Review: A New Twist in the YA Paranormal Field
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 02 27, 2012
*Received e-book through Read It and Reap program from the Shut Up and Read! Goodreads group from author;**Also posted on Smashwords under LeannessfSurvival is the story of Maddie, a 19-year old attending college after losing both parents at a young age, who becomes the victim of a serial killer and is rescued by an alien race called the Vesturions. The novel is divided into four books, 1) mostly Maddie's point-of-view up to when she is recuperating from her ordeal, 2) mostly Rayn's point-of-view, the Guardian who rescues her, 3) mostly 3rd person narrative of the romance that continues after Maddie is healed, and 4) mostly 3rd person narrative of the events that occur during their separation when Rayn must answer to the Vesturion Council for daring to mate with a human.I liked how Hargrove divided the book in four parts, but felt that the first book (~40% of the novel) was a bit disjointed. This was due to the switch from Maddie's POV to 3rd person narrative to the serial killer's (Darryl) POV. The storyline did not seem to flow well and the dialogue was a bit off; for example, when Maddie talks about her past to new friends at college, the words she used appeared to be more mature than her years, even flat at times. This appeared to be Hargrove's method to tell the reader Maddie's past experiences, but unfortunately did not provoke a strong emotional response, which I believed was a lost opportunity to relate/bond to the protagonist. This was also apparent with Darryl's section - again I think Hargrove could have evoked more horror and revulsion of his personal history better by "showing" rather than "telling". The switching POVs also augmented the lack of connection with the characters.On the other hand, I did like the remaining books of Survival. I was delighted in learning more of the Venturion race as I appreciated Hargrove's detailed descriptions. In addition, I took delight in reading about Rayn's family, especially his brother, Rykerian, and his sister, Sharra, who had an amusing tendency to mix up human slang and figures of speech. The integration of Maddie into Rayn's home was hilarious at times and positively charming. Hargrove was able to create a Maddie that was more endearing to the reader and I found myself becoming more emotionally involved in the story. The last three books were a refreshing and welcome contrast to the first book.Overall, Survival was an interesting read with an unusual twist - aliens versus the numerous vampire and werewolf books currently flooding the stores. I enjoyed the interplay with most of the characters. With the tense cliffhanger at the end, I plan to read the next book in the series, Resurrection. I would recommend this to young adult readers, who are fans of Twilight and similar series, but not necessarily older adults.