Tuesday, June 28, 2011

YA Book Battle 2011 - Best Overlooked Book


I was a round 2 judge for the Best Overlooked Book Battle hosted by Alyssa from The Shady Glade. My partner for this round was Haley from Life (and lies) of an inanimate flying object. We had to read and choose between:


Intrinsical by Lani Woodland

And


Academy 7 by Anne Osterlund

Deciding between the two was not an easy task because I really enjoyed reading both.

Academy 7 features writing, that as a reader, I found downright enchanting. The world in which Academy 7 takes place was also very intriguing. While the descriptions were beautiful, some scenes felt like they had been cut short. I never felt the connection to the characters that I craved, and was longing for more details about the futuristic place they called home. I just wanted a bit more meat which isn’t a bad thing. When an author can create a world and characters that I long for more of, they have done something right.

Intrinsical is a book that excelled in the character development department. I enjoyed the mystery the book featured and found the entire premise fascinating. The author has taken a great idea and ran with it. Unfortunately, the first quarter of the book felt a little slow at times. I’m almost positive it was an unfortunate victim of the world building that can sometimes weigh down the plot of a series debut. While I found the beginning on the slow side, the second part really picked up the pace and I was hooked.

Both books featured a romance that developed at a pace that just might be considered slow by YA standards. This was so refreshing and an element I truly appreciated. One other thing these books have in common is they left me wanting more. I know Intrinsical is a series debut, and I hope that becomes the case with Academy 7 as well.

Unfortunately, there can only be one winner! 

Drumroll Please
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Moving on to the next round is Intrinsical!!

Both these books were enjoyable reads. Even though Intrinsical is moving on, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend both books to readers.

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