Author: Artist Arthur [debut novel!]
Publication: August 2010 -- out now!
Publisher: Kimani Press
Review Copy: ARC
Pages: 248
My Rating:
Blurb on ARC:
KRYSTAL JUST MET THE PERFECT BOY.
TROUBLE IS, HE'S DEAD.
When fifteen-year-old Krystal Bentley moves to Lincoln, Connecticut, her mom's hometown, she assumes her biggest drama will be adjusting to the burbs after living in New York City.
But Lincoln is nothing like Krystal imagined. The weirdness begins when Ricky Watson starts confiding in her. He's cute, funny, a good listener--and everything she'd ever want--except that he was killed nearly a year ago. Krystal's ghost-whispering talents soon lead other "freaks" to her door--Sasha, a rich girl who can literally disappear, and Jake, who moves objects with his mind. All three share a distinctive birthmark in the shape of an M and, fittingly, call themselves the Mystyx. They set out to learn what really happened to Ricky, only to realize that they aren't the only ones with mysterious powers. But if Krystal succeeds in finding out the truth about Ricky's death, will she lose him for good?
My thoughts: So yeah, Krystal has it BAD, so she says. No one seems to get her, but really, the way she talks about her whole life situation, it's apparent that she hasn't really taken the steps to get to a point where she can allow others to understand her. I think though, because of this, many teens will be able to connect to her situation on some level. But as this novel dictates, everyone has their problems, just different circumstances.
Arthur introduced me to the beginning of what I can only hope to be an exciting, interesting and stimulating series. There were a few parts that didn't bode too well with me, but overall I found myself enjoying the story that unfolded as the pages were turned. The premise is not entirely new, it's what I believe to be some wicked DISTANT spin-off of The Fantastic Four. I mean, there is the medium (Krystal), the all-rounder guy (Jake) and Invisible Girl (Sasha). Well, it's halfway to TFF anyway. :P But anyway, with the Power that the three have been bestowed with since birth, the focus is (surprisingly) turned towards Krystal and her ability to speak to ghosts. More importantly, the novel and the series is shaped around her Power and the decisions she makes in regards to her Power.
Speaking of Krystal, the character development is inspiring and done with good taste. [I mean, at the beginning she comes off obnoxious, but in the last pages you see how she has changed, and really appreciate that. Hopefully in the next book she'll be like that, too.] It didn't come off as cheesy or abrupt. It was necessary and drove the plot to its climax, and satisfying ending. Speaking of which, I actually did NOT expect the “twist” near the end when the mystery draws to a close. I liked most of the characters, though I think I could have done without the repetition of Krystal’s descriptions of how cute/hot Ricky was. But, yeah. That’s paranormal YA for you, I think. I dunno. This was actually my first paranormal book, though I guess Bad Girls Don’t Die is a paranormal book too… Hmm, it’s of a completely different kind though.
Anyway, this book is definitely worth a shot. It’s pretty short, took less than a day to finish this one. I’ll be buying my own copy in paperback, and once I have my own copy I’ll be giving away this ARC. :) I’ll be waiting to see what happens in the next instalment of this exciting and heart-racing series.
Amazon | The Book Depository | Borders
Learn more about Manifest and read more reviews at Goodreads!
Manifest is book 1 of the Mystyx series.
Arthur introduced me to the beginning of what I can only hope to be an exciting, interesting and stimulating series. There were a few parts that didn't bode too well with me, but overall I found myself enjoying the story that unfolded as the pages were turned. The premise is not entirely new, it's what I believe to be some wicked DISTANT spin-off of The Fantastic Four. I mean, there is the medium (Krystal), the all-rounder guy (Jake) and Invisible Girl (Sasha). Well, it's halfway to TFF anyway. :P But anyway, with the Power that the three have been bestowed with since birth, the focus is (surprisingly) turned towards Krystal and her ability to speak to ghosts. More importantly, the novel and the series is shaped around her Power and the decisions she makes in regards to her Power.
Speaking of Krystal, the character development is inspiring and done with good taste. [I mean, at the beginning she comes off obnoxious, but in the last pages you see how she has changed, and really appreciate that. Hopefully in the next book she'll be like that, too.] It didn't come off as cheesy or abrupt. It was necessary and drove the plot to its climax, and satisfying ending. Speaking of which, I actually did NOT expect the “twist” near the end when the mystery draws to a close. I liked most of the characters, though I think I could have done without the repetition of Krystal’s descriptions of how cute/hot Ricky was. But, yeah. That’s paranormal YA for you, I think. I dunno. This was actually my first paranormal book, though I guess Bad Girls Don’t Die is a paranormal book too… Hmm, it’s of a completely different kind though.
Anyway, this book is definitely worth a shot. It’s pretty short, took less than a day to finish this one. I’ll be buying my own copy in paperback, and once I have my own copy I’ll be giving away this ARC. :) I’ll be waiting to see what happens in the next instalment of this exciting and heart-racing series.
Amazon | The Book Depository | Borders
Learn more about Manifest and read more reviews at Goodreads!
Manifest is book 1 of the Mystyx series.
4 comments:
Enjoyed reading your review and think this one sounds very interesting. I love novels where you can see how the character has grown throughout the novel, so will be adding this to my TBR pile.
This books sounds good, entertaining, at least!
I just added it to my list of books to get for the next read-a-thon.
Thanks for the review.
Hi! I'm stopping by and following from today's book hops!! I wasn't that thrilled with this book, but it was an okay read. Great review!
In the Hammock Blog
Great review, Cass! I wonder if it would be helpful in some way for my 14 year old daughter. We moved from Saint Louis to rural Iowa and she seems to be struggling...
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