I just finished writing Year of the Dog ! It had a massive plot hole that I had to fix which turned out to be more work than I expected. Here’s a snippet: “Hey, Auntie Nell.” He wrapped his arms around her, bussing her on the cheek and breathing in pikake flowers and shortbread cookies. And suddenly he was nine years old again, and her solid presence had made his chaotic world stable once more. “What are you doing here?” He usually took her to dinner on Wednesday nights, but today was Tuesday. The edges of her smile faltered a little before brightening right back up again. “What, I can’t visit my nephew?” She angled around him to enter his home. “Is this your new house? Looks lovely.” Which was a blatant lie, because the fixer-upper was barely livable, much less acceptable to a neat-freak like his aunt. She also left four matching pink and purple floral suitcases on the stoop behind her. Only then did Ashwin notice the cab driver standing slightly to the side of the walkway. “Can ...
Mystic City by Theo Lawrence
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I was intrigued by the story concept of this book as soon as I read the back cover blurb. Others have detailed the storyline already, so I won't go into what it's about here.
The dystopian world is striking and interesting, becoming a separate character in the story. Aria, her parents, and Hunter are also unique personalities that fit with the story world and with the plotline.
I did think that the story started off very slow. The first several chapters seemed to drag a bit to me. The story was interesting enough that I kept reading, and the plot eventually picked up, so I guess that says it was engaging enough to keep my interest, but the first third of the book seemed so slow to me that the book would have been easy to set down at some points if I'd had something else I needed to do.
After the story picks up, it was interesting to see how Aria changes as events unfold. I thought it took her ridiculously long to figure out what had happened to her, but that might be just me. When things did become clear, the storyline was very intriguing and I couldn't wait to read what happened next.
This might be just me, but the description and explanation of the dystopian world in the beginning was a bit confusing to me and I had to exert some effort to figure out the world of the mystics and their role in the city. Eventually it became clear to me, but that effort to figure out the story world made the reading flow in the beginning stutter a bit for me.
There were times when I didn't quite feel Aria's emotions very strongly, either, which detracted from the romance a bit for me. I guess I had expected to feel her emotions more than I actually did while reading.
However, the romantic arc itself progresses well--despite the slow start--and is very satisfying. Readers who love romance will be happy with how Aria's love life turns out.
I was especially impressed with Aria's character. She grew and changed throughout the story from a confused girlish character to a woman who was strong, brave, and willing to stand up for a higher cause. Lack of that type of willingness to stand and fight for a higher cause was what I had thought a little disappointing in Katniss's character in The Hunger Games, so seeing that bravery in Mystic City was very satisfying.
Overall, the story was engaging and interesting and entertaining. The last half of the book was especially riveting and I couldn't have put it down if I'd had to.
I received a complimentary copy of the uncorrected proof from Random House in exchange for an honest review.
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And before anyone asks, yes I read all three books. I kept waiting for Katniss to turn into a hero. She never does.