Ephemeral (Countenance #1)by Addison Moore
Kindle Edition, 412 pages
Published September 12th 2012 by Addison Moore
Source: Author for blog tour
Buy the book: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Smashwords
Description:
Young Adult/ Mature Situations
The last thing Laken Stewart remembers is the oncoming car, then bursting through the windshield.
Two months dissolve without her knowledge and she finds herself in unfamiliar surroundings with strangers who not only profess to know her but insist she’s someone else entirely.
Laken discovers her long dead boyfriend, Wesley, has been thrown into this alternate world as well. He is quick to inform her she suffered a horrible fall and that her memory hasn’t fully returned. According to Wesley the other life she had—her name, her family, they were simply a side effect of her brain trauma.
In her quest for answers she meets Cooper Flanders, the son of her psychiatrist who readily believes every word she says.
Laken Stewart knows she died on that hot July afternoon, but now she’s alive—or is she?
Review:
I started Ephemeral without first reading the synopsis so I really had no idea what the story was about. The shallow me thought that the girl's dress on the cover was pretty thus making the book a worthy read. But lo, I've read so many books with pretty dresses on the covers with stories that did not end up as pretty as their front. And yes, I thought that this might be one of those books BUT fear not, friends. Ephemeral is a quite a shocking novel. Its beginning alone will send you bouncing on your seat and have you screaming for more.
For me, it's important that stories start off with intense beginnings. It sets my reading speed to full blast and my focus to max and it makes me able to read faster while being able to notice every detail of the plot. Of course, the excitement also decreases as the plot start to become tedious, but in Ephemeral's case, the intensity is consistent. I usually just find intensity in action-packed scenes but though Ephemeral has very little fight scenes involved, as it focused more on world-building, the thrill is palpable and the suspense, it's everywhere!
Our main character, Laken, is a very entertaining character who's very easy to like. She's a strong minded person with a very dark sense of humor you will love. The only thing I didn't like much about her was her tendency to be very boy-focused. Most of the time, she just keeps on thinking about Wes, Wes, Wes and Wes. It was a bit annoying at first, to be honest. However, this doesn't go unexplained because from the beginning we already know about Laken's relationship with Wes. And! I'm happy to report that there's a rather interesting growth on Laken's character as the story progressed and there's another guy with the hottest-looking eyes ever I'm sure you're going to love more. And can I just mention how hot this book is? Practically every page is packed with steamy scenes. I admit though that while I love the steamy scenes, I think Addison incorporated too much of it. But hey, hot is HOT!
Overall, Ephemeral is an interesting and refreshing take on paranormal YA that is surprising in the best way possible. Moore has incorporated the supernatural, paranormal and mystery into one unique book that will grab you even from the beginning. From what I've heard, this is somewhat connected to Addison's other series, Celestra. I may not know if Celestra is better or what, but all I can say is that Ephemeral is definitely worth a read.
Rating: 4/5 stars
Disclosure: This book was received from the author as part of Ephemeral blog tour, for free in exchange for an honest review.
About the Author
Addison Moore is the author of young adult fiction and romance. She has worked as therapist on a locked psychiatric unit for almost a decade. She is the mother of four wonderful children. She resides on the West Coast with her family and two dogs where she eats too much chocolate and stays up way too late. When she's not writing, she's reading.
