Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Review: Compulsion

COMPULSION
The Heirs of Watson Island #1
Martina Boone
Paranormal Young Adult
448 pages
Simon Pulse
Available Now
Source: BEA

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
All her life, Barrie Watson has been a virtual prisoner in the house where she lives with her shut-in mother. When her mother dies, Barrie promises to put some mileage on her stiletto heels. But she finds a new kind of prison at her aunt’s South Carolina plantation instead--a prison guarded by an ancient spirit who long ago cursed one of the three founding families of Watson Island and gave the others magical gifts that became compulsions.

Stuck with the ghosts of a generations-old feud and hunted by forces she cannot see, Barrie must find a way to break free of the family legacy. With the help of sun-kissed Eight Beaufort, who knows what Barrie wants before she knows herself, the last Watson heir starts to unravel her family's twisted secrets. What she finds is dangerous: a love she never expected, a river that turns to fire at midnight, a gorgeous cousin who isn’t what she seems, and very real enemies who want both Eight and Barrie dead.


MY THOUGHTS
Compulsion is molasses and a deep southern drawl, transporting us to the atmospheric world of Watson’s Landing and, once there, moving us forward slowly and carefully until the past finally decides to give up its ghosts. Those looking for a page turner will not find it here, Barrie’s journey one that allows us to dwell on the small nuggets of information we learn along the way, slotting the various pieces of a lengthy family feud into place before moving on to the next one. While certainly slow at times, Compulsion gives us quite a bit to think about as questions are raised, magic is brought to light yet never fully illuminated, and a cast of secondary characters hovers intriguingly on the darker end of the gray spectrum.

Barrie is a young woman who’s lived a life of near isolation, her mother’s disfigurement keeping her hidden behind doors, veils and wigs with little inclination to be a part of her daughter’s life. With the terminal diagnosis delivered to her godfather just before we meet her, she suddenly finds herself truly alone in the world, something that keeps us from being overly frustrated at the way she handles herself once she gets to Watson’s Landing. In her understandable desire to fit in and finally make a place for herself, she’s enormously forgiving of those who quite frankly don’t deserve it, making excuses for them again and again for the sake of her newfound family connection. We can’t really blame her in the beginning–her loneliness and longing palpable–and just as we start to reach the point where we can no longer rationalize away certain behaviors, Barrie seems to reach the same conclusion and finally snaps a spine of steel into place.

Though Barrie is certainly likeable and someone we can’t help but want good things for given all she’s faced in her short life, an emotional connection isn’t something that forms quickly or easily. Her relationship with Eight is one characterized by a great deal of push and pull, Barrie’s prickly nature clashing with Eight’s propensity for keeping useful information about her family history, the feud, and the magic of their families close to his chest. They have their sweet moments to be sure, but there are times when questions about what exactly they see in each other find their way to the forefront of our minds and stay there. There are thankfully no dramatic declarations of love or secondary love interests waiting in the wings to make things difficult for them though, and despite their flaws individually and as a couple, the desire to see how their relationship progresses and strengthens in subsequent books is strong by the end.

Overall, Compulsion has some fascinating elements, a few of the secrets long harbored by the Watson, Beaufort and Colesworth families finally revealed, bringing with them not only a sense of satisfaction but also the lingering sense of unease that comes from knowing they are but the tip of the iceberg.

Rating: 3.5/5


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This book was sent to me by the publisher free of charge for the purpose of a review
I received no other compensation and the above is my honest opinion.

34 comments:

  1. sound like a very complicated book, i don't usually love reading this type of books, but happy you liked it :D great review :)

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    1. It was complicated, but not overly so. I'm definitely curious to see where it goes in the next installment!

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  2. I heard great things about this one and I confess that I'm quite curious. The idea are interesting and I don't think I've read something like that. Maybe one day!

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    1. It was different from anything I'd read lately too Melliane, and that was refreshing!

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  3. Great review Jenny!
    I thought it was very atmospheric and although I agree that the way we were given the information, so slowly and piece by piece was a bit maddening, it was very captivating!

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    1. It was definitely slow at times Pili, but I think that's just how Southern Gothic stories are. There were more positives than negatives to be sure:)

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  4. Awesome review, Jenny! I loved this book…I so want to live at Watsons Landing. I loved the whole atmospheric quality to the book and the southern gothic vibe. I'm glad you enjoyed it as well!

