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Dark Lightning
Ever dreamed of having control over an element? Ava Sparks didn’t. She was just a normal girl without a passing thought that there could be something out there other than humans. Until her seventeenth birthday.
In a moment of panic, something unthinkable happens: lightning surged out of her hands. Soon after, she is swept away into the world of elementals. At Westville Boarding School, she is drawn into a society full of dark secrets, power, and rivalry, and she must find her place in the battle Ms. Masters, the leader of the elementals, is set on instigating against humans.
Aided by her best friend Harper McGee, she realizes her true potential and the benefits of wielding lightning. However, reoccurring nightmares are testing the limits of her sanity and the fact that an unavoidable darkness follows the lightning doesn't help. When the past and present starts to collide, secrets are revealed and fate is hard to avoid. Throw in the infuriating, but mouth-watering, Nathan Yates and life is no longer easy. She instantly feels drawn to him, no matter how rude he is or how hard he pushes her away.
In a moment of panic, something unthinkable happens: lightning surged out of her hands. Soon after, she is swept away into the world of elementals. At Westville Boarding School, she is drawn into a society full of dark secrets, power, and rivalry, and she must find her place in the battle Ms. Masters, the leader of the elementals, is set on instigating against humans.
Aided by her best friend Harper McGee, she realizes her true potential and the benefits of wielding lightning. However, reoccurring nightmares are testing the limits of her sanity and the fact that an unavoidable darkness follows the lightning doesn't help. When the past and present starts to collide, secrets are revealed and fate is hard to avoid. Throw in the infuriating, but mouth-watering, Nathan Yates and life is no longer easy. She instantly feels drawn to him, no matter how rude he is or how hard he pushes her away.
470 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 3, 2014
15 people are currently reading
98 people want to read
About the author
Bethany Wicker
22 books98 followersMy free time is spent writing, reading, eating, watching television, playing video games or relaxing with my daughter. Fun little facts: my favorite color is blue, I'm obsessed with Disney, I watch Japanese anime, and I'm a staff reviewer at Young Adult Book Central. I am open to any questions and feedback and also enjoy recommendations. Feel free to shoot me messages.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
June 20, 2015
(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to author Bethany L. Brown.)
“You will never see them again! Those filthy creatures were not your parents!”
This was a YA paranormal romance about a girl who could control lightning.
Ava was quite a strong girl, especially seeing how well she coped at being taken from her parents and thrust into a life she knew nothing about. The fact that she was also supposed to have been some kind of saviour couldn’t have been easy either.
“And how many can control lightning?”
“Including you, only one.”
The storyline in this was about Ava starting at a boarding school for kids who were descendants from specific families who had the ability to control different elements to different extents. The world building was quite good, but I did find the information quite chunky in places, making the story a little heavy going at the start. I also had some problems with the pace, and felt like that the book could have possibly been streamlined a bit to help the story flow a bit better. (Deleted scenes could have then been added at the end of the book as bonus material for anyone who did want to read it.)
“Only one student in this school is considered to be a level five.” Drew finally spoke up, but still kept his eyes down.
“Who?” I couldn’t help but ask.
“Me.”
There was some romance in this, and whilst the two characters didn’t seem to suffer from insta-love, the possibility of them being soul mates seemed to be raised quite early on in the book.
“Do you think Nate is your soulmate? Do you feel that pull?”
I shook my head, unsure why I was lying. “Nope.”
The ending to this was wrapped up nicely, and I was quite shocked at Ava’s part in the final show down.
6 out of 10.
“You will never see them again! Those filthy creatures were not your parents!”
This was a YA paranormal romance about a girl who could control lightning.
Ava was quite a strong girl, especially seeing how well she coped at being taken from her parents and thrust into a life she knew nothing about. The fact that she was also supposed to have been some kind of saviour couldn’t have been easy either.
“And how many can control lightning?”
“Including you, only one.”
The storyline in this was about Ava starting at a boarding school for kids who were descendants from specific families who had the ability to control different elements to different extents. The world building was quite good, but I did find the information quite chunky in places, making the story a little heavy going at the start. I also had some problems with the pace, and felt like that the book could have possibly been streamlined a bit to help the story flow a bit better. (Deleted scenes could have then been added at the end of the book as bonus material for anyone who did want to read it.)
“Only one student in this school is considered to be a level five.” Drew finally spoke up, but still kept his eyes down.
“Who?” I couldn’t help but ask.
“Me.”
There was some romance in this, and whilst the two characters didn’t seem to suffer from insta-love, the possibility of them being soul mates seemed to be raised quite early on in the book.
“Do you think Nate is your soulmate? Do you feel that pull?”
I shook my head, unsure why I was lying. “Nope.”
The ending to this was wrapped up nicely, and I was quite shocked at Ava’s part in the final show down.
6 out of 10.
June 20, 2015
(I received a copy from the author, In exchange for an honest review.)
I didn't love Ava, but she was an okay character. I did feel quite sorry for her at the start of this, as everything that happened on her birthday wasn't easy to deal with.
This did start out pretty slow, and there was quite a lot of information to take in all packed into one chapter, and I felt quite bogged down by it all. If it had been spread about a bit between a few chapters, it would have been better.
As for the rest of it, the pacing was a bit too slow for me, so at times it dragged in areas. Apart from that though, it was an okay read.
Overall, An okay elemental read.
I didn't love Ava, but she was an okay character. I did feel quite sorry for her at the start of this, as everything that happened on her birthday wasn't easy to deal with.
This did start out pretty slow, and there was quite a lot of information to take in all packed into one chapter, and I felt quite bogged down by it all. If it had been spread about a bit between a few chapters, it would have been better.
As for the rest of it, the pacing was a bit too slow for me, so at times it dragged in areas. Apart from that though, it was an okay read.
Overall, An okay elemental read.
June 22, 2015
Rating: 4/5
Disclaimer: I received a free ecopy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
***Minor spoilers, actual spoilers hidden***
I really enjoyed this book! I found it a lot better than I was expecting it to be. I've always loved the idea of people being able to control the elements, so this book was really interesting for me.
This book follows a girl named Ava Sparks who discovers that she has to ability to control lightning (I agree, the name is a bit cliche). She gets taken away from her adoptive parents and taken to a boarding school where she feels out of place. Her element only became known to her at 17 years old where it usually shows itself at the age of 6.
I immediately noticed how strong of a character Ava was and I loved that. Strong heros/heroines are the key to my heart. I really enjoyed her sarcastic quips and how she wouldn't let people talk down to her. Nate's sarcasm was pretty great as well. I also liked Harper as a character, but sometimes
I could understand if somebody said that the pace of this story was too slow for them, but I just didn't feel that too much. I found the tiny conflicts throughout the book really interesting, which is probably why.
A major downside to this book was how formal it seemed. The writing seemed a bit unnatural considering it was narrated by a 17 year old girl. The dialogue seemed really stiff in my opinion, and a lot of the time I was reading it and thinking "No teenagers would talk to each other like this." Sometimes they speak without using contractions or overusing words like "because" or "also." In my opinion this was the biggest thing that took away from the book.
Overall, I found this a pretty enjoyable read and I enjoyed the way it finished. I'd definitely recommend it to anyone that enjoys fantasy/paranormal type books where the predominant characters have powers.
Disclaimer: I received a free ecopy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
***Minor spoilers, actual spoilers hidden***
I really enjoyed this book! I found it a lot better than I was expecting it to be. I've always loved the idea of people being able to control the elements, so this book was really interesting for me.
This book follows a girl named Ava Sparks who discovers that she has to ability to control lightning (I agree, the name is a bit cliche). She gets taken away from her adoptive parents and taken to a boarding school where she feels out of place. Her element only became known to her at 17 years old where it usually shows itself at the age of 6.
I immediately noticed how strong of a character Ava was and I loved that. Strong heros/heroines are the key to my heart. I really enjoyed her sarcastic quips and how she wouldn't let people talk down to her. Nate's sarcasm was pretty great as well. I also liked Harper as a character, but sometimes
I could understand if somebody said that the pace of this story was too slow for them, but I just didn't feel that too much. I found the tiny conflicts throughout the book really interesting, which is probably why.
A major downside to this book was how formal it seemed. The writing seemed a bit unnatural considering it was narrated by a 17 year old girl. The dialogue seemed really stiff in my opinion, and a lot of the time I was reading it and thinking "No teenagers would talk to each other like this." Sometimes they speak without using contractions or overusing words like "because" or "also." In my opinion this was the biggest thing that took away from the book.
Overall, I found this a pretty enjoyable read and I enjoyed the way it finished. I'd definitely recommend it to anyone that enjoys fantasy/paranormal type books where the predominant characters have powers.
