
3.5 stars
You can find this and more of my reviews on my blog
May 23, 2012
I didn't get past the third chapter. The whiny and rambling protagonist and all of the mistakes (their/there, site/sight, etc) bugged me too much to get into the story. Wouldn't recommend just based on the lack of editing this novel seems to suffer from.
November 28, 2015
I picked up this book because I got it for free as an iBook. I was greatly disappointed by the writing itself--it seemed to lack maturity. There was no character development and very little backstory. I do not care to finish the series, it's not worth my time.
December 26, 2015
DNF at 30%
Ugh. Full Review Soon. Terrible plot, no character development. No character flaws. No world building, poor transition, no world norm established.
Don't bother.
Ugh. Full Review Soon. Terrible plot, no character development. No character flaws. No world building, poor transition, no world norm established.
Don't bother.
June 27, 2020
Book 35 complete.
August 27, 2012
English is not my mother language, sorry for any mistake.
To read "Evolution" by Kelly Carrero you must take care of three things: first of all, take the afternoon, the night or the whole day free, cause once you start reading, you wont stop, and because it is a relatively short novel, i think it is a good thing to read it without breaks. Second of all, you got to set your mind at 17 years old, cause it makes it easier to get into the story and the characters, and last of all, you got to know you are reading a novel that fits into the trendy YA fantasy, wich is everywhere, so if you note there are similarities with other stories of this genre, i want to think it is because most of them share the global picture of: a couple of teenagers in love, a high school, a paranormal layer (for good and for bad) that covers the story (vampires, werewolves, feries, witches, aliens, or super powers), and a challenge.
"Evolution" got all of this. Jade Sommers is a beautiful teen that after a terrible car accident discovers she can heal. Then discovers that her handsome boyfriend Aiden and his family also got abilities. Then Jade's BFF Chelsea is kidnaped, and that's where the fun starts, even though wont end, cause when you think everything will be ok and the worst had past, its like everything just got started.
Now, getting critic, the novel has the ability of getting into you and you wont let go until it is over. The action came late, but came. The characters are nice and credible, even though i got something to say about some of them.
I would like to start with Chelsea, Jade's BFF. She is nice, a great friend and always thinking about sex, and because of her lack of romance in her life, happens to live her love life thru Jade's. All this is ok, i just think something very important is missing: they are supposed to be best friends and Jade starts her adventure to help rescue her from the psyco kidnaper, but we, as readers, don't really know Chelsea, the description of her at the beggining is weak and during the search for her, it gives you the feeling that Jade and Aiden are looking for a total stranger. I wont reveal the last part of the book, but it is there where i felt i got to know her little bit better, wich i would have like at the beggining.
I also had little problem with the description of Aiden's parents Anna and Dave. They seem like a cool and open minded couple, they are young and with lots of experience in life, but still, that's all you know even though they are important characters. Maybe in the next book the author decides to give us more of them, cause i got the feeling they are very interesting but empty, for the moment.
The same happens with Jade and Aiden. I missed something. I wanted to know more about them than about the drunk guy in the police station, or Chelsea's mom, or the neighbour. I think that the author gave more lines of description to stangers than to the real characters of the story. Who knows, maybe I'm wrong and it is part of her tricks to get us stick to the second book.
Personally i enjoyed the novel, it is my first novel as elecronic-book, so it was by itself a new experience. I think the idea of having superpowers due to evolution is good, and gives lot of space to develop a great saga. The writing is ok, and fits to the voice of a 17 year old teen, as the narrator, still there are lot of common places and well known situations that i have red before in similar books, like "Twilight", "Shiver", "The mortal instruments", "I am number four", but i want to think is part of this trendy genre, and still, if Kelly Carrero is going to write a sequel, then it got to get better, cause the story is great and it is not over!
To read "Evolution" by Kelly Carrero you must take care of three things: first of all, take the afternoon, the night or the whole day free, cause once you start reading, you wont stop, and because it is a relatively short novel, i think it is a good thing to read it without breaks. Second of all, you got to set your mind at 17 years old, cause it makes it easier to get into the story and the characters, and last of all, you got to know you are reading a novel that fits into the trendy YA fantasy, wich is everywhere, so if you note there are similarities with other stories of this genre, i want to think it is because most of them share the global picture of: a couple of teenagers in love, a high school, a paranormal layer (for good and for bad) that covers the story (vampires, werewolves, feries, witches, aliens, or super powers), and a challenge.
"Evolution" got all of this. Jade Sommers is a beautiful teen that after a terrible car accident discovers she can heal. Then discovers that her handsome boyfriend Aiden and his family also got abilities. Then Jade's BFF Chelsea is kidnaped, and that's where the fun starts, even though wont end, cause when you think everything will be ok and the worst had past, its like everything just got started.
Now, getting critic, the novel has the ability of getting into you and you wont let go until it is over. The action came late, but came. The characters are nice and credible, even though i got something to say about some of them.
