Review: Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Obsidian
Jennifer L. Armentrout

December 6, 2011
(Paperback release date: May 15, 2012)
268 pp

Synopsis:  

Starting over sucks. 

 When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I’d pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring…. until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.

 And then he opened his mouth.

 Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something…unexpected happens. The hot alien living next door marks me. You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon’s touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I’m getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades.

 If I don’t kill him first, that is.

Review:

I'm not sure how she did it, but somehow Jennifer L. Armentrout makes a novel built on top of the themes of many other novels seem original. It's hard not to compare Obsidian to I Am Number Four (with a good dose of Twilight thrown in there)- aliens come to Earth after their planet is destroyed, followed by other mean aliens who want to kill them...extraordinary guy who usually only hangs out with his own kind falls for plain girl new to town. While the writing may be structurally better in I Am Number Four, Jennifer's aptitude for storytelling makes up for any lack in her technical abilities. In fact, that lack just may have made the story even better - it really felt like I was reading the story from a teenager's viewpoint. The crude and vulgar way Kat describes things are exactly how most teenagers I know would too.(I'm not sure I've ever seen the word "douchebag" written so often in a book!) I LOVED the tension she creates between Katy and Daemon -- it was so refreshing to not have the two heroes fall instantly in love, and instead be at each other's throats the majority of the book. Although it was extremely frustrating to watch Daemon go from hot to cold every few pages and act like a jerk most of the time- it gave weight to how Katy must have been feeling during those moments. Speaking of Katy, even though she made some idiotic decisions a few times, how could you not love her for being so brave and rescuing the guy more than once in the book! Oh, and one last thing...the decision to make Katy a book blogger? Well played, Ms. Armentrout, well played :)

Obsidian:4/5 Cover: 2.5/5