Como de costume para livros que não tem planos de serem lançados no Brasil, esta vai ser uma versão reduzida das minhas resenhas em inglês. Eu mesma perguntei para a Jennifer R. McDonald (tem como falar esse nome e não pensar na músiquinha da propaganda? Mac-donald!) se ela tem planas os de traduzir para outras linguas, e ela falou que por enquanto não, já que publica seus livros independentemente. Isso é realmente uma pena, já que esses estão entre os melhores livros que eu li esse ano, e se tornou uma das minhas séries favoritas. Vamos à resenha:

 

Into the Veil - 5/5 estrelas

O livro é narrado em primeira pessoa pela Lyric, uma menina de 16 anos que faz parte de um mundo paranormal que se move por entre o nosso - porém sem o conhecimento de humanos. Ela perece ser uma menina normal - fora a sua aparência meio fantasmagórica de olhos azuis claríssimos e cabelo loiro/branco, e a falta de amigos. Ela vai à escola, tem um irmão gêmeo chamado Lincon que é super charmoso, um pai que trabalha muito... Mas ela não é normal. Ela não tem amigos porque se muda muito, fugindo do seu próprio povo paranormal que poderia usar seus raros poderes contra eles.

 

Lyric e seu irmão são Veilwalkers, ou caminhantes do véu - isto é, o véu que separa o nosso mundo do purgatório. Eles estão na estrada desde o assassinato da sua mãe, que também era veilwalker mas foi morta pelos seus poderes. Mas o tem tem de mal em ser um caminhannte do véu? Bom, veilwalkers são os melhores espiões que existem, já que podem sair de seus corpos e andar pelo véu sem serem percebidos pelos outros seres vivos. e isso pode ser muito valioso.

 

Por isso ela não pode ter relações normais, nem com humanos nem com a sua gente. Eles são treinados como soldados pelo seu pai - um spell-caster (bruxo que faz poções e magia), que faria de tudo para mantê-los vivos. Além do seu irmão a única pessoa com quem ela fala é a Gemma, um espírito invocado que quer voltar para o véu, mas não pode já que Lyric e Lincon a tiraram de lá sem querer e não sabem colocá-la de volta! 

 

O livro é cativante, tem um ritmo super rápido e gostoso, e o mundo criado pela autora é muito consistente. Logo o começo o pai dela é raptado e eles obrigados a colaborar com um Clan de bruxos que tem, no mínimo, atitudes ambíguas. Com tanta maluquice acontecendo - ela junta vampiros, lobisomens, bruxos e outros seres que ela dever ter criado da cabeça dela - o mundo deve soar desorganizado, confuso e até meio clichê para você. Mas não é, juro!! É incrível como McDonald consegue fazer as coisas terem tanto sentido (ao ponto de eu me pegar pensando "Nossa, sem dúvida, é daí que vem este mito!") E ela faz isso sem esforço e sem parecer que está tentando te convencer.

 

Além disso, eu adorei o romance. Isso sem dúvida não é instalove, e também não é o foco do livro. Ele cresce de maneira orgânica, e é tão lindo que eu - romântica inveterada - não pude deixar de me derreter. Claro, é um livro Young Adult, com protagonistas extremamente jovens. Ela toma umas decisões mal pensadas, o que é de se esperar. Mas ela não é, nem de longe, burra. é uma protagonista forte e leal, que vale o título de heroína.

 

Through the Gloom - 4.7/5 estrelas

Em Through the Gloom Lyric está determinada a encontrar a verdade sobre a morte da sua mãe. A pessoa que ela ouviu ser o assassino a vida toda - e da boca do próprio pai - pode não ser bem o que parece. E Lyric não vai descansar até descobrir a verdade.

 

Esse livro do meio surpreende por não ser um livro "enche linguiça". a autora realmente explora os relacionamentos - da Lyric com o irmão, com o Aiden (o mocinho), com o seu mundo sobrenatural, e principalmente consigo mesma. Ela vai descobrir do que é capaz, em uma trama cheia de curvas e voltas inesperadas!

