Origins (Black #1)

When I heard about this book, my first thought was 'another vampire story'. But this is not the case. Jessa succeeded to step back from the typical vampire concept and created a whole new world. And o boy what a world that Black world is!

The main character Adelin is for me the typical girl next door and that made it easy to relate with her. She doesn't really stand out but there is just something about her. What I particularly liked is that Adelin isn't the usual whiny girl that needs to be rescued. She is strong, intelligent and independent. One day she discovers that she isn't 'normal' like other people, that the mother she thought was dead is still alive, and that she has to make an impossible choice: staying human or becoming immortal. To make things even more complicated, this choice goes unavoidably together with choosing between the father who raised her and the mother she has never known. Understandable, she is lost at first...

Then Adelin meets Vraiden Black (V)... A handsome, dark and dangerous immortal. While staying on Black Island and getting to know her long lost mother, Vraiden shows Adeline how the world of immortals looks like. There is immediate chemistry between those two, and we can't really blame Adelin for that. My feelings for V were a roller coaster through the book. I really liked him at first, I mean how can one not? He is charming, witty and drop dead gorgeous. I even kept liking him after discovering he did some gruesome things in the past. I could forgive him that cause he sounds like he regrets those things and wants to change. But then there appears to be one more thing he has done and I just can't see pass that. And that has everything to do with his older brother, Lucien...

Luc is for me the 'underdog' in this story. And I caught myself starting to like him more and more while reading. He made me smile and laughing out loud more than once with his smart-ass comments and witty retorts. In the end I liked his character most of all the characters in the book and yeah it's obvious I want more from him in the sequel. In most books you have the typical good and bad guy. Although Vraiden is portrayed as the badass one, I don't think of Luc as the 'good' one. He has a dry sense of humor, is rude, funny in sarcastic way and sadly ... damaged. He lost the love of his life and that left noticeable scars. He did something unimaginable that he will regret the rest of his life, but it gives him an extra edge. At first he doesn't understand the relationship between V and Adelin and the fact that his brother is capable to love someone. After a while he realizes that V wants to make a real effort to change and although Luc doesn't like his brother he does help out when it matters. He even brings his own life in danger while helping to protect Adelin and that makes him again more likeable.

Important to mention is, that this is not just another love story or love triangle. Although it might sound like that, it is not the focus in this book. The choice Adelin has to make is central : staying human or becoming immortal. Cause lets be honest: How can you chose between your humanity -something you take for granted because you don't know anything else; or immortality -a dark hidden world full of bloodlust that both appeals and disgusts you ?

Although Vraiden and Luc don't like each other they need to work together to protect Adelin against the first - and therefore most powerful - immortal before the choice will be made for her. So yes, there is also action! And some pretty gruesome parts if you ask me.

The book has a good pace, characters are believable and Jessa has such a beautiful way of writing and describing things. She managed to draw me completely in the story and I hope Jessa will finish the second book soon so I can go back to that Black World. Cause it is a world I really came to love!

First up I had high expectation of this book. Since I really did like the teasers that Gilbert on her blog ( http://www.jessagilbertbooks.com/ ). And to my utter surprise all my expectations were exceeded. The book, was in so many ways so much more than i ever could have expected. The thing is, I knew that I liked Gilbert's way with words. As I said I read those teasers. What I didnt expect is how much I would love it. She managed to draw me in and captivate me right from the beginning until the (for me) way to sudden end of the book. Gilbert is an extraordinarily talented writer, a master of description with tons of imaginations and very witty.
You know that rare book that makes you forget everything around you, the story that takes you in, becomes a part of you while you reading? yeah that was Origins for me. It totally got under my skin.
i cannot wait for the next book of the series to be released!


The plot threw me several times and as the story unfolds many things get explained... but one is always left wanting more. A kind of a vampire story but not the. kind i have ever read before. A great new take on immorality


WARNING! there will be some spoilers in following parts

I found in most paranormal fiction lately there are two types of female leads, they either kick-ass hard core and then have often commitment issues or they are whining damsels in distress. And they often make really stupid and unreasonable choices...Adeline is neither, she is a young woman with her problems and insecurities (like all of us), that has a choice to make which she does contemplate carefully. She is loyal to the ones she loves and is trying to find her own way, with the choices life has given her. She also doesnt expect other to be perfect she accepts their pasts and their faults, which i think is probably what makes her most endearing to me.

