Monday, April 21, 2014

Review: The Taking

THE TAKING
The Taking #1
Kimberly Derting
Paranormal Young Adult
368 pages
HarperTeen
Available April 29th
Source: eARC from publisher for review

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
A flash of white light . . . and then . . . nothing.

When sixteen-year-old Kyra Agnew wakes up behind a Dumpster at the Gas ’n’ Sip, she has no memory of how she got there. With a terrible headache and a major case of déjà vu, she heads home only to discover that five years have passed . . . yet she hasn’t aged a day.

Everything else about Kyra’s old life is different. Her parents are divorced, her boyfriend, Austin, is in college and dating her best friend, and her dad has changed from an uptight neat-freak to a drunken conspiracy theorist who blames her five-year disappearance on little green men.

Confused and lost, Kyra isn’t sure how to move forward unless she uncovers the truth. With Austin gone, she turns to Tyler, Austin’s annoying kid brother, who is now seventeen and who she has a sudden undeniable attraction to. As Tyler and Kyra retrace her steps from the fateful night of her disappearance, they discover strange phenomena that no one can explain, and they begin to wonder if Kyra’s father is not as crazy as he seems. There are others like her who have been taken . . . and returned. Kyra races to find an explanation and reclaim the life she once had, but what if the life she wants back is not her own?


MY THOUGHTS
The Taking is a story that piques our curiosity from the very first page, a number of theories about Kyra’s disappearance turning over in our minds before she’s even gone, and as soon as she returns our anxiety ratchets up in anticipation of learning exactly what happened. Though the first quarter of the book flies by as Kyra’s taken and returned years later to find her life entirely different from the one she left behind, the next quarter moves a touch slower, her struggle to come to terms with all the changes taking center stage and pushing the paranormal aspect to the background. Luckily that lull passes fairly quickly and things pick back up when government suits enter the picture, and suddenly we find ourselves sprinting to the finish, absolutely desperate to find out what’s in store for Kyra.

Kyra is an interesting character, impressing us one minute with the poise and maturity with which she handles the massive upheaval of her life only to frustrate us the next when all of that maturity suddenly disappears and a petulant child takes over. There is many a moment where the fact that she doesn’t simply break down into tears and sob “why me” endears Kyra to us and shows just how strong a young woman she truly is, but she also switches gears quickly, taking all her confusion and hurt out on those who don’t deserve it. To her absolute credit however, her childish moments are fleeting and nearly non-existent after the halfway mark, allowing her to become someone we’re rooting for with our whole hearts.

The romance with Tyler, however awkward if given too much thought seeing as she was previously dating his older brother, is sweet and gives those of us who are romantics at heart the butterflies we so enjoy while reading. Kyra is blissfully honest with Tyler, telling him everything she knows or theorizes when certain aspects of her disappearance don’t add up, all the while risking his rejection to ensure there are no secrets between them. Their open communication is a highlight, the lingering fear associated with many a YA relationship that a misunderstanding will blow up in their faces beautifully absent as the two of them attempt to figure things out together.

Overall, The Taking is an intriguing start to a new series by Ms. Derting, romance and mystery combining with a healthy dose of conspiracy theory to keep us turning the pages with increasing speed the closer we get to the end. We are left with a cliffhanger firmly in place, things for Kyra and company way up in the air on the final page and all the theories we’d amassed in the very beginning still yet to be confirmed. This cliffhanger though, however frustrating, does the job it’s meant to, and I will certainly be picking up book two to find out what’s to become of the characters who have held my interest throughout.

Rating: 4/5


Find Kimberly


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.

30 comments:

  1. Sounds like the boy girl element is done well here. I've only read one other book by Dertig but I recall that she also took an unusual tack in the boyfriend/girlfriend relationship there.

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  2. I've actually been really curious about this one. I read The Pledge and liked it. But I remember it seemed to have the same sort of pacing you described for this. I'm kind of thinking I'll wait until the 2nd book is released though.

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  3. Wow! Your review is the complete opposite of Nick's :D I really do love the premise, but this one isn't for me. The romance doesn't seem that appealing to me, the MC is just.. idk. She isn't that appealing either, but I'm glad to hear that you came to like Kyra and got some well-wanted butterflies (those are the best :D). I'm glad you enjoyed this so much, Jenny!

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  4. Nice review!! Have been reading lots of good things about this one! Totally curious about this odd romance I keep hearing about! It does sound a little creepy in some aspects but I can understand why it's not as well! Can't wait to read it myself!

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  5. I'll be waiting to see how this series pans out, thanks to the cliffhanger I'm avoiding, but I'm glad you enjoyed this, Jenny! I really loved this author's debut, but the rest of her works fell flat for me. I'm hoping this series is an exception though! *fingers crossed*

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  6. I was a bit on the fence about this one, but after reading your review, I think I'm definitely adding it to the TBR list! I'll be keeping in mind a certain lull in the story to not give up on it... And I'm really glad to hear that there was a fantastic communication between Kyra and the boy, as creepy as it might seem given she was with the brother before...
    Great review, Jenny!

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  7. I'm glad the romance is done well (even if thinking about the brother ex makes it a bit weird). I do love mystery and romance and conspiracy theories, but I hate cliffies! Darnit, it sounds like it's worth the cliffie pain though. I love Derting, so I can't not read this one. Lovely review Jenny!

