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Title: The Forgotten Ones (The Danaan Trilogy #1)
Author: Laura Howard
Release Date: April 30th 2013
Publisher: Self-published
Source: eARC from author for blog tour
Allison O'Malley's plan is to go to grad school so she can get a good job and take care of her schizophrenic mother. She has carefully closed herself off from everything else, including a relationship with Ethan, who she's been in love with for as long as she can remember.
What is definitely not part of the plan is the return of her long-lost father, who claims he can bring Allison's mother back from the dark place her mind has gone. Allison doesn't trust her father, so why would she believe his stories about a long forgotten Irish people, the Tuatha de Danaan? But truths have a way of revealing themselves. Secrets will eventually surface. And Allison must learn to set aside her plan and work with her father if there is even a small chance it could restore her mother's sanity.I didn't think I'd be this surprised by The Forgotten Ones—just by reading the blurb, I'd already formed theories as to where this story could go, especially since this isn't my first time encountering the Tuatha de Danaan in fiction—but from the start, Allison's story had me curious. The writing also captured me; I found its beauty on the clarity and simplicity of how the words were strung together.
Allison was an okay character for me. She was smart and strong, and I admired her determination to someday be able to relieve her grandparents of the burden of taking care of her schizophrenic mother, but it irked me how she felt like having fun every once in a while was such a crime, or at least that it would be a huge hindrance to her goal. In the end, she was also quite forgettable.
I loved how fast-paced this book was, and I read it in almost one sitting. The Forgotten Ones was rich with action and a colorful cast of characters, although some of them felt unnecessary and ended up confusing me, what with their goals or desires not being made clear enough to distinguish them if not by their otherworldly names. But although most of them were transparent and vague at the same time, that didn't make the story uninteresting at any point. I just kept reading and reading until I reached the end.
Allison's romance with Ethan, the bad boy who always turned sweet and gentle for her, felt very sporadic. I'd say it was unneeded, but it's not like I didn't enjoy their sweet moments, however few they were. I just wish there was more... or at least almost as much as we saw of the Danaan's world. Speaking of which, the fairy world was described very well by the author, making it all too easy to see the beauty and horror mixed together beneath the wonder.
The ending was fulfilling, tying up the immediate conflicts and leaving loose ends for the sequel. I started reading The Forgotten Ones thinking it was a standalone, but I'm glad to find out that it's actually the first in a trilogy.
MY FAVORITE PART was Allison and Ethan's date. Talk about a break from all the weird in her life.
RATING:
(cover and blurb from Goodreads.com)
MY FAVORITE QUOTES
I was reading so fast, only two stuck out for me XD
“Something in your eye, Allison?” Ethan asked, seemingly amused at my attempt at indifference.
I clenched my jaw and almost rolled my eyes again. “That must be it, Ethan.”
“Oh, come on. I know how bad you want to see me with my shirt off.”
and
The Danaans were lovely to look at, but their behavior was not normal. It was as if they were made of stone, incapable of emotion.
About the author:
Laura Howard lives in New Hampshire with her husband and four children. Her obsession with books began at the age of 6 when she got her first library card. Nancy Drew, Sweet Valley High and other girly novels were routinely devoured in single sittings. Books took a backseat to diapers when she had her first child. It wasn’t until the release of a little novel called Twilight, 8 years later, that she rediscovered her love of fiction. Soon after, her own characters began to make themselves known. The Forgotten Ones is her first published novel.
Thanks for the giveaway! Love your blog!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the giveaway! Love your blog!
ReplyDeleteI would love to read this book! Thanks for the giveaway!
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting Kahzy!
ReplyDeleteI love love the cover of this book!
ReplyDelete