September 24, 2015
In Bethany Wicker's debut novel, we are introduced to Ava Sparks, a girl who celebrates her 17th birthday only to have her entire universe turned upside-down, as she discovers that she's not human at all but a member of an ancient race known as "Elementals". And not only THAT, she's a wielder of lightning, something that happens once every... well, not very often.
She is soon whisked away to a school for Elemental teens, which is run by the domineering Ms. Masters, who is intent on building an army to wipe out all normal humans. Well, that just won't do, will it?
As she learns to tame the awesome - and extremely dangerous - power that lies within her, she discovers that not all her kind share Ms. Masters' worldview, and with the help of some of her new friends, including the mercurial Nate, with whom she has a typical love/hate/love teen relationship, she must find a way to foil Masters' evil plot.
This was a well-crafted story, with good characters and an interesting premise. The reason I can't give it five stars is that at times the dialogue did not seem age-appropriate for several characters (sometimes too old, sometimes too young), and there were several parts where the story lagged because of the dialogue. Still, it was very enjoyable, and I look forward to more from this excited author.
She is soon whisked away to a school for Elemental teens, which is run by the domineering Ms. Masters, who is intent on building an army to wipe out all normal humans. Well, that just won't do, will it?
As she learns to tame the awesome - and extremely dangerous - power that lies within her, she discovers that not all her kind share Ms. Masters' worldview, and with the help of some of her new friends, including the mercurial Nate, with whom she has a typical love/hate/love teen relationship, she must find a way to foil Masters' evil plot.
This was a well-crafted story, with good characters and an interesting premise. The reason I can't give it five stars is that at times the dialogue did not seem age-appropriate for several characters (sometimes too old, sometimes too young), and there were several parts where the story lagged because of the dialogue. Still, it was very enjoyable, and I look forward to more from this excited author.
June 20, 2015
"Everyone should know by now that it is the quiet one's you have to watch out for."
Firstly a huge thank you to Bethany for sending me a copy of this book for review. This is a perfect example of where you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover. I'm one of those people where a cover is what draws me in and I nearly overlooked this book which would've been a shame cos I did enjoy this one. The only other elemental type book that i've read is the elemental series by Brigid Kemmerer and I was keen to get my hands on some more. Add to the fact that this book is set in a boarding school with an infuriating but oh so good looking boy and I was sold, I just had to read it.
Ava Sparks is a spunky 17 year old girl who lives in Louisiana. On her 17th birthday she discovers that her parents aren't really her parents and that she is an elemental who is able to control lightning. She is the only elemental alive who can do this and this makes her extremely dangerous and sought after. On the night of her 17th birthday she is approached by the headmaster of a boarding school for elementals and soon finds herself at the boarding school making new friends and powerful enemies. The headmaster Ms Masters is an evil woman who wants to build an army of elementals to wipe out the human race and she wants Ava and Nate to be her star warriors. This then forces the world of elementals to decide which side they are going to stand on.
The story was really good and interesting and definitely had me hooked for the most part especially in the middle. I loved all the banter that went on between the many characters but at times the conversations could feel a bit off. Sometimes the characters voices flowed as seventeen year olds but then sometimes they seemed younger or far, far older than they were. Nate played the cocky, frustrating love interest very well. One minute you really liked him and then the next you were wanting to slap him over the head. I also really enjoyed Harper and Maddox. It was interesting to read about the elementals and what they could do especially the whole lightning and darkness element. The story did seem rushed at times especially in the first few chapters but then there were other parts that kind of dragged on a little bit. Overall I did enjoy reading this one and will definitely keep an eye out for any further books written by Bethany L Brown.
http://harebearshangout.blogspot.com.au/
Firstly a huge thank you to Bethany for sending me a copy of this book for review. This is a perfect example of where you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover. I'm one of those people where a cover is what draws me in and I nearly overlooked this book which would've been a shame cos I did enjoy this one. The only other elemental type book that i've read is the elemental series by Brigid Kemmerer and I was keen to get my hands on some more. Add to the fact that this book is set in a boarding school with an infuriating but oh so good looking boy and I was sold, I just had to read it.
