Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Book Review (& Giveaway): After Obesession by Carrie Jones and Steven E. Wedel

After Obsession by Carrie Jones & Steven E. Wedel


Reading Level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 320 pages
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens (September 13, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1599906813
ISBN-13: 978-1599906812
Series: No
Source: ARC provided by the publisher
Cover: This is just an insanely beautiful cover and really does portray possession well. I love the black dress turning into the mist and the font for the title is gorgeous. Cover is stunning!
First Sentence: "You are mine. You all will be mine."


Mini-ReviewAfter Obsession is one heck of a paranormal thriller that will have you obsessed!


Summary:


Aimee and Alan have secrets. Both teens have unusual pasts and abilities they prefer to keep hidden. But when they meet each other, in a cold Maine town, they can't stop their secrets from spilling out. Strange things have been happening lately, and they both feel that something-or someone- is haunting them. They're wrong. Despite their unusual history and powers, it's neither Aimee nor Alan who is truly haunted. It's Alan's cousin Courtney who, in a desperate plea to find her missing father, has invited a demon into her life-and into her body. Only together can Aimee and Alan exorcise the ghost. And they have to move quickly, before it devours not just Courtney but everything around her. 




Filled with heart-pounding romance, paranormal activity, and rich teen characters to love-and introducing an exciting new YA voice, Steven Wedel-this novel is exactly what Carrie Jones fans have been waiting for. Meet your next obsession.
Book Review:


Told in alternating view points from Aimee and Alan, After Obsession is one heck of a paranormal thriller that will have you obsessed. An exciting blend of Indian mythology and demonic possession, this is a fast paced read that guarantees a couple of chills as the plot barrels on to a satisfying ending. 

The alternating point of views made this novel special, especially since they were written by two separate people but jived so well together. I liked how powerful Aimee was and how she had a few things to battle on her own before she could really start to help. Jones chose to focus on family with Aimee and did an amazing job crafting a caring character. I expected good things from her after loving her Need series. This is why I was surprised to find that I preferred Alan's chapters. Please don't read into this thinking I didn't enjoy Aimee's chapters because I most certainly did, but I liked getting into Alan's character. Being part Indian, I was interested in how strongly he felt connected to that half of him since he didn't know his father. I wanted to know all about his spirit guide and the rituals he practiced even if he only learned how to do them on the internet. Together, Aimee and Alan made a great pair and you could just feel the excitement flowing off the page as each chapter was handed off to the next character.

I was interested in Wedel so I looked him up and found out he was a horror author prior to writing this novel. This worked so well for the paranormal aspects. The scratching and dark shapes in Alan's chapters really amplified the terror of the demon that Aimee and Alan were facing. Not to be outdone, Jones' chapters were equally as terrifying with their dust storms, knives and possessed best friends. Both authors did an amazing job creating the tone and creepy atmosphere. What was also refreshing was that the demonic possession part wasn't too complicated. There were steps the characters had to take but it wasn't tangled up in a lot of convoluted rituals and magic. Everything about the force they fought was pretty simplified and there wasn't really a need to over-explain.

That being said, I did feel like a bit more explanation was needed in some parts. I would have liked to know a little bit more about where Aimee and her mother developed their powers and possibly a little bit more about Alan's father, even if it was just things Alan surmised or his spirit guide revealed. Sometimes the plot would speed up and things would just be glossed over without much explanation. This might have just been because I'd had an ARC. Overall, I really liked how well both of the author's voice complimented their characters and each other. Aimee and Alan's pull to each other was undeniable.

Benefiting from it's mixed mythology and simplicity, After Obsession really is a hit. Alan and Aimee were a pleasure getting to know, both author;s excitement leaked from the page and there was just the right amount of creep factor to keep pulling the reader in. The tagline for this book says it best, watch out because After Obsession really will be your newest obsession!

Rating



Giveaway Time!

Bloomsbury was nice enough to offer up a copy of After Obsession for me to giveaway away on the blog! Thanks so much to them for the generous offer and providing me a copy to review. Check out the rules before you enter!

Rules:
  • Must be 13 years or older
  • This is a US giveaway only
  • Must fill out form below
  • This contest is open until September 20, 2011.





