"Manifest"
by Artist Arthur
Source: ARC sent by Lisa at Online Publicist in exchange for review
My Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
My Review:
Krystal hears dead people. The voices had stopped until she and her mom moved out of their home and left Krystal's dad. Krystal meets Ricky, a ghost who needs her help. Ricky's brother and his friends are accused of Ricky's murder. Ricky knows it's not true but needs Krystal's help to find out who really killed him. In the meanwhile, Krystal finds Sasha and Jake, who share her talent for talking to ghosts.
I was expecting a dreamier, more fantasy-like story, based on the cover, but this book is really gritty and raw. I would definitely say parental advisory on this one because there was stuff in this book that I didn't want to read about and I definitely wouldn't want kids reading it. Yes, the "bad stuff" is done by the "bad guys" so it's dealt with responsibly, but I'd rather read about rainbows and kittens, ok? That's me.
I liked how the author explored Krystal's relationship with her parents, who were recently divorced. The situation is real and lot of teens can relate.
I also liked the fact that Ricky, the ghost, was Krystal's friend, not her love interest. This is a new angle on the supernatural trend. Also, i love to see different types of relationships explored in books, including male/female friendships.
I thought the dialogue was written really well. The conversations flowed and sounded the way a real teen would talk. the action was a little slow but the book was a quick read.
Main Characters: 2/5
Supporting Characters: 3/5
Setting: 3/5
Romance: 2/5
Uniqueness: 3/5
Cover: 4/5
Writing: 3/5
Bottom Line: This book is a fresh take on the YA paranormal genre, but parts were way too dark for my taste.