Hover (Taking Trilogy, #2)

by Melissa West

[bookishzelda]

So I was so excited to read this...also so nervous. Gravity was an awesomely amazing book and the ending, well let’s just say whoa. I’ve been waiting for Hover for a while and yes it made me nervous to pick it up but I’m happy to say I was not disappointed. The book absolutely played puppeteer with my heart strings but that’s because I am so heavily invested in the characters. This is one of those series that I think doesn’t get enough love. Everyone should read it! I don’t think you have to be a sci-fi lover either.

Jackson, oh Jackson. I had a feeling about who he was from the beginning so I could never be mad at him. Plus despite everything you can tell how sweet Jackson really is. Plus I love the way he is with Ari, even if she is mad at him and trying to push him away. He is always standing beside her and being support. He has a lot of things that are revealed about him in this book. He has always been a guy that keeps his cards close to his chest but we see some cracks. Things he doesn’t want Ari to know to protect her. Some of it is horrid and some of it just makes you love him even more. Seriously can you tell I love to drool over Jackson. Total book boyfriend.

Ari is such a tough cookie but is not always perfect. She still had a tendency to act before thinking but we really start to see her realize this and try to be more reserved. She knows her weaknesses and is always trying to improve them. I really like her as the main character and find her easy to connect to. Although I do get frustrated with her where Jackson is concerned but you know, she feels a little betrayed. She is pretty amazing in this book I have to say.

Zeus is one scary dude. Which is probably why he is named Zeus. I love how much detail is put into his villainy ways. Down to the way he treats and manipulates people. When Jackson describes how he will talk towards the window so you can’t see his face, I thought it was such a great detail.. I mean Melissa really points out to us not only his villainous but his intelligence. That this isn’t some guy you just walk in and throw him out the window and say, hooray the world is saved! It’s a lot more complex than that. Zeus is more complex than that, there might have once been a person there but he has long been corroded by power.

We get a whole new squad of characters as the book takes place on Loge. Vil is one of my absolute favorite additions. He’s got this terrific intelligent mind that never stops turning. So he uses outs like creating sculptures and doing awesome techie things. He also has wisdom beyond his years. I also like Mami, Emmy and Madison a lot too. Emmy at first kind of comes off as someone I wasn’t going to like but I finally embraced her. We also see appearances from some characters from the other books. Like Law and Ari’s dad...seriously though what is up with Law? I’m not going to say more.

The plot kept me intrigued the entire time, since we on a new planet it was almost like having a first book in a second book. It’s a whole different place to learn about, which it’s easy to see the two are going to collide in book 3. I thought that is well thought out and planned. Of course this book was a little more stressful. We are talking about a buildup to war here. Wow and let me tell you about the ending....well I can’t but wow. Melissa has me once again on the edge of my seat demanding that book 3 be in my mailbox tomorrow.
This series continues to be one of my favorites and I really hope you pick it up if you haven’t already.