36 comments:

  1. Sounds intriguing. Thanks for the giveaway!

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  2. Thanks for the fantastic giveaway! I love paranormal thrillers, and I've never read a book that added in Indian mythology, which I find incredibly interesting. Thanks again!

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  3. This book sounds so good! And I agree, the cover is amazing!

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  4. Thank yuo for the review and the giveaway! This book looks awesome!!!! : )

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  5. Thanks for the review. I really didn't know much about After Obsession before I read it. Now I have even more reasons to read it. I love mythology, so it will be interesting to learn a little about Indian mythology, which I know like nothing about.

    Thanks for the giveaway!

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  6. Dude, I wasn't sure about this one! Now I'm WICKED excited!! Thanks chick!

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  7. I really want to read this one. Thanks Amber!

    Survivorluvr33ATgmailDOTcom

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  8. This one sounds like creepy goodness, something I'm totally in the mood for (why, I don't know!). I'm going to have to check it out! Thanks for a great review.
    Mary@BookSwarm

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  9. totally looking forward to this book! sweet giveaway

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  10. I've been wanting to get my hands on this one. Thanks for the giveaway!

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  11. I have this to read and it sounds great - I love alternating POVs! Glad you enjoyed it, I can't wait to read it now. Fab review !:)

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  12. This book sounds sooooo good! Thanks for the giveaway :)

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  13. What an interesting was to co-author a book. Sometimes I like alternating POV and sometimes I don't. This one thought may be great with two different authors. Nice review. Thanks for the giveaway.

    StuckInbooks.com

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  14. Thanks for the giveaway. I appreciate knowing before hand that both voices blend together making it a smooth read. Plus I loved the Need series so I would love to read more of Carrie Jones' work.

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  15. Thanks so much!

    thegirlonfire27 at gmail dot com

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  16. Ok that trailer is just creepy!!!!!! sounds fantastic tho!

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  17. Thanks for the giveaway!

    Michelle O'Boyle (@OBoyledBooks)

    OBoyledBooks at gmail dot com

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  18. Demons always scare me - and it's that time of year for a good scare.

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  19. I've always been fascinated by Indian mythology. Plus, I'm glad to learn that actual horror/creepy elements are incorporated into the paranormal aspects of the story. Thanks for the review! I'll be keeping an eye on this one.

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  20. Great review! This book has been on my radar for a little while and everyone seems to really like it! :)

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  21. Oooh alternating perspectives? I do hope I can get on that! Sometimes I can get lost with the shift of perspectives but I did enjoy the books I read that used that style. Thanks for the heads up!

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  22. Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I really like Carrie's other books and this one sounds great.

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  23. This book looks wonderfully creepy! I love books where a pair of authors team up to write different points of view, like Rachel Cohn and David Levithan or Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer.
    Thank you for the great review and giveaway!

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  24. I've been wondering about this one. I wasn't a big fan of the Need books (well, I only read the first one) but I was very curious about this one. It sounds very different! I was just waiting for a review and now that I've read one I'm really wanting to read it!
    Thanks for the giveaway too!

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  25. Another great giveaway !! Again I love love the blog!! Bella))))0

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  26. I thought that I wanted to read this book before, but your review has made me certain that I do want to read it. I always wonder how a book is when its written by two authors, but it makes sense now. Also, I read Need and found it enjoyable, if not my favorite, so its good to hear that she was good, and that you enjoyed him even more. I will have to get this book.

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  27. I've been wanting to read this for awhile! Thanks for the giveaway!

    --Juliet

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  28. Love to read more about Indian mythology- not many other authors tackle that
    great giveaway
    follow via gfc
    drakebdog@gmail.com

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  29. Great review! I had already been excited for this book but your review has me more pumped than ever! I'm happy that you enjoyed it! :D Thanks for the chance!

    x
    Sierra(:

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  30. I love Carrie Jones' NEED series, so this book sounds awesome! I love it when there's a collaboration in a book b/c we get to see 2 author's different voices and writing style! I also love the idea that Alan's character is part Indian. It's nice to see more ethnic characters in YA since I'm Asian myself :)

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  31. Love Carrie Jones. She has an awesome sense of humor and she was a politician!

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  32. I love Carrie's Need series, so I will definitely be checking this one out. Thanks for the review and giveaeway!

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  33. Would love to read this book!

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