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haleyelisereads's review
3.0
3.5
“Know me, Amber. I am Amelia Hoffman, and that," I said emphatically, gesturing towards them, "is my family. And if you or anyone does anything to harm them, I will turn the wrath of the Earth Mother on you. I will turn this entire town into a desert waste if I have to, but I will protect my family. If that makes us enemies, then I will weep for you when you are dead.”
Natural Selection by Elizabeth Sharp completely threw me off guard, what I thought was going to be a simple read turned into an action packed thriller with magic, love, loss..and murder! Within nearly 200 pages Elizabeth Sharp was able to put together a great novel that will leave readers on the edge of their seat!
Amelia thinks she is just an average 15 year old girl, she worries about boys, dances and thinks her curfew is far too early. After some odd events though Amelia is discovering that she is not at all what she thought she was, as if finding out her ‘family’ isn’t really her family, and that she isn’t even human, wasn’t enough to be going through, she also has other people like her being murdered in her town..and she’s next on their list. While trying to figure out her powers, and her connection to her lifetime crush that has recently sparked, will Amelia be able to be strong enough to save the ones she loves? Or will she lose everything she holds dear..
When starting Natural Selection I thought it was going to be a simple read, but it wasn’t at all! It may be short, but it sure packed a punch! Elizabeth Sharp put together a great mixture of paranormal which included Gaia’s, Witches, Succubus, and Djinn. The paranormal mixture I believe was one of my favorite things about Natural Selection. It was something new and refreshing, many times I have read novels of werewolves, shapshifters or vampires, finally running into something new was a great breath of fresh air!
Characters was another aspect of Natural Selection that I deff enjoyed! Amelia is so fearless at times that you can’t help, but look up to her. Sariah although she is a type of demon, shows such care for her family. Out of all the characters though, hands down my favorite was Xander, Amelia’s brother. Xander from the very beginning I knew I was going to fall in love with, he is so caring, funny and protective that I couldn’t help, but totally fall for him!. I also couldn’t help, but to feel sorry for him..he was so ashamed of what he was, and it tore me apart that he didn’t think anyone would accept him, not even his own family. Although Amelia is the main character and I enjoy her, I would really love to read Xander’s story. I feel he would have a lot to say.
All in all, Natural Selection was a treat, and although it may be a short novel, it will keep the readers on the edge of their seat from beginning to end. I would recommend it to anyone looking for something new in the paranormal/YA genre that isn’t your typical vampire and werewolves story!
“Know me, Amber. I am Amelia Hoffman, and that," I said emphatically, gesturing towards them, "is my family. And if you or anyone does anything to harm them, I will turn the wrath of the Earth Mother on you. I will turn this entire town into a desert waste if I have to, but I will protect my family. If that makes us enemies, then I will weep for you when you are dead.”
Natural Selection by Elizabeth Sharp completely threw me off guard, what I thought was going to be a simple read turned into an action packed thriller with magic, love, loss..and murder! Within nearly 200 pages Elizabeth Sharp was able to put together a great novel that will leave readers on the edge of their seat!
Amelia thinks she is just an average 15 year old girl, she worries about boys, dances and thinks her curfew is far too early. After some odd events though Amelia is discovering that she is not at all what she thought she was, as if finding out her ‘family’ isn’t really her family, and that she isn’t even human, wasn’t enough to be going through, she also has other people like her being murdered in her town..and she’s next on their list. While trying to figure out her powers, and her connection to her lifetime crush that has recently sparked, will Amelia be able to be strong enough to save the ones she loves? Or will she lose everything she holds dear..
When starting Natural Selection I thought it was going to be a simple read, but it wasn’t at all! It may be short, but it sure packed a punch! Elizabeth Sharp put together a great mixture of paranormal which included Gaia’s, Witches, Succubus, and Djinn. The paranormal mixture I believe was one of my favorite things about Natural Selection. It was something new and refreshing, many times I have read novels of werewolves, shapshifters or vampires, finally running into something new was a great breath of fresh air!
