An “Honest” Review
The Immortal Souls – Book 1. An “Honest” Review
The other week I was thinking on all of the fails in the Immortal Souls book… in all honesty, even I have to admit that I could have done better, and the writing, when comparing the first with the second, they just seem inconsistant. Which is a good thing I guess, because at least it means my writing is improving. So anyway, the other week I decided to do a review of the first Immortal Souls book, looking at it as if I was a reader. Which was difficult because in all honesty I hate this book, so looking at it for it’s positives was difficult.
Anyway, here is my attempt at an “honest” review of Immortal Souls, enjoy.
I would perhaps give this book three to four stars, because personally I only give two or less to books I either thoroughly did not enjoy, or couldn’t bear to finish. Whereas this is a book that I have read numerous times, and when I read it in a non-editorial or critical manner I actually enjoy it as a story.
In all honesty, the writing could be better but it’s not awful, I find it readable.
THE CHARACTERS:
The only two characters in this story that you get a good amount of time with are Sam and Jamie as they’re like the main, the story is split between being narrated by her and narrated by him, all in 3rd person. Then there’s a moment or two with Jack who’s a Ghost that keeps watchful eyes on Sam despite the fact that he’s absent for more than half the book.
Sam:
Sam is a bitch and I want her to die. That is the completely honest truth.
She is difficult and even when what she needs to do is obvious she chooses to be difficult about it and I actually want her to die. JUST DIE ALREADY!! I suppose the only positive about Sam in comparison to other female protagonists in this genre, is that she’s not obsessed with the guy she’s obviously going to end up with. She’s kind of indifferent, and although at the start that’s amusing, it gets annoying about halfway through the book, especially after they’ve already been together and she’s all: dude, I don’t actually like you, go away.
Just. Die.
Jamie:
Jamie is so inept it’s funny. He’s been a Vampire for almost two centuries, and because he was abandoned by his Sire, he knows nothing about what he is. He knows nothing of the supernatural world. He thinks Vampires and Humans are all there is. Oh Jamie, you silly little fool. It’s amusing because he’s head over heels for Sam and she’s like: whatever. It’s a nice change from other YA where this aspect is usually the other way around. Then at the halfway point you start to get frustrated on his behalf, I mean she was so flirting with him and he killed for her, at least give him a kiss or something, dammit Sam!
It’s funny how he always denies the existence of other creatures, Sam says there’s Ghosts, Jamie tells her she needs medical help… then OMGITSAGHOST!
Sam says there’s Faeries, Jamie says: Are the ‘faeries’ here right now? They step through a portal he’s like OMGITSFAERIES!
WTF did that tiny girl say to him! I NEED to know!
THE STORY:
The overall story focuses on an eighteen year old girl named Sam, who is something supernatural (she’s referred to as a Witch, but whether she is or not is never actually clarified). The story kicks off when Sam, after a failed suicide attempt, is forced into taking a part-time job in the local library by Jack (the Ghost who for some strange reason is forced to watch over her). In the library she meets Jamie, a Vampire who is there in an attempt to research what he is, though neither he nor the reader are in any way sure as to why he would choose to research that in a library… I mean it makes about zero sense when you really think about it.
Cue the rolling eyes and the tired sigh and the ‘not a Vampire for the love of the gods, please no.” That’s the feeling you get when you find out what Jamie is. But that feeling is alleviated quite soon, when you see Sam’s interaction with him. As a supernatural creature, she can tell from the start what he is and she greets him with a sort of disinterest, like ‘Oh… a Vampire? *shrugs* Whatever.’ Jamie however feels drawn to Sam, believing that it’s because of some kind of lustful/lovey feeling, when in fact it’s simply because she’s also not human but that’s not really ever explained… which it probably should be because it kinda just comes across like Jamie falls for the first person he sees.
After striking up a conversation in which Sam teases him by dropping hints that she knows what he is, while knowing that he doesn’t know what or who she is and he’s all like ‘What? Vampire? Me? *shifty eyes* Not even… I’m just… Dontaskquestionsjustgowithit, shhhhhh…’
Anyway, by the end of this library scene the evilness makes its first appearance. Cue the creepy shadows that were seen in the prologue where a random seemingly unrelated event occurred. Evil, yay! So Sam completely freaks out, slamming the door shut (like that’s gonna help) and locking it, using psychic senses to scan for Power (which she can’t find… useless f***er), meanwhile Jamie’s all like ‘Um… What?’
After this point Jack returns all like: HE’S A VAMPIRE!!
And Sam’s all: Yeah, duh.
And Jack is all: I never get to have any fun…
And then Scott shows up (cue the ex-boyfriend who’s still in love with her even though they broke up like two years ago (typical BS)). And she’s all, ‘Uh, I still love him.’
And he’s all. ‘I still love you Sam.’
And she’s all ‘Leave me before you die because that’s what happens to everyone I care about… boohoo FML’
Then the power goes out, a sure sign that evil is afoot and sure enough when she goes back into the library, down into the basement where the fuse box is, there is evil shadow thingies again that try to attack her. And she being a whateversheis blasts them with Magic about to run when Jamie comes in like WFTwasthatmagic!
And she’s all: *shifty eyes* nuh-uh
And then she attempts to erase his memories while Jack is all: *facepalm* You make no sense Sam, there’s no point interacting with you.
Then Jamie leaves (Sam thinking he doesn’t remember what happened when he actually does because for some unexplained reason her Powers don’t work on him) and he’s all suspicious but leaves for a while anyway (plot hole much?)
Then Jack gets a magical amulet that does something… but doesn’t really do anything. And Jamie goes to see other Vampires and he’s all: *choirs singing hallelujah* He finds out his Sire is the Vampire King which he doesn’t really seem to care about, I mean if I found out I was royalty I’d break out the tiara and ballgown in a second. And he’s told to stay away from Sam because she’s cursed… which let’s face it, only makes him all: Interesting… now I must have her.
Anyway, after he follows her all like: I want to know what’s really going on here
She’s all: F**k off Vampire, you bore me.
And he’s all: *gasp with dramatic heart clutching* she knows!
And she’s all: Yeah, duh, I’m not human either you idiot.
And he’s all: But you’re not a Vampire and obviously that’s all there is!
And she’s all: Wow… you really are an idiot.
Then there’s more shadows, a Halloween party where Sam’s Powers fail when she attacks some guy because she has a bit of a freakout all like: You’re evil! I can just tell these things!
And he’s all: Silence woman, if I was evil you’d be well dead by now!
And then she like passes out, because for some reason she’s dying now… when did that start happening? Don’t ask, ‘cause I don’t know.
OVERALL:
The story of this book is a bit all over the place, there’s no real sign of that war that’s eluded to, and the only time Sam actually gets attacked she’s saved by Jamie who at that point still thought she was human, and she’s all: Dude, I can kill my own bad guys.
Despite all of its downfalls as a standalone book, it is actually quite enjoyable to read and it’s easier to get through the story knowing that it’s the first in a continuous series which makes the fact that the first book is mostly all build up, more or less excusable.
Though if that Vampire Hunter Jamie went off with at the end actually manages to kill him… I give up on this story forever.