Review: Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout (Spoiler-Free)
Reading Rush book 1 complete! 'You didn't listen to me,' he murmured against my shoulder. 'I never listen to you.' Okay yes I understand that this book isn't the most original thing on the planet (ha! see what I did there?), nor is it the most intellectually stimulating but... it was really fun okay?! I'm really glad I picked this for a readathon- it's a perfect choice. It's a super quick read; each chapter leaves you saying, just one more. Something about the writing, while it does have its Wattpadd-y moments, really hooked me. Reading the pages just felt like watching a movie. Yes, a cheesey movie, but also incredibly engaging and fun. I think what separates this from similar paranormal books that I haven't enjoyed, is the characters. While they were still the characters you'd expect from the genre (the brunette who loves books and is "not like other girls" and the brooding mysterious boy who exclusively ridicules the MC), I couldn't help but find them kind of... endearing? I really can't explain why, but something that Armentrout did here just worked. The banter is super fun, and I actually found myself really enjoying the mundane scenes. I honestly think they were my favorites, even over the traditionally more exciting battles. I loved Daemon and Katy in math class; it was just so endlessly entertaining to watch them bicker and see the reactions of Lesa and Carissa. Another thing I was super happy to see in this book was so many positive relationships between girls!! Yes there is a little girl on girl hate (Ash) but it's totally warranted in this case, plus Dee, Lesa, and Carissa provide so much to counteract this. (Shoutout to Dee, I love her.) I was also pleased with the uniqueness of the specific paranormal aspect in this book. I'm used to vampires, werewolves, angels, etc. but I've never read aliens done in this way. I also appreciated the details of how their powers work and the different species. It had just enough complexity to intrigue me, but also maintained enough simplicity to keep the relationships and characters at the heart of the story while still being able to follow along. Overall, I really enjoyed this wild ride and will definitely be interested in picking up the sequels when I need something quick and easy!
Song I was reminded of while reading: Marsh
