A few years ago (when I still had a 9-5 job in the city) I used to spend my lunch hour (almost everyday) outside on the patio of a little French cafe called La Madeleine. I didn’t necessarily go there everyday for the food (although it’s mouth-watering.) What I went for was the atmosphere. At any given moment you could find a group of high school kids, men in suits, mothers scurrying around with strollers. Artists, hipsters, wealthy arm candy wives. It was eclectic to say the least, AND it was incredibly fascinating…in an eavesdropping sense of the word. (Which I will openly admit to doing on more than one occasion.) But there is one overheard conversation I remember today, that until yesterday morning sat dormant in my every running brain.
There was a table, not 5 feet from me, boasting one of the loveliest older women I have ever laid my eyes on, and her equally as frumpy daughter (over-sized sweater, magic marker embellished sneakers.) The mother, whose posture screamed Southern Matriarch, held a copy of Marla Miller’s novel “Betsy Ross And The Making Of America.” The daughter…a copy of Harry Potter.
Mother: I really wish you would read something of substance.
Daughter: *looks up, rolls her eyes and goes back to book*
Mother: I mean honestly…what could you possibly be getting out of that? *glares at book*
Daughter: Hope.
Mother: Hope?
Daughter: Hope.
Mother: That’s nonsense.
Daughter: Hope is nonsense?
Mother: Hope is not nonsense, that book is nonsense.
Daughter *sets down book* Mother, 2 months ago Dad walked out without even saying goodbye. 1 month ago I crashed my car into a tree. Yesterday I bombed my AP History exam. This book? It’s not real. It’s about magic and friendship and beating the odds. It’s a way to escape the real world, even if it’s just for 30 minutes while I eat this soggy sandwich. I can leave the crap behind, not think about it. Live in someone else’s imagination. It’s about hope, and I don’t know about you and *looks at mothers book* Betsy Ross, but I could use a little of that right now.
Mother: Eat your sandwich.
So why now? Two years later and “post-Imaginable” can I suddenly recall this conversation? Because yesterday…when reality got a little too harsh. When the ugliness of our existence reared its head and tried desperately to squash things like peace, love, security and HOPE…I reached for a book in a vain attempt to find it again. NOT a book based in reality, there was already plenty of that to go around, but a book that took me somewhere else. To a land where fear did not live in the threat of bombs and shrapnel, but in the yellow eyes of goblins and pixies. A land where ANYTHING fantastical or not could happen. Including having a little HOPE in an otherwise HOPELESS situation.
Twins Sera and Luke Raine’s unusual abilities are growing. Sera is healing vampires now, making them human again. And, at times, Luke can actually change the future he Sees.
But Sera’s healing has dangerous consequences, and though Luke is altering the outcome of more visions, he can’t control them yet.
Now Sera is in danger as the dark creatures of the Realm seek to use her. As Luke struggles to master his gift in order to save his sister, he discovers even more about his powers.
And what he learns just may put him in greater danger than Sera has ever been.
Misguided intentions (for originally reading this book) aside, I can say (with strong confidence) that J Meyers retains her title as an author to watch out for.
In Intangible, she introduced us to a world where anything was possible. Vampires, Seers, Healers and Fairies not only existed, but they thrived. In Imaginable she puts them to use again as Sera, and her rag-tag group of Gifteds, race against the clock (ala Mortal Instruments style) to save humanity AND each-other.
Now, it’s important to note that I read Intangible WAAAAAY back in February of last year, and as much as I would like to say I remembered each and every little aspect to the book…that’s just not the case. But that didn’t stop me from diving in head first. The only problem with this? Unlike many sequels, Meyers throws the kicking kid into the water without floaties. (Aka she doesn’t draw away from her current plot line to recap the last book) so the first thing I would suggest (for those of you continuing this series) is to go back and re-read (or at least skim) book #1 before starting book #2. Was I completely lost while reading Imaginable? No…but I think it would have been nice to go from one straight into the other. (For connection/emotional purposes if nothing else.)
Floundering moments of long-term memory aside though…Imaginable was exactly what I expected. GREAT.
Much like in book 1, Meyers carries over her stunning ability to draw you into not only her world…
Beyond the dwellings they walked through a long tunnel of tree roots and low branches woven together with ivy in greens of all shades. Sunlight peeked through gaps here and there, dappling the ground with splatters of light. The tunnel ended at the base of a lovely old gnarled tree, and Fey stopped there.
but her characters, as they push themselves both physically and emotionally…
He flexed his finger without a hint of pain on his face. It was done. He was healed. And yet, Sera sat there still, her hands on him, her back to the cretins who’d kidnapped them.
Tears overwhelmed her eyes as she and Quinn looked at each other. They ran down her face, dripped off her chin and landed on his newly healed arm. In each splash she could hear the echo of his bones breaking.
through a plot worthy of the words “fantastical genius.”
Admittedly…there were a few “internal dialogue” repetitions, and I would have loved to see a little more of one particular character (although he was much more prominent in this book than the last. YAY!) but these tiny little hiccups are hardly worth mentioning.
In short…the story held its own, bobbing and weaving in all the appropriate spots. New characters were introduced, while we were forced to bid farewell to others. In layman’s terms…Imaginable was just what the doctor ordered. A captivating jaunt through a spellbinding story. And personally, I can’t wait for book #3.
Happy reading my fellow Kindle-ites and remember: It’s what we do now, not later that REALLY matters.
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| Overall: | 4 |
Well said!
thank you.
Agreed! I truly enjoyed both Intangible and Imaginable. (and Idk about you..but that 1 character you wanted to see more of, could it be Jonas? Bec thats who I want to see more of!)
Yes!!! Jonas all the way 🙂
I have 1 and am waiting until I can get 2 to read it….but, that being said, this is the best logic for reading fantasy that I have ever seen. I totally agree. I get enough reality in real life. When I lay down at night with a book, I want hope to ease me into sleep 🙂
“When I lay down at night with a book, I want hope to ease me into sleep.”
The perfect sentence.
You know, I’ve had the 1st book for awhile, but haven’t read it. I must have snagged it on a whim during a blog tour or something. Honestly though, I never felt a strong urge to actually read it until now. Great review!