Grasping at Eternityby Karen Amanda Hooper
Release Date: May 25, 2012
Publisher: Starry Sky Publishing
Pages: eBook
Genre: YA Immortals
Source: Author
Purchase: Amazon
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Leave it to Maryah Woodsen to break the one rule that will screw up eternity: Never erase your memories.
Before entering this life, Maryah did the unthinkable—she erased. Now, at seventeen years old, she’s clueless that her new adoptive family has known her for centuries, that they are perpetually reincarnated souls, and that they have supernatural abilities. Oh, and she's supposed to love (not despise) Nathan, the green-eyed daredevil who saved her life.
Nathan is convinced his family’s plan to spark Maryah's memory is hopeless, but his love for her is undying. After spending (and remembering) so many lifetimes together, being around an empty version of his soulmate is heart shattering. He hates acting like a stalker, but has no choice because the evil outcast who murdered Maryah in their last lifetime is still after her.
While Maryah’s hunter inches closer, she and Nathan make assumptions and hide secrets that rip them further apart. Maryah has to believe in the magic within her, Nathan must have faith in the power of their love, and both need to grasp onto the truth before they lose each other forever—and discover just how lonely eternity can be.
This book starts out extremely brutal and depressing. I was like whoa how am I going to get through this! Maryah's entire family is murdered so she most move to live with new guardians that she has never met. She has the option of living with her aunt and cousin but she feels pushed to this family by her cousin. What she doesn't know is that this is the family she has lived with over and over through many lifetimes of reincarnation. But for reasons unknown, after Maryah's last death, she chose to forget her previous lives and Nathan her longtime love.
I felt like the family was really really hard on for Maryah for erasing her memories. They have no clue why she did it or what happened so I thought they shouldn't be so cruel to her especially after she just loss the only family she knows. They acted like they were superior to her family since they had been with her all those other lives and that was unfair to someone grieving who couldn't remember this. Nathan is unsure if he should try to get her to remember him. He tries some days to get to know her again but just gets angry and psycho and then stays away again.
The story moved a bit slower than my liking. I read only about a chapter a day. It was an interesting concept and I love reincarnation but I was hoping for a bit more action. But if you love romance this might work perfectly. There were some very sweet scenes and great swoon worthy lines. I could really tell Nathan loved Maryah a lot, I just wasn't really happy with the way he handled the situation. The family member's all also have some cool powers and enemies. The book set things up well so I will continue with the series and hopefully the action picks up more in the next installment.
"She had to let go of our eternity, and I couldn't stop grasping onto the memory of who she used to be."
"My fingers were bleeding from grasping onto life's silver linings. They felt more like silver bullets aimed directly at me."
"I'd like to request your company on a cladestine journey before the others awaken."
"Could you speak more mainstream? I have no idea what you said?"
"I was put on this earth to love you. I know no other kind of existence but to live and breathe for your well being. It's who I am, and who I will always be."
Rating: 3.5/5
I haven't heard of this before but it sounds pretty interesting. I'm not entirely sure if it would be my sort of book though. Thanks for your honest thoughts! :)
ReplyDeleteIt was kind of a mix of Shattered Souls and Significance. There was reincarnation similar to Shattered Souls and then the family with powers element that was kind of similar to Significance. I was just hoping to get more development in the first book but I still want to see how the second book goes.
DeleteI have heard of this book a few times... but I hadnt read a review yet.
ReplyDeleteIts sounds like a cool story, but maybe not done as well as it could have.
Im curious why she chose to erase her memories. That alone might make me choose to read it.
Maybe it sucks being reincarnated and always remembering all your past lives... but I doubt it, if your love gets reincarnated too...
so I dont know
Great review
We don't find out why she erased her memories. She eventually starts to remember her previous lives but she doesn't remember why she might have erased. The family had theories that maybe she was forced or maybe something happened where it had become against her choice. I'm hoping that is developed in the next book.
DeleteThough the beginning sounds like it offers a real attention grabber with multiple murders, I think the slow pace would have me giving up early on. I haven't had much time to read lately, so I like fast moving stories. But the cover is gorgeous!!!
ReplyDeleteI love the cover! The beginning was a real attention grabber but then I felt things could have moved a bit faster. An interesting story so I just read a little bit at a time.
DeleteIt's too bad it moves a bit slow, but it still sounds good. Awesome review!
ReplyDeleteYeah it was interesting and had a cute romance. The characters just aggravated me a bit lol
DeleteI know it's totally different, but reading the blurb made me think of Incarnate by Jodi Meadows. It sounds interesting, but I don't know if I can deal with anymore slow books right now. lol. Maybe in the future. Love your review though, Jennifer.
ReplyDeleteI LOVED Incarnate! This was actually really different than that. It is hard to explain but not everyone reincarnates, it was a select ground people that get to choose. That was a little confusing. Most do choose to keep their memories and find their way back to each other. For whatever reason that we don't find out in this book Maryah erased. So a lot of the book is about if she can get her memories back because it is unheard of. The family and Nathan are really angry at her because they think she wanted to abandon them but no one knows why.
DeleteI've only read one incarnation book and I've been looking into trying another one. I'll have to put this on my Goodreads.
ReplyDeleteIncarnate by Jodi Meadows is awesome! Shattered Soul by Mary Lindsey was interesting and kind of similar to this in a way. Makes for an intriguing story. Thanks for stopping by!
DeleteI just hate that Nathan sounds so indecisive, and that he acts okay one moment, and like an agressive jerk the next. It's not something I'd enjoy, I'm afraid. I agree with your comment above, Shattered Souls was very good, and reincarnation in general is an interesting subject, so that part makes me want to read this.
ReplyDeleteGreat review, Jennifer. It gave me a very clear idea of what to expect.
Nathan pissed me off as well. I understood his hurt but I felt like he should have either stayed away completely or put in the full effort to try to get Maryah to remember and get her back. He gets so upset about everything she says when she can't even remember. I just felt bad for her.
DeleteNever heard of this....but contemporary with the supernatural thrown in sounds pretty good to me! :D I'll have to check this out...although from your review it seems the story was kinda rushed?? But, still I like the sound of it! Great review Jennifer! :D
ReplyDelete~ Maida @ Literary Love Affair
I felt like it was somewhat slow. I wanted them to hurry up and tell Maryah what was going on. I didn't understand why they hid it but then treated her horrible for the reasons they never told her. I'm think the next book will pick up action wise. The beginning was exciting and the end had a little excitement.
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