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  8. This is a series I will certainly be keeping my eye on, but I probably won't read it immediately. It's not a secret that I try to avoid cliffhangers like the PLAGUE, and I have to admit I'm kind of skeeved out with the brother-swap. BUT one of my favorite shows from back in the day was ALIAS, and my favorite season was the one where Sidney woke up with no memory of the past year (maybe 2?) of her life. This premise, though slightly different, holds the same appeal as the amnesiacs, so I'll almost certainly read this when the series wraps up. Great review, Jenny!

    Jessica @ Rabid Reads

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  9. I heard a lot about this author but I confess I haven't any of her books. I saw a mixed review about this one and it made me anxious but I'm glad to see it was a good one. thanks for the review!

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  10. I'm glad to hear you liked this one, Jenny. I wanted to love it, but I had so much trouble with Kyra and the romance. The romance could be really sweet like you said, but for some reason I couldn't get over the fact that he was 12 when she disappeared. It just seemed really icky. Anyways, I'm happy you liked it. :)
    Great review!

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  11. I haven't had the best experience with Kimberly Derting in the past, but I do need to give her another go. It's so good to hear that, for all her infuriating childishness, Kyra does move on from that and become someone you can actually root for. The romance seems a bit awkward when I think about their ages and the fact that she did disappear for five years, but it sounds like it's well done. I might have to give this one try. Fantastic review, Jenny! :)

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  12. Yay! I am so glad you really liked this too Jenny, I just loved it and Tyler was hard to not fall in love with. I am dying here for book two!

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  13. Usually, I have to remind myself that the MC is a teen when she/he waffles between maturity and immature actions. Otherwise, that would seriously frustrate me (and it does still but then I remember how immature while trying to be mature I was as a teen). This is on my list!

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  14. YESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYES

    I LOVED THIS BOOK.

    Can you tell? Does it show? This review is awesome and echoes a lot of my own thoughts. I am so excited for the series and the next book!

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  15. I've heard some really good things about this one, but I've yet to find the desire to pick it up. Kyra sounds like a tricky character with her bait and switch mentality, but I'd be intrigued to understand her circumstances more! Plus, a solid 4 from you?! Yeah, I guess I have to read it after all :) Great review, Jenny!

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  16. I'm dying to read this book! It sounds so awesome and now you're review has me even more stoked. I just finished Dreams of Gods and Monsters the other day and I really want a book that might be just as good as it (though I doubt that). Thanks for the great review!

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  17. Ooooo I quite like the sound of this one. I have another series of hers, The Pledge and I'm hoping to getting around to this book soon. I haven't heard a whole lot about it which is an advantage for me as I'm likely to enjoy it without any hype. I enjoy a bit of mystery and love together. It sort of reminds me of The Killing Woods and some aspects of Don't Look Back, to which I'm currently reading. Wonderful review, Jenny!

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  18. Yeah, I would say dating your ex's younger brother is awkward. Regardless, I'm really interested to see how Derting works the alien/conspiracy angle in this new series. I really hope she goes back to the Body Finder series because I still need some answers! Great review, Jenny. You really made me curious.

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  19. Hmm, I have mixed feelings about this one, Jenny. The premise sounds interesting but the MC seems a bit annoying and the romance a little awkward. I'll give it a try though and hopefully I'll like it.

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  20. Oh you rated this much higher than I did. I love the alien aspect but the romance and cardboard characters really disappointed me.

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  21. I read this yesterday and also enjoyed it. I felt the same way about Kyra, she shifted gears a lot and sometimes annoyed me. I felt weird about the romance but I really liked it. And Tyler was maybe a bit cliche but I loved him anyway. I loved the whole alien aspect of the book especially well though. LOVED that!

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  22. This sounds good but I'm not sure of the romance. Maybe once I read it will warm up to me. Thanks for the review.

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  23. I think if she didn't have those childish moments then it wouldn't have read so real. I don't think it is the behavior that marks a character bad, but the lack of remorse. Oh I'm curious, but cliffie??? NOoooOOOOooo! Ugh... still, darn it, you make this one sound good.

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  24. Fantastic review, Jenny! The only thing that irked me about this book was the insta-love. Other than that, I thought the premise and the whole sci-fi aspects of the novel were pretty good and truly unique. I am glad you liked this one as well

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  25. I loved Derting's Body Finder series SO much but I have to say that t his one was overall a disappointment for me. I was just expecting so much more - but from the insta-love to the hard-to-like MC it just didn't work for me. Also, what was up with Kyra's step-dad not even recognizing her - you mean her mom didn't have any pictures of her missing-for-five-years daughter around the house?! Hmmmm...There were some other things that annoyed me too - like Simon withholding VITAL information for some strange reason - of course this might all be part of a bigger plan but I don't think I'll be sticking with the series.

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  26. Yay, I'm glad you enjoyed this one as well. I had such fun reading this, and really liked both Kyra and Tyler. I enjoyed both the mystery (loved the X-files/alien vibe) and the romance was sweet. Great review, Jenny :)

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  27. Love that cover!

    I can handle a little bit of whine, but it can't last throughout the whole book, or I'm a goner. I'm glad this one has improvement after the last half!

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  28. I was looking forward to this story until I read few negative reviews on Goodreads, but judging by what you thought about The Taking, it something worth reading. Especially because of strong female characters.
    Great review, Jenny.

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  29. I'm hesitant to start this one. I've seen lots of positive reviews, but IDK. This concept kind of freaks me out. The romance also skeeves me a bit, but I love that these two have an open honesty, and I could probably warm up to it. I'm going to wait for future books to see whether I want to invest.

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