I would like to start with Chelsea, Jade's BFF. She is nice, a great friend and always thinking about sex, and because of her lack of romance in her life, happens to live her love life thru Jade's. All this is ok, i just think something very important is missing: they are supposed to be best friends and Jade starts her adventure to help rescue her from the psyco kidnaper, but we, as readers, don't really know Chelsea, the description of her at the beggining is weak and during the search for her, it gives you the feeling that Jade and Aiden are looking for a total stranger. I wont reveal the last part of the book, but it is there where i felt i got to know her little bit better, wich i would have like at the beggining.
I also had little problem with the description of Aiden's parents Anna and Dave. They seem like a cool and open minded couple, they are young and with lots of experience in life, but still, that's all you know even though they are important characters. Maybe in the next book the author decides to give us more of them, cause i got the feeling they are very interesting but empty, for the moment.
The same happens with Jade and Aiden. I missed something. I wanted to know more about them than about the drunk guy in the police station, or Chelsea's mom, or the neighbour. I think that the author gave more lines of description to stangers than to the real characters of the story. Who knows, maybe I'm wrong and it is part of her tricks to get us stick to the second book.
Personally i enjoyed the novel, it is my first novel as elecronic-book, so it was by itself a new experience. I think the idea of having superpowers due to evolution is good, and gives lot of space to develop a great saga. The writing is ok, and fits to the voice of a 17 year old teen, as the narrator, still there are lot of common places and well known situations that i have red before in similar books, like "Twilight", "Shiver", "The mortal instruments", "I am number four", but i want to think is part of this trendy genre, and still, if Kelly Carrero is going to write a sequel, then it got to get better, cause the story is great and it is not over!
August 10, 2013
I downloaded Evolution when it was up for free on Amazon and began reading it when I was in the mood for something different. And that is what Evolution turned out to be- something different. It started off as a regular contemporary novel and then took a whole new turn when the protagonist Jade discovers that she isn't essentially "normal".
Jade is straining her brain trying to figure out how her injuries from an accident and those from a minor breakdown in one of her classes were healed almost instantly, like nothing ever happened. That's when her boyfriend Aiden decides to let her in on the fact that Jade, himself and his family aren't normal. They are immortals having certain superpowers and possessing certain abilities.
Everything comes crashing down on Jade when her best friend Chelsea is suddenly kidnapped and in spite of having a vision about the same, Jade is incapable of doing anything about it. Guilt ridden and confused as to who she really is, Jade is in a complete mess.
Then begins the search for Chelsea and the investigation into the kidnapping.
As a protagonist, Jade was okay. I found her to be a little whiny at times, but she was passable, not 'oh, shut the hell up' whiny. Her voice was simple and understandable. Jade's confusion and curiosity were obvious. With so much in her way, she had a lot to deal with and Aiden was always by her side. Aiden was a great boyfriend and a loving young gentleman. The bond between the two was absolutely strong, with both their parents having complete trust in them as individuals and as a couple. Their mind to mind conversations were sporadic yet cool.
The side characters in the novel played a vital role, even though Jade wasn't keen on sharing her deep and dark secrets with one an all, the others were definitely concerned about her.
Author Kelly Carrero has written a novel with an interesting and different concept that is quite provocative and makes for a good read that has a little bit of everything- action, mystery, romance and thrill.
The length of the book was just right- not too long, not too short. However, I would have loved to know more about how Aiden and his family are the way they are.
The book falls under the Paranormal and Fantasy genre though it seemed more Science Fiction to me. The kidnapping which obviously involved detectives and the police added mystery to the novel taking it more towards crime.
Keeping that aside, however, there really needs to be a more digging into details, which was clearly absent in Evolution. But since there is a sequel, Tormented, book #2 in the Evolution series, hopefully all the doubts will be cleared.
Overall, a very interesting and simple read, Evolution manages to keep the reader mesmerised and has a very riveting plot.
Jade is straining her brain trying to figure out how her injuries from an accident and those from a minor breakdown in one of her classes were healed almost instantly, like nothing ever happened. That's when her boyfriend Aiden decides to let her in on the fact that Jade, himself and his family aren't normal. They are immortals having certain superpowers and possessing certain abilities.
Everything comes crashing down on Jade when her best friend Chelsea is suddenly kidnapped and in spite of having a vision about the same, Jade is incapable of doing anything about it. Guilt ridden and confused as to who she really is, Jade is in a complete mess.
Then begins the search for Chelsea and the investigation into the kidnapping.
As a protagonist, Jade was okay. I found her to be a little whiny at times, but she was passable, not 'oh, shut the hell up' whiny. Her voice was simple and understandable. Jade's confusion and curiosity were obvious. With so much in her way, she had a lot to deal with and Aiden was always by her side. Aiden was a great boyfriend and a loving young gentleman. The bond between the two was absolutely strong, with both their parents having complete trust in them as individuals and as a couple. Their mind to mind conversations were sporadic yet cool.
The side characters in the novel played a vital role, even though Jade wasn't keen on sharing her deep and dark secrets with one an all, the others were definitely concerned about her.
Author Kelly Carrero has written a novel with an interesting and different concept that is quite provocative and makes for a good read that has a little bit of everything- action, mystery, romance and thrill.
The length of the book was just right- not too long, not too short. However, I would have loved to know more about how Aiden and his family are the way they are.
