Mystic City (Mystic City #1)

Words cannot even begin to explain how wonderful this debut novel is! I could not put this book down. Taking place in the futuristic Manhattan, it weaves in the tale of Romeo and Juliet with all the romance and deception and mixes it with a bit of the mystical powers of X-Men.

Not being a huge fan of romance in YA novels, this plot line kept me hooked from the very beginning. The world is well detailed and Theo Lawrence paints a vivid picture that is easy to understand. There is love,loss, political unrest, rebellion, and of course magic. The plot twists are great and makes you want to keep the pages turning well into the dark hours of the night.

I have already recommended this book to a few of my students and friends and the book is a big hit. The only problem is waiting to find out what happens next!

What do you get when you take a Romeo and Juliette-esque tale, a mysterious locket, unexplained memory loss and some flashing green lights? Mystic City; a riveting story of romance, deception, political war and choosing the greater good regardless of the sacrifice.

This book sucked me in right from the start and left me feeling like my heart would literally burst out of my chest before it ended. Aria, having suffered a significant memory loss doesn't know what or who she can trust. Everyone tells her she's madly in love with Thomas, the son of her family's political enemy but she can't remember loving him and worse, she doesn't feel like they're in love. She does her best to move forward but when flashes of memories start to creep in and contradict what she's been told, she begins to question everything.

With the help of a mysterious locket and a cryptic note left inside, Aria goes in search of answers but what she finds is Hunter, a beautiful mystic boy from the Depths whose everything Aria's been warned against. Mystics are dangerous and those who still have their powers are illegals. Aria knows she should keep her distance from Hunter especially with her impending nuptials to Thomas but she can't.

As the political tensions come to a head, Aria is caught in the middle and faced with the impossible choice of saving those she loves or doing what's best for her city. Neither decision is easy and both will require great sacrifice while leaving a trail of devastating loss in it's wake.

The world building is enticing and detailed, making you feel as if you were walking through the heat and humidity right along with Aria. The romance is sweet, intense and yet completely heartbreaking at the same time. I can't imagine not being able to remember the person I loved OR being the person whose been forgotten. *cries*

I enjoyed these characters but Hunter was my favorite. He's not only good looking but he's strong, selfless and funny. Aria shows great strength in her refusal to just keep the status-quo especially once she learns the truth about the mystics and Thomas is stoic in his efforts to keep the peace between the families. Turk and Davida are the kinds of friends anyone would be lucky to have.

Ooh, love futuristic stories that have a Romeo and Juliet feel to them! Aria Rose wakes up and finds she's engaged to marry Thomas, son of the rival Foster family. No matter how much she tries to believe she 'loves' him, everything feels wrong. Then she stumbles into Hunter and something awakes inside of her. Even though she knows it's wrong, she continues to seek Hunter out. Even if it destroys her.

There are lots of twists and turns in this dystopian tale. I was hooked from the very beginning and couldn't put this part X-men, part futuristic Romeo and Juliet tale down. The feuding families in this case try to 'cover' up a truth and Aria continues to try to find out what really happened to her memories.

There's a hot new romance between Hunter and Aria. At first he comes off as arrogant but later readers find out how much he's hiding too. What Aria's father does to her is kind of like the Mafia meets Total Recall. And how the futuristic NYC is being run is horrific and chilling. There's lots of deception around Aria and deadly secrets.

A great new series!