Series: Melissa West
Series: #1 - The Taking
Format: Paperback
Release Date: December 18th, 2012
My Rating: 4.0 out of 5.0
In the future, only one rule will matter:
Don’t. Ever. Peek.
Seventeen-year-old Ari Alexander just broke that rule and saw the last person she expected hovering above her bed — arrogant Jackson Locke, the most popular boy in her school. She expects instant execution or some kind of freak alien punishment, but instead, Jackson issues a challenge: help him, or everyone on Earth will die.
Ari knows she should report him, but everything about Jackson makes her question what she’s been taught about his kind. And against her instincts, she’s falling for him. But Ari isn’t just any girl, and Jackson wants more than her attention. She’s a military legacy who’s been trained by her father and exposed to war strategies and societal information no one can know — especially an alien spy, like Jackson. Giving Jackson the information he needs will betray her father and her country, but keeping silent will start a war.
Don’t. Ever. Peek.
Seventeen-year-old Ari Alexander just broke that rule and saw the last person she expected hovering above her bed — arrogant Jackson Locke, the most popular boy in her school. She expects instant execution or some kind of freak alien punishment, but instead, Jackson issues a challenge: help him, or everyone on Earth will die.
Ari knows she should report him, but everything about Jackson makes her question what she’s been taught about his kind. And against her instincts, she’s falling for him. But Ari isn’t just any girl, and Jackson wants more than her attention. She’s a military legacy who’s been trained by her father and exposed to war strategies and societal information no one can know — especially an alien spy, like Jackson. Giving Jackson the information he needs will betray her father and her country, but keeping silent will start a war.
My Review:
Gravity was sort of weird, and not really what I expected to see. Frankly, it wasn't thinking this would be an alien book at all, thought this would be some dystopian wrapped around a spacial sci-fi novel. However the alien plot and how the story revolved around Jackson and Ari. Frankly this was one of the better books that seemed to slip by my radar and maybe a few others. This book while I rate it high (because I enjoyed it), this book I can see why some people wouldn't tend to care for it.
Ari is just rather simple, but there are parts of her that make this book realistic. Frankly, Ari made me mad at times, but I think that was the investment I took to her character. The choices while they may have been extreme and the general person would never face them, if anyone was put in those situations, the stress and pressure would be enormous. I think she acted perfect, and she was just so great to read and follow.
There are these aliens that apparently live among or come down into your home while you sleep and take part of you. I thought that aspect was general, like the whole world is cattle for a great smarter alien species. However, that idea turned out to be a compromise between the two. There is an outstanding agreement that they can stay as long as they can take part of us, and for it we get some military power or something like that. However at the same time, that makes both feel as if they are looking over their shoulder, for when the other will strike first. I ticking timebomb for war between the two.
The story starts with Ari waking to see Jackson this sexy, and (okay cliche) ravishing boy who is taking part of her. Jackson is described in the synopsis as being arrogant, which is more or less completely outdated. I didn't find him arrogant at all, if anything it was part of his act or persona in order to fit in. Frankly when his character comes out, he's romantic, sweet, and overall very chivalrous with Ari, not really that way with anyone else, but most of all he's an alien. I loved how he was wove around everything and fit in perfect, it was done really well.
Now for some that don't enjoy sci-fi romance that don't really focus on the romance at all, but the general overall issue that brings the two together; this book may not be for you. Yea I guess there is a bunch of cheesy scenes with Jackson and Ari, and frankly if they were both human, I don't think any of the events would happen modernly. That doesn't mean I didn't enjoy it. For being a book that kind of slipped under the radar and I wasn't really looking to it thinking, "Wow this book will ... just wow." Okay it didn't have the 5.0 wow factor, but sets up a series (with the antagonist) really well, and gets any reader involved in the series already primed and ready for the sequel. I'm sold!
Ari is just rather simple, but there are parts of her that make this book realistic. Frankly, Ari made me mad at times, but I think that was the investment I took to her character. The choices while they may have been extreme and the general person would never face them, if anyone was put in those situations, the stress and pressure would be enormous. I think she acted perfect, and she was just so great to read and follow.
There are these aliens that apparently live among or come down into your home while you sleep and take part of you. I thought that aspect was general, like the whole world is cattle for a great smarter alien species. However, that idea turned out to be a compromise between the two. There is an outstanding agreement that they can stay as long as they can take part of us, and for it we get some military power or something like that. However at the same time, that makes both feel as if they are looking over their shoulder, for when the other will strike first. I ticking timebomb for war between the two.
The story starts with Ari waking to see Jackson this sexy, and (okay cliche) ravishing boy who is taking part of her. Jackson is described in the synopsis as being arrogant, which is more or less completely outdated. I didn't find him arrogant at all, if anything it was part of his act or persona in order to fit in. Frankly when his character comes out, he's romantic, sweet, and overall very chivalrous with Ari, not really that way with anyone else, but most of all he's an alien. I loved how he was wove around everything and fit in perfect, it was done really well.
Now for some that don't enjoy sci-fi romance that don't really focus on the romance at all, but the general overall issue that brings the two together; this book may not be for you. Yea I guess there is a bunch of cheesy scenes with Jackson and Ari, and frankly if they were both human, I don't think any of the events would happen modernly. That doesn't mean I didn't enjoy it. For being a book that kind of slipped under the radar and I wasn't really looking to it thinking, "Wow this book will ... just wow." Okay it didn't have the 5.0 wow factor, but sets up a series (with the antagonist) really well, and gets any reader involved in the series already primed and ready for the sequel. I'm sold!