The book falls under the Paranormal and Fantasy genre though it seemed more Science Fiction to me. The kidnapping which obviously involved detectives and the police added mystery to the novel taking it more towards crime.
Keeping that aside, however, there really needs to be a more digging into details, which was clearly absent in Evolution. But since there is a sequel, Tormented, book #2 in the Evolution series, hopefully all the doubts will be cleared.
Overall, a very interesting and simple read, Evolution manages to keep the reader mesmerised and has a very riveting plot.
June 16, 2016
As always I'm so indecisive about this rating! I'm going to say a three or 2.5 though at the beginning it was definitely a two star book.
This book is about a girl who discovers she isn't normal after a major car crash and heals way to fast than an ordinary girl. She hides her secret from everyone as best she can but things start happening she can't explain and has no idea what is going on. What will Jade do? What is going on? Who will she turn to?
The first half of this book had many problems. Despite having a good enticing start, the characters began to annoy me, plot began to bore me and I had so many questions not being answered. I found aiden and jades relationship more lust than love and it didn't seem fully formed at least not at first. We don't get any background on why they love each other except that Jade got knocked over because she saw him and thought he was gorgeous. And he talked to her just because he noticed she was attracted to him. Or something. I wish I could've seen more about how it was not mainly about looks but about love too. Plus they have no conflicts in their relationship except a few resolved in a few seconds. That is not relatable or believable. Jade also annoyed me at the beginning, she was always whining about something or being insecure. And when she wasn't she was bragging about how amazing her boyfriend is or how darn cute she looked or how perfect she was in school etc. I didn't find that very relatable or well written. She needed some flaws that us ordinary imperfect readers can relate to or at least be humble about it. She just wasn't relatable. The first section goes on and on like this. Revealing questions but no answers. Ugh.
But the second part got better. The pace sped up, the characters, though some might have stayed annoying, grew and matured somewhat, and the plot was more interesting. I thought the idea of using the full capacity of your brain to be able to do special things was great! And I got more interested in the mystery of it all as it went on. I also really liked Aiden, not so much his relationship with Jade but his personality. He was sweet, protective, confident yet vulnerable and I liked that about him. I didn't however like how he manipulated others feelings and stuff. If I were Jade I would've asked him not to do it to me unless I asked. Anyways, the second half was pretty good and it was a lot quicker and suspenseful. Except that I still have a lot of essential questions that haven't been answered. I guess I have to read the second! I'm debating about wether to spend the 2.99 or not...
I think this book is an okay read if you are looking for a quick distraction that's FREE. It was a pretty good book for a free one but there were a lot of problems that stopped me from really liking it.
This book is about a girl who discovers she isn't normal after a major car crash and heals way to fast than an ordinary girl. She hides her secret from everyone as best she can but things start happening she can't explain and has no idea what is going on. What will Jade do? What is going on? Who will she turn to?
The first half of this book had many problems. Despite having a good enticing start, the characters began to annoy me, plot began to bore me and I had so many questions not being answered. I found aiden and jades relationship more lust than love and it didn't seem fully formed at least not at first. We don't get any background on why they love each other except that Jade got knocked over because she saw him and thought he was gorgeous. And he talked to her just because he noticed she was attracted to him. Or something. I wish I could've seen more about how it was not mainly about looks but about love too. Plus they have no conflicts in their relationship except a few resolved in a few seconds. That is not relatable or believable. Jade also annoyed me at the beginning, she was always whining about something or being insecure. And when she wasn't she was bragging about how amazing her boyfriend is or how darn cute she looked or how perfect she was in school etc. I didn't find that very relatable or well written. She needed some flaws that us ordinary imperfect readers can relate to or at least be humble about it. She just wasn't relatable. The first section goes on and on like this. Revealing questions but no answers. Ugh.
But the second part got better. The pace sped up, the characters, though some might have stayed annoying, grew and matured somewhat, and the plot was more interesting. I thought the idea of using the full capacity of your brain to be able to do special things was great! And I got more interested in the mystery of it all as it went on. I also really liked Aiden, not so much his relationship with Jade but his personality. He was sweet, protective, confident yet vulnerable and I liked that about him. I didn't however like how he manipulated others feelings and stuff. If I were Jade I would've asked him not to do it to me unless I asked. Anyways, the second half was pretty good and it was a lot quicker and suspenseful. Except that I still have a lot of essential questions that haven't been answered. I guess I have to read the second! I'm debating about wether to spend the 2.99 or not...
I think this book is an okay read if you are looking for a quick distraction that's FREE. It was a pretty good book for a free one but there were a lot of problems that stopped me from really liking it.
August 26, 2012
Normally, I don't pick up and read Young Adult books (excluding harry potter, since i started reading it at the very beginning and just couldn't help but finish it even though i grew up). However, I agreed to review this book because it sounded interesting in the description. And anything with Evolution in the title is just bound to spark my interest.
This book was a change for me in another way. I'm not used to first person narratives. I honestly can't remember the last time I read one and frankly I usually avoid them. However, this form of narrative didn't take away from the story and was enjoyable.