Ava Sparks is a spunky 17 year old girl who lives in Louisiana. On her 17th birthday she discovers that her parents aren't really her parents and that she is an elemental who is able to control lightning. She is the only elemental alive who can do this and this makes her extremely dangerous and sought after. On the night of her 17th birthday she is approached by the headmaster of a boarding school for elementals and soon finds herself at the boarding school making new friends and powerful enemies. The headmaster Ms Masters is an evil woman who wants to build an army of elementals to wipe out the human race and she wants Ava and Nate to be her star warriors. This then forces the world of elementals to decide which side they are going to stand on.
The story was really good and interesting and definitely had me hooked for the most part especially in the middle. I loved all the banter that went on between the many characters but at times the conversations could feel a bit off. Sometimes the characters voices flowed as seventeen year olds but then sometimes they seemed younger or far, far older than they were. Nate played the cocky, frustrating love interest very well. One minute you really liked him and then the next you were wanting to slap him over the head. I also really enjoyed Harper and Maddox. It was interesting to read about the elementals and what they could do especially the whole lightning and darkness element. The story did seem rushed at times especially in the first few chapters but then there were other parts that kind of dragged on a little bit. Overall I did enjoy reading this one and will definitely keep an eye out for any further books written by Bethany L Brown.
http://harebearshangout.blogspot.com.au/
September 30, 2015
Ava Sparks is your typical young girl, who wants nothing more than to spend her seventeenth birthday hanging out with her friends. Little did she realize that day would change her life forever.
Confronted with the knowledge that she is not human, but one of a breed known as an 'Elemental', and that she has the ability to control lightning, her average life is turned upside down. Forced away to the Westville Boarding school, her new and strange life begins. Everything is not as it seems. Who is the mysterious Ms. Masters who runs the school. Who is the surly and sexy Nathan Yates? He tried to warn her away from the school. Is he there to help her, or hinder her? Who can she trust in this war between humans and Elementals?
I really liked this world Bethany Wicker has created. It somewhat reminded me of the Harry Potter series, with the secret rooms and battling fields. Her descriptive passages were very well written and fully immersed you into this magical, elemental world.
The characters are very well developed. I liked Ava's snarkiness and spunk, though I did find her overly argumentative at times. She certainly calls it like she sees it and is not afraid to stand up for herself. I enjoyed Nathan's character growth as well. He turns from this cocky ass, into that guy that may be a hero after all. The secondary characters bring a lot to the story, and I especially liked Harper, though I didn't know if she could be trusted at times. She just seemed way too nice :)
Overall I found this to be a very entertaining, light read. The story was wrapped up nicely and I loved the epilogue at the end. Looking forward to more from this author. 4 out of 5 shiny stars!
Confronted with the knowledge that she is not human, but one of a breed known as an 'Elemental', and that she has the ability to control lightning, her average life is turned upside down. Forced away to the Westville Boarding school, her new and strange life begins. Everything is not as it seems. Who is the mysterious Ms. Masters who runs the school. Who is the surly and sexy Nathan Yates? He tried to warn her away from the school. Is he there to help her, or hinder her? Who can she trust in this war between humans and Elementals?
I really liked this world Bethany Wicker has created. It somewhat reminded me of the Harry Potter series, with the secret rooms and battling fields. Her descriptive passages were very well written and fully immersed you into this magical, elemental world.
The characters are very well developed. I liked Ava's snarkiness and spunk, though I did find her overly argumentative at times. She certainly calls it like she sees it and is not afraid to stand up for herself. I enjoyed Nathan's character growth as well. He turns from this cocky ass, into that guy that may be a hero after all. The secondary characters bring a lot to the story, and I especially liked Harper, though I didn't know if she could be trusted at times. She just seemed way too nice :)
Overall I found this to be a very entertaining, light read. The story was wrapped up nicely and I loved the epilogue at the end. Looking forward to more from this author. 4 out of 5 shiny stars!
May 20, 2015
3.5 stars.
Dark Lightning follows the story of Ava, who on her seventeenth birthday finds out she’s not an average teenager and can wield lightning from her hands. She is taken to a school on a remote island to learn how to control her element, but once there, it’s hard for her to know who she can trust and who’s out to use her for her rare ability. Being the only lightning wielder in existence, she is feared by many of her fellow elemental students.
This book had so much potential to be brilliant. I loved the premise and the plot.
However, the main character really dragged it down for me, along with her moody love interest, Nate.
Granted, she is your typical real-life teenager who is moody, contradictive, and immature at times, so she is bound to get on the reader’s nerves, but for me, her actions were just too inconsistent. At times it felt like she had a split personality and I started suffering whiplash from going back and forth so much. Did the author do this on purpose seeing as lightning wielders are known to go crazy and lose their minds? Perhaps she did. If so, it was very well done.
The flow of the book in the beginning is a little stilted, but it really picks up in the second half of the book. Along with a few inconsistencies that pulled me out of the story, and stiff, unbelievable dialogue, this is why I have rated it three and a half stars.
Did I enjoy it? Yes. Did the storyline keep me interested? Yes. But overall, all I can say is it was a light, entertaining read that could have been so much more.
Dark Lightning follows the story of Ava, who on her seventeenth birthday finds out she’s not an average teenager and can wield lightning from her hands. She is taken to a school on a remote island to learn how to control her element, but once there, it’s hard for her to know who she can trust and who’s out to use her for her rare ability. Being the only lightning wielder in existence, she is feared by many of her fellow elemental students.
This book had so much potential to be brilliant. I loved the premise and the plot.
However, the main character really dragged it down for me, along with her moody love interest, Nate.
Granted, she is your typical real-life teenager who is moody, contradictive, and immature at times, so she is bound to get on the reader’s nerves, but for me, her actions were just too inconsistent. At times it felt like she had a split personality and I started suffering whiplash from going back and forth so much. Did the author do this on purpose seeing as lightning wielders are known to go crazy and lose their minds? Perhaps she did. If so, it was very well done.
The flow of the book in the beginning is a little stilted, but it really picks up in the second half of the book. Along with a few inconsistencies that pulled me out of the story, and stiff, unbelievable dialogue, this is why I have rated it three and a half stars.
Did I enjoy it? Yes. Did the storyline keep me interested? Yes. But overall, all I can say is it was a light, entertaining read that could have been so much more.
July 26, 2015
Ava is a teenager who can control lightning and she has been sent to a boarding school that was designed for the children that have the ability to control an element to any degree. She is the only one that is known to ever have the ability to control lightning and the ability is one of the reasons that the people in her new environment fear and dislike her, but it is not the only reason. This is the story of a young girl coming into her won in more ways than one; she has to learn t rely on her instincts as she learns to deal with the power she wields and the power that she will wield in the future. The romance is not overwhelming and it’s not the insta-love that too many novelist build into their story, but the still the way it’s written is a little immature, even for YA readers. Luckily the character development, world building and storyline makes up for the juvenile love story and the sometime choppy writing. Since this is the first novel that she has published I think the writing will approve as she continues and I hope to read future installments that continue the story in the world she has built.
4/5 STARS: **I want to thank the author and/or publisher for providing a copy of this book via GoodReads in exchange for an honest review; all opinions are mine.
4/5 STARS: **I want to thank the author and/or publisher for providing a copy of this book via GoodReads in exchange for an honest review; all opinions are mine.
June 1, 2017
Was an enjoyable story and had potential but it fell a little flat for me, I felt like it moved too fast and things just happened and everything fell into place too easily and you kinda knew how it was going to end and there was no surprises or anticipation for me, I did enjoy the characters but felt like they needed more time to develop especially the couples and the friendships too, I needed to see them bonding more and becoming friends and it not just automatically happening also with her parents that all just kinda happened with no reason or rhyme and was random to me and didn't feel like anything was resolved with them like at all especially with the fact that they were a big part of the book and are they alive or not and then withe way it ended it just seemed a little pointless and the plot was fast paced although a little too fast paced at times and other time I thought it needed to slow down, I love elemental story's and it was interesting to read about how all the elements worked and the history behind everything. All in all it was a fun ,quick read that was enjoyable.
August 12, 2016
I received a copy from the author, in exchange for an honest review.
Actual Rating: 4.15
This was a great read. I enjoyed it so much! I thought the concept of individuals controlling elements are inventive and intriguing. I did not expect to like this book that much, but the fact that I did, makes me love the fantasy genre even more. I loved watching the relationship between Nate and Ava. I thought the fact that they did not like each other at first, eventually made them realize that they were supposed to be together. I also liked Harper, it was nice to see the stuff she went through/ did. It made me believe the character more. I thought the plot could use some work, but other than that it was a really good read. I would recommend to fans of the YA paranormal fantasy. Thank you to Bethany L. Brown for allowing me to read this book. I am a fan and I can't wait to read what you are working on next.
