Warped

I received Warped as a gift from my brother, along with some other books. He checked out my “want-to-read” list, and stated that he decided to go with the one with the best cover (yeah, I know “don’t judge a book by its cover” … it just does not apply to him). It was a choice out of the many that I would have like to read, so it doesn’t really matter which ones he’d have chosen, I would have liked it regardless. But, I am glad Warped was picked.

Just the perfect stand-alone read!

It is extremely hard to find a good YA read-on-its-own book now and days (maybe it’s just me), and I am glad that Maurissa Guibord decided not to stretch the story any further; it just would not work out.

Fate … Magic …these two words are not in Tessa Brody’s dictionary… at least … it wasn’t until a magical tapestry changes all she had ever believed in. Strange things have begun to happen-there’s unexplained evil lurking around, and along with it all, she meets William de Chaucy-young, gorgeous, beautiful-haunting-familiar eyes, and although arrogant from time to time, still mesmerizing. Oh, not to mention he’s from the sixteenth-century. Weird, is an understatement. Together they will uncover hidden past and secrets that will put their lives in danger.

Like and dislikes

A fantasy book of fate, time-travel, romance, family concerns, and ancient evil, perfectly woven together, it is deserving of a 5/5 stars rating! As I was reflecting on what I have read, there was nothing that I really disliked. The plot and pacing of the book was perfect and the ending was wrapped up nicely. For a short read, Maurissa Guibord made sure to keep things moving along, but at the same time making sure things aren’t rushed; which tends to happen in a three-hundred something page book.

Would I recommend it?

I’m already thinking about re-reading it, so yes, I would definitely recommend it!

Happy reading:) ( )

RATING: 3 stars. There are books that disappoint you terribly because you had high expectations; books you find were better then you expected because you had low or no expectations; and then there are those books that you like in spite of knowing they aren't that good. For me, "Warped" fits into the third category. While I read it I catalogued all it's flaws: weak characters, insta-romance, unrealistic premise and weak story. But... I still liked it. Because I also saw potential. Now, I'm no professional judge of books and what is good or bad literature. I can merely give an opinion about a book, write about what I 'feel' would have worked better. It's a mostly subjective view although I do try to focus on character development, world-building and plot complexity. Which means that even if I liked a book I'll always find flaws. But even this attempt at objectivity doesn't always work. All this to say it didn't work with "Warped". I liked the author's voice even if I thought she could have written a much better book. If only she had developed her characters better and had taken her story in a different direction. "Warped" is a story about a girl and a tapestry. Tessa (the protagonist) comes into possession of an ancient tapestry that depicts a unicorn. She feels there is something strange about it but it's still very surprised when she pulls a thread and a guy pops out of the tapestry. He is William de Chaucy, 16th century noble, who was imprisoned within in order to provide the gift of eternal youth to the owner of the tapestry (who is, of course, a witch). On the whole not a very exciting story. I found the plot simplistic and unbelievable, the characters too stereotyped and the romance flat and too instantaneous for my taste. Basically "Warped" has all the major flaws that your typical YA paranormal romance has. So why did it stand out for me? Because of the potential for more. Because of the Fates/Norns and the fact that the author hinted that Tessa was more than she appeared. Overall: "Warped" is a very typical YA fantasy book. It definitely won't stand out; it's not even that good. Still I think Guibord intends to do more with the plot and characters so while this first book wasn't brilliant I think the concept can evolve into a great story. I am considering this an introductory book and hoping the second will be more intricate and complex. ( )

I'll admit, it was the mention of a unicorn that attracted me to WARPED, so I was totally unprepared for the epic storyline that I discovered within the covers of this debut novel.

After reading just a few pages of WARPED, in which the Fates examine and manipulate the threads of life they rule over, I was completely dedicated to finding out what would happen next. The Fates have always fascinated me and Guibord's unique treatment of the related mythology was exceedingly clever. The idea that someone might steal life threads from The Fates for their own nefarious use... ingenious!

To add to the mayhem, Tessa finds herself falling for William de Chaucy, who is as alluring as he is maddening. I enjoyed the push and pull between these characters. They both have strong personalities that don't always mesh and neither controls the other... they're very much equals.

WARPED is one of the most creative YA contemporary fantasy novels I've ever read. Guibord combines magic, time travel, and mythology to create a fantastic story with a convincing villain and a much deserved happily ever after. ( )

It was... fantastic and unique. It reminded me a bit of Elixir. Will was just perfect. I personally loved Linda. True, she was a villian but she was so sinister and perfect. It's amazing how Maurissa used a simple tapestry and weaved it into an amazing story. ( )

I was glad I picked this book up. It’s such a different story from the other YA I’ve read, and it was a good read, so good, it was hard to put down. The idea of the Fates, and the purpose of the tapestry is very different and it sets this aside from the usual plot hooks you find in the millions of YA books you’ve read - sometimes when you need a break from vampires and werewolves then perhaps you should read Warped.

I liked the time bending fantasy aspect of the book, and how our lives are really all woven into one big tapestry. The story itself is very well written and caught my attention all throughout the book. There’s plenty of magic and action, a very evil villain (well written and extremely evil! she could easily top the list of evil villains), and the romance is well done. It might take a bit to warm up to William de Chaucy, he’s pompous, arrogant, and can be a jerk but as the story goes on, he ended up being one of my YA crushes (his demeanor improves later). I really liked how his character worked out. Tessa on the other hand is a great main character and her chemistry with Will is there, and I liked seeing them both together.

The plot was a most different one. It’s got a great blend of historical fiction and fantasy all mixed in. The pacing isn’t too fast, and not too slow, but it’s gradual and as the story unfolds it gets much more interesting as the reader progresses. Characters are likable, and villain most evil so it fits all the characteristics of a book in this genre but made things interesting by going a step further (by adding in The Fates, and the tapestry).

I most definitely recommend this to other YA readers! take a break from the vampires and the werewolves and pick this book up! you won’t regret it! whether there’s going to be sequel, I’m not sure. It would be fun if there was, it does leave some things left out in the open. ( )