Sunday, August 4, 2013

Book Review: Earthbound

Tavia Michaels is the sole survivor of the plane crash that killed her parents. When she starts to see strange visions of a boy she’s never spoken with in real life, she begins to suspect that there’s much about her past that she isn’t being told. 

Tavia immediately searches for answers, desperate to determine why she feels so drawn to a boy she hardly knows. But when Tavia discovers that the aunt and uncle who took her in after her parents' death may have actually been responsible for the plane crash that killed them--and that she may have been the true intended victim--she flees for the safety of Camden, Maine, where the boy she sees in her visions instructs her to go.

Now, Tavia is on the run with no one to trust. No one, that is, except for her best friend and longtime crush, Benson.
Tavia feels torn between the boy who mysteriously comes to her at night and the boy who has been by her side every step of the way. But what Tavia doesn't know is that the world is literally falling apart and that to save it she will have to unite with the boy in her visions. Only problem? To do so would mean rejecting Benson's love. And that's the one thing Tavia Michaels swore she'd never do.   Quoted from Goodreads

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This has been quite the summer for Aprilynne Pike.  First we got Life After Theft, now Earthbound.  

I quite liked this book.  While certain elements reminded me of other works, the plot as a whole was in a totally different format from those books, and I enjoyed the way it meshed together. Actually I think it combined a few prominent themes from a few years ago (not vampires, so no worries) with some plot structures/antagonists that are popular now, which is a nice twist.  Okay, I know that was vague, but I don't want to give too much away by mentioning specifics.  

Probably what I loved and disliked most about the book was the romance. First, I wasn't a huge fan of the love triangle angle, but it ended up being a pretty important part of the book.  That being said, I'm hoping it's mostly over in the second one. Actually, the way they left things, I'm really excited for the second book.  The thing is, I like the idea of both Benson and mystery boy, Quinn.  They're both play an important role in the story and are good characters in their own right. I just wish there was a little bit less kissing. 

Shocking, I know!  

Still, the characters make out a lot in this book, and every kiss is sooo intense, that after a while they stop meaning all that much.  I wish we would have gotten our first kiss maybe around the half way point instead of the first third.  It would have meant more at that point, since while Tavia knew Benson for a while, we as readers didn't, and I needed more time to fall in love with him as a character before she started making out with him.  As for Quinn, I liked the way that relationship progressed.  It wasn't exactly normal, but it worked.

The adventure/conspiracy, I really enjoyed.  It's got plenty of twists and action that kept me reading just one more page.  Plus, a lot happens in a short amount of time.  The whole book takes place in something like a little over a week, so every day matters and takes it's toll on Tavia. As for Tavia, herself, she grew on me.  She started the book recovering from a traumatic experience, one that defined her whole life, and then to have all this other stuff thrust upon her really tested her, both physically and mentally.  Despite that, I think she handled things pretty realistically, all things considered.

All in all, this is a fun read, and seems to be setting up a great series.  That's kind of how I felt about Wings.  The first book was good, but the series got better as it progressed, so I have high hopes here.  Plus, the way the ending left things, the second book definitely looks to be more exciting/fun than the first. It's a lovely 3.5 stars, with bright hope for future installments.

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