J. Meyers (1)

Intangible is one of those YA, PNF books that you want to read, because it’s like a casserole: it’s got all these tasty ingredients in it that make it a fine, delectable dish. Unless you don’t like casseroles; then forget I said that.

Intangible is mostly about twins Luke and Sera and the prophecy that looms over them, not to mention, all of the paranormal species. So much was going on in this novel, at first, it was hard for me to follow. It reminded me of the movie, Crash, where show more different lives intertwine because of a series of specific events leading up to one culmination. There are several people and agendas to follow in Intangible; I wouldn’t be surprised if the author had a map drawn somewhere of who did what and when and where! But once I saw where Intangible was taking me, it all clicked beautifully.

Luke sees Sera’s death in a vision, and the only person she can’t heal is herself. Luke has never been able to change the outcome of his visions before. Can he do it now? That’s the ultimate question and it’s thrust out there to you right in the beginning. You know what this book is about right then and there and it is immediately captivating. I enjoyed the bond the two shared, since most YA novels focus on some sort of romance and this featured a brother and sister. It was refreshing. I also enjoyed the inclusion of several types of paranormal species, rather than just your typical werewolves and vampires books. *wink wink* But I’m not giving away what they are!

What I also liked about Intangible was the mini-plots going on through the novel between secondary characters. They were all important to the main plot, but had agendas and secrets of their own. Every chapter was like a new episode in a show that only got better. The characters were all amazing and complicated, but not so complicated to make your head spin. Just enough to keep you reading and wanting more more more! I also really liked that since this was told from multiple viewpoints, the author kept the story in the third person, rather than writing it in dual first-person. I think anything but how Meyers wrote it would have made it impossible to follow, but she executed flawlessly and I wish other authors would follow her example. I really think this is a YA paranormal book that teens and adults will absolutely love.

I am not sure who my favorite character is in Intangible. Obviously there are two main characters, but Meyers does such justice to her secondary characters that they shine as brightly as Luke and Sera throughout the entire novel. I normally have a favorite and I really can’t think of one. If I was forced to choose under duress, then probably Fey. She was so kick ass!

Overall, I think everyone who likes YA and paranormal fiction should run out and get this book immediately. I mean, RIGHT NOW. Because you won’t be disappointed or let down, I promise. It was just great and I can’t wait for book two. show less

Sera and Luke are siblings born with odd powers – he can see the future and she has the power to heal. They don’t know where they come from but they do know they need to keep them secret – at least, so they learned when they dared to confide in their grandmother.

But some secrets can’t last forever – especially as there’s a whole supernatural world out there they never knew about that is very interested in them and their unique powers. A world that begins to intrude when Luke show more predicts disaster – his own sister’s death.

Sera is also dealing with her own powers, her drive to heal causes people to like her automatically which isolates her – as she never knows whether someone’s emotion is genuine or she is exploiting her power. She has earned the animosity of the vampires and their terrible queen by being a potent weapon against them – and there’s a new boy in town who seems to be both attracted to her and immune to her powers; for the first time a genuine relationship seems possible.

But very little is as it seems – and even their closest friends and family are keeping secrets from them

The world is very rich and diverse and connected nicely. We have the fae – apparently several factions, gifted humans, vampires, Lillith, magic, an entire parallel world and who knows what else. In fact the closing chapter of the book suggests there’s a lot more on the horizon besides. The information is doled out really well. No long lectures, no convoluted info dumps, no dubious “as you know” lectures – and nothing told we don’t need to know. Every piece of information is relevant and just enough to keep you wanting more.

The pacing was really well done – the story kept both tense and interesting without having a lot of down time. We had a large chunk at the beginning where everyone was keeping their secrets, but things were still happening, plots were being advanced, characters were being developed, their powers were being show cased – the book kept moving even when not much plot-wise was happening. The story itself isn’t amazingly original – bad guys are hunting the Chosen Ones who don’t realise how special they are – but nor is it following too many old patterns and it brings enough richness, enough of a diverse world and enough original features for it not to be tired or over done. It’s an old concept but redressed nicely with unique elements.

The characters are interesting – they’re not perfect and their powers aren’t flawless gifts. They have a bit of Chosen One narrative about them which, so far, hasn’t added up to anything beyond people wanting to kill them in many painful ways, so it’s not irritating or frustrating (I generally don’t like “chosen one” narratives because it conveys a specialness on the character they don’t have to earn or do anything to be worthy of it – they just are because they’re the Chosen Ones). They’re generally, sensible – perhaps a little too much doing things on their own when unnecessary. Their relationships are real and they examine some real implications about their powers. While I think Sera angsts a little excessively about the implications of her powers she does raise a very real issue of how you can form a relationship of any kind with someone when you suspect your powers may be warping their emotions – it means any relationship, especially a romantic one, is built on a shaky foundation of coercion; I’m glad to see that acknowledged.

If I have a complaint about the world and characters is that there is an excess of secrecy going on. Given their powers, I don’t see why Fey – or anyone – could not have clued them in on their specialness a little sooner or at least given them a clue as to why they have their powers and what they mean (or even some hints on how to get the most out of them since there’s some suggestion of development). The secrecy seems more for the form than anything.

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I have read several books about healers or seers and have thoroughly enjoyed them, but this was by far my favorite. Meyers creates a world that looks just like ours. Everyone seems normal, except the Raine twins. But, as the twins soon find out, their world is anything but ordinary. It is inhabited not only by seers and healers, but by elves, goblins and vampires! Sera and Luke find themselves caught up in this world while still, for the most part, being unaware of its existence. No one is show more what they appear to be, and after depending upon each other their whole lives, the siblings may now have to face the Realm alone. The story includes a cast of memorable and well-drawn characters from Sera and Luke's protective best friend, the beautiful Fey, and the dark and mysterious Jonas to the handsome and troubled psychic, Marc. This book is a very approachable and real fantasy.

As usual, let me start with the things I absolutely loved about this book. First of all, the pace was magnificent. I think this was aided by the different story tellers. Each chapter, and sometimes within a chapter, the story teller changes. This helps with two things: it speeds up the story and it allows the reader to get to know each of the main characters intimately. By the end of the book I understood each character's motivations behind their actions, even if the other players did not. I really connected with all of them. They are each struggling in their own way with right and wrong and it is impressive to see how Meyers tackles that issue with each individual character. You can tell she really cares about her creations. Second, the villain! Oh my gosh, Lilith was so scary. She has two forms: intoxicatingly beautiful and frighteningly repulsive and one is scarier than the next. She is pure evil and delights in the suffering of others. She even keeps humans in cages as pets that she can torture for fun *shudder*. At the same time she is very snarky and can be quite amusing. Having such a diverse and intