Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Review: The Taking by Kimberly Derting

Title: The Taking
Author: Kimberly Derting
Series: Book One in the Taking Series
Published By: Harper Teen (April 29, 2014)
Source: ARC Copy Provided by the Publisher (in exchange for an honest review)
Genre: YA Fantasy/Sci Fi
My Rating: 4.5 Stars!

Book Description:
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?






I love it when a book and an author can make me change my mind about a genre. I would love to say that books about alien abductions or anything sci fi of the sort were not something I would ever love or even be into but, after reading this one, I can happily say that isn't the case at all. In fact I ate this one up.

I have to be upfront, when I started this, I just pulled up the nearest book I had closet to me on my phone, one that was already downloaded and ready to go. I had a few minutes to kill before my daughter would be out of school and I was bored and needed something to occupy the next fifteen minutes of my time. I honestly pulled this open without even know which book it was since it was already opened and on the first chapter. I know, not a smart move but at the time I didn't care, I was going crazy and needed something to read.

So yeah. I completely forgot that this was about something extraordinary happening, something that might even have involved aliens and the beyond. Instead, I was quickly engrossed in the story. I literally ate it up and was so involved in it that I lost track of time and my daughter just about gave me a heart attack when she opened the car door and let herself in. I was so into the story I lost track of everything, what time it was, where I even was and what I was doing there...everything. 

I knew there was no way I was going to be able to put this one down but I didn't have a choice, I had things to do and other places to go, so with some reluctance I closed it out on my phone and went about my merry way...well, that is until I got home and then I immediately pulled it up again and quickly was wrapped up in the story once again and once again it consumed me.

I don't even know what to tell you other than I just couldn't get enough, of Kyra, of Tyler (oh sweet sweet Tyler, I want to eat you up!), of the mystery of Kyra's disappearance and of the Returned, the NSA, all of it.

I had so many questions flying around in my head, so many theories and so much I still wanted to know and learn. I was truly saddened when I came to that last page and that was it. The waiting now began. The very long wait until the release of the next book. The torturous wait. 

I can't even begin to tell you how shocked and completely taken (ha! No pun intended!) I am that I fell in love with this book as much as I did. In fact, even as I sit here and write this review, days later, I am still thinking about it and agonizing over what the next book will hold.

Well done Ms. Derting, well done. You have me hooked, hook, line and sinker and I will be anxiously awaiting the next book and not only that, but making sure I have all her others too because I truly loved her writing style and the way this girl can tell a story.







*All thoughts and opinions are my own and were not influenced by the author or publisher. I was not compensated for this review.*

23 comments:

  1. I'm so excited to start reading The Taking. I love the sound of the sci-fi mystery in it, and now after reading your review, I'm even more excited to read it.

    ReplyDelete
  2. The Taking sounds really good-adding it to my tbr list :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. YAY! I just finished this one and really loved it too Ali! Don't even get me started on Tyler, I just adored him. Their relationship at first was a little uncomfortable to me given she dated his brother as recently as the day before (in her time), but I quickly got over that because Tyler was just too hard to resist. Can't wait to see what happens next!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I totally skimmed Ali, this is on my reading list but I am so glad you enjoyed it. I love aliens and sci-fi.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Oh I'm so excited about this one! I have one or two I really need to read first, but I think I'll be picking this up really soon!

    ReplyDelete
  6. This makes me so happy!!!! I love it when a book takes you by surprise and exceeds expectations! Cannot wait to read it!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I don't remember you raving like this before. I'm guessing you loved the book. I'm also guessing I'd be a fool not to add it to my TBR.

    Message received. Thanks.

    Anna from Shout with Emaginette

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hahaha ... my son has made me just while I was so engrossed in a book. I read The Pledge by Derting and liked it, but never continued the series. Maybe I should give THIS one a try i stead.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You should try it, I think you would like it.

      Delete
  9. ha well, that is an interesting way to pick what you want to read next heh.. maybe I would do that :D

    Glad to hear this one turned your view around on a certain genre, sounds amazing.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Ooh yay! I love when a book sweeps you away like that and you don't remember where you are or what you're doing. I wasn't planning on reading this one but you've totally changed my mind, I'm so glad to hear you loved it. Lovely review!

    ReplyDelete
  11. This sounds amazing! I'm not usually a fan of sci-fi either (except for Obsidian), so I was originally a little apprehensive about this book. Tyler sounds great, though, and I love when you're unable to put a book down. This one will definitely be moving up my TBR pile :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. So happy to hear that because this really is a good read.

      Delete
  12. This one sounds great. I have it to review also and I am really looking forward to starting it. Wonderful review!!

    ReplyDelete