Thursday, June 7, 2012

Review: Ghost Crown


Ghost Crown by J. Gabriel Gates and Charlene Keel
The Tracks #2

HCI Teens  – June 5, 2012
Facebook:  Yes, the Tracks Books

Twitter: @TheTracksBooks

Rating: This was an awesome read! A 2012 favorite 

Source: HCI Teens


Click hereto read what this story is about
           
            Gates and Keel have done it again. Back in the world of Middleburg nothing is as it seems and nothing is left untouched from the events in Dark Territory.  Everything has changed, Ghost Crown is darker and grittier. OOOh, what a read! There were so many moments that my mouth fell open in disbelief.  I had to stop myself from screaming out warnings (especially when reading in public places!) I was so involved in this book, that everything in my reality disappeared. I really thought that I was sitting in Middleburg watching all of this happen. I felt so many different emotions. My heart sank with the mini-defeats the characters experienced. It soared with the mini-victories.  There were so many awesome elements that came together successfully to make this a rock-star book. I loved the development of the characters, everyone was tangible and felt as if they just floated of the page and came to life. The bad guys just got darker and even more unlikable. The character that sits on the fence-Zhai- was pushed even more into the murkiness of the gray area. I still wonder why he chose to be the leader of the toppers. I know how he got there but why did he accept? It’s June, and I have my first book to add to my favorite reads list for this year.
            All of the characters are back in this sequel, and they all leave quite an impression, including the new ones that pop up. All of the old characters, that we have grown to love or hate, have changed since the events and Dark Territory. I think that change would be necessary, considering everything that they saw. Some of the changes are for the better, as when one embraces the gifts that  shen/The ALL have bestowed upon them. Some of the changes are for the worse, as when one makes a deal with a half-breed without really understanding what they have bargained away. Some events are heartbreaking, as when one forgets her love as she is manipulated by another.  All of the characters surprised me in one way or another, but truthfully, the biggest surprise was Maggie.
            Ghost Crown has a little bit of everything, forbidden love, secret love, a love triangle, secret alliances, secret society, a treasure hunt,  action…everything you could ever need to tell an awesomesauce story.  Man! I could go on and on about how awesomely happy I am with Ghost Crown, but I still feel as if this review is too vague. I don’t think I’ve really captured how great this book is. I wish that I could find something that I hated, to give a balanced review. I looked, flipped through pages and couldn’t find anything. When I read the word “nephilim”, it was like a punch to the gut. This didn’t start out like your typical angel/fallen angel story and everything screamed that it wouldn’t fit neatly into that category. A part of me liked it better when the mysterious creatures went unnamed. But even that worked out in the end. I so can’t wait for book 3!!!! (Yes folks, in case you didn’t know, there will be a book 3!!)

Recommendation:  Go. Read. Now! Right now! Put The Tracks series at the top of your reading pile.

A free copy of this book was given to me free, in exchange for my honest review. 

Always Shine,
Starr K

Related Links:

No comments:

Post a Comment