The main character is Jade, and i have to say, I like this chick. She's not overly perfect despite her apparent good looks and brains. She's quick tempered and impatient. I like that flaw to her. It makes her more interesting to read into. Aidan, her boyfriend, is clearly the more level headed of the two. Gives them a very interesting relationship.
The opening of the story caught my interest since jade is in the hospital after a car accident and finds herself miraculously healing. And like any normal teenage girl, she freaks out. I love how she doesn't just accept this as normal. She has her WTF moment, and then realizes this isn't something she should share with the world. She even questions her own sanity. When Aidan finally comes around to telling her the truth about herself, he botches it and freaks her out again. Fortunately, his family is better equipped to handle the situation and does so a little bit better. Although, I immensely enjoyed the freakout Jade has when she realizes the woman she thought was Aidan's sister is really his mother, and she can read Jade's thoughts, so she could have heard any naughty thought jade had about Aidan. Priceless.
I would like to say, by the way, I wish I'd had parents like Jade's mom or Aidan's. They're oddly accepting of their children being alone and doing things of an adult nature. No sneaking around for these lovebirds.
The story gets complex when Jade starts having visions of her best friend being kidnapped and tortured and shortly after it comes into reality. And while I won't give away the ending, it left me sitting there staring at my kindle screen and wondering what could be next in this series. As such, I simply must read more of it
This book was a change for me in another way. I'm not used to first person narratives. I honestly can't remember the last time I read one and frankly I usually avoid them. However, this form of narrative didn't take away from the story and was enjoyable.
The main character is Jade, and i have to say, I like this chick. She's not overly perfect despite her apparent good looks and brains. She's quick tempered and impatient. I like that flaw to her. It makes her more interesting to read into. Aidan, her boyfriend, is clearly the more level headed of the two. Gives them a very interesting relationship.
The opening of the story caught my interest since jade is in the hospital after a car accident and finds herself miraculously healing. And like any normal teenage girl, she freaks out. I love how she doesn't just accept this as normal. She has her WTF moment, and then realizes this isn't something she should share with the world. She even questions her own sanity. When Aidan finally comes around to telling her the truth about herself, he botches it and freaks her out again. Fortunately, his family is better equipped to handle the situation and does so a little bit better. Although, I immensely enjoyed the freakout Jade has when she realizes the woman she thought was Aidan's sister is really his mother, and she can read Jade's thoughts, so she could have heard any naughty thought jade had about Aidan. Priceless.
I would like to say, by the way, I wish I'd had parents like Jade's mom or Aidan's. They're oddly accepting of their children being alone and doing things of an adult nature. No sneaking around for these lovebirds.
The story gets complex when Jade starts having visions of her best friend being kidnapped and tortured and shortly after it comes into reality. And while I won't give away the ending, it left me sitting there staring at my kindle screen and wondering what could be next in this series. As such, I simply must read more of it
October 25, 2013
I never connected with this book. The main character has absolutely no depth. There's more of a backstory to Chelsea's mom than there is to Jade. Chelsea's mom had just lost her husband in a car accident and found through the investigation that he'd been having an affair for six months. She sold her house and moved to get away from the memories. There's some depth for that character. Nothing was written about Jade to make you care about her. Nothing was there to care about her friendship with Chelsea either, so the fact that Chelsea was kidnapped meant nothing to me while I read it. It even seemed like Jade wasn't very desperate to get her back either. Sure, she was trying to find the kidnapper, but she was much more interested in her hunk of a boyfriend.
Also, wouldn't you think if you just found out that you had superpowers, that you would ask a few questions? Jade still seems overly obsessed with her boyfriend through the entire scene where she finds out she's superhuman.
Don't get me started on the explanations of her superpowers. So she's supposed to be able to use more of her brain than other people, alright. I'll buy that. She's supposed to be able to use telepathy. Ok, that's fine. Able to influence emotions? A little stretch but I'll allow it. Teleportation? No way. No amount of brain power can teleport you anywhere. If the author wanted her characters to teleport, give a better reason for their powers than 'they're using all of their brain.' If she was using all of her brain, maybe she'd figure things out faster than a normal person. I knew where this book was going long before it did, and I had to slag through all sorts of obsessive paragraphs saying how hot her boyfriend was. Girls who are obsessed with hot guys don't usually come off as very intelligent, let alone superhumanly smart.
Avoid this book. It's not very compelling, the characters have no depth (how about we learn a little bit about Aiden and his family, how they've learned about their powers?) and the plot is predictable. The ending is rushed, too.
Also, wouldn't you think if you just found out that you had superpowers, that you would ask a few questions? Jade still seems overly obsessed with her boyfriend through the entire scene where she finds out she's superhuman.
Don't get me started on the explanations of her superpowers. So she's supposed to be able to use more of her brain than other people, alright. I'll buy that. She's supposed to be able to use telepathy. Ok, that's fine. Able to influence emotions? A little stretch but I'll allow it. Teleportation? No way. No amount of brain power can teleport you anywhere. If the author wanted her characters to teleport, give a better reason for their powers than 'they're using all of their brain.' If she was using all of her brain, maybe she'd figure things out faster than a normal person. I knew where this book was going long before it did, and I had to slag through all sorts of obsessive paragraphs saying how hot her boyfriend was. Girls who are obsessed with hot guys don't usually come off as very intelligent, let alone superhumanly smart.