 

Across the Blood Red River - 4.5/5 estrelas

Já o último livro da série é sem dúvida o melhor. Ele satisfaz tudo que um último livro deveria: temos respostas para as principais perguntas, um final super real e lindo para o romance, a introdução de diversos novos personagens (assim como o desenvolvimento de vários outros), e principalmente um amadurecimento considerável para a nossa heroína. Tudo, menos um final! 

 

Por isso eu dei a nota menor. Ele não acaba realmente. Tudo bem, as coisas se resolvem, mas quem já ouviu falar em uma série que termina com um epílogo em que os personagens principais estão começando outra aventura? Tudo bem, a Jennifer está escrevendo uma outra série, chamada The Helios Chronicles (vai ser lançada em breve) que se passa neste mesmo mundo e que vai ter muitos dos nossos personagens favoritos. Mas mesmo assim, fiquei com um buraco aberto no meu coração... (tá bom, tá bom, sem drama!)

 

Minha nota: 5/5 (para a série como um todo)

Eu leria novamente? Sem dúvida

Eu vou ler outros livros da autora? Com certeza!
Eu recommendo? Sim, para fans de YA e fantasia que leiam em inglês e gostem de um mundo muito bem construído. Sério, eu não sei como esta série não é mais famosa! E ela é baratinha no Kindle, vale muito a pena!

Book Description:

 

Lyric Yama’s life is starting to feel as bleak as the purgatory in which she spends her days.

The line between enemy and ally has blurred. To unravel a heinous murder, she’s agreed to exploit her veilwalking gifts for her new coven leader.

But as the Lyric sinks deeper in the quicksand of lies and deceit, she’s forced to re-evaluate exactly what she signed up for.

Is the pursuit for truth worth becoming the very evil she’s been running from? And if so, can she survive the soul-crushing loss that truth will ultimately reveal?

 

 

Review:

 

* I received this book in exchange for my honest review *

 

Don't you hate it when you wake up at six o'clock in the morning to pee and end up waking up for good because you can't fall asleep because you HAVE to know what happens in the book you're reading? I don't. I love it!

This book in an incredible sequel to Into The Vail. It is every bit as thrilling as the first one, but with twists I didn't expect. I don't usually mind that much that I guess the ending before the author intends me too, but its great being surprised, isn't it?

This world Jennifer McDonald created is incredibly consistent. It's so rock solid that for the most part things get explained without her having to spell it all out. You learn about something that happened and you just think: "yep, that makes sense!" I also think that is why she is able to surprise us with her chatacters actions without it being forced. Much like people who aren't fictional, they go about their own lives fluidly. They feel extremely real and are absolutely aware of their shortcomings. They aren't superheroes, even though they have supernatural powers - and that is a very hard thing to accomplish.

I still love Lyric, even though she continues to make some questionable choices. It's all about her voice, I think, that makes it work. She is strong and willed, and she levels things in her own mind (meaning: to the reader) in a very natural and logical way. Even when she makes a stupid choice (which is not that often, by the way), you understand why she is making it. She is a smart girl trapped in an impossible situation, and you can see how someone would think like she does.

I also understand all the other characters effortlessly. I love them and want to shake them to their senses in equal amounts. They draw you in, like they're your own loved ones. And Aiden... (pause for swooning)... even though I don't appreciate the back and forth in their relationship (I just want to see them together already!), I can't help but love them and cheer for them. Their love is magnetic and it makes me feel like someone replaced my internal organs with puffy little clouds when they are together.

The only (very minor) criticism I would have is all the explaining in the beginning of the book. I do understand that the author has to explain somethings about the first novel, but really these are not stand alones by any means, so what's the point? If you haven't read Into the Vail yet, you have to before reading this. It's an amazingly interesting book and you won't regret it. As well as you won't regret reading this sequel! 


My rating: 4.7/5
Would I read it again? Yes
Do I recommend it? Yes! To any YA and Paranormal lovers. Do yourself a favor and pick this up!

There's something about this series that strikes a chord with me. I've never used the word "GRIPPING" in a book review before. But I feel that time has come. I do not know how else to describe it. If I'd been sitting in a chair while reading, I'd only have been using the edge.

