Intangible
by J. Meyers

Summary
Sera and Luke are twins who share everything – including their secret abilities. She can heal with a touch and he can see the future. Luke’s visions of the future are always accurate, so when he Sees Sera in a dangerous situation, he grows increasingly concerned. As time ticks by and Luke is unable to change his vision, some surprising allies come forward and the twins discover that they are not the only ones who are more than they seem. With help from their friends, Luke and Sera must find a way to save Sera’s life and defeat a great evil before Luke’s vision comes true.

Review
J. Meyers has created an interesting world, with appealing characters, but unfortunately this does not carry through to the story itself. Intangible has to be one of the slowest moving fantasy novels I’ve read. It seems like the first 200 pages are spent repeating the fact that Luke and Sera are special and many beings are searching for them. Things in the story that felt like they should have been given more weight were glossed over, while other items were repeated endlessly. The characters in Intangible were both likeable and believable, but I was often frustrated by the fact that no one was sharing important information. While I found Luke and Sera to be a bit dull, the secondary characters had an aura of mystery and obvious power that made me eager to know more about them. There isn’t a lot of action in the first part of Intangible, but the intensity increases towards the end of the novel. And the ending did a fantastic job of creating further interest in the series.

Summary
Intangible is built upon an interesting concept, but the story didn’t grip me as much as I would have liked. But you really shouldn’t take my word for it… I have yet to find another bad review of this book, and I am definitely in the minority with these feelings.

*I received this book for review from the author.  

Under My Skin (Wildlings #1)
by Charles de Lint

Summary
Strange things are happening to the teens in small-town Santa Feliz. Without any warning or explanation, some youth are developing the ability to change into wild animals. In today’s age of cell phones and the internet, it doesn’t take long before videos of kids changing catches the attention of the authorities.  Even though Josh Saunders has seen the footage of the other kids, he can’t really believe it when it happens to him.  In a state of panic, Josh runs from his home and unknowingly encounters Cory, an older Wildling who helps him get his bearings. Afterwards Josh must make many difficult decisions about who to tell and who to trust. When the FBI steps in to try and manage the situation, things get scary for the kids who have become Wildlings.  While trying to accept his new life and stay under the radar, Josh meets Elzie and attention is inadvertently focused on him. Now Josh is worried about his safety, and for good reason… men in suits and dark cars seem to be following him.  When things come to head, Josh is left in a perilous situation, and his friends are forced to come to his rescue despite the overwhelming odds.

Review
Under My Skin immerses the reader in action and mythology right off the bat, and then continues to build excitement and suspense slowly over the course of the novel. The plot offers some unexpected twists, ensuring that the story is rarely predictable. While introducing us to the Wildlings universe, de Lint skilfully merges fantasy and reality in such a subtle way that the existence of these supernatural beings seems entirely plausible. It’s refreshing to find YA fantasy novel that doesn’t require the reader to suspend their belief of realty in order to accept the fantastical elements of the story. The narration shifts between the main characters’ point of view, which allows readers to get the full story, but giving Josh and Marina unique voices would have made this technique more effective.  The characters in Under My Skin are interesting and likeable, although not deeply layered. I enjoyed the fact that Josh was allowed to grow into his new abilities, while slowly accepting the changes and responsibilities that went along with it. Far too often we’re forced to believe a main character as a hero before they’ve really earned the title. The ending of the book does a wonderful job of tying up the current story while setting up an exciting premise for the rest of the series.

Verdict
I enjoyed the story more and more as it progressed, and the ending definitely made me eager to read the next installment in the series.

*I received this book for review from the Publisher.

Whoops! I forgot to post the Round-up last month, so I’ll do both April & May this time around. Although May was a pretty slow reading month, I’m still on track for my 50 book goal in 2012.

April Reading List

14. The Hunger Games (Hunger Games #1) by Suzanne Collins (Apr 1) *e
This still stands as one of my very favourite books. After seeing the movie, I spent so much time discussing the book/movie differences with my friends and co-workers, that I finally had to just read the book again. And I loved it just as much the second time around.

15. Wither (The Chemical Garden #1) by Lauren DeStefano (Apr 4)
I loved this book! I can’t seem to get enough dystopian fiction these days, and even though some of the world-building was rather implausible, I still devoured this book. Can’t wait to read the next book in the series.

16. Witches of East End by Melissa de la Cruz (Apr 23)
I was so excited to read this new fantasy series about witches that was actually aimed at adults. Especially after meeting the author and finding her to be completely awesome! Unfortunately the book just didn’t live up to expectations. Stereotypical characters, choppy dialogue and unconnected plot points made it a struggle to get through.

17. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green (Apr 28 )
Another wonderful John Green story. He never fails to make me laugh, cry and fall in love with his characters. Be forewarned though – this book will make you sad. Thankfully I went to a party right after I finished reading it, because my friends brought me out of my deep TFIOS depression!

18. Divergent (Divergent #1) by Veronica Roth (Apr 30)
I loved this book the first time around, and when its follow-up Insurgent came out there was so much going on that I had to go back and re-read the first book in the series. I loved it even more the second time! If you’re a fan of The Hunger Games and are looking for some really good dystopian fiction, I highly suggest giving Divergent a try!

May Reading List

19. Insurgent (Divergent #2) by Veronica Roth (May 5) – Full review here

20. Under My Skin (Wildlings #1) by Charles de Lint (May 22) – Full review here

21. Mini Shopaholic (Shopaholic #6) by Sophie Kinsella (May 28)
It’s been a long time since I’ve read a Shopoholic book, and I was looking forward to revisiting Becky and her crazy antics. At first I found myself annoyed with the fact that Becky has learned NOTHING after all this time, but once the story gets going I found myself really enjoying my visit back to the Shopaholic world.