Avoid this book. It's not very compelling, the characters have no depth (how about we learn a little bit about Aiden and his family, how they've learned about their powers?) and the plot is predictable. The ending is rushed, too.
December 12, 2014
Ausaltöeldes ei suuda siiamaani otsustada kas tegemist oli: kõlbab kah, halva või väga halva raamatuga. Kaks tärni tundub kohati ehk liiga palju antud, aga samas ei saa öelda, et absoluutselt mitte midagi ei meeldinud. Idee ühiskonnast, kus osad ühiskonnaliikmed on üliinimlike võimetega, sest nende aju on rohkem arenenud, on iseenesest huvitav, kuid liiga tihiti klišeelikuks/ pealiskaudseks jäetud. Tegelikult on terve raamat täis kõikvõimalikke üleloomulikke võimeid. Nt oskavad tegelased pidada pikki ja sisukaid telepaatilisi vestlusteid, lugeda tavainimeste mõtteid või projekteerida oma mõtteid sama kõrgelt arenenud inimestele nn puudutamatutele. Viimased on õppinud oma mõtteid ka blokeerima, et neid ei oleks võimalik "pealt kuulata".Haavad paranevad neil mõne hetkega ning tegelikult on nad üleüldse surematud, lisaks liiguvad teleporteerumisega ja manipuleerivad üksteise mõtete, soovide ja tunnetega. Kõik see võiks olla kirjutatud põnevalt, aga tihti pidi peatuma mõttel ".. kaua sa korrutad ühte ja seda sama" või "palun mingitki põhjendust, selgitust". Müstikat on vaja küll hoida, aga kuna põhjendamine ja tagataust toimunud evolutsioonile kui sellisele, mis võiks olla vähemalt pealkirja järgi üks olulisemaid aspekte teosest, on sisuliselt olematu, siis kadus müstilisus täielikult. Ei liha ega kala. Loeksin teose pigem keskmiselt halvaks kriminulliks, mis on ka õhkõrnaks päästerõngaks, et kaks tärni saada. Raamatu lõpu poole jäi õnneks tüütut kordamist vähemaks ning samuti vähenesid mõttetud repliigid. Mõrvaloo lahtiharutamine oli kohati huvitav ja siin oli autor suutnud meeles pidada, et tema tegelaskujudel olid ju vähe arenenumad võimed, mida võiks ära kasutada. Kirjanduslike karakterite ülesehitamisest ei hakka muidugi üldse rääkima...
Uskumatul kombel on autor suutnud veel 4 järge loole kirjutada. :O Lugedes läbi kõigi lühitutvustused, olen enam kui kindel, et loo lõpp on mulle teada ja midagi uut või huvitavat nendest ilmselt ei selgu. Vähemalt on süda rahul, et loo lõpp, mis ei olnud ka väga keeruline aimata, sai selgeks. :)
Uskumatul kombel on autor suutnud veel 4 järge loole kirjutada. :O Lugedes läbi kõigi lühitutvustused, olen enam kui kindel, et loo lõpp on mulle teada ja midagi uut või huvitavat nendest ilmselt ei selgu. Vähemalt on süda rahul, et loo lõpp, mis ei olnud ka väga keeruline aimata, sai selgeks. :)
July 20, 2013
When Jade saw a cut on her face heal right in front of her eyes, She knows something up.
Then when an incident at school leaves her unscarred, Her boyfriend Aiden shows her life with powers.
This didn't really have much going on. All the way through, i was just hoping that something good would happen soon, but nothing did until the end.
It did pick up at the end though, and left it on a cliffhanger.
Though, it wasn't enough for me too pick up book two.
I wanted to get some answers. Who was this guy? What did he want? Did Jade get her powers from her dad? Unfortunately though, none of these were answered. I was left with more questions than less.
I didn't really like Jade. Through most of the book, she acted aggressive and let her fists do more talking than the her mouth.
Instead of talking to Chrissy about her problems with her, she punched her. This happened about three times. She also banged her neighbours door, shouting at her to answer, instead of letting Aiden do his thing.
Apart from doing that, she didn't really do anything to make me like / dislike her, Because most of the time was spent talking to Aiden, and not showing us who she was.
It is only a short book, but it would have been nice to see a little about what made her, her.
Then when an incident at school leaves her unscarred, Her boyfriend Aiden shows her life with powers.
This didn't really have much going on. All the way through, i was just hoping that something good would happen soon, but nothing did until the end.
It did pick up at the end though, and left it on a cliffhanger.
Though, it wasn't enough for me too pick up book two.
I wanted to get some answers. Who was this guy? What did he want? Did Jade get her powers from her dad? Unfortunately though, none of these were answered. I was left with more questions than less.
I didn't really like Jade. Through most of the book, she acted aggressive and let her fists do more talking than the her mouth.
Instead of talking to Chrissy about her problems with her, she punched her. This happened about three times. She also banged her neighbours door, shouting at her to answer, instead of letting Aiden do his thing.