Actual Rating: 4.15
This was a great read. I enjoyed it so much! I thought the concept of individuals controlling elements are inventive and intriguing. I did not expect to like this book that much, but the fact that I did, makes me love the fantasy genre even more. I loved watching the relationship between Nate and Ava. I thought the fact that they did not like each other at first, eventually made them realize that they were supposed to be together. I also liked Harper, it was nice to see the stuff she went through/ did. It made me believe the character more. I thought the plot could use some work, but other than that it was a really good read. I would recommend to fans of the YA paranormal fantasy. Thank you to Bethany L. Brown for allowing me to read this book. I am a fan and I can't wait to read what you are working on next.
July 3, 2015
Well I was given this in exchange for an honest review so here goes.
Dark lightning is about a girl Ava sparks on her 17th birthday discovering she held a power she didn't have a clue about, she held the elemental power of lightning and could control it if she trained. Within the same day she was stolen by a vicious leader Ms Masters and shipped off to a school that was isolated away from humans with other elementals. We took a journey with her on her highs and lows whilst she learns about her powers and how to control it.
Dark lightning intrigued me from the description on it and upon reading the first chapter I still had that intrigued and interest but it quickly waned as the chapters went on. I didn't feel like I was reading one chapter at a time more than I was reading a mini novel hidden inside each chapter and for this made it drag a little. Parts of the story were very unbelievable which I guess due to the nature of his book isn't surprising but I mean when she was transported from her home to a new boarding school she just blanked into a daydream which was one of many it seemed. She randomly dropped into this daydreams and whilst I could see why it was, the author was using them to almost tell the story for her, but it just came around too often like every scene she'd drift off and into another and it got a little repetitive and predictable. I didn't like much of the conversational pieces in this book they felt very stilted and forced which made them hard to read and to relate to. Don't get me wrong it wasn't all that bad the scenes were well described and made me feel like I was in there as a reader, I liked the character descriptions too because I felt like I knew what she was describing and every time I heard their names I pictured them.
The characters in this book were the redeeming part of this book and sometimes I only read on to find out what happened to them.
Ava was very spunky, she was confident and sarcastic which I liked but at times she just spoke at the wrong times which just got her into trouble, sometimes I felt I was reading about a 5 year old she threw a lot of tantrums when she couldn't get her own way. She acted a little dumb and stupid sometimes like when told not to trust anyone immediately she starts spouting her secrets to people she's just met, so she can't obviously follow advice easily. I loved the descriptions of the scenes when her element finally took her over it was so well described and the character was so completely different in those states that it made it more realistic.
I like the way Ava, Maddox and Jackson are all teasing each other almost like siblings it made for a few fun filled scenes and made me laugh out loud at their antics.
Nate is arrogant, obnoxious and full of attitude and the way that he is towards Ava is annoying the way he completely ignores her, brushes her advances off then all of a sudden switches towards being affectionate and kind.
Overall I have to say I enjoyed the basis of the storyline and the characters and somewhat of the world the author created but I would have liked it to be slightly stronger and made more of an impact on me.
Dark lightning is about a girl Ava sparks on her 17th birthday discovering she held a power she didn't have a clue about, she held the elemental power of lightning and could control it if she trained. Within the same day she was stolen by a vicious leader Ms Masters and shipped off to a school that was isolated away from humans with other elementals. We took a journey with her on her highs and lows whilst she learns about her powers and how to control it.
Dark lightning intrigued me from the description on it and upon reading the first chapter I still had that intrigued and interest but it quickly waned as the chapters went on. I didn't feel like I was reading one chapter at a time more than I was reading a mini novel hidden inside each chapter and for this made it drag a little. Parts of the story were very unbelievable which I guess due to the nature of his book isn't surprising but I mean when she was transported from her home to a new boarding school she just blanked into a daydream which was one of many it seemed. She randomly dropped into this daydreams and whilst I could see why it was, the author was using them to almost tell the story for her, but it just came around too often like every scene she'd drift off and into another and it got a little repetitive and predictable. I didn't like much of the conversational pieces in this book they felt very stilted and forced which made them hard to read and to relate to. Don't get me wrong it wasn't all that bad the scenes were well described and made me feel like I was in there as a reader, I liked the character descriptions too because I felt like I knew what she was describing and every time I heard their names I pictured them.
The characters in this book were the redeeming part of this book and sometimes I only read on to find out what happened to them.
