Monday, July 16, 2012

Amy's View: Vanish & early review of Hidden by Sophie Jordan

Vanish by Sophie Jordan
release date: September 6th, 2011
hardcover, 294 pages
intended audience: Young adult

An impossible romance.
Bitter rivalries.
Deadly choices.


To save the life of the boy she loves, Jacinda did the unthinkable: She betrayed the most closely-guarded secret of her kind. Now she must return to the protection of her pride knowing she might never see Will again—and worse, that because his mind has been shaded, Will’s memories of that fateful night and why she had to flee are gone.

Back home, Jacinda is greeted with hostility and must work to prove her loyalty for both her sake and her family’s. Among the few who will even talk to her are Cassian, the pride’s heir apparent who has always wanted her, and her sister, Tamra, who has been forever changed by a twist of fate. Jacinda knows that she should forget Will and move on—that if he managed to remember and keep his promise to find her, it would only endanger them both. Yet she clings to the hope that someday they will be together again. When the chance arrives to follow her heart, will she risk everything for love?

release date: September 11, 2012
hardcover, 272 pages
intended audience: Young adult
Jacinda was supposed to bond with Cassian, the "prince" of their pride. But she resisted long before she fell in love with Will—a human and, worse, a hunter. When she ran away with Will, it ended in disaster, with Cassian's sister, Miram, captured. Weighed down by guilt, Jacinda knows she must rescue her to set things right. Yet to do so she will have to venture deep into the heart of enemy territory.

The only way Jacinda can reach Miram is by posing as a prisoner herself, though once she assumes that disguise, things quickly spiral out of her control. As she learns more about her captors, she realizes that even if Will and Cassian can carry out their part of the plan, there's no guarantee they'll all make it out alive. But what Jacinda never could have foreseen is that escaping would be only the beginning....
Publisher: HarperTeen
Reviewer: Amy

Becky's view on Firelight, book 1

Spoiler warning! Descriptions and review may have slight spoilers for Firelight, book 1.

Review:
  I have decided to review both Vanish and Hidden together since I believe they were meant to be together. I feel like a magic book-splitting wand was waved and one potentially long book was made into two.  Hidden starts right where Vanish ends.  There is no recap in the beginning for anyone like me who reads so many books; I get a little confused and I sometimes need a bit of a refresher.  So I would suggest if you haven't read Vanish yet, wait until Hidden comes out (9/2012) and read them together.  On a bright note, these both don't disappoint from the first book Firelight. The author does a great job capturing you right away into the book and keeps your continual attention throughout. There isn't a lull in the book to be found. To tell you the truth I read both books in a matter of 3 days. Hidden in just one! I loved the fact that they were truly written for the young adult reader in mind. This book you can give to any junior high girl with no worries. And if you have read my reviews before I do truly appreciate a young adult book written for its target audience. And as a parent and an aunt that is always looking for an age appropriate book to give as a gift, these books hit the mark.
Vanish starts off right where Firelight ended. Jacinda is in even more hot water after exposing herself to her human love, Will, and she faces a shocking punishment for putting the tribe in danger. Vanish takes its time, building up and weaving in so many directions, your heart can't help but feel for Jacinda. Her love is torn in so many directions you don't know how she can possibly make a decision. And it's not just a decision of love, but which life she loves more. Does she choose to follow her duty to the tribe and her family and everything she holds dear and keep alive who she really is, a draki? What about her sister? What will they do to Tamra if she leaves? What about the draki Cassian can he fill her heart with enough love to stay? And then there is Will, the human boy who she casts everything aside for, threatening the life and safety of her whole tribe for a boy born to a family of Draki-hunters. How can she choose when her heart is split between duty and love?

Hidden continues on basically the next line where Vanish left off. It makes for a great continuation so I'm glad I read these books together. And don't fear, Hidden has almost more adventure thrown in it than Vanish did, as Jacinda's consequences for her decisions come to haunt her. This book not only throws you right into an action-packed mission but also has the undertone of Jacinda's heart-breaking decision. It is the ultimate battle of duty vs love. Jacinda has to make a choice of sacrificing her true love, Will, once again for the duty of freeing the draki she got captured. But her ultimate challenge is learning how to free herself. Throughout the whole book you find yourself routing for Jacinda---and at some points just routing for her to make a decision. A heart torn in two ways can only lead to despair. I can't go too much into Hidden without giving the plot away however it is filled with amazing adventure, heart wrenching love and of course a little bit of betrayal. This trilogy definitely doesn't disappoint. It will fill the adventure side, the love side and if you love dragons it will satisfy that part of you, too.
So I give both books 4 cupcakes, all red velvet with cream cheese frosting. No filling because these book were an easy, fast read. Add a few shimmering sprinkles on top and you have a Firelight cupcake.

Visit Sophie Jordan: Website  •  Facebook  •  Twitter

Purchase The Firelight series:  Amazon   •   BN.com   •   BookDepository   •   Indiebound

Vanish Trailer:


3 comments :

  1. I have the first book on my TBR! Really want to start this series now - I love the sound of adventure, love and betrayal! Thanks for the reviews :).

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  2. I really like this series! It might not be my favorite series ever, but I truly liked it! I'm looking forward to see how it ends and I'm happy to hear how much you liked the last book of this series!

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  3. I can't wait to see how this series ends! I loved Firelight, and found Vanish a little disappointing in relation to that one, but I'm hoping for a good finish to the series! :)

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