Apart from doing that, she didn't really do anything to make me like / dislike her, Because most of the time was spent talking to Aiden, and not showing us who she was.
It is only a short book, but it would have been nice to see a little about what made her, her.
September 4, 2012
I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. I think Kelly was able to nail the voice of YA. I truly believed I was reading words spoken from a teen versus so many books that take the Dawson's Creek road and fill the pages with SAT words. As a former teacher of the age group, the vocabulary and behaviors were pretty spot on.
I think Evolution had a great premise, unfortunately, I don't think it was fully fleshed out. The idea's behind it - telepathy, teleporting, fast healing, etc... could have made this a phenomenal book. It just moved too fast with little explanation and/or acceptance. Don't get me wrong, I love fast-paced books but this one didn't satisfy the "why's" in my head.
I was torn between a 2 and a 3 on this book. I've settled on a 2.5 but since it won't let me do that, I've opted to give it 3 stars because I honestly feel Kelly is on to something with Evolution and her portrayal of teens was great, the idea behind it was good but the plot was never fully expanded to my liking.
I think Evolution had a great premise, unfortunately, I don't think it was fully fleshed out. The idea's behind it - telepathy, teleporting, fast healing, etc... could have made this a phenomenal book. It just moved too fast with little explanation and/or acceptance. Don't get me wrong, I love fast-paced books but this one didn't satisfy the "why's" in my head.
I was torn between a 2 and a 3 on this book. I've settled on a 2.5 but since it won't let me do that, I've opted to give it 3 stars because I honestly feel Kelly is on to something with Evolution and her portrayal of teens was great, the idea behind it was good but the plot was never fully expanded to my liking.
February 3, 2013
You know a book is good when it leaves you with such a hunger for the next book you are trying to decide whether you should purchase the sequel first and review the first book later, or do the right thing and leave a review first. Well, I'm leaving a review first while it is fresh on my mind.
WOW!!!!!!!!This was an awesome story. The relationship between Aiden and Jade was incredible. He was so strong and supportive of her without being overbearing. Jade was very receptive to Aiden's support. The story was filled with the right amount of romance and had suspense galore. As a matter of fact, I thought it was over and Kelley takes us on another heart pounding ride.
This was a book I couldn't put down and you won't regret purchasing. I will definitely be purchasing the sequel as soon as I hit the complete button on this review. I also checked her blog and she is currently working on her third book with a plan to have four books in all. I can't wait for the future adventures she has in store for us.
WOW!!!!!!!!This was an awesome story. The relationship between Aiden and Jade was incredible. He was so strong and supportive of her without being overbearing. Jade was very receptive to Aiden's support. The story was filled with the right amount of romance and had suspense galore. As a matter of fact, I thought it was over and Kelley takes us on another heart pounding ride.
This was a book I couldn't put down and you won't regret purchasing. I will definitely be purchasing the sequel as soon as I hit the complete button on this review. I also checked her blog and she is currently working on her third book with a plan to have four books in all. I can't wait for the future adventures she has in store for us.
December 30, 2014
Jade Sommers shouldn't be alive. That car crash should have killed her, but she made it away with nothing but a cut on her cheek. Standing in the hospital, her whole world is being turned upside down when she sees the inch-long slice along her cheek fade away in a matter of seconds. Her first inclination is that she has gone completely insane, but her boyfriend Aiden knows what she is. He informs her that they both are members of a superhuman race, which gives them the ability to read and control people's thoughts, as well as live forever. Soon, however, all Jade wants is the innocence she had before the discovery, when her best friend is kidnapped by a psycho stalker. Now, it's Jade and Aiden who must lay their lives on the line. If their plan works, it will not be the end of their troubles. This is only the beginning of a sadistic game, made to cause Jade and all those around her the most suffering possible. Will they make it to the end? If you like dystopian books, you will like this book.
November 10, 2013
3.5 stars
Jade is suddenly able to heal herself after a sudden car accident and her world is forever changed. Thanks to her boyfriend Aiden and his parents the change isn't that bad to take in. Although with a serial killer on the loss she has to trust in herself to save her best friend from getting murdered.
The overall story was interesting and it was a fast read that kept my attention. I thought jade was a naive character who took everything at face value. Her relationship with Aiden was one of quick acceptance, it worked for the book but I don't know how well that would fly in real life. Especially with the carefree attitude her mother displays concerning Aiden.
There we're also a lot of things that weren't explained in much detail which I found made the book lacking overall. I would recommend this to people for an easily enjoyable fantasy read.
Note I received this book free from amazon.
Jade is suddenly able to heal herself after a sudden car accident and her world is forever changed. Thanks to her boyfriend Aiden and his parents the change isn't that bad to take in. Although with a serial killer on the loss she has to trust in herself to save her best friend from getting murdered.
The overall story was interesting and it was a fast read that kept my attention. I thought jade was a naive character who took everything at face value. Her relationship with Aiden was one of quick acceptance, it worked for the book but I don't know how well that would fly in real life. Especially with the carefree attitude her mother displays concerning Aiden.
There we're also a lot of things that weren't explained in much detail which I found made the book lacking overall. I would recommend this to people for an easily enjoyable fantasy read.
