Review: Guardians: The Girl by Lola St. Vil
Title: Guardians: The GirlRelease: 02.10.2011
Pages: 218
Format: eBook PDF
Source: Author
Description: Emmy - a bookish, witty student - is rescued by six teenaged angels with powers, called Guardians. They've been sent to elicit the secret from her before the demons can. Emmy later learns that her name is the only clue to locating a sought-after bridge that for centuries, Evil has plotted to destroy; this would in turn bring about the end of humanity.
Things get worse when Emmy falls madly in love with Marcus, the well-intentioned but obstinate leader of the Guardians. He eventually confesses that he is in love with her as well. Unfortunately, Marcus has been warned by his clairvoyant and omniscient guide that should he and Emmy get together, the mission will fail and humanity will perish.
Things get worse when Emmy falls madly in love with Marcus, the well-intentioned but obstinate leader of the Guardians. He eventually confesses that he is in love with her as well. Unfortunately, Marcus has been warned by his clairvoyant and omniscient guide that should he and Emmy get together, the mission will fail and humanity will perish.
Review: I don't know quite where to start! I'm still jumpy and all over the place from the primal "girl need more book now" state the last page left me with. Pardon the sporadic thought, but I absolutely adored this book. Well-written, age-appropriate, and undeniably clever, I was completely shocked by how.incredibly.much I enjoyed this book! I devoured it in a few hours, and it seemed physically impossible to set down, even to update my Goodreads status. Between a forbidden love that rivals even Twilight, an amazing and refreshing new idea, and characters hard not to completely adore, it would be sacrilegious not to love it. The development of the characters is amazing, and the world of this book will capture you within them - whether the quirky, bookish girl in all of us is relating to the lovesick and amusing Emmy (who is actually willing to fight, unlike so many passive and disinteresting modern heroines despite her sad but fascinating family dynamic), falling head over heels for broody-bound-to-another-angelic-First-Guardian-leader Marcus, envying the twins as the best friends you'll never have, wishing maybe-baby Reese could Blink you out of the awkward moments we all suffer through, wishing you had Jay picking you up in his fancy cars, making you laugh your insides inside out, and bringing you platonic Valentines (the magical medicinal chocolate - perfect for any bloody broken heart!), having a mind-reading fortune-telling six-year old bring your fav tissue brand when you breakdown, or even being granted the captivating sneak-peak of a soft side of your next boyfriend's current, maybe-evil lady-beast fling as she saves random children in the heat of a mind-blowing battle. I love the setting, I love the concept, I love the idea, I love the characters, I love the dynamics, I love the writing, and I love the fact that at fifteen I didn't feel that the main character (of fifteen turning sixteen) underestimated or misrepresented the maturity of the age group [which is a bit of an issue in the past few reads I've picked up] at all! Considering it's a first novel, it was simply perfect! All in all, it's fun and deliciously crazy, and by the end of this awesome read - I found myself both dying for more and feeling homesick for a place that doesn't really exist beyond these pages.
I confess I had a hard time getting past the first few chapters, and much more than anything I was intimidated by such a strange and unique concept, lore and all. As the story spun on, I realized it was wonderfully strange, and nothing less. The hard-core, abrupt, this-is-how-it-is set up is rough to swallow, but it gets the plot rolling over fields of action, and it never slows down, intervals only changing to explode at the heart-wrenching scenes of loss or rejection, and the amazing, heart-pounding ending. An ending that would make it impossible not to read the next installment of this series. It reminds me of a pile of brilliantly broken glass - fierce and raw and a little chaotic, and difficult to appreciate the beauty of until you take it in - all at once, for what it is. With shards of a grave, tantalizing, heart-breaking forbidden love that leaves the reader yearning, the hypnotizing scents of the love triangle that deserved a chance, engulfed in the flames of a curiously dark humor, instigated by fast-paced writing and an enrapturing plot holding its own heartbeat, Guardians: The Girl is a phenomenal breakout novel.
I recommend this read for fans of Twilight by Stephenie Meyer, Awaken by Sarah Ross, and Scent of a White Rose by Tish Thawer. Although I'm not personally an anime fan, I have friends who are, and I definitely think many elements (including the comedic timing, visual description, characters, and lore) would appeal to anime audiences, too.
Highly recommended for someone looking for something new :)
I confess I had a hard time getting past the first few chapters, and much more than anything I was intimidated by such a strange and unique concept, lore and all. As the story spun on, I realized it was wonderfully strange, and nothing less. The hard-core, abrupt, this-is-how-it-is set up is rough to swallow, but it gets the plot rolling over fields of action, and it never slows down, intervals only changing to explode at the heart-wrenching scenes of loss or rejection, and the amazing, heart-pounding ending. An ending that would make it impossible not to read the next installment of this series. It reminds me of a pile of brilliantly broken glass - fierce and raw and a little chaotic, and difficult to appreciate the beauty of until you take it in - all at once, for what it is. With shards of a grave, tantalizing, heart-breaking forbidden love that leaves the reader yearning, the hypnotizing scents of the love triangle that deserved a chance, engulfed in the flames of a curiously dark humor, instigated by fast-paced writing and an enrapturing plot holding its own heartbeat, Guardians: The Girl is a phenomenal breakout novel.
I recommend this read for fans of Twilight by Stephenie Meyer, Awaken by Sarah Ross, and Scent of a White Rose by Tish Thawer. Although I'm not personally an anime fan, I have friends who are, and I definitely think many elements (including the comedic timing, visual description, characters, and lore) would appeal to anime audiences, too.
Highly recommended for someone looking for something new :)
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