Earthbound (Earthbound, #1)

by Aprilynne Pike

[inlibrisveritas]

I feel like I’ve read a ton of Aprilynne Pike this year, I guess two books from one author in a year is a bit odd for me. Unfortunately this one didn’t really hit me the way Life After Theft did and parts of it fell a little flat, that being said it was still interesting and unique enough that I enjoyed it.

Earth Bound has a sort of interesting yet hidden concept that relies on the mystery and intrigue to pull you in than outright concept alone. I think this is sort of a double-edged sword. I enjoyed the process of trying to piece together what was happening and seeing the over all reveal, but at the same time I wasn’t as invested as I feel I would have been if I had more to go on initially. There were moments where I hated the plodding pace of the novel and practically begged for something to be given to me, and it was an up and down kind of ride for me that went between warm and lukewarm in terms of interest.

I can’t really say too much about the paranormal aspect of the story without giving a ton away, and I fully believe that spoilers for these types of novels would probably ruin some of the positive aspects. I did like the idea once I found out what it was, but it felt rushed since you don’t get the full story until the last third of novel. The lead up to the reveal is interesting and it did have me on a completely different track, so I enjoyed the originality of it. I liked learning more about Tavia and the mysterious boy (whose name escapes me for some reason), and I enjoyed the relationship she had with Benson. I can say I didn’t expect any of the outcomes for the relationships, which was somewhere between a pleasant surprise and an huge sigh of resignation.

While I did enjoy Earth Bound for what it was I didn’t find myself pulled into the story or invested in the characters. I wanted more and I got it way too late in the book. I may check out the second one when it releases because I have hopes for it and maybe with the initial setup out of the way it won’t be weighed down by the extra information.