Note I received this book free from amazon.
June 26, 2012
You know how you want to like a book? You like the concepts of the book, it reads easy, flows well. But in the back of your mind you keep thinking something is not right. That was evolution for me- I enjoyed reading it but Aiden just seems a little too perfect, a little too into Jade a little too “Leave it to Beaver” but on steroids since he is evolved. I did not buy into the whole I didn’t use my powers on you at all even though we have been together for year and a half. Plus Jade’s mom really being okay with her boyfriend staying over or her spending the night at his house. It ends with a heck of a cliff-hanger but I still wasn’t feeling it.
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December 18, 2015
OKAY.
So I didn't guess right on the mum being like her theory. Thankfully, but obviously there was an obligatory cliffhanger of who did it and what will happen next. Blah de blah. Aside from the slightly negative comment I don't hate this, I'm not sure its what I want in a book or a series. Its a little bit fluffy and not enough of a direction but I didn't hate it. This has to be an ok read of 2015, one I doubt I'll go back to or even remember I've read unless I actively seek out the next book in the series...
Aside from this, characters are definitely interesting and I like them all, I don't even think she is that wet or that whiney but she is a little bit on the close side..
So I didn't guess right on the mum being like her theory. Thankfully, but obviously there was an obligatory cliffhanger of who did it and what will happen next. Blah de blah. Aside from the slightly negative comment I don't hate this, I'm not sure its what I want in a book or a series. Its a little bit fluffy and not enough of a direction but I didn't hate it. This has to be an ok read of 2015, one I doubt I'll go back to or even remember I've read unless I actively seek out the next book in the series...
Aside from this, characters are definitely interesting and I like them all, I don't even think she is that wet or that whiney but she is a little bit on the close side..
January 8, 2016
The fact that I finished this book within one day should explain A LOT. I am completelg in love with this story and the characters and everything! It's written so perfectly. I give props to the author, she has wonderful talent. This book grabbed my attention from the first page and it never went downhill from there. Ever since the first page, I've just been on the edge about everything. It's such a page turner! The ending is what convinced me that I have to finish this series right away. It has such a big cliffhanger, you cannot go throughout life by only read this one book.
May 1, 2015
Jade Sommers thinks she might be going crazy, why? Well it probably has something to do with her getting in a major car crash, then seeing the gash on her face disappear right before her eyes. Though her boyfriend, Aiden Scott, knew that wasn't the case because she was like him. They are an evolved human species with special powers; but to find out what they are you'll have to read the rest. If you like divergent then you'll like this book.
July 4, 2018
This story is over the span of a few days, but it took me FIVE YEARS to finish it. Let me start this review by saying that I have never been more excited to write a one star review.
This book follows Jade Sommers through a traumatic experience of surviving a deadly car crash and having her best friend abducted. During all of this, she also discovers I'm all about superpowers/supernatural/etc., so I was looking forward to this. Unfortunately, all I've looked forward to since starting it is writing this review.
Where should I begin with how much I hate this book? Let's start with Jade. Usually, even if a plot is terrible, as long as I like the protagonist (or even a side character enough), I'll still stick it out. Unfortunately, Jade was the most dull and self-absorbed protagonist I've ever read. She was so horrible that I actually had to screenshot some of her thoughts. One that especially stuck out to me was when her best friend goes missing and she runs into the best friend's mom to find her distraught over her daughter. All the poor lady is doing is crying and saying she hopes they find her, and Jade's response?
Before she could say anything else, I jumped up off the sofa and headed straight for the stairs. [...] I hurried up the stairs alone, wondering why Aiden would rather stay downstairs with an emotional basket case. I couldn't get away from there quick enough. I didn't know what it was, but I really couldn't handle being around people who were so emotional.
I thought it was perhaps some clever way to make us hate Jade even more, but apparently the author just doesn't feel up to writing emotional scenes realistically? Like when
Also, the writing was horrendously repetitive. It felt like every page went like this (me paraphrasing, not a direct quote this time):
Aiden frowned. By his frown, he looked like he thought I was not okay. "You don't look okay," he said, still frowning. I was right. He thought I didn't look okay. " I'm okay, " I told him, smiling slightly in hopes he would believe me. His frown turned into a smile, like he believed me. " I believe you," he said. I was so glad he believed that I was okay. He was so sexy.
The author also forgot to keep the formatting between actual dialogue and the 'mental' dialogue different and changed it throughout the book. Sometimes there were quotation marks, sometimes the font was italicized.
The main reason I kept reading this book is because I kept hoping that Jade's perfect, wonderful, flawless, all-powerful boyfriend Aiden was the villain to redeem the rest of the book.
tl;dr: All in all, the quality of this book is the equivalent of the Smallville fanfiction I wrote as a ten year old: something I plan to block out of my memory and never recommend to anyone.
This book follows Jade Sommers through a traumatic experience of surviving a deadly car crash and having her best friend abducted. During all of this, she also discovers I'm all about superpowers/supernatural/etc., so I was looking forward to this. Unfortunately, all I've looked forward to since starting it is writing this review.
