Unravel me
Unravel me is a meme made by myself that shows aspects of my life. This time I will discuss/tell you what I think about the New Adult genre that popped up in the last 2 years.
I had been in a really, really bad reading slump in 2013 and even before that - in late 2012. I felt like I could not read a book without being overcome with boredom.
Three month ago I gave reading another shot (why didn´t I just do that earlier?!) and I remembered how much I love venturing out into other worlds.
A thing I noticed, though, is that in my absence from reading another genre had popped up. The New Adult genre.
At first I was confused... Young Adult, yes, but New Adult? I saw that most covers of this genre are full of naked men or men and women embracing/kissing/etc, but all of them carry the message of open sexuality.
Apart from the fact that I don´t usually appreciate covers like that (I´m more into abstract covers), I had to admit that I really liked the idea behind this new genre. It often bothers me that Young Adult books don´t deal with sexuality, or if they do then a certain scene will fade to black. It annoyed me in a way, because I believe that there are decent ways to describe sex, without being provocative.
Since then I´ve read a few NA novels, but came to truly love only one of them, which could also have been part of the YA fraction if you ask me.
"Freak of Nature" by Julia Crane is considered New Adult, because the characters have sex and because it is described in the book. Still - I think it would also have been appropriate for young adults, because there was an innocence to it I came to appreciate.
Other New Adult novels focus too much on the sex part and I find it hardly interesting to read about two characters making out all the time. That is the reason why I also believe that there are a few really awful NA books that focus only on sex, which can be so tiring. The plot comes second and thought-through characters are not important.
That is why I normally try everything to avoid NA books when there is no paranormal, fantasy or dystopian part in it.
Am I missing out on a few really great NA books? What is your opinion about the NA genre and do you have any reading suggestions for me?
Tell me in the comments, I´d love to know!
Title: Freak of Nature
Author: Julia Crane
Publisher: Valknut Press
Source: NetGalley
Age Group: New Adult (NA)
Overall: ♥♥♥♥♥
Donate Body to Science. Check.
When seventeen-year-old Kaitlyn
checked the box, she never suspected she’d have her life–and her
body–stolen from her. She awakens one day in a secret laboratory to
discover that her body is now half-robot and is forced to hide her own
secret: that she still has human emotions and a human mind. If the
scientists who made her find out, they’ll erase what remains of who she
was.
Kaitlyn finds an unlikely ally in Lucas, a handsome,
brilliant scientist who can’t get over the guilt he feels knowing she
was once a vibrant, beautiful young woman. He never expected a science
project to affect him the way she does. As he tries to help her
rediscover her past, he finds himself falling for the brave girl
struggling to find her place and acceptance between the human and
computer worlds.
I absolutely adore this series! I really can´t wait to hold the next book in my hands as this is a book I devoured in a single sitting. I find it so hard to wrap my thoughts around this story, because it is still so vivid in my mind. I´m going to try though, hoping that I´ll find a few more constructive words then "amazing" and "wonderful".
Kate wakes up and suddenly she is not human anymore. She is a mixture of human and machine, programmed to obey every order and supposed to not feel anything. But what she doesn´t let on is: she can still think, and she still has feelings. She struggles to remember her past life, always dreaming of a beautiful boy. Who is he? And what do these feelings toward Lucas mean, the one who programmed her, the one who created her? As Kate finds out more about herself, she realises that her sole purpose in existing may be to be a deadly weapon. Will she face her feelings and show them to Lucas, even though exposing her secret could result in her ultimate death?
I love Kate. I absolutely adore her! If I´d wake up to being half machine, I think I wouldn´t be able to stay sane, but Kate shows such unbelievable strength at a time like this! She has an iron-like will to stay alive and to stay herself that it humbled me.
Kate has an innocent view on her surroundings due to the loss of her memories and her past life. It´s almost like she was just born. She doesn´t understand certain words and phrases that she is being confronted with, but is utterly intelligent in other areas. She is like a walking dictionary, because the computer in her brain provides her with the knowledge.
I think this story captured me so fast, because I believe that this scenario could actually be possible. I can imagine that somewhere out there a Dr. Frankenstein with too much money is actually trying to do such a project. I found it sickening and utterly fascinating at the same time.
I love how Kate is able to see everything so logical that it sometimes left me breathless. She wants to make the world a better place so badly, almost like a child when it witnesses something really bad happening. It wants to fix it.
I mourned the loss of her memories and wondered together with her who that mysterious boy in her dreams is.
