Branded
Author: Keary Taylor
Series: ---
Publisher: CreateSpace
How Received: author as part of tour
Night after night, Jessica stands trial before a council of vindictive angels for deeds she didn’t commit. Condemnation brings a branding as they dementedly laugh and point but exaltation starts a war over her soul.These are Jessica’s nightmares. Alex is everything Jessica could ever want and she’ll do anything to be with him. Even tell him the truth about angels, why she never sleeps, and the scar on the back of her neck. This is what she will fight for .But the nightmares rule Jessica’s life and she must find a way to stop the events that are pulling her toward her own judgment or become the object of her greatest fear. And lose Alex forever.
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This book frustrated me. So much.
The principle was FANTASTIC. I loved the trial of angels; I loved that she was sucked into the dreams; all of that, I loved.
But once you look outside of that - even to the rest of the plot - it just didn't seem as well thought out as it could have been. Her family is brought up multiple times, but they don't really have any connection with the plot. Alex is your typical sexy, understanding, practically-no-flaws-besides-being-human main character. Jessica was a flat character who never really developed. You heard her htoughts, and she stated what she felt, but it never hit home with me.
To be honest, Sal was the only intriguing character.
And the writing leaves much to be desired. There's so much description. Don't get me wrong. I LOVE description. But I don't need to know how Alex sets the table, or hear him described fifty times, or read how Cole is nearly perfect six different ways. I get it. (Again, I feel like Stephenie Meyer is influencing the way people write, and she needs to stop. Even some phrases were similar, and let's face it - Meyer isn't exactly known for subtle description.)
I'm sad, because there's so much potential. But it's not there yet.
Final Comments: Keary Taylor has a lot of potential as an author, because the underlying idea is solid, but she needs to tighten up her writing a bit more before I can consider recommending her.
