Review: Forsaken by Jana Oliver

Book Description:

Paperback, 423 pages

February 7, 2011, Macmillan Children’s Books

Riley has always wanted to be a Demon Trapper like her father, and she's already following in his footsteps as one of the best. But it's tough being the only girl in an all-guy world, especially when three of those guys start making her life more complicated: Simon, the angelic apprentice who has heaven on his side; Beck, the tough trapper who thinks he's God's gift, and Ori, the strikingly sexy stranger who keeps turning up to save her ass. One thing's for sure - if she doesn't keep her wits about her there'll be hell to pay...

Source: Pan Macmillan UK & Hattie (Thank you!)

My Thoughts:

Put together The Mortal Instruments and Hold Me Closer, Necromancer, you’ll get Forsaken. This had demons on earth and necromancers who would reanimate the dead to earn money. Riley, an apprentice demon trapper, is one of bravest and most kickass characters I have ever encountered in YA. Having to deal with her mother’s sickness and death and all the disaster that followed, Riley has become aware of how hard life could be. You could lose your home, your work, your money, and someone you love anytime. The inevitability of these things despite trying to hope and cling to faith was unfair for her. After these, she was mostly furious and frustrated. But nonetheless she was brave, strong and determined.

I love how Oliver classified demons into five according to their degree of evilness. It was good to be able to view demons as diverse. The Magpies were very cute. Imagine a small demon dressed in ninja a costume collecting sparkly things! But other than the cute ones there were really terrifying and powerful ones. The ways of demon fighting including holy water and spheres was believable.

The characters had depth. Oliver was able to show this without being dull and boring. I was consumed in their world. Although at times I felt like there were more questions than answers, the drama and the action were enough to propel me forward and continue the story. It might have been better if the author placed the answer to the big question somewhere inside. That revelation would have made things juicier.

Beck, the past apprentice of Paul Blackthorne, had a strained relationship with Riley. As things got rough, he found himself responsible for looking after her and caring for her. Simon, the good guy, found himself attracted to Riley. Their relationship developed fast and had its share of hot and sweet moments.

Forsaken is a dark and kickass urban fantasy that will appeal to readers of The Mortal Instruments. Action-packed, thrilling, heart-aching and heart-pounding, Forsaken will leave readers wanting more.

Rating: