Review: Intertwined by Gena Showalter

Title: Intertwined
Author: Gena Showalter
Genre: YA paranormal/fantasy

Where I got it: Oregon Digital Library Consortium AKA my local library's electronic book site (audio and e-books).

One sentence: Aden Stone, a teen with four other souls living inside him, each with a different paranormal talent (time traveling, raising the dead, seeing the future and possess other people), meets Mary Ann Gray, who silences the voices, and the two of them are dragged into supernatural danger along with a werewolf shape-shifter and a vampire princess.

Themes: Forbidden love, supernatural abilities, family issues, danger and intrigue.

Main character: Aden Stone was abandoned by his parents because they thought he was crazy. He's been in and out of multiple foster homes and institutions. He is an outcast with few friends, has an interesting back story and connection with Mary Ann. I didn't really feel like his personality came through as very unique or memorable, just the fact that he had four other people living inside of him.

Secondary characters: I first thought that Mary Ann and Aden would fall in love, but it was actually really refreshing that they just remained friends. Mary Ann has had everything in the past, a stark comparison to Aden. She didn't really make much of an impact with me, although the past with her mother turned into an interesting plot point.
Their love interests; Victoria, the vampire princess, and her werewolf-shape-shifter bodyguard, Riley, seemed entirely one dimensional. Both seemed attracted to and sought out Mary Ann and Aden for no apparent reason. The romance was not very convincing and the characters seemed very stereotypical.

Writing style: Showalter's writing style was both fast paced and detailed when the situation required it. Nothing popped up that jolted me out of the story, and that's how I can often judge if the writing is awkward or badly written.

Plot: The concept of this book really drew me in, but it turned more into werewolves, vampires, faeries and goblins more than the voices in Aden's head. The first half of the book was quite different from the mess of paranormal creatures that swooped in toward the end. The twists and turns were entertaining, but also slightly overwhelming.

Best scene: The beginning scene in the graveyard where Aden fights off zombie corpses.

Positives: Concept, fast paced action and writing, multiple story lines with two romances

Negatives: Characters, ending, some of the plot points were lost on me.

Ending: Slightly thrown together. The ends were somewhat tied up (leaving room for a sequel, of course), but there was no closure.

Other/Random:

Verdict: Fun and entertaining, but not anything with depth. Good for a quick, light YA read.

Rating: 6.7 / 10 (4 stars)

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Working on a format for reviews. Got a little tired toward the end, so might have to work on that. And not giving away the answers to the ending questions in the beginning.