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    1. I would move to Watson's Landing in a second too! Provided it was spirit-free of course. Not sure I would want to share space with those who have passed on:)

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  5. I struggled with this one a bit mostly because I couldn't form any kind of connection with Barrie unfortunately. I also thought the romantic relationship developed a little too quickly for my tastes. However, I did really like the southern atmosphere.
    Glad you were able to enjoy this better than I did, Jenny! :)

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    1. I really didn't connect much to Barrie either Nick, that was my main issue. That and the romance didn't reach out and grab me as I'd hoped, but I liked the history of the families and their magic, so I'm excited to see where that goes!

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  6. The name Eight makes me think of Four. Somehow I feel like that's probably not the connection I should make. The cover is pretty, though. ;)

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    1. Heh. Now all I can picture is Theo James. THEO JAMES. Yesssss.

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  7. The atmosphere in this books was so yummy! Just as you mentioned it.

    "Compulsion is molasses and a deep southern drawl, transporting us to the atmospheric world of Watson’s Landing and, once there, moving us forward slowly and carefully until the past finally decides to give up its ghosts."

    I'm glad you enjoyed Compulsion as well Jenny! Lovely review as always :)

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    1. Yes! Love books set in the South, makes me want to pack up and head down there immediately:)

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  8. Though I really like the dark ambiance of this book, I'm not sure I have the patience of reading a slow book and a romance that doesn't really quite make sense to me. Glad you enjoyed this one for the most part, Jenny.

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    1. I did Rummanah! There were some aspects I wished were stronger, but overall I enjoyed it:)

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  9. On the one hand, I adore these southern atmospheric reads, but on the other, I'm not sure how I'd feel about this. The romance would probably bother me more than anything else, I get annoyed by the secrets and the will-they-won't-they push-pull relationships. That kind of thing makes me miserable.
    I'll probably read it at some point anyway, though,

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    1. The push and pull wasn't too bad, I just couldn't quite understand what they saw in one another. I didn't feel that spark they claimed they felt, and I really wanted to. Maybe that will develop more in later books though:)

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  10. I have this on my kindle and ive really wanted to read it but for somd reason I cant bring myself too. Im glad to see such a honest review with it being so complicated. I think for me the plot really intrigued me. I may give this a go soon. Great review, Jenny! :)

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    1. I completely understand Emma! I have several books on my shelf I really want to read but yet can't seem to actually start too:)

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  11. I was nervous reading your review Jenny because I know not everyone has loved this as much as I did but I am so happy that while you didn't love love it, you still really enjoyed it. I am hoping the next book is even better.

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    1. There was a lot to like about this one Ali! I'm looking forward to book two, I really like the history between the families, and maybe the romance will work better for me in that one:)

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  12. It does sound like this could be my kind of book

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  13. What a lovely review Jenny. Compulsion is on my wish list for audio. I love the southern atmosphere.

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    1. Thanks Kim! Looking forward to your thoughts on it:)

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  14. I'm glad you enjoyed this one for the most part. It definitely was a slower moving story and we don't get much information at first, but it worked for me!

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    1. I'm hoping we get to dig a little deeper into the feud in the next book Candace! That was the most fascinating aspect for me:)

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  15. This does sound like an interesting book. I'd definitely have to be in the mood for it, but I think I'll enjoy it.

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  16. Hmm I'm not sure about this one. I definitely need a strong emotional connection and I'm not sure I'd be totally sold on the romance either. Glad you enjoyed it for the most part. Lovely review!

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  17. Aww, I loved this story sooo much. I think mostly I can relate since I am a southern gal myself but thanks for sharing your thoughts.

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  18. It's definitely a good thing that Barrie realizes that she's misbehaving and making poor choices and snaps that spine of steel into place (I like that expression!). Not sure it's for me but...maybe?

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  19. I definitely had mixed feelings about this one. I agree that it was hard to connect with her, and while I enjoyed her banter with Eight, their love connection did happen pretty quickly. For me, this book just wasn't creepy enough, especially compared to that cover, which I LOVE to pieces. But I enjoyed it enough to see where it all goes.

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  20. Ooh this is another book I have received for review but have yet to sink my teeth into. I have heard quite a bit of how it has a lot of fantasy elements jam packed into one. I can't wait to try it. I think it will either be very good or very bad, but you seem to have found it above mediocre.

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