Tynga's reviews

Sunday, March 24, 2013

Asunder by Jodi Meadows

Book Stats:

Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 406 pages
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Harper Collins
Release date: January 29, 2013

Series: New Soul #2

Reviewed by: Stéphanie

Source: Personal shelf

DARKSOULS
Ana has always been the only one. Asunder. Apart. But after Templedark, when many residents of Heart were lost forever, some hold Ana responsible for the darksouls–and the newsouls who may be born in their place.

SHADOWS
Many are afraid of Ana’s presence, a constant reminder of unstoppable changes and the unknown. When sylph begin behaving differently toward her and people turn violent, Ana must learn to stand up not only for herself but for those who cannot stand up for themselves.

LOVE
Ana was told that nosouls can’t love. But newsouls? More than anything, she wants to live and love as an equal among the citizens of Heart, but even when Sam professes his deepest feelings, it seems impossible to overcome a lifetime of rejection.

In this second book in the Newsoul trilogy, Ana discovers the truth about reincarnation and will have to find a way to embrace love and make her young life meaningful. Once again, Jodi Meadows explores the extraordinary beauty and shadowed depths of the soul in a story equal parts epic romance and captivating fantasy.

Jodi Meadows blew me away last year with her debut release, INCARNATE, and while I really enjoyed this sequel, I think the first book of the series was just too hard to beat. In ASUNDER, we learn so much more about the fantastic world the author has created so I can’t really complain. Many of my question after book one were answered here, yet so many other questions arose. Jodi Meadows knows how to keep you interested because after ASUNDER, I’m definitively still hooked.

While I like that there are so many different and great characters, personally, I find them too numerous. Some of them are unmemorable and I just get confused when they are reintroduced after being “forgotten” for a while. However, the dynamic between the dominant characters is absolutely a win. Ana and Sam are simply adorable but I did find them a bit clingy. It’s almost as if they can’t be without one another and as the main character, Ana should have shown a little more independence and self-sufficiency. As a new soul, I understand she might not be as educated as the rest of them, but her naivety still bothered me. However, she made up for that by being very curious and inquisitive, which are qualities that a really admire. Sam is so patient with her and that makes me love him even more. Their romantic relationship might not be typical when you compare it to most YA novel, but I think that’s what makes it so interesting.

While most of the story is held in the city of Heart, it would have been nice to learn more about what’s beyond the city and beyond the country of Range. So many other beings and creatures exist this world, and while be do get some snippets from time to time, I’m really anxious to know more about this fictional world. I think Jodi Meadows is holding out on us and saving it for the end of her trilogy.

The imagery in this novel is one of my favorite parts. Not only is the world beautifully described, Jodi Meadows also has the talent of serenading her readers with musical scenes. Because music plays such a huge part in the characters lives, music and instruments have a near constant presence in the story. The only thing I regret is not being able to actually hear the amazing musical pieces, but the way the author describes them, it’s almost as if you can truly hear it through the emotions of the characters.

Overall, ASUNDER is an absolute win, even if I did prefer the first book of the series a little more. With a cover like this, I had to purchase a physical copy in order to add this gorgeousness to my shelves. It’s hard to imagine that this series will end in a trilogy next year, and while I’m looking forward to it, it will be sad to say goodbye to Ana and Sam.