Review: The wardrobe stayed close...
Rating: 2 out of 5
Date: 08 25, 2012
I was so happy to hear from Soraya Lane that I was the winner of her blog tour giveaway ^^ But (you could hear this one coming, right?) But I'm sorry to say that this story wasn't meant for me. I didn't like it as much as I thought I would. The most important element was missing in the story. A must have for me to enjoy a story: the ability to bring the story alive. It remained "flat." Every time I read a story, it becomes a 3D movie in my head. I create my own world. I see everything that happens, I can picture how everyone looks and, most important of all: I create a bond with the characters (the one I like, at least ;) ). This 3D effect was missing. I wasn't able to travel to the wondrous world of Change. No movie means no pictures and no bond. Which leads to a not so entertaining story and in my eyes a lack of connection between the scenes. And I sincerely looked forward to reading this story... What a letdown...Furthermore I had a bit of trouble with the speed between the events. Day 1: A forlorn Riley mourns her sister's death and meets Hunter. Day 2: After she met Hunter and became a Leopard the sorrow for her sister is a blip on her mind. Day 3: Why was she mourning?If your twin sister, with whom you had an incredibly connection, dies and you're mourning, it's just not possible to just forget about the whole ordeal. And this was before she found out about her sister... And then there's the speed with which Riley seems to make life changing decisions. It's okay to sleep a night on it, it won't go away and you've still got some time to answer the question. Some decisions shouldn't be made with the feelings you feel at the moment... Especially if you still have doubts...What got me through the book where the hints that were dropped about Claudia and the blossoming romance between Riley and Hunter, which was cute at times. Although what stayed with me after reading this book is the situation with Claudia. She obviously died, but how could she still be alive? The climax of this thread was a bit of a let down. It didn't seem fair for Claudia. I have a sister too, but I don't think I would have had the same peace with the situation as she would have. Isn't there something that can be done about it? It's been happening for generations. Isn't there someone who could stop this?Reading this book also raised some questions, Like: How are other female Leopard's created? Do they have to go through the same ordeal? Who exactly is the enemy? There's a short update, but they are nearly non-existent till the end... And so on... It gave me the feeling that some things weren't completely thought through, or some things were forgotten. There were not enough details or hints to give me the whole story...Conclusion: 2 hearts. I wasn't able to create a world inside my head and therefore unable to create a bond with the characters. The speed with which some scenes happen was too fast to be credible. Riley went through different feelings at lightning speed, which made  it hard to believe. On top of this the book raises more questions than the answers I get. What kept me reading and the reason for the two stars is the hints about Claudia and the blossoming romance between Riley and Hunter. Although what really happened with Claudia was a let down...Originally reviewed at Witchmag's Boekenplank