Friday, April 25, 2014

Review: The Taking by Kimberly Derting

The Taking (The Taking, #1)
The Taking (The Taking #1) by Kimberly Derting
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?

”add

Publishes in US: April 29th 2014 by HarperTeen
Genre: YA sci-fi
Source: Harper Teen via Edelweiss
Series? The Taking #1

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    I wanted to read Kimberly Derting because I have heard a lot about her previous series but the whole necromancer thing wasn't for me. But when I heard about a memory loss and the mystery of how she lost five years but didn't age, it really intrigued me. I was lucky enough to be approved to review on netgalley. 
    I connected with Kyra right away because she just seemed like a normal person. Given, she is a great pitcher and I am not athletic but its like living that dream without actually doing it. She is arguing with her dad when she sees a bright light and then the next thing she knows she wakes and everyone else has aged five years and moved on, but she doesn't realize what happens. 
    There was a nice hint at romance in the beginning, but they are thrown for a loop when she is five years younger all of the sudden and he is in college... It is an awkward situation with her and Austin especially since they were friends forever and then romantic and living across the street she also knew his family. The romance that developed five years later was a surprise in some aspects because of who it was, but I loved how it developed. Their conversations, his romantic gestures--drawings, texts, convos, etc. 
    The world building was pretty good, and although I was still left with questions, it was something that Kyra didn't know or even her dad who had been doing research the whole time she was gone. I am hoping that the next books will give more enlightenment on what the purpose of the Takings are and the technicallities of who gets returned and who doesn't. I did like the slow unfolding of Kyra and how she'd changed. I appreciated how Tyler believed her and that he cared for her all the same. 
    There were some pretty big twists in this, but looking back it was foreshadowed all along. It was pretty heartbreaking but I guess also necessary, although I'll admit I was thinking that Kyra would play a bigger role, but it makes sense for continuing on that it happened the way it was written. 
     The ending left me wanting more and wishing that I already had the next book. It semi wrapped things up, but it still left at a pretty dramatic moment, though it did give me some hope and a bit of lasting power until I can get the next one.

Bottom Line: Great premise, main character with a sweet romance.

My question to you, my lovely readers:
Have you ever experienced dejavu?
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27 comments:

  1. Nice review!! I am sooo looking forward to this one and cannot wait to read it!

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  2. That ending was a killer! I cannot wait for the next one, this one was a lot of fun. Great review!

    Teresa @ Readers Live A Thousand Lives

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    1. Yeah, it really was. Pretty certain what actually happened, but you never know. Certain authors have killed off romantic interests or even main characters

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  3. Glad you liked this one. I loved all the suspense built up around her disappearance but was not a huge fan of the romance. It was a little awkward based on the age difference and the brother thing. Plus, I really thought he was just a little too perfect. Not sure if I will read the next one, but I'm a huge Kim Derting fan, so I'll probably give it a go.
    Thanks so much for stopping by! Jen @ YA Romantics

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  4. I like books that feature necromancers, so I'm going to add this one to my wishlist. Plus, yours is the 2nd 4-star review for this title that I've read today. Always a good sign. Happy Friday! :)

    Carmel @ Rabid Reads

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  5. The reviews so far for this book haven't been too great, which is a real shame, as I had high hopes for this book when I first heard about it. But I will be starting my copy hopefully soon, so here's hoping I end up enjoying it just as much as you did!

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  6. I'm really excited for the next book too, I really enjoyed this one!

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  7. Looking at the cover I was expecting a much darker story. Still, glad you were left wanting more, its always a good sign when this happens.

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  8. I like the romance in this one as well. I loved how close they became and the twists were so interesting :) Great review and I'm glad you enjoyed it!

    Janina @ Synchronized Reading

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  9. AH! I need to read this one! I remember wanting to, just never getting to it! It does sound interesting and I do love a book with twists and one that makes you want more!

    Great review!

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  10. I keep hearing such wonderful things about this book and I'm surprised because Derting's novels so rarely work for me. I'll certainly be giving it a chance, though.

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  11. I'm very curious about The Taking now, Brandi. I've heard so many great things about Derting as well, but haven't made the time to read her books. I think I'll take a chance on this one. Nice review!

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  12. I'm glad you liked this. The story reminds me a bit of a movie I really liked as a kid.

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  13. I'm so happy you enjoyed this and that the romance was sweet! I'm definitely planning on giving it a read soon. Lovely review!

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  14. I think The Taking is a book I'd really enjoy, too, Brandi. I love that she kind of 'lost' five years, but in a way didn't. Do the readers find out what happened and why she disappeared for all that time without aging?
    Great review, I need to add this to my TBR :)

    Lexxie @ (un)Conventional Bookviews

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  15. The more reviews I read, the more I'm anxious to read this book. The mystery surrounding her disappearance has me chomping at the bits. :)

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  16. Awesome cover! This does sound like an intriguing book. I am curious what caused the five year lapse in time, but yet the main character didn't age. Thanks for sharing your review. :)
    ~Jess

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  17. I really did like this book! I'm so glad you did too! Great review as well!!

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  18. Yaaaa, so happy this one turned out good. I am excited to finally get to it.

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  19. oh I think it's the first good review I see about this one so I'm glad you enjoyed it. Not sure it's for me because I was quite mixed after the ones I read but I need to try this author one day.

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  20. I don't know if this book is for me. I'm probably going to have to wait and see how the rest of the series goes, before committing to it, BUT I'm really glad you liked it ;) And no, I've never "felt" deja vu, but there have been times that I've been absolutely certain that something has happened that after awhile even I am forced to admit didn't, and the only explanation I can come up with is that I was dreaming . . .

    Jessica @ Rabid Reads

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  21. Everyone has been praising this book. Yet I can't seem to get over the fact that Kyla knew Tyler when he was 12 and she was dating his older brother. How. Do. You. Get. Past. That? I have nothing against age gaps. As long as you didn't know the other person before they even hit puberty. I mean... I don't know. I just can't wrap my brain around it - no matter how swoon-worthy Tyler is.

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  22. Oh i love the sound of their unique build up and cute interactions. Maybe i need to give my husband a lesson in romance haha.

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  23. Awesome review! Arrgh so many books I need to read still :3

    I have to say, I have experienced deja vu so many times! It's supposedly more common when your tired because if you are exhausted you can hallucinate more... I think this means I need more sleep? lol

    http://olivia-savannah.blogspot.nl/2014/04/a-whole-lot-of-questions-tag.html

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  24. Loved this book!! I just posted my review today. Tyler was beyond perfect, wasn't he? I loved him immediately. I still have a ton of questions left and hopefully Derting will explain why all this happened in the next book. I can't wait for it!

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