Review: Plus One, byElizabeth Fama

Plus One by Elizabeth Fama
Published by Macmillan on April 8th 2014
Genres: Action & Adventure, Family, Fantasy & Magic, Love & Romance, Social Issues, Young Adult
Pages: 384
Read it as: eBook
Source: Purchased
My rating:
Check it out in Goodreads
Synopsis

Divided by day and night and on the run from authorities, star-crossed young lovers unearth a sinister conspiracy in this compelling romantic thriller.Seventeen-year-old Soleil Le Coeur is a Smudge--a night dweller prohibited by law from going out during the day. When she fakes an injury in order to get access to and kidnap her newborn niece--a day dweller, or Ray--she sets in motion a fast-paced adventure that will bring her into conflict with the powerful lawmakers who order her world, and draw her together with the boy she was destined to fall in love with, but who is also a Ray. Set in a vivid alternate reality and peopled with complex, deeply human characters on both sides of the day-night divide, Elizabeth Fama's Plus One is a brilliantly imagined drama of individual liberty and civil rights, and a fast-paced romantic adventure story.

 

 

“Believe me I don’t want to set the world on fire I just want to start a flame in your heart”

If that isn’t an awesome instand toe-curling line I don’t know what is. As usual, what drew me in was the cover. I could tell there were a few issues that’d be explored in this book that I’d enjoy. The blurb presented sealed the deal. I mean, it sounded pretty interesting. And it had romance too!

Plus One’s storyline is interesting. But it could’ve been more so. Most of the time, I know a book has been awesome because I can’t stop turning pages. The lure is so great I have to do a physical effort to dettach myself from my celphone/the book/kindle/laptop and go to sleep to keep the mystery alive for the next day. This didn’t happen with this book.

I didn’t get why. I felt very curious about what would happen next, but not enough to keep me awake all night. I was content with reading just when I had time. No biggie.

And I just felt… sad. Because I expected it to be so much more exciting.

Now, don’t get me wrong. The plot may have been not exciting enough, but it was everything else what gave this book the four stars.

Let’s start with the writing.

“Four houndred billion suns spiraling through space together. Our solar system just one grain on that galactic carousel. The carousel itself a speck in the cosmos. And here I am in this small clearing, on the surface of the heart, as transient and unnoticed to the universe as the dry blades of grass that are poking into my shirt. It’s too much to comprehend up there, too enormous, and I’m so small when it’s on top of me. It frightens me, like I’m being crushed.”

She has a way of putting words together and make them read poetically. That is really good writing. Most writers feel the need to use big words in order to have this effect, but what they don’t know, is that, simple words that are used correctly can carry even more meaning. Stacey Jay’s Of Beast and Beauty does this beautifully too.

The characters were okay. And the relationship between D’Arcy and Sol started out believably, but I feel like the romance started too late and at the same time, too soon. The pacing was off.

At first they disliked each other, and then they kept on disliking each other, but noting each other’s merits. Then, out of the blue, they are in each other’s faces. I’d have liked to see more mushy mushy interaction between them that built to that oh-so-awaited moment. Regardless, I wouldn’t tag it as insta-love.

There were no major plot twists, but series of minor ones that nonetheless, did surprise me.

I liked how everything was wrapped up. Not a happy ending exactly, but a fair and satisfying one.

 

Related Posts