Review by LianaMayhew -- Opaque by Calix Leigh-Reign
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Liana Mayhew
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Review by LianaMayhew -- Opaque by Calix Leigh-Reign
[Following is a volunteer review of "Opaque" by Calix Leigh-Reign.]
One would normally assume that a 16-year-old, athletic boy, growing up in California, would be a vibrant, outgoing individual, full of excitement at what their future holds. However, Adam is different. He is dark, confused, angry, and full of loathing, both for his peers, who he labels 'animals', and for the dark thoughts, he feels towards his mother. He lives in his own, solitary bubble, religiously studying to become a sociopath, and seeking to learn special kinetic abilities so that he can change society and everything that he despises. He feels totally alone in the world, and that suits him just fine. That is until a new girl, Carly Wit joins his school. There's something about her that's calling out to his core. Who is this mysterious girl? And will she fall into the darkness with Adam? or will she pull him up and into the light?
Opaque is a superbly written supernatural thriller. The author, Calix Leigh-Rein, has done an incredible job in keeping the reader hooked throughout. The gripping story-line is a kind of coming-of-age story, but with a dark and almost magical twist. This is book one of three in the Scion series, and after reading Opaque, I am very keen to read the other two. Being the first book, there is nothing to catch up on, so the reader could just enjoy this book on its own, but because the story-line continues into the other two books, I would recommend getting all three.
There wasn't anything that I disliked about this book, however, on page 230, there was a spacing issue, which was that two lines had overlapped each other, and I couldn't make out any of the words in those sentences. There were a few other spacing problems scattered through the book, but they were only minor, and I was still able to read on without any serious trouble.
I enjoyed everything in the story, but I would have to say that the superpowers, or the 'BK abilities' as the characters call them, were what I liked most. I found myself wanting a few of them for myself, such as the power of flight and the teleporting ability. They would both would certainly help me with the school runs! I can also imagine that the target audience of young adults/teenagers, would also greatly enjoy these.
Throughout the book, there were many well-written characters, both good and bad guys, and the way they were portrayed made it easy to turn detective as a reader, to feel out who was on what side. Personally, I really liked Carly's mother, Dauma. She has a true matriarchal feel to her, and a no-nonsense approach which just reminded me of my own mother. I also liked the main character, Adam, despite his dark character. I could totally understand his feelings regarding not fitting in, but still trying to blend in, and I am sure many others could also relate to this, minus the disgust for others of course.
I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a good supernatural/superhero story. I am aware that the target reader is that of young adult/teenager, but please bear in mind, that there are a few profane words in the book, plus violent scenes throughout. This violence is more comic-book-like in style though, so I don't think this should be too much of an issue. There are a few mentions of sex, but nothing in any detail. I would say that in regards to age, this book would be suitable for those 15 years and over, however that would be at the discretion of the parents/caregivers and depending on the child themselves.
On the whole, I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I can't wait to get stuck into the next two in the series. I would rate Opaque, 4 out of 4 stars, as although there were some spacing errors, I didn't notice any other mistakes, and I felt the story was just fantastic.
******
Opaque
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes | on Smashwords
One would normally assume that a 16-year-old, athletic boy, growing up in California, would be a vibrant, outgoing individual, full of excitement at what their future holds. However, Adam is different. He is dark, confused, angry, and full of loathing, both for his peers, who he labels 'animals', and for the dark thoughts, he feels towards his mother. He lives in his own, solitary bubble, religiously studying to become a sociopath, and seeking to learn special kinetic abilities so that he can change society and everything that he despises. He feels totally alone in the world, and that suits him just fine. That is until a new girl, Carly Wit joins his school. There's something about her that's calling out to his core. Who is this mysterious girl? And will she fall into the darkness with Adam? or will she pull him up and into the light?
Opaque is a superbly written supernatural thriller. The author, Calix Leigh-Rein, has done an incredible job in keeping the reader hooked throughout. The gripping story-line is a kind of coming-of-age story, but with a dark and almost magical twist. This is book one of three in the Scion series, and after reading Opaque, I am very keen to read the other two. Being the first book, there is nothing to catch up on, so the reader could just enjoy this book on its own, but because the story-line continues into the other two books, I would recommend getting all three.
There wasn't anything that I disliked about this book, however, on page 230, there was a spacing issue, which was that two lines had overlapped each other, and I couldn't make out any of the words in those sentences. There were a few other spacing problems scattered through the book, but they were only minor, and I was still able to read on without any serious trouble.
I enjoyed everything in the story, but I would have to say that the superpowers, or the 'BK abilities' as the characters call them, were what I liked most. I found myself wanting a few of them for myself, such as the power of flight and the teleporting ability. They would both would certainly help me with the school runs! I can also imagine that the target audience of young adults/teenagers, would also greatly enjoy these.
Throughout the book, there were many well-written characters, both good and bad guys, and the way they were portrayed made it easy to turn detective as a reader, to feel out who was on what side. Personally, I really liked Carly's mother, Dauma. She has a true matriarchal feel to her, and a no-nonsense approach which just reminded me of my own mother. I also liked the main character, Adam, despite his dark character. I could totally understand his feelings regarding not fitting in, but still trying to blend in, and I am sure many others could also relate to this, minus the disgust for others of course.
I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a good supernatural/superhero story. I am aware that the target reader is that of young adult/teenager, but please bear in mind, that there are a few profane words in the book, plus violent scenes throughout. This violence is more comic-book-like in style though, so I don't think this should be too much of an issue. There are a few mentions of sex, but nothing in any detail. I would say that in regards to age, this book would be suitable for those 15 years and over, however that would be at the discretion of the parents/caregivers and depending on the child themselves.
On the whole, I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I can't wait to get stuck into the next two in the series. I would rate Opaque, 4 out of 4 stars, as although there were some spacing errors, I didn't notice any other mistakes, and I felt the story was just fantastic.
******
Opaque
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes | on Smashwords
Latest Review: Deceptive Calm by Patricia Skipper
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[Danielle]
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I often really enjoy young adult novels and this one has some aspects that make it seem a little more mature, so this could be a good quick read for me! Thanks for the review, I'll have to check this book out!
"Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light." - Albus Dumbledore
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Kelyn
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I don't mind a bit of darkness in my fantasy/sci-fi. Adam sounds like he is in a truly difficult place and needs Carly in his life. I'm not going to give away any spoilers for anyone reading this, but I enjoyed reading the book just as you did. Thanks for the review!
Latest Review: Nightlord: Sunset by Garon Whited
