Forbidden -- The Soulkeepers ARC

Forbidden by Lori Adams

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


For the sake of disclosing, this review is based on 69% of the book, because I just couldn't keep going. I really tried, but I just couldn't.
Be warned: I believe this book is labeled N/A, but it isn't. It is definitely Young Adult. The characters are all in high school; the whole time I was reading, I kept getting this "Twilight" kind of vibe.

The good:
Great premise; While driving, Sophia comes onto the scene of an accident, and stops to help. What ends up happening is that she sees people that only she can see; are they angels, ghosts, who knows? Then after arriving at her new home and starting at her new school, she discovers the invisible guy is actually real, and goes to her school!
The author's writing: very good,I actually enjoyed it. Very good imagery, descriptions, etc. It started off really good for me but then...

Too much information. There is so much going on, and so many characters to keep track of, that my mind just wondered off repeatedly. I had to keep going back, just to make sure who was who, and who was human and who wasn't. Dialogue was sporadic; and when it took place, it was mostly from Sophia's new "friends" from High school, which were more like caricature versions of teenagers (especially Bailey) which lingo I found a bit unrealistic.
For me, the pace was slow. I mean, things happen, but the plot really doesn't move forward. One of the most intriguing things I found was that Sophia feels a second heartbeat every time she's around Michael. Pretty exciting and unique.I wanted to know why, so I kept reading.
Sophia notices the very first time she runs into him right at the beginning of the book -- then it happens, the second time, and the third...

Nothing.
Okay Sophia, stay with me: Michael, in the same place, heartbeat feeling starts...then he leaves -- or you leave, then it stops. Sooo.. **here I'm coaxing her from getting there, I mean, it's like 15% of the book and this has happened every time they're around each other; so I reach 60%!!
And Sophia?

Finally she figures it out, but then? Her teenage friends, demons, other stuff, and by 70% I was not emotionally invested in the characters, which is bad because at that point.

I was done.

Sophia reminded me of Bella - living alone with her dad, in a new town, attracted to the guy from the strange family, etc. Sophia is so passive, just being bounced around by her friends, following blindly, I would have liked for her to take a stand, be proactive. But that's just me. The plot is good, execution just kinda lost me. But, if you loved Twilight, you might enjoy this book. :) I did like the writing, so I'm more than happy to check out this author's work in the future.

ARC via Netgalley in exchange for Honest review



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