Review: Eve & Adam by Michael Grant and Katherine Applegate

Eve & Adam
by Michael Grant
and Katherine Applegate
October 2nd, 2012
304 pages (hardcover)
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Source: Publicist

Sixteen-year-old Evening Spiker lives an affluent life in San Francisco with her mother, EmmaRose, a successful geneticist and owner of Spiker Biotech. Sure, Evening misses her father who died mysteriously, but she’s never really questioned it. Much like how she’s never stopped to think how off it is that she’s never been sick. That is, until she’s struck by a car and is exposed to extensive injuries. Injuries that seem to be healing faster than physically possible.

While recuperating in Spiker Biotech’s lush facilities, she meets Solo Plissken, a very attractive, if off-putting boy her age who spent his life at Spiker Biotech. Like Evening, he’s never questioned anything... until now. Solo drops hints to Evening that something isn’t right, and Emma-Rose may be behind it. Evening puts this out of her mind and begins her summer internship project: To simulate the creation of the perfect boy. With the help of Solo, Evening uncovers secrets so big they could change the world completely.

If were asked to play God and create the perfect boy, would you? Evening (or "EV" or "Eve") Spiker is willing to try. After an accident, Evening's recuperating at an empty hospital wing at Spiker Biotech, so creating the perfect boy in a simulation program seems like a good way to alleviate her boredom. Solo Plissken, meanwhile, is somewhat stubbornly determined to uncover and reveal dark truths about Spiker Biotech that others would prefer to keep buried. Packed with action and a few surprising twists, Eve & Adam will hook you from start to finish.

Eve & Adam is a fresh and original sci-fi take on the biblical story of Adam and Eve. I'm a first-time Grant and Applegate reader, but I can see why they both have so many loyal fans. The authors expertly kept the voices distinct and the pacing quick, while also infusing the story with plenty of humor and surprises at the right possible moments. While there are some flaws here and there, Eve & Adam proves itself to be a fun and fascinating story, and one that is guaranteed to make you eager for a sequel. 

Highlights: Evening, Solo, and Adam each retained their separate personalities and voices for their chapters. The pacing and short chapters made it difficult to stop reading, and I love it when a book hooks me like that. I liked the descriptions and loved the concluding surprises. Side characters were great, especially Evening's slightly evil mother (she surprised me the most). 

Lowlights: I wasn't fond of the subplot revolving around Evening's best friend, Aislin (and Aislin's boyfriend, Maddox). I'm surprised by how long it took for Adam to show up, I thought he'd be present earlier in the story. Quick romance. Characters, as a whole, were fun but not very complex. 

Rating: 

Immortal City by Scott Speer

Immortal City
Scott Speer
April 3rd, 2012
336 (hardcover)
Razorbill3rd personSource - Publisher (unsolicited)

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.

While Immortal City had a fascinating premise, it somewhat failed to impress or even stand at the same level as other novels in its genre. As a mystery, this book is good. The mystery of who is killing off the angels is captivating, and it was interesting to see how the surprises Speer had in store for his readers played out. However, as a romance, the relationship was difficult to believe in. While some people may love and thoroughly enjoy the story Speer has crafted, I couldn't help but to feel as if I've read it all before. 

Highlights: An intriguing mystery is at the core of Immortal City. While I did guess the "bad guy" early on, Speer managed to throw in a few surprises along the way to keep his readers changing their minds. The guardian-angel-for-pay idea was interesting. The 3rd person POV was mostly enjoyable (shifting between three main characters) because it gave the story a more well-rounded feel. 
Lowlights: The writing style/tone of the story¹. A serious case of insta-love between Jackson and Maddy. Excessive brand name-dropping in the beginning was very, very frustrating. These characters and their relationships with one another needed a lot of work and much more authenticity. 
Final Thoughts: In the end, I found the story to be only "okay". However, despite any issues I had with the story, it had some nice moments. I've seen a lot of positive reviews for this book, so I may be in the minority. I would recommend reading the first couple chapters or to check it out at your local library to see if it's a story for you!
Rating:   

1 It probably didn't help that I read Finnikin of the Rock at the same time - which was exceptional and beautifully written. 

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