Ava was very spunky, she was confident and sarcastic which I liked but at times she just spoke at the wrong times which just got her into trouble, sometimes I felt I was reading about a 5 year old she threw a lot of tantrums when she couldn't get her own way. She acted a little dumb and stupid sometimes like when told not to trust anyone immediately she starts spouting her secrets to people she's just met, so she can't obviously follow advice easily. I loved the descriptions of the scenes when her element finally took her over it was so well described and the character was so completely different in those states that it made it more realistic.
I like the way Ava, Maddox and Jackson are all teasing each other almost like siblings it made for a few fun filled scenes and made me laugh out loud at their antics.
Nate is arrogant, obnoxious and full of attitude and the way that he is towards Ava is annoying the way he completely ignores her, brushes her advances off then all of a sudden switches towards being affectionate and kind.
Overall I have to say I enjoyed the basis of the storyline and the characters and somewhat of the world the author created but I would have liked it to be slightly stronger and made more of an impact on me.
October 21, 2015
This book has a great story line. Ava has an elemental power. She is 17 and suddenly finds out that she is not even human before she's thrust into a crazy, unknown world- alone. She doesn't know that there are people already plotting against her or how powerful she could really be. She doesn't know she was born to lead these people or that her soul mate was a surly- yet incredibly attractive- man who seemingly hates her. Why is he trying to stay away?
As Ava learns all of this and comes into her own, she starts to see things for how they really are. She sees people for who they truly are as everyone takes sides in preparation for a battle that could change everything.
There a lot of really great, complex characters in the story but neither of the main characters are appealing. Ava is combative, which i actually really like, but it goes a little too far and affects how she treats people- especially her own family. Nathan is just an ass and not in a sexy way. He eventually gets nicer but then feels like an entirely different character.
On the other hand, I fell in love with the secondary characters. Harper and Maddox were my favorites and I'm really hoping they have bigger roles in the next book.
I wasn't sure how I felt about the dialogue in the book. Sometimes it was good but other times it felt stiff and unnatural. It didn't flow to make conversations less awkward. That's an easy fix, though and it didn't stop me from finishing or wishing their was more. As I said, the story is great and I can't wait to read more about this world and these people I am suddenly invested in!
As Ava learns all of this and comes into her own, she starts to see things for how they really are. She sees people for who they truly are as everyone takes sides in preparation for a battle that could change everything.
There a lot of really great, complex characters in the story but neither of the main characters are appealing. Ava is combative, which i actually really like, but it goes a little too far and affects how she treats people- especially her own family. Nathan is just an ass and not in a sexy way. He eventually gets nicer but then feels like an entirely different character.
On the other hand, I fell in love with the secondary characters. Harper and Maddox were my favorites and I'm really hoping they have bigger roles in the next book.
I wasn't sure how I felt about the dialogue in the book. Sometimes it was good but other times it felt stiff and unnatural. It didn't flow to make conversations less awkward. That's an easy fix, though and it didn't stop me from finishing or wishing their was more. As I said, the story is great and I can't wait to read more about this world and these people I am suddenly invested in!
August 19, 2015
I received a free copy of this book for an honest review and I thank the author.
I had a lot of dificulty finishing this book. I'm not sure whether it's the book or me, but it just didn't work. I had several problems with it, specially in the beginning, and mostly because I didn't find the story very original and because I had some issues with the writting here and there. Maybe I'm getting too old and grumpy, and maybe I've read too many YA books already so I've become hard to impress. The truth is that, sadly, I was not impressed.
Maybe if you're someone who hasn't read fantasy and YA a lot you'll find the plot more interesting. To me, the whole elemental control (Avatar), teen that thinks they're normal until on their birthday they find out they're special (Harry Potter) and that find their soulmate with whom they share a special bond (too many YA to cite) while they try to stop someone who seeks revenge against human kind (X-men), was just too predictable. Add to that the many spelling/writting errors, such as "Chris jumped and his cards went flying out his hand he was so startled" (punctuation, please?) and my favorite: "your welcome" (which are probably more the editor's fault than the author's), and I almost didn't finish the book. Plus, as a Chemist, I have to say it: "the copper taste of my blood"? Blood tastes metallic because of its iron content, not copper!
I'm sure that there are other people who will like this book a lot, so by all means, go ahead and give it a try. It is a fun reading and will likely entertain you. I can see it has potential, and that's why I rated it 2 stars.
