Vanish by Sophie Jordan (Review)

Genre: Paranormal

Number of Pages: 323

For ages 13+

***CAUTION: This review may have spoilers for the first book. so if you plan on reading Firelight, then don't read this review!***

"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?

In bestselling author Sophie Jordan’s dramatic follow-up to Firelight, forbidden love burns brighter than ever." -Goodreads

I thought Firelight was fantastic, so I was super excited to get VANISH. And I was lucky enough to get it the day after I finished Firelight! Also, not only was I sick LAST week, this week I had an eye infection, so I couldn't go to school. More reading time!

As if Jacinda hadn't gone through enough in the first book, she has to leave Will and take the risk of him completely forgetting why she left. She also has to deal with the grief with having to take her mom and sister away from their finally normal life. All on top of that, her twin sister has FINALLY manifested into a shader, an extremely rare draki. She's been through QUITE a lot, if I say so myself.

Was there romance in this book? Uhhh YOU BET THERE WAS. I hope Sophie wanted some of the readers to swoon over Cassian, because I totally did. At first, I was set on Will. I really was, but the moment Cassian turned on the romance between him and Jacinda, I was team Cassian. And... then I was team Will... and then team Cassian again. I was seriously going insannneeee. So, by the end I was team Will/Cassian. IT'S ALLOWED, OKAY?!

There wasn't one boring part in this book. I was always waiting to see what was next. Sophie did an amazing job with the relationships between all of the characters. And even though I wasn't too fond of Jacinda's mother in the first book, I really grew to like her in this book. You could see she really did care for her daughters. She didn't fight coming back into the pride that she tried to get AWAY from. I also felt bad for her mom. She was so depressed with staying in the pride, and her daughters being unhappy, that she became numb. She'd go to work, come home, and go straight to her room. I really came to appreciate her.

This book was fantastic, and didn't have a case of the sequel-in-a-trilogy-blues. Thank goodness! It was a refreshing read that had the same characters you came to know and love in Firelight! Definitely recommend it! 5 out of 5 diva crowns! :)

Firelight by Sophie Jordan (Review)

Genre: Paranormal

Number of Pages: 323

For ages 13+

"A hidden truth.

Mortal enemies.

Doomed love.

Marked as special at an early age, Jacinda knows her every move is watched. But she longs for freedom to make her own choices. When she breaks the most sacred tenet among her kind, she nearly pays with her life. Until a beautiful stranger saves her. A stranger who was sent to hunt those like her. For Jacinda is a draki—a descendant of dragons whose greatest defense is her secret ability to shift into human form.

Forced to flee into the mortal world with her family, Jacinda struggles to adapt to her new surroundings. The only bright light is Will. Gorgeous, elusive Will who stirs her inner draki to life. Although she is irresistibly drawn to him, Jacinda knows Will's dark secret: He and his family are hunters. She should avoid him at all costs. But her inner draki is slowly slipping away—if it dies she will be left as a human forever. She'll do anything to prevent that. Even if it means getting closer to her most dangerous enemy.

Mythical powers and breathtaking romance ignite in this story of a girl who defies all expectations and whose love crosses an ancient divide." -Goodreads

I had gotten this book quite a while ago, and until recently, I forgot I had it. (I'm always losing books. I need a bookcase.) I needed something to read after reading LOLA in four hours, and I found this one on a stack of books! We have about four stacks piling. They're mostly my mom's. We're a family of avid readers. ;)

I think I read this book in about 3 days. I would have probably read it in about one or two days if I didn't have play practice until 5:30 every day. But you know, pickers can't be choosers!

This book was a divine read that I couldn't put down. I literally had to tear myself from the book before my teacher yelled at me to stop reading. Jacinda was someone that you could sympathize with from the very start. I was wanting her to make decisions that I wouldn't have ever been able to make in reality. She had to be ripped away from all she ever knew, and she had to give up part of personality. I felt for Jacinda throughout the whole book. At times, I was furious with her mother to believe Jacinda would be fine with letting her draki self die off. I really connected with Jacinda.

I loved the "forbidden love" aspect in this book. Call me crazy, but there's something more appealing to it, and that's probably why a lot of romances in books are like that. Will and Jacinda were perfect for each other, even if their two "societies" didn't believe so. Jacinda had to do a lot of fighting with herself in this book. She kept going back and forth with her feelings for Will. Which kind of annoyed me, because I wanted to shake that girl and say, "GET A GRIP! BE TOGETHER." But that's just my bold personality coming out. ;) You're probably wondering,"Jewelz, did Will meet the swoon worthy requirements?!?!" I'm sure you really aren't too worried about that, but I like to think you are. To answer your question, though, yes, he definitely, DEFINITELY did meet those requirements. I'm kind of testing how many names I can put on my list before it becomes ridiculous and I' have to think of something else creative to show all of my favorite male characters.

At times, I did get a little frustrated with Jacinda's mother and sister. I was frustrated with the point that they thought Jacinda would be completely dandy with losing half of herself. They thought she'd just be normal afterwards, nothing would happen. When in reality, she probably would never have been the same. I know I don't usually talk about my problems with characters attitudes in books, but this really irritated me.

I was thinking about it when I was looking around in the book store today, and I realized that reading so many amazing complex books that are paranormal, or dystopian, or fantasy, that I'm kind of a complex book snob. (The first step is admitting it.) But really it's true. I just can't read contemporary as much as I used to. I love me some paranormal romance. And it's books like this one, that make me love paranormal so much.

This book was fantastic, and I loved it completely. I found no flaws whatsoever. The characters were completely believable, the plot was fantastic, and the romance was refreshing. I give it 5 out of 5 diva crowns!