A Reading Daydreamer: melissa west

Today I am here as a participant for the Gravity Blog Tour, hosted by the lovely Shane at Itching For Books. Thanks so much for having me on this tour! I have my review of Gravity to share with you guys, as well as a giveaway! Yay! Check out the rest of the blog tour here.

Name: Gravity

Author: Melissa West

Publisher: Entangled Publishing

Release Date: October 30, 2012 (US)

Pages: 350, Paperback

Source: Received for Review (Blog Tour)

Rating: 4 Teacups

In the future, only one rule will matter:
Don’t. Ever. Peek.
Seventeen-year-old Ari Alexander just broke that rule and saw the last person she expected hovering above her bed — arrogant Jackson Locke, the most popular boy in her school. She expects instant execution or some kind of freak alien punishment, but instead, Jackson issues a challenge: help him, or everyone on Earth will die.
Ari knows she should report him, but everything about Jackson makes her question what she’s been taught about his kind. And against her instincts, she’s falling for him. But Ari isn’t just any girl, and Jackson wants more than her attention. She’s a military legacy who’s been trained by her father and exposed to war strategies and societal information no one can know — especially an alien spy, like Jackson. Giving Jackson the information he needs will betray her father and her country, but keeping silent will start a war.[summary taken from Goodreads]

Jen's Review

Prior to reading the book, I didn't really know what Gravity was about. The synopsis is a bit vague--you've got a rebellion-like thing going on, a military legacy girl who is falling in love with a guy she shouldn't be falling in love with, and a planet on the cover. Out of the world creatures, perhaps? I don't know about other readers, but I was still confused as to what this supernatural creature exactly was until nearly halfway through the book, thus causing an instant downfall in my enjoyment for the book. No one likes to be confused for THAT LONG. It took much too long for the concept to be introduced. Other than that, Gravity had an exciting plot and a kick-butt main protagonist that was able to keep my interest throughout the entire novel.

As I mentioned before, the reader doesn't find out what the supernatural creature of the novel is until about 30%-50% of the novel is done. Ancients, is what they're called. I was confused and wondering to myself for the longest time, and God knows it's the most frustrating thing ever! No reader likes to be kept in the dark for so long. It also makes it a bit difficult to enjoy the story. Not only was the identity of the creature difficult to fathom, but also "the Taking". What was its purpose? It didn't make sense to me; I think it could have been explained better.

While the concept was a bit confusing, the plot was not. In fact, the plot was really exciting and there were tons of great plot-twisting! It kept me flipping pages; I HAD to know what happened next! Melissa did a great job keeping the reader intrigued.

The best part I think was Ari, the main character. Even though her father was a Commander and she was a military legacy, Ari wasn't strong because of this. I felt like Ari was bold and strong on her own, and I totally admired that about her. While she was hesitant about being with Jackson, she wasn't ever… afraid. She was confident in what she had to get done; in other words, she's a good rebel. *oooooooh, gasp*

Overall, Gravity was a highly enjoyable novel if you are able to see past the confusing section in the beginning of novel. Rebellions, out-of-this-world creatures, and a kick butt character, Gravity is a novel that will captivate you until you finish turn the last page.