Review: Shannon Cheney is on a mission to find out what happened to her memory.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 12 8, 2013
Review courtesy of Dark Faerie TalesQuick & Dirty: Shannon Cheney is on a mission to find out what happened to her memory. If she can finally convince cop Jesse Saldana to hook up with her in the meantime, all the better…Opening Sentence: The first thing you need to know about me is—I see dead people.The Review:I absolutely adore Ann Aguirre’s Sirantha Jax series, but have not yet gotten around to reading her Corine Solomon series. As a result, I was a little nervous starting my experience with the series off with a novella that takes place after the first few books in the series, but I needn’t have worried. While I think I would have benefited from having read the series prior to this novella, I still really enjoyed it, and it made me want to start the series sooner rather than later.Shannon Cheney can communicate with the dead through the use of an antique radio. This doesn’t really help her pay the bills though, as the world is unaware of the existence of the Gifted. So, she’s currently having to pay the bills by working at the Pretzel Pirate in the mall, which is not anyone’s idea of a dream job. On top of that, she’s suffering from a severe case of memory loss. She has no idea what events led her here, and has no idea how to go about figuring out what happened. The only good thing in her life right now is cop Jesse Saldana, a man she is determined to seduce. As they attempt to figure out what caused the memory loss, their feelings for each other grow, and danger looms in the form of demonic attacks. Will they survive long enough to make their feelings known to each other?I really enjoyed having Shannon as the narrator. She was sassy and funny, and her actions and voice seemed to fit my idea of a 19-year-old Goth girl. I had a little bit harder time connecting to Jesse, probably because we don’t get to see anything from his point of view since the novella has first person narration. That being said, he is extremely caring and supportive of Shannon and doesn’t treat her like she’s helpless. What more can you ask for in a hero?Not having read previous books in the Corine Solomon series, I’m not sure if readers know what caused the memory loss, but my curiosity was definitely peaked. I would have preferred it if we could have gotten some answers, but I’m guessing the answers can be found in full-length books from the series. If Ann Aguirre’s purpose was to bring new readers to the Corine Solomon series, she definitely succeeded with me. This was a fast-paced, entertaining read that never had a dull moment. I’ll definitely be starting the series soon!Notable Scene:I stumble back a few steps and topple a display between us. The shattering glass slows her down long enough for me to pop open my backpack. Dodging between display racks, I weave away from her. Madness and malevolence radiate from her in smothering waves, and she’s eerily silent, just the rough gasps of a body unused to such physical exertion.“Maybe we could talk things through,” I offer. “Get some counseling? I’m sure whatever it is I did to you, which I apparently don’t remember, I can make amends. How do you feel about macramé rugs?”Her bony fist smashes through some stained-glass shelving, and her blood spatters me as I dive away. It smells faintly of rotten eggs.“So that’s a no on arts and crafts?”FTC Advisory: Ann Aquirre graciously provided me with a copy of Forbidden Fruit. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.