Sparked

I got this novel from netgalley for an honest review and I have to say I am so glad I found this novel. It was stunning. I didn't realize it was fantasy until I started reading this and I was so happy. I love a good mystery fantasy novel and this is IT!

Grab a copy, sit down, and enjoy the ride. You'll love it!!

Sparked is an edge of your seat thrill ride, with plenty of hairpin turns! This one is heart pounding, suspenseful, and will keep you guessing until the end! Prepare yourself for the supernatural, highly developed characters, and a unique plot!

The Plot: Fifteen year old Laurel Goodwin has always been close to her older sister, Ivy. When she wakes in the middle of the night to find Ivy missing, she begins to find out just how close they really were. Laurel begins to have nightmares, convincing her that Ivy has been kidnapped, but no one believes her, besides the mysterious, new kid at school, Jasper. With the help of Jasper, and the nightmares, Laurel uncovers a slew of secrets about herself, her sister, and the town they live in. She finds that power can come in many forms, and that someone you thought you knew could have deep secrets.

Sparked was surprisingly fantastic! I loved every minute of it! I knew I would like it, after reading the synopsis, but I cannot find a single thing I did not enjoy! It was fast paced, highly original, thrilling, and entertaining! The plot was enjoyably complex, with surprising twists, and the characters were highly developed!

I really loved the main character, Laurel. She felt like a real teenager to me. The authors did an incredible job with fleshing her out, giving her a unique personality, and making sure she wasn't a typical, "whiny", teenage YA girl. She was brave, but self conscious, intelligent and curious, she had a deep love for her sister, and she ended up going through a little bit of a self discovery and self assessment.

Jasper's character was very mysterious and added a necessary layer of depth to the plot. He was quiet and cool, dark and brooding. He had a well written backstory, played a major part in the book plot, but didn't overshadow the story with a YA romance. It was honestly refreshing to have a male character that didn't feel like they were forced to be the love interest and center of attention for the book too.

Peyton and Mei have to be talked about together. Though they both had many differences in their actions, appearances, and personalities, they were the "mean girls" in the story. They were written so well. I felt like I was watching "the plastics" in the Mean Girls movie, haha! Only, Laurel and Ivy called them "The Skittles." It was a very fitting title for the most part. Both of these characters have well written histories and are well developed within the story.

This book had everything I want in a 5 star read! It had action, adventure, thrills, suspense, and a hint of romance. The plot and characters were unique, well developed, and shifted and changed to fit with the story line. I loved the supernatural elements in the book and loved the fact that I was kept guessing until the true antagonist was revealed. The ending was nicely done and left enough to the imagination that we could either be waiting for another book, or be left to imagine more in our minds.

Thank you to NetGalley and Inkshares for providing me with this free e-ARC in exchange for my honest review!

4.5 stars

Check it out: https://anisabookreviews.wordpress.com/2017/07/28/sparked-by-helena-echlin/

A Persian legend, an ancient prophecy, predicts the unveiling of evil when the lunar eclipse occurs on All Hollow's Eve. Jasper has been on a crusade in search of the four powers that can stop the legend's destiny. Can they all be found in time before the lunar eclipse on Thursday, the day when the barrier between the dead and the living is opened wide?

Wow! What a concept with great execution. If you love YA fantasy, paranormal, with a touch of sci-fi chocked full of telekenesis, shape-shifters and a hint of mind bend, then Sparked is your next novel.

And Laurel will capture your heart!

Ivy has a habit of sneaking out at night from the trailer. But this night was different. The door was wide open and swinging in the rain. He favorite jacket left on the hanger in the closet. A piece of paper was left behind. A note from Ivy detailing her whereabouts and her return on Halloween for her sister's birthday. But the tiny unique signifier is not by her name. A star. Laurel has a strong feeling that there is more than meets the eye, about her sister disappearance, and of those around her, including her new crush Jasper. She begins to have horrific recurring dreams about Ivy, so real that Laurel sees her and her captor. And she sees Ivy cultivating a new power. Laurel joins forces with Jasper, a high school mate, who aides her search for her sister while helping her to discover her unique "spark" and its role in a dark prophecy.

