Book Review: Archetype by M.D. Waters

Synopsis:
Introducing a breathtakingly inventive futuristic suspense novel about one woman who rebels against everything she is told to believe.

Emma wakes in a hospital, with no memory of what came before. Her husband, Declan, a powerful, seductive man, provides her with new memories, but her dreams contradict his stories, showing her a past life she can’t believe possible: memories of war, of a camp where girls are trained to be wives, of love for another man. Something inside her tells her not to speak of this, but she does not know why. She only knows she is at war with herself.

Suppressing those dreams during daylight hours, Emma lets Declan mold her into a happily married woman and begins to fall in love with him. But the day Noah stands before her, the line between her reality and dreams shatters.

In a future where women are a rare commodity, Emma fights for freedom but is held captive by the love of two men—one her husband, the other her worst enemy. If only she could remember which is which. . . .

The first novel in a two-part series, Archetype heralds the arrival of a truly memorable character—and the talented author who created her.

My Review: 

   That was hella good! I was superbly impressed with this story, for I didn't expect it to be that good. But, it was and it exceeded my expectations and I am happy to say I loved this book. The closest book I can compare this book with is The Host, they are still completely different stories but I can see that those who enjoyed the Host can enjoy Archetype as well. Furthermore, the premise of this book was you'd call a thriller, I was hooked from page one.

   The plot, Phew! That is just another thing. I was honestly never bored, always at the edge of my seat, for the story was just packed with incidents, twists and turns. The story as a whole was just enjoyable and thrilling I would say. There were some scenes in this story that would just get my heart to squeeze a bit. I thought it was really good and full of incidents, an actual story. The author just did a fantastic job putting it all together. The author's writing was what you'd call sophisticated with a nice and wide range of vocabulary but still easy to follow. 

   The characters, I liked the characters, especially Emma and shockingly, Declan, I mean he was still a sweet-heart. I think the characters were well-written, not the best but good and they contributed a big part in making this story as good as it was.  I am also looking forward to knowing more of Noah in the sequel but I can say that I'll love him.

   As for the romantic aspect in this story, I would say that it is yet to blossom in the sequel. We could see snippets of a love story, I don't know what else to call it but it fitted the story and went well with the plot. And the ending was a brilliant, kinda complicated one and I didn't see it coming but I loved despite it being a cliffhanger but now, I just can't wait to read the next book. 

   I liked the idea behind the book, it was thoughtful in my opinion, it kinda reflects a couple of things we have in real world. And although part of the main idea was a bit too science-fictiony for me but I didn't mind it too much, it was still interesting and very well-executed. And what was even more twisty was that Emma fell in love with two but not in the sense that would come to one's mind, it wasn't as cheesy as I made it sound but you'll have to read the book to get what I am talking about, enough to say that it added to the story some heat. 

   Overall, this book guys was an amazing, heartfelt story with a main idea that we do not see very often. I was unexpectedly happy with what I found in this book, from the characters to the story to the writing, the author definitely did pull it off all together astoundingly. I had a fun time reading it. So if you are looking for a good fantasy/scientific fiction/dystopian novel with a bit of romance and an entertaining and intriguing storyline, then I'd say to definitely give this book a try.

Title: Archetype

Author: M.D. Waters
Series: Archetype #1

Source: Review Copy

Release Date: February 6th 2014 by Dutton Adult

Links: Goodreads | Amazon

Rating: 4/5

*Thanks to Dutton Books for providing me with a review e-copy*

Happy Reading!

xoxo, Mariam

Book Review: Shift by Em Bailey

Synopsis:

Olive Corbett is not crazy. Not anymore.

She obediently takes her meds and stays under the radar at school. After “the incident,” Olive just wants to avoid any more trouble, so she knows the smartest thing is to stay clear of the new girl who is rumored to have quite the creepy past.

But there’s no avoiding Miranda Vaile. As mousy Miranda edges her way into the popular group, right up to the side of queen bee Katie – and pushes the others right out – only Olive seems to notice that something strange is going on. Something almost . . . parasitic. Either Olive is losing her grip on reality, or Miranda Vaile is stealing Katie’s life.

But who would ever believe crazy Olive, the girl who has a habit of letting her imagination run away with her? And what if Olive is the next target?

A chilling psychological thriller that tears through themes of identity, loss, and toxic friendship, Shift will leave readers guessing until the final pages.

My Review: 

   Woah! That was peculiar! No really, this book was quite different from probably anything that I have read before. I mean, aside from the intensity as well as the unusualness of this book, I would say that this book was pretty good. The first few chapters were somewhat boring or not as eventful as the rest of the book, it started out fairly normal, nothing out of the real world and then BOOM! well, not boom because it kinda came out gradually but enough to say guys that there is a paranormal twist on this story which I'll be telling you what I thought of it later on in the review ;)

   So first of all, I really liked the story from Olive's - the protagonist - point of view, it was definitely something and the author's writing style was also a smooth one and I found it easy to follow. In addition that she was capable of writing her characters pretty well, like she profoundly created them while perfectly sticking to the specific theme of each character. 

   The concept which this story was built on, imitation, was actually portrayed in a way that intrigued me, it was a bit weird as well as spooky but still original. So the paranormal aspect of this story was a blast to read and took the story to a whole another level, that's for sure. However, there were also some moments in this book where I was SO close to giving up on finishing the story, I guess because the story frustrated me at some parts that I didn't want to complete reading but I am glad I did because it was good.

   Overall, it was a good book with a unique idea. I can say that the chance of coming across a story with a similar idea is a really low one. It was a story about imitation, death, friendship, love, family, finding safety, strength and hope. So I'd say to read it just for a change of scenery, away from all the vampires, werewolves and whatnot. That, and the fact that it was fun. I mean, this book can definitely still be a hit or a miss but I would say that if you are a fan of paranormal novels then go ahead and give this book a try.

Title: Shift

Author: Em Bailey

Series: Stand-alone

Source: Owned

Published: May 22nd 2012 by EgmontUSA

Links: Goodreads | Amazon

Rating: 3/5  

"Imitation is the highest form of flattery." Charles Caleb Colton
xoxo, Mariam