Sunday, February 20, 2011

Prophecy of the Sisters (Prophecy of the Sisters #1) by Michelle Zink

Prophecy of the Sisters by Michelle Zink
Series: Prophecy of the Sisters, #1
Published: August 9, 2009
Publisher: Little Brown Young Readers
(343 pages, hardcover)
Summary: Sixteen-year-old Lia Milthorpe and her twin sister Alice have just become orphans, and, as Lia discovers, they have also become enemies. 
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The twins are part of an ancient prophecy that has turned generations of sisters against each other. To escape from a dark fate and to remain in the arms of her beloved boyfriend James, Lia must end the prophecy before her sister does. Only then will she understand the mysterious circumstances of her parents' deaths, the true meaning of the strange mark branded on her wrist, and the lengths to which her sister will go to defeat her.
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My thoughts: This book took me a bit by surprise. I wasn't expecting such eloquent writing or such a great story line! Lia's father has just died, and along with his death, everything in her life is falling apart. Realizing her role in life has been foretold by an ancient prophecy, and then realizing her twin, Alice, is on the opposing side, Lia is thrust into the middle of a battle she has barely any clue about. And she must also protect those she those she loves, including her not-so-innocent little brother, and swoon-worthy boyfriend, James. I was sucked into this story (not immediately, but once I got so far, I couldn't stop) and it was amazing! The plot was really original, the characters were true-to-life, and the descriptions were completely jumping off the pages. Zink's writing made me feel like I was truly in the 1800's and it was completely realistic (well, as realistic as a book with a summary like that could be).
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All that's not to say the book didn't have flaws. It did, and a few that bugged me a lot. One being that the twists and turns of the novel were sometimes a little overdone considering I had figured them out at the beginning of the story. But the big twists really were surprising, and I was biting my nails the whole way through. I think I even scream "WHAT!?" a couple of times, but I'm just melodramatic like that. Anyway, the plot was really original and well-executed. I loved the general story, and the little details Zink included made it feel lifelike and chilling at times.
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I really felt Lia's emotions during the novel. She was likable, if a bit hard to relate to, and realistic. I didn't always agree with her reasoning, and at times she seemed a little annoying, since she had a habit of believing everything she was told. Alice was my favorite character, mostly because of how three-dimensional and twisted she was. The secondary characters were interesting, and I'd like to see more of Louisa and Sonia in future installments. James was cute and lovable, and I'm crossing my fingers that things turn out right.
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The part of Prophecy that really made me love it was the writing style. Zink really captures the flare of the 1800's and the customs they have. I felt like i was there, and I felt like it was really over 100 years ago. It made the story more interesting, and made for unusual and trickier plot twists. It wasn't really a deep read, nor did it have anything jarring, gripping scenes, but despite its lightness, it was intense and wow-worthy anyway. It was dark and creepy, too, which never hurts. In the end, Prophecy of the Sisters was a somewhat light, original read. I'll definitely be checking out the sequel.
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Covering the Cover: This cover isn't my favorite, but it is creepy and eerie in its own way.
Characters: 4/5
Plot: 4.5/5
Writing: 4.5/5
Overall Rating: 4.25 stars

1 comments:

K said...

I really like this series. I can't wait for the third book to come out this year! :)
Kristy @ Dreaming By Day

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