Release Date: October 9/2012
Acquired: Borrowed ebook from library
Aria Rose, youngest scion of one of Mystic City's two ruling rival families, finds herself betrothed to Thomas Foster, the son of her parents' sworn enemies. The union of the two will end the generations-long political feud—and unite all those living in the Aeries, the privileged upper reaches of the city, against the banished mystics who dwell below in the Depths. But Aria doesn't remember falling in love with Thomas; in fact, she wakes one day with huge gaps in her memory. And she can't conceive why her parents would have agreed to unite with the Fosters in the first place. Only when Aria meets Hunter, a gorgeous rebel mystic from the Depths, does she start to have glimmers of recollection—and to understand that he holds the key to unlocking her past. The choices she makes can save or doom the city—including herself.
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I'll admit it, and I'm probably not the first to, but my heart will always belong to the Dystopian genius that is the Hunger Games trilogy. I have yet to find a literary match that invokes the type of emotional roller coaster and soul fulfilling goodness that Suzanne Collins did.With that said, however, this book came close. Right off the bat, I was introduced to the Dystopian world of Manhattan, New York. I started reading this right around the time hurricane Sandy began it's wrath, so the imagery described of New York mostly submerged in water wasn't hard to picture. The back story in Mystic City was explained clearly, and right at the beginning of the book, which, unlike other Dystopians published recently, was SO refreshing.
I was attracted to the personality of Aria Rose almost immediately. She came off as strong and independent, even though the circumstances could have rendered her the complete opposite. I've read about too many female leads in Dystopian worlds who were just plain whiny, cowardly and irresponsible. Aria had an honest heart, and stuck to her cause until the very end-I loved that.
The violence in Mystic City took me by surprise, but not in a way that made me want to put it down. Quite the opposite-I admired the author's no holds barred action scenes. It was to the point and wasted no time with unnecessary logic and dialogue. I felt like the scenes were well placed and had just the right amount of thrill.
I absolutely loved the secondary characters, especially Hunter and Davida. They were diverse in their characteristics, and in my opinion, really helped to drive the story forward. Through these characters, and others, Mr.Lawrence was very successful in giving the readers a perspective from both sides: life in the "Depths" below, and life in the "Aeries" above. I'm SO excited to read more of their stories in the second novel, entitled Toxic Heart.
I recommend this book for people still experiencing Hunger Games withdrawal symptoms. It will soothe some of your longing, I promise!
I got this book for review but unfortunately not long after reading it I've already forgotten what it was about :(
ReplyDeleteI've had this book in my bookshelf for quite a long time, but this review made me want to pick it up right away. It sounds like a book I would enjoy a lot. :)
ReplyDeleteGot this one from a friend as soon as it came out. The characters are wonderfully written and the story itself is incredibly unique, really enjoyed reading it. Also, I was extremely happy that it didn't end with a cliffhanger 'cause waiting for the next one that comes out in April of next year would be hell. Great review! :)
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