Nocturnal Book Reviews: Immortal City by Scott Speer EARLY REVIEW

Immortal City by Scott Speer EARLY REVIEW

Saturday, March 24, 2012 | Posted by kara-karina@Nocturnal Book Reviews

Immortal City by Scott Speer

won from Elusinian Mysteries and Scholastic

Synopsis from Goodreads
Jackson Godspeed is the hottest young Angel in a city filled with them. He's days away from becoming a full Guardian, and people around the world are already competing for the chance to be watched over by him. Everyone's obsessed with the Angels and the lucky people they protect - everyone except for Madison Montgomery.

Maddy's the one girl in Angel City who doesn't breathlessly follow the Angels on TV and gossip blogs. When she meets Jackson, she doesn't recognize him. But Jackson is instantly captivated by her, and against all odds the two fall in love.

Maddy is swiftly caught up in Jackson's scene, a world of glamour, paparazzi - and murder. A serial killer is on the loose, leaving dead Angels' wings for the police to find on the Walk of Fame. Even the Guardians are powerless to protect themselves in the face of this threat … and this time it's up to Maddy to save Jackson.

Release date: 5th April 2012.

Amazon US/UK | Amazon kindle US | The Book Depository US/UK

* * *

OK, funny thing is, I seem to disagree with the majority of reviewers on many YAs. I hated Obsidian and Half-Blood, and DNFed Touch, but I thought that Immortal City which keeps getting average reviews on Goodreads was an exceptionally entertaining read.

*shrug*

This was a classic Cinderella story, where Jacks is a prince in shining armor and Maddy is a poor waitress working day and night in her uncle's diner and dreaming of college. Predictable, right?

Wrong.

Despite the mass hysteria surrounding angels, both Jacks and Maddy have been sheltered from each others side of life and are more than a little naive. She makes a stupid mistake going on a date with an angelic version of Justin Bieber, he does even worse throwing her to the wolves by taking her to a huge party with paparazzi and all the famous magazines while all the angels around her keep sneering at poor girl...

Los Angeles, Immortal City, is crazily obsessed with angel celebs, the constant interviews, fashion trends, twitting, facebooking, youtubing, reality shows, their own designer lines or new perfumes... The shallowness of it all is a perfect parody on Hollywood living in its own bubble of a fake perfection.

So, Jacks and Maddy seem like a recipe for disaster until things go south, and the REAL action starts. The dizzying chase, exhilarating flights, danger from the dark evil, and the impossible sparks of intense attraction between the couple, - it pretty much becomes an urban fantasy.

If this book is turned into a TV series I wouldn't be surprised. It has the potential of achieving True Blood success. Cheesy, flashy, overblown, overdramatic and intensely entertaining characters in a mad, mad world obsessed with their existence... Instant win!

It's a fast read, and I enjoyed it very much. Give it a go.

* * *

Классная книга, которая чем-то напомнила мне шоу Настоящая Кровь. Нет ничего лучше, чем авторы описывающие мир после того, как тот узнал о существовании паранормальных существ и попытался это знание превратить в твёрдую валюту.

Мир в эпоху информационных технологий захлёстывает массовая одержимость ангелами-знаменитостями. Блоги, журналы, реалити-шоу, бесконечные интервью, красные дорожки, ангельская аллея славы, линия дизайнерской одежды, куча мерчандайза, парфюмерия, толпы истерических фанатов... Это замечательная сатира на Голливуд, живущий в своём маленьком мирке, далеко от проблем всего остального мира.

Джакс - ангельский эквивалент популярности Джастина Бибера. Талантлив, красив, обаятелен, - пресса не оставляет его в покое ни на минуту. На него давят поклонники, друзья и родители, ожидая, что он оправдает их ожидания. Когда он встречает Мадди - официантку в маленьком придорожном кафе её дяди, кажется, что какие-либо отношения между ними совершенно невозможны.

Что интересно, оба не знают практически ничего о трудностях миров друг друга и оба достаточно наивны, чтобы совершить большущие ошибки по отношению друг другу. И вот читатель сидит и думает, что их взаимное влечение определённо обречено на провал.

Однако, как только на них начинают сыпаться непрятности и их жизни подвергаются огромной опасности, сюжет оживает и переходит в разряд городского фэнтэзи со взрывным действием и головокружительными полётами. И наконец-то между Джаксом и Мадди начинают сверкать искры.

Книга быстро читается, очень увлекательна, и я очень даже её советую.

8.5/10

Tags: 8.5/10, scott speer, urban fantasy, YA, городское фэнтези, городское фэнтэзи/городская фантастика

5 comments:

kimba88 said...: I have the three you hated in my tbr pile..lol
This sounds like a good read and I am glad you enjoyed it..will add to my list!; 24 March 2012 03:42
Mel said...: This sounds like quite a fun read! I like the idea of angels as celebrities. :); 24 March 2012 08:30
Nina @ Death Books and Tea said...: I won one of these too... Seems like it's a little more romancy than I realised. I'm sure I'll like it though. Thanks for the review!; 24 March 2012 08:38
roro said...: Thanks for the review! same here
i liked it as well
a 4/5 for me

i loved the review; 14 June 2012 00:45
kara-karina@Nocturnal Book Reviews said...: I'm glad, Roro! It was a very fun read! :); 14 June 2012 21:03