2014, 386p, YA Time Travel Thriller
My Rating=4.5 Stars
Source: Received a copy from tour host for an honest review
Release date: May 6, 2014
Publisher: Skyscape (Amazon)
ISBN: 978-1477847138
ASIN: B00DH3MP82
Amanda Obermann. Code name Iris.
It’s Testing Day. The day that comes without warning, the day when all juniors and seniors at The Peel Academy undergo a series of intense physical and psychological tests to see if they’re ready to graduate and become government operatives. Amanda and her boyfriend Abe are top students, and they’ve just endured thirty-six hours of testing. But they’re juniors and don’t expect to graduate. That’ll happen next year, when they plan to join the CIA—together.
But when the graduates are announced, the results are shocking. Amanda has been chosen—the first junior in decades. And she receives the opportunity of a lifetime: to join a secret government organization called the Annum Guard and travel through time to change the course of history. But in order to become the Eighth Guardian in this exclusive group, Amanda must say good-bye to everything—her name, her family, and even Abe—forever.
Who is really behind the Annum Guard? And can she trust them with her life?
I wasn't sure what to expect with this book. It grabbed my attention right away and I had a hard time putting it down until I was finished. It starts on Testing Day and Amanda notices a man intently watching her. She's a junior so Testing Day is generally considered a warm-up for her senior year, when she will graduate. She has a feeling, though, that she'll be graduating early and tells her boyfriend, Abe, who quickly dismisses it. Her name is, indeed, announced as a graduate, and she's quickly whisked away to a new life.
It's a scary experience and she learns that she has a new code name, Iris, which she will go by until the day she dies. She's now part of the Annum Guard and is thrown into a time travel situation. She's not given any training or information and manages to figure out what she needs to do. When she gets back, she starts learning more about the Annum Guard and not everyone is happy or welcoming and she doesn't necessarily want to be there, either. She learns that they're the guardians of time and project back in time to tweak the past to improve the present. As time goes on, she learns how being part of the Guard can help her answer questions she has about her father's death. Is she prepared to learn the truth?
I liked Amanda/Iris. She was tough and smart and didn't back down from a challenge. She had flaws, too, which Yellow eagerly pointed out to her. Yellow was a great character as well. She's a member of the Guard and hates Amanda/Iris on sight. I liked how their relationship evolved throughout the book. There were some other great characters that I loved, hated and didn't form an opinion of until the end. The Guard is an intense experience and I found myself holding my breath through certain parts. There are lots of twists and turns and this was such a fun read. There's a pretty good wrap up at the end but there's more to this story so I'm definitely looking forward to book two!
My only complaint is that there was some language, including two uses of the "f" word.
You can learn more about each of the eight Guardians on the author's blog.
There's not much time left to enter the giveaway, which is amazing, so hurry and do it right now!!
Praise for THE EIGHTH GUARDIAN
"THE EIGHTH GUARDIAN had everything I wanted in a story: I fell in love with the characters, gasped at the mystery, and laughed at Iris's unfailing snark. Lucky for me, this high-energy, edge-of-your-seat thriller is only the first in what I know will become one of my favorite series." ~Susan Dennard, author of the SOMETHING STRANGE AND DEADLY trilogy
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1 comments:
That cover is fantastic! Thanks for the warning on the language :). I really appreciate it!
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