The tale starts on a Friday and ends on the following Friday, after Halloween. Although told from 3 points of view, the story is narrated mostly by Laurel. The plot unfolds quickly, engaging the readers until the last page. The premise behind the plot is based on an ancient Zoroastrian prophecy and four "powers" who must "freely link" to stop the rise of evil in Cascade. The powers are supernatural, and slowly the main characters are experiencing strange things that are both wonderful and frightening. As Thursday quickly approaches we rally nervously behind the unlikely teenage allies in the hopes to prevent evil's ugly head from being revealed.

The characters in the story have detailed backstories and emotional interactions which make them engaging. The intriguing story of the Goodwins gives us a glimpse into a family that has always struggled to make it day by day. Ivy and Lareul are teenage sisters close in age. After a brief stint in foster care as a result of neglect, the girls are determined to do and live anywhere to keep the family together. Mei's story in also heart-wrenching, a desire to know her family from China. She was left at a train station as an infant, with only a note attached. Jasper's backstory is revealed late in the novel and is fascinating and ties the whole story together.

Echlin takes you on an emotional journey through eyes of a teenager and the tumultuous era of peer-pressure and sexual navigation. Laurel thinks she is not as attractive or as intelligent as her sister. But she feels the pangs of a crush for Jasper, a handsome boy whom everyone wants. And he only sees Laurel. I enjoyed Laural as a sister, unwilling to let anyone stop her from finding her sister. Her fear and tenacity are palpable. Her relentlessness may be her real super power. Mei and Peyton are "mean girls, " but they too are wearing a mask that hides the insecurity and vulnerability of teenage life.

Minor criticisms of this novel is that the prose lacked fluidity and imagery. The narrative, told by Laurel was chopped up intermittently by Mei and Peyton's point of view. The story also felt slightly plot driven with less attention to the stage. Although the characters were three dimensional, I found that the author did not take the time describing the scenery for the supernatural story.

Echlin does delivers suspense combined with fantasy in her new novel "Sparked." This quick paced entertaining read was one of my first YA paranormal thrillers, and I am hoping there is a sequel.

Thank you, NetGalley, Inkshares and Helena Echlin for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

First off, I should say that I was given access to this book ahead of its release in exchange for a fair review. Huge thanks to Inkshares for giving me this opportunity!! Angela Melamud, you rock!

If you follow my reviews, you know the drill! First, comes the grades, then any thoughts, gushing or notes I have, and then a ruling for clean-readers.

World-building: A
Mythology: A+
Plot-Twists: A++ (seriously, they just kept coming!!)
Suspense: A
Girl Power: A-
Guy Hero: B+
Villains: A
Love Interests: A-
Feels: A++

This book had me hooked. I finished it in one sitting. Not kidding. I could not put it down! Laurel's journey to find her sister is rife with twists, turns, and bumps in the road. Reading this book was a fantastic way to pass the night!

For you clean-readers: this book does NOT have mature content.

Absolutely loved this book! I read it in one night!

15 year old Laurel Goodwin wakes up and finds her sister, Ivy missing from their trailer in the redwoods of Oregon. Laurel starts having reoccurring nightmares that convince her that Ivy was kidnapped, but no one will take Laurel seriously. Laurel finds help in Jasper, a new kid to town, who becomes her ally and friend in trying to figure out what happened to her sister. They start uncovering secrets and a dark prophecy in their small town, while trying to navigate around the mean girls in town. This book is definitely a mix of several different genres including paranormal, fantasy, young adult and even a bit of science fiction. I don't want to give away any spoilers but there are definitely a variety of paranormal activity and people, if you will, going on in this book. I really enjoyed Laurel as a character and found her to be quite engaging, which is usually what makes me really interested in a story. Laurel and her sister Ivy also haven't had the easiest childhood and we do learn a lot about their backgrounds, as well as Jasper's, but that comes a little later in the book. The plot moves along at a pretty quick pace and never gets boring. I don't want to give too many spoilers away, but if you like YA fantasy and paranormal, I definitely think you will enjoy this book.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me an ARC of this book.