Indigo Awakening(The Hunted, #1)
by Jordan Dane
Paperback, 294 p.
Synopsis
Voices told Lucas Darby to run. Voices no one else can hear. He's warned his sister not to look for him, but Rayne refuses to let her troubled brother vanish. On her desperate search, she meets Gabriel Stewart, a runaway with mysterious powers and far too many secrets. Rayne can't explain her crazy need to trust the strange yet compelling boy, even though he scares her.
They discover Lucas is running from the Believers, a fanatical church secretly hunting psychic kids—gifted "Indigo" teens feared to be the next evolution of mankind. Rayne's only hope of saving her brother is Gabe, who is haunted by an awakening power—a force darker than either of them imagine—that could doom them all.
I absolutely loved this book! I've never heard of Indigo children, but apparently they're some urban legend. Human 2.0 and all, they have special powers and are said to be the "next generation". They are frequently misunderstood, and are called "indigo" because that's what their...aura...is. Nevertheless, this isolation and secrecy provides the perfect setup for a YA novel.
After the plane crash, Mia Darby has taken on the burden of looking after siblings Lucas and Rayne. However, she shunts Lucas off to a theologically inclined hospital with sinister intentions *ahermEVILSCIENTISTScoughcough*, and blackmails Rayne into staying in line with her concern for her brother. For five years, this is the arrangement, but it all changes when Lucas escapes the hospital...
Living on her own for the past six months, she did whatever she wanted, whenever. Sometimes she liked how freedom tasted.
Now just wasn't one of those times. ~Rayne, pg. 9
I found Rayne, our primary narrator, to be a very decent character. She's fiercely devoted to her brother, Lucas, and is determined to find him. Her complement, the moody and mysterious Gabriel Stewart, is a rich boy turned runaway who has been living in an abandoned part of the old zoo. Together, they narrate their part of the story, and the dual girl-guy POV helps to dispel some of the lust-miasma that is so prevalent in YA romance. It's really nice to see a guy who's freaking out about a girl while she's freaking out about him. Plus, he had a ghost dog named Hellboy. Who serves as some sort of conduit for his freaky-cool Indigo powers.
Now just wasn't one of those times. ~Rayne, pg. 9
I found Rayne, our primary narrator, to be a very decent character. She's fiercely devoted to her brother, Lucas, and is determined to find him. Her complement, the moody and mysterious Gabriel Stewart, is a rich boy turned runaway who has been living in an abandoned part of the old zoo. Together, they narrate their part of the story, and the dual girl-guy POV helps to dispel some of the lust-miasma that is so prevalent in YA romance. It's really nice to see a guy who's freaking out about a girl while she's freaking out about him. Plus, he had a ghost dog named Hellboy. Who serves as some sort of conduit for his freaky-cool Indigo powers.
The alternate side, Lucas and Kendra, is where you really start to understand the plot. While Rayne and Gabe are off visiting his fancy mansion and having Indigo-power-related mishaps, Kendra is the leader of a small band of Indigo children who have all escaped the scary hospital, and has taken Lucas under her wing.
Or rather, it might be with the villains that you'd find the most comprehension, because villains are awesome. Aforementioned evil scientists, plus double-crossers and whatnot.
Alright, now to the analysis!
The pacing of this book was wonderful. Though it was slow and deliberate, at no time did I feel that it lagged. In fact, it was wonderful, reading a build-up of Rayne/Gabe and Lucas/Kendra. Dane painted the characters in deep, bold colors, and really brought out the essence of each person. Not only that, the plot had me in its grips as well. Every time there was a twist, I'd be on the edge of my seat, waiting for whatever came next. And there were quite a few. [Such as the quintessial "I am your father" line...or rather "I am the head evil guy's son".] Can the next book come any sooner?
Rating
I think I made it pretty obvious right off the start, but I would have to applaud Jordan Dane for making such a beautiful novel. All those blurbs were right for once! Fantastic worldbuilding, a deep connection with the characters, and Hellboy the dog (YESMOARHELLBOYPLZ) gave this novel a...
Happy reading!
Alright, now to the analysis!
The pacing of this book was wonderful. Though it was slow and deliberate, at no time did I feel that it lagged. In fact, it was wonderful, reading a build-up of Rayne/Gabe and Lucas/Kendra. Dane painted the characters in deep, bold colors, and really brought out the essence of each person. Not only that, the plot had me in its grips as well. Every time there was a twist, I'd be on the edge of my seat, waiting for whatever came next. And there were quite a few. [Such as the quintessial "I am your father" line...or rather "I am the head evil guy's son".] Can the next book come any sooner?
Rating
I think I made it pretty obvious right off the start, but I would have to applaud Jordan Dane for making such a beautiful novel. All those blurbs were right for once! Fantastic worldbuilding, a deep connection with the characters, and Hellboy the dog (YESMOARHELLBOYPLZ) gave this novel a...
5 out of 5 stars
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