Where should I begin with how much I hate this book? Let's start with Jade. Usually, even if a plot is terrible, as long as I like the protagonist (or even a side character enough), I'll still stick it out. Unfortunately, Jade was the most dull and self-absorbed protagonist I've ever read. She was so horrible that I actually had to screenshot some of her thoughts. One that especially stuck out to me was when her best friend goes missing and she runs into the best friend's mom to find her distraught over her daughter. All the poor lady is doing is crying and saying she hopes they find her, and Jade's response?
Before she could say anything else, I jumped up off the sofa and headed straight for the stairs. [...] I hurried up the stairs alone, wondering why Aiden would rather stay downstairs with an emotional basket case. I couldn't get away from there quick enough. I didn't know what it was, but I really couldn't handle being around people who were so emotional.
I thought it was perhaps some clever way to make us hate Jade even more, but apparently the author just doesn't feel up to writing emotional scenes realistically? Like when
Also, the writing was horrendously repetitive. It felt like every page went like this (me paraphrasing, not a direct quote this time):
Aiden frowned. By his frown, he looked like he thought I was not okay. "You don't look okay," he said, still frowning. I was right. He thought I didn't look okay. " I'm okay, " I told him, smiling slightly in hopes he would believe me. His frown turned into a smile, like he believed me. " I believe you," he said. I was so glad he believed that I was okay. He was so sexy.
The author also forgot to keep the formatting between actual dialogue and the 'mental' dialogue different and changed it throughout the book. Sometimes there were quotation marks, sometimes the font was italicized.
The main reason I kept reading this book is because I kept hoping that Jade's perfect, wonderful, flawless, all-powerful boyfriend Aiden was the villain to redeem the rest of the book.
tl;dr: All in all, the quality of this book is the equivalent of the Smallville fanfiction I wrote as a ten year old: something I plan to block out of my memory and never recommend to anyone.
May 25, 2018
Sci-if is my absolute favorite genre, but it’s hard to find one that really captures me. One that I can absorb and fall into another world. I found myself getting into this in the beginning, but it never fully captured me.
They’re too many things wrong with this book. There are no questions that seemed to be really answered. Also, fact everyone reads Jade’s mind without caring about her privacy annoys me, or how Aiden promised he never used mind control on her but uses it on everyone, or how he DOES use it on her in the end, or how Jade doesn’t actually freak out when she finds her kidnapped best friend, or how Jade walks in on her mother being murdered and Aiden miraculously transports them to the airport? What’s up with the automatic transportation when neither Aiden nor Jade were able to do it earlier? I can understand Jade not being able to due to only just learning of her abilities, but c’mon? Aiden? HE KILLS A GUY WITH HIS MIND, LIKE SERIOUSLY.
Now, it wasn’t a terrible book. I did read it in one sitting, but I’m not sure if I’m going to finish this series. It was “eh” for me. It wasn’t terrible, it wasn’t great. 2.5 stars overall.
They’re too many things wrong with this book. There are no questions that seemed to be really answered. Also, fact everyone reads Jade’s mind without caring about her privacy annoys me, or how Aiden promised he never used mind control on her but uses it on everyone, or how he DOES use it on her in the end, or how Jade doesn’t actually freak out when she finds her kidnapped best friend, or how Jade walks in on her mother being murdered and Aiden miraculously transports them to the airport? What’s up with the automatic transportation when neither Aiden nor Jade were able to do it earlier? I can understand Jade not being able to due to only just learning of her abilities, but c’mon? Aiden? HE KILLS A GUY WITH HIS MIND, LIKE SERIOUSLY.
Now, it wasn’t a terrible book. I did read it in one sitting, but I’m not sure if I’m going to finish this series. It was “eh” for me. It wasn’t terrible, it wasn’t great. 2.5 stars overall.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 25, 2023
For someone using their full brain capacity Jade wasn't very smart. No matter what was going on around her or how bad things got her main thoughts were always about her really hot boyfriend and having sex with him.
I can accept advanced brain usage giving people the power to read minds and teleport and manipulate people and their emotions but it certainly wouldn't affect how they look or their athleticism or make them run fast. The idea of Jade not knowing she was beautiful seemed pretty ridiculous (we're talking super-human beauty not run of the mill beauty!).
Jade's complete lack of empathy because she "can't stand highly emotional people" was just cringey.
The author just wanted her super humans to be perfect in every way - beautiful, athletic, able to fight, immortal, never have to feel anything bad or painful (because Aidan just shoots them some endorphins to make them feel better, also cringey).
Flat story with no background and a quick ending.
I can accept advanced brain usage giving people the power to read minds and teleport and manipulate people and their emotions but it certainly wouldn't affect how they look or their athleticism or make them run fast. The idea of Jade not knowing she was beautiful seemed pretty ridiculous (we're talking super-human beauty not run of the mill beauty!).
Jade's complete lack of empathy because she "can't stand highly emotional people" was just cringey.
The author just wanted her super humans to be perfect in every way - beautiful, athletic, able to fight, immortal, never have to feel anything bad or painful (because Aidan just shoots them some endorphins to make them feel better, also cringey).
Flat story with no background and a quick ending.
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