Vraiden is the bad boy, who gets caught off guard with how much he likes Adeline. And decided not only to be honest with her but also tries to do whats right for her. Oh and this is not a bad boy suddenly becomes an angel story. He tries to do whats right. I loved him from their first encounter, since he smirks and looks exactly like i like them ;) but from the beginning one knows that there is more to him. Totally love the chemistry between Adelin and Vraiden and so want them to end up together.

And then Luc comes in the picture. And honestly at first i found him a bit off putting. but i couldnt help but laughing at his great one liners. He is so incredibly witty, its a pleasure to read! And as the story goes on and one gets to know the background and what had happened between the two brothers, I started to really like him. While he is somehow broken, to a huge degree through his brothers actions, he still protects his brother and Adeline and even swear an oath to do so.

Gilbert managed to create characters that have real depth. and its not a oh this is the goody and thats the bady situation. which is what really life is like. there are many shades of grey never just black and white. and i think thats what really got me. the fact that it is a really good story, a new take on the blood drinking type of immortals is just one side to it. her descriptions of the ocean the forest and also of peoples emotions are impeccable. they draw one in and all of it is supported by characters that a real ,are complicated have depth and many facets to themselves. the story line is not one of happy clappy one either. each one of the MC has to make hard decisions during it, and as the story unfolds you can see why they have taken them.


Honestly this is one of the best releases in 2012 for me!

In all honesty, I don't know how to begin reviewing this book. I'm speechless. As of now, you all know I'm a very big fan of Young Adult Paranormal book. So you must know that I also want to read something that's not the same as the other book I've read.

Origins' gave me that difference from a book. It's not a vampire story, like the books I've read. It also not the same in The Immortals by Alyson Noel where they need to drink the 'red juice' that was made from experimenting ingredients. This book, Origins, was about Immortals and Adelin can choose whether or not she'll be one of the Immortals OR remain human.

Plot: Not the typical paranormal story, IMO. Cause it's a mix. Well, maybe there's books that are somehow in the same plot, but I haven't read that yet so I don't know. The plot was great! I like how the author, Gilbert made the MC to have a choice about whether she'll stay human or be one of the Immortals. I know most of the paranormal books have to choose that. But this one's a special case. Since I can't really tell you why, you just have to wait for this book to come out and buy it from Amazon. :) Anyway, Origins is also a bit creepy. It's written in different point-of-views and it's creepy when you are inside of a predator's mind. For me, it really is a good plot. A+ if I'll grade it. ;)

Characters: I love the characters, especially the guys. ;) What I like about Adelin is (just as the author said) not the damsel in distress type, can stand up on her own but not the type of like Rose in VA. And she needed to choose between Immortality or staying with her Dad. THAT is hard to choose. It's like choosing who you like best, Mom or Dad? When you both love them much.

Vraiden is cocky, scary and funny (IMO). He's also incredibly sexy. lol! Okay, enough of that part. I like how Vraiden goes to a change. I don't really like him at the first cause, um, he can be quite scary (as I've said). And oh, sadistic too. *shudders* But yes, (a one-time spoiler, or maybe it's not really a spoiler) he changed. That's why I started to like him.

Lucien, I... I really can't say anything about him that can't spoil the book. >_< I'll just go with Gilbert's decription of Luc. :)

Overall: Did I said that I love this book? Not yet? Well, I absolutely love it! I picked up this book because I know the author and because I was hooked by the teasers she had on her website. I wanted to know what happened to Adelin after reading the first full Chapter of Origins in Jessa's site. And when she announced that she's looking for Beta Reader, I immediately applied for it. And I'm not regretting anything since it's really worth my time in reading this book. After reading the entire thing, I was kind of shocked because the ending of this book is something that I really didn't expect will happen. And I can't wait to get my hands on the book and the second book!

To know more about Origins, I did an interview with the author, Jessa L. Gilbert. Please check it out in here: http://lexiereads.blogspot.com/2012/07/author-interview-jessa-l-gilbert.html

Can't wait for the full book! :) Stay tuned!