Characters was another aspect of Natural Selection that I deff enjoyed! Amelia is so fearless at times that you can’t help, but look up to her. Sariah although she is a type of demon, shows such care for her family. Out of all the characters though, hands down my favorite was Xander, Amelia’s brother. Xander from the very beginning I knew I was going to fall in love with, he is so caring, funny and protective that I couldn’t help, but totally fall for him!. I also couldn’t help, but to feel sorry for him..he was so ashamed of what he was, and it tore me apart that he didn’t think anyone would accept him, not even his own family. Although Amelia is the main character and I enjoy her, I would really love to read Xander’s story. I feel he would have a lot to say.
All in all, Natural Selection was a treat, and although it may be a short novel, it will keep the readers on the edge of their seat from beginning to end. I would recommend it to anyone looking for something new in the paranormal/YA genre that isn’t your typical vampire and werewolves story!
booksandladders's review
4.0
Review to come.
Overall: 3.5/5 stars. There was still too much focus on the "before" aspect of Lia's life but the cliffhanger ending was well worth it.
Overall: 3.5/5 stars. There was still too much focus on the "before" aspect of Lia's life but the cliffhanger ending was well worth it.
nkinner's review
3.0
Good
This story was good and held my attention for the entire duration, however there was no pull for me to have to have the next one in the series.
This story was good and held my attention for the entire duration, however there was no pull for me to have to have the next one in the series.
chaotic_ramblings's review
4.0
I can not remember why I grabbed this book, but I loved the story! I am anxious to get my hands on the next book and see what happens to the crew!
addyrunes's review
4.0
When Amelia Hoffman discovers that she is more than human, things escalate quickly. Supernatural beings begin to surface and a murder plagues a community. Twined with mystery, romance, and heart-pounding action, Natural Selection has everything that I love in YA.
When I picked up Natural Selection, it proved to be more than what I was expecting. The magical creatures that are integrated throughout the novel are endless. For example, her sister is a succubus and her brother is a Djinn, while Amelia is a Gaia. She is a creature of nature and has the ability to heal and work with plants/greenery. I loved that there wasn’t a specific supernatural being. It was different and added to the unique and creative story line that Sharp created.
I really liked Amelia Hoffman. Her character is by far one of the youngest that I have read this year. I remember when I was fifteen and it’s much to the insecurities that Amelia faces. She’s sort of plain, but as the novel progresses she blossoms into a beautiful creature (no pun intended). Her feelings towards a certain boy *cough* her brothers’ best friend *cough* is really sweet. He seems to know more about her than she does. Mysterious, eh?
While we’re on the topic of love, Nathaniel, the love interest, is just so sweet and loyal. I just wanted to hug him. Okay, more like attack bear hug him. But still. His fierce protectiveness over Amelia was by far one of my favorite parts. What can I say? I’m a sucker for romance.
Aside from supernatural beings, there are also witches. But the witches in Amelia’s world aren’t the good guys. It’s also difficult to trust people when enemies turn out to be the unlikeliest of people.
Another thing that I really enjoyed about this novel was the realistic bond between the characters. I loved that strong connection between family. As a reader, you could really see how much Amelia cared for her brother and sister. Her parents as well. Amelia is willing to do anything it takes to save her family. I found that admirable.
Lastly, I really enjoyed Sharp’s writing style. It flowed easily and well, it was just fun to read.
All in all, Natural Selection was a great start to a series. The ending leaves you wanting more! Plus, isn’t the cover absolutely gorgeous??
jamiebooksandladders's review
4.0
Review to come.
Overall: 3.5/5 stars. There was still too much focus on the "before" aspect of Lia's life but the cliffhanger ending was well worth it.
Overall: 3.5/5 stars. There was still too much focus on the "before" aspect of Lia's life but the cliffhanger ending was well worth it.
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