Through the Gloom is fast-paced and full of energy - never a dull moment. It continues to follow Lyric's POV as the tensions escalate between the Hathor, Tyr, and Yama families. Lyric and Aiden's cold and hot relationship left me in a state of agitation - but in a good way. At one point, I found myself yelling, "Just bloody kiss her!" I am not British, and I'm pretty sure my neighbors think I'm crazy. Almost as much as I wanted them to get lip-locked, I wanted to see Aiden beat the living daylights out of Jeremy. Hello? Can I get a witness? In a sick, disturbing way, I enjoyed his scenes with Lyric. But only because I desperately hoped for an upcoming smack down.

While there were a few noticeable errors in grammar/spelling, it was quite a bit less than the first book, and never distracted me in the least. I rank this series as being in the same class as some of my all-time favorite novels. I will be on pins and needles until the release of the third book in the series. FIVE STARS

Book 2 starts off where the first left off...you havent read it yet??? Ok well its free on amazon right NOW so click (this) and get your copy now. Jordyn is like super bad ass and kills daemons. I was like this reading the book

 

 

 

4/5 badass hearts

Thank you, Adam-Troy Castro, for writing a children's book that breaks rules, even rules I agree with, and still makes it work.

The Rules:

1. Oh, look! A book called "Gustav Gloom"! Boys will read it because the main character is named Gustav. Girls will read it because it looks great and, hey, they're used to being COMPLETELY LEFT OUT of all the really fun adventure stories.

(Think I'm exaggerating? Try being a female fan of Tolkien and not having anybody *fun* you can pretend to be unless you're willing to have, like, two scenes *late* in LOTR, or are willing to pretend to be male. Then go read the Harry Potter books and see how many scenes you can find where there are only male characters present, and how many scenes there are only female characters. [Hint on that last one: NONE.] Then go and double-check the statistics about how, yes, in countries that aren't actively killing off their female children, women make up *more* than half the population and like having adventures as much as anyone. Then go light some incense in Lemony Snicket's honor. Then tell me, please, how saying "It's really important that we have male main characters, because boys just won't read female main characters but girls don't mind reading male main characters" is ANY DIFFERENT from saying, "Hey, we *have* to have mostly white characters. We can have a cute black or Latina BFF, but white people just don't feel comfortable unless they're the center of the stage. Sorry, but I don't make the rules. I'm just trying to sell stuff." Tell me how that's any different. I dare you. And yes, I've read editors, writers, and agents saying that first one almost word-for-word.)

So, fine. Adam-Troy Castro calls his book "Gustav Gloom." He lets the reader think for the whole first chapter that Gustav is the main character. By the time said reader finishes chapter two, and then chapter three and chapter four, and realizes that -- wait a minute! The girl who just moved in *next door* to Gustav is the REAL main character! -- it's too late, because the reader is hooked. And if said reader is a guy, he won't lose any Manliness points by reading a book with a female main character, because Gustav is all over the cover and *does* play a perfectly important role.

I love that Castro apparently decided that if people are stupid enough to be sexist, he's going to sell them a book with a female main character anyway, AND HE'S GOING TO MAKE THEM LIKE IT. Because you can't *not* like this book. It's just too fun. Well played, Mr. Castro. Well played.

2. You start this book wondering who exactly Gustav Gloom is, where his parents are, and why he lives in that freaky house. You end it still wondering. If you're me, you've screamed in the past about children's books that start off with a huge teasing question like that but refuse to answer the question until at least book two. If you're me, you've stopped reading series' whose first book you otherwise enjoyed, because you find that particular tease so ubiquitous and annoying. And if you're me, somehow it doesn't bother you at all that even after reading the first book in his series, you still don't know who exactly Gustav Gloom is. That's how good this is.

3. This is a humorous book for middle-school-aged readers. Apparently someone forgot to tell Adam-Troy Castro that these books are supposed to have lots of disgusting bodily references, because *all* middle-school kids find that hilarious. Instead, Castro wrote some actual just plain really funny humor -- intelligent, non-condescending humor that will crack up readers of all ages and make them annoy their nearest and dearest by saying "Let me just read you this one funny part" until they've read the whole book out loud.

Yeah, I liked this book. Can't wait for the next one.