Review: The Forsaken by Lisa M. Stasse

The Forsaken by Lisa M. Stasse
Series: The Forsaken #1
Publisher: Orchard Books (Hachette UK)
First published: August 2nd, 2012 (UK)
Source: Received from publisher
Format: Paperback
Pages: 426

Goodreads Summary:

Alenna Shawcross is a sixteen-year-old orphan growing up in a police state formed from the ashes of Canada, the US and Mexico after a global economic meltdown.

But when she unexpectedly fails ‘the test’ - a government initiative which supposedly identifies teens destined to be criminals - she wakes up alone on a remote island reserved for the criminally insane.

Terrified and confused, she soon encounters a group of other teen survivors battling to stay alive, including Liam, a boy who will become her love... and her lifeline.

Soon Alenna makes the terrifying discovery that there’s more to the island (and her past) than she could ever have guessed... But who can she trust? And can she ever escape?

My Rating: 3.5 / 5

First thoughts:

Set in a world not many years into the future, The Forsaken shows us a new possible society that might develop. Teenagers are brought to a remote island after failing a personality test, which accuses them to be potential criminals. The story's concept definitely seems promising, but sadly I was lacking a certain connection to it that would have made me enjoy this book even more.

More detailed:

I cannot be completely sure whether it's because I read it during a time when I was really busy, but sadly The Forsaken couldn't really live up to my expectations. While full of action it felt a bit too slow-paced at the same time and I never felt the need to pick it up as soon as possible to find out what will happen next.

She raises the gun to her shoulder, taking aim again. 'You and your friend better be fast runners,' she whispers to me, sounding worried for the first time. 'Or you're gonna get us all killed!' (p. 51)*

Luckily the plot picked up toward the end and made me more curious about its outcome. The world Alenna is tossed into on the island is different from what she initially expected and still continues to surprise both her and any readers.

But not only the island ensures that there are enough surprises, but The Forsaken's characters do so, too. While Alenna is fairly naive and therefore makes her later kick-ass-attitude slightly unbelievable, there are many other characters who aren't as easy to understand. Some of the other kids disappointed me while others surprised me in a very positive way.

David just stands there, looking resigned, with his shoulders slumped. Like he expected this would be his fate. Like he knows he's guilty of something. But what? (p. 37)*

The writing of The Forsaken is very easy to follow and has the possibility to turn this into a very fast read if you have - unlike me - the necessary time. Despite my lack of connection to the world and its characters I still liked the story Lisa M. Stasse presented me with and am definitely curious what will happen now - especially after that spectacular ending that almost made me sad it was over.

Challenge(s):

Debut Author Challenge 2012

Buy this book:

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

Have you read The Forsaken? If yes, what did you think about it?

If no, do you plan to read it?

I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Carina

* All quotes are taken from a finished paperback copy of The Forsaken by Lisa M. Stasse, published (and sent to me in exchange for an honest review) by Orchard Books (Hachette UK).

Review: Heaven by Christoph Marzi

Heaven by Christoph Marzi
Publisher: Orchard Books 
First published: February 2nd, 2012
Source: Received from publisher
Format: ARC
Pages: 384

Goodreads Summary:
The night that Heaven lost her heart was cold and moonless. But the blade that sliced it out was warm with her dark blood...

David Pettyfer is taking a shortcut over the dark rooftops of London's brooding houses, when he literally stumbles across Heaven: a strange, beautiful, distraught girl who says that bad men have stolen her heart. Yet she's still alive...

And so begins David and Heaven's wild, exciting and mysterious adventure - to find Heaven's heart, and to discover the incredible truth about her origins.

Part thriller, part love story and part fairy tale, this brilliantly original novel from a bestselling German author will take your breath away...

My Rating: 3.5 / 5

First thoughts:

This story turned out to be as fairytale-like as expected. Christoph Marzi created a magical world that is both beautiful and imaginative and will leave its readers wanting more. While I had a few problems with the pacing, I loved the plot and the lore which is used in Heaven and that always made me want to continue reading. If you're looking for a modern fairytale, this could be the right one for you.

More detailed:

Heaven is a book that makes me curious to find more works of its author. It has originally been written in German, and while I had planned to compare this translation with the original, I sadly couldn't do so yet. But of course I enjoyed it nonetheless and especially liked its magical and fairytale-like feeling.

I have to admit that the beginning was a bit too slow-paced for my taste and the narration made it a bit hard for me to connect with the characters immediately. Heaven is told by a third-person narrator from David's point of view and while I love reading books from a male POV, it took a while for me to truly care about David and Heaven.

Nonetheless they are very intriguing characters who you can't help but sympathize with once you get to know them more. David has had a difficult past, but despite that he manages to ignore his own fears and problems and help Heaven deal with the danger she suddenly finds herself in. And while you only get to know her from David's point of view, it's hard not to like a girl like Heaven.

Most of the other characters are either good or evil and even though I'm not a fan of one-dimensional characters, it worked well with Heaven's fairytale-like composition. The things David and Heaven experience are crazy, but I loved how Christoph Marzi managed to incorporate the paranormal elements in an almost realistic and very believable way.

All in all, I ended up liking Heaven a lot. Sadly it took a while for me to get into the story and while I didn't want to put it away during the second half, I had some trouble getting through the first half of the book. But once you start caring for these characters, you will turn the pages as fast as possible to find out whether everything will turn out alright.

Click here for more information about Heaven and read its first chapter.

Have you read Heaven? What did you think about it?
Do you plan to read it?
Carina