I also love the relationship of Kate and Lucas. I don´t think I would have accepted him as a partner for sweet and strong Kate, if there hadn´t been the chapters in which the story takes place from his point of view. I am able to love him, because I can see how much his conscience is nagging him. He is regretting this whole project so much, but on the other hand he is also proud and thankful for the opportunity. He still sees the wrongness in taking emotions and memories of a human being and that made me relax. Lucas is a good guy after all! Their relationship is a secret and very sweet one, as Kate has an innocent mind of a child, paired with the logic of a machine. It made her special and unique.
I´m really, really curious to see where this story goes and the next book will be highly anticipated by me! I´m hoping for some more bad-ass fight scenes starring Kate! Can´t wait!
The Yearning Mermaid says: "A brilliant book that left me breathless, because of the realistic plot! A fascinating scenario within the rules of the world we all know so well. Kate has enough strength and character to make every reader adore her! A MUST-READ!"
A strange sensation on her face gave her pause. She reached up and touched her cheek, then drew wet fingertips away. What...was that a tear? Her artificial heart pounded in her ears as she stared at her hand, captivated. After all the time she had spent at the facility, all she had been through, she´d never cried. She didn´t think she could. Across from her, Lucas stared. "Oh my god. Kate."
Kaitlyn scanned her information drive and was appaled to see that in the United States alone over 1.2 million incidents of violent crimes were reported yearly. Over 90.000 of those incidents involved rape. She stewed over the statistics for many miles, and it fueled her desire to make the world a better place. [...] She wondered if anyone on the bus had been a victim of a crime, or if there were criminals on board. More than likely there were both.
Title: Darkness Watching
Author: Emma L. Adams
Publisher: Curiosity Quills Press
Source: NetGalley
Age Group: New Adult/ Young Adult
Overall: ♥♥♥♥♥
Eighteen-year-old
Ashlyn is one interview away from her future when she first sees the
demons. She thinks she's losing her mind, but the truth is far more
frightening: she can see into the Darkworld, the home of spirits– and
the darkness is staring back.
Desperate to escape the demons, Ash
accepts a place at a university in the small town of Blackstone, in the
middle of nowhere - little knowing that it isn't coincidence that led
her there but the pull of the Venantium, the sorcerers who maintain the
barrier keeping demons from crossing from the Darkworld into our own
world.
All-night parties, new friendships and a life without
rules or limits are all part of the package of student life - but demons
never give up, and their focus on Ash has attracted the attention of
every sorcerer in the area. Ash is soon caught between her new life and a
group of other students with a connection to the Darkworld, who could
offer the answers she's looking for. The demons want something from her,
and someone is determined to kill her before she can find out what it
is.
In a world where darkness lurks beneath the surface, not everyone is what they appear to be...
It certainly took me some time to adapt to the story and at first I didn´t really feel like I would love this book. But I´m more than glad that I was wrong! I really ended up enjoying this book so much and I´m already looking forward to the next installment in this series.
Ash is that ordinary girl in school that doesn´t really stand out and doesn´t have much friends except one. She has a huge fear of failing tests and university interviews and recently she´s been able to see demons.
As she moves out from home to the campus of Blackstone, Ash first thinks she is safe from the demons there. But she is wrong. Even more demons appear out of nowhere - targeting her - why, she has no clue. As she discovers her abilities more attacks focus on her. In order to survive, Ash must embrace her abilities and face the truth about her heritage.
I have to admit I didn´t feel it at first. I even disliked Ash a little bit, because she was so unbelievable scared of EVERYTHING. She was scared of tests, she was scared of interviews and she was scared of speaking her mind to her parents. It annoyed me, simply because Ash and I are so much unlike, I guess.
As she moves to the campus, however, Ash transforms. Suddenly she isn´t this scared little girl anymore, but a young woman curious to find out about life at college. She also finally decides to know more about her abilities, which remain a complete mystery to her and the reader for so long.
I love reading about protagonists that slowly learn to wield their power and are suddenly faced with so much strength and potential that it scares them! I just love it! It always gives me a sense of "everything is possible".
The story started off quite slow and the first few chapters were a drag for me, but after adapting to the pace of the book I couldn´t put it down. I simply devoured it. Adams manages really well to keep the suspense going, without confusing the reader in the process. Everything makes sense, even though there are more than a few mysteries that have yet to be solved.
It was also really refreshing that the romance part is not as dominant as in so many other books out there. I expected something different, and yet I ended up liking it the way it is.
I also liked the side characters, especially Claudia was one of my favourites. I´m really curious to find out more about her and the Venantium. The latter is still one hell of a mystery to me.
And guys just look at this stunningly beautiful cover! Seriously?! If it wouldn´t have been for the intriguing synopsis, I would have solely picked the book up because of the cover!
The Yearning Mermaid says: "If you want a well written story about demons and magicians then this might be a book for you! The story is full of mysteries and strong characters that will keep you well occupied!"
