Review: Fascinating story that was WAY too short
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 01 8, 2014
Like most novellas, Forged suffers a lot from being entirely too short. I found the story to be fascinating, but abrupt. Just when I thought that I was starting to understand a character or as soon as I would develop some questions about what was going on the story just ended. Like that. It left me feeling overwhelmingly unsatisfied. And yet ... I liked this story. I just wanted there to be more of it.This story centers around Dani and her first introduction to the Branch. I read this story after reading the first two books in the series, and knowing the events of those stories made this one come across as a lot more tragic. Additionally, because of the the actions that Dani (and Connor) make in those stories I read this short story with A LOT of unanswered questions. Why were they doing what they were doing? Were they good guys or bad guys? What led them from the events of this story to their eventual actions in the main two books? So many questions. WAY too few answers.Dani is the main character in this one, and I am still not sure how I feel about her. Like most of the other characters in these stories, she seems to be a huge victim of circumstance in her life. She means well. I can feel that her intentions, at least initially, are good. Knowing how her eventual choices will impact Anna and Sam and the rest of the guys makes this view into her first entrance into this world interesting and yet also puzzling.The book blurb plays on the Dani and Sam relationship angle, but if you are looking for evidence of their romantic feelings for each other you will be sadly disappointed. In fact, Sam is not in this one very much at all. Connor is, though. Connor, for those who do not remember, is the head honcho from book one. In that book he is definitely bad. In this book ... not so much. In fact, I found him to be so fascinating. I wanted to know more about him. I wanted for there to be a huge Dani/Connor romance. I was so interested in what made this guy tick. But, like I say, there wasn't enough time to get to know him, and those who have read the first book in the series know that there won't be enough time in that book to know him either. Bummer!So this was an enjoyable little novella that I probably would have loved way more if I had grabbed it while I was anxiously awaiting the publication of Erased. As it was, though, I ended up wishing that this story was a lot longer. That might be a project Jennifer Rush could take on in the future. I would totally buy that story! Three stars!