I had a lot of dificulty finishing this book. I'm not sure whether it's the book or me, but it just didn't work. I had several problems with it, specially in the beginning, and mostly because I didn't find the story very original and because I had some issues with the writting here and there. Maybe I'm getting too old and grumpy, and maybe I've read too many YA books already so I've become hard to impress. The truth is that, sadly, I was not impressed.
Maybe if you're someone who hasn't read fantasy and YA a lot you'll find the plot more interesting. To me, the whole elemental control (Avatar), teen that thinks they're normal until on their birthday they find out they're special (Harry Potter) and that find their soulmate with whom they share a special bond (too many YA to cite) while they try to stop someone who seeks revenge against human kind (X-men), was just too predictable. Add to that the many spelling/writting errors, such as "Chris jumped and his cards went flying out his hand he was so startled" (punctuation, please?) and my favorite: "your welcome" (which are probably more the editor's fault than the author's), and I almost didn't finish the book. Plus, as a Chemist, I have to say it: "the copper taste of my blood"? Blood tastes metallic because of its iron content, not copper!
I'm sure that there are other people who will like this book a lot, so by all means, go ahead and give it a try. It is a fun reading and will likely entertain you. I can see it has potential, and that's why I rated it 2 stars.
July 11, 2015
I was given this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
I liked the idea of this book. I liked Ava but not the way the book was narrated. There were way too many grammatical errors which made the sentences not make sense. Everything seems to happen so fast or the subject was changed fast and made things confusing.
Overall though I liked the book and gave it a 3 out 5 star rating for the characters, the plot, and slight romance.
I liked the idea of this book. I liked Ava but not the way the book was narrated. There were way too many grammatical errors which made the sentences not make sense. Everything seems to happen so fast or the subject was changed fast and made things confusing.
Overall though I liked the book and gave it a 3 out 5 star rating for the characters, the plot, and slight romance.
April 22, 2016
Honestly, I don't really know how I feel about this book even after I read it. There were certain elements in the story that I liked, but others that I despised and was wondering what the heck. Ava was a great speaker and had alot of insight and was great with her friends, but sometimes it felt like the author kept on explaining through jokes or why each character thought or acted a certain way when these actions could have just easily been expressed without what felt like a two page conversation. I also didn't really feel the love with Nate and Ava fast enough. It was like there was a lot of B.S. to go through before you actually saw a connection and even then Ava was starting to say she liked and missed the narcissistic side of Nathan. I don't like the wishy washy way she had with people sometimes. I did like how this was one big story with an ending instead of a series. I also liked how the humor between Ava and her friends was easy to go along with and how Ava could even form bonds with her "bodyguards" when she was on lock down. I think the time Ava had with her parents seemed short and that could have been explored more. I would say this book is good if you are between series, but it doesn't make me go "oh read it now!"
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March 14, 2016I receive this ebook free in exchange for an honest review.
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I enjoyed the idea of the novel and the characters, but while I was reading it, I had to force myself to keep reading. It's not that it was poorly written, but for me, there was not enough suspense of action to keep me flipping the figurative pages (ebook). I would recommend to the author that her future books capture the audience's attention immediately and continue it with action.
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I enjoyed the idea of the novel and the characters, but while I was reading it, I had to force myself to keep reading. It's not that it was poorly written, but for me, there was not enough suspense of action to keep me flipping the figurative pages (ebook). I would recommend to the author that her future books capture the audience's attention immediately and continue it with action.
May 11, 2016
A very enjoyable paranormal romance
At seventeen the hero finds out things are not as she thought. This story recounts her learning to use her element and the friendship's she makes along the way. Plenty romance and the problems of growing up. Top it off with destiny and world changing events makes this a enjoyable read.
At seventeen the hero finds out things are not as she thought. This story recounts her learning to use her element and the friendship's she makes along the way. Plenty romance and the problems of growing up. Top it off with destiny and world changing events makes this a enjoyable read.
January 21, 2016
I'm not sure that I've ever read a more predictable storyline... the main character is very self centered and changes her loyalties at the drop of a dime. I had to force myself to finish the book. Thank goodness it was free.
January 6, 2016
The story itself was a good idea, however; the writing style was not very impressive.
January 30, 2016
The idea is good but there is much to be desired. I almost put the book down and moved on but I do hate to leave a book unfinished so I forced myself to finish it
July 9, 2018
The idea is good but there is much to be desired. I almost put the book down and moved on but I do hate to leave a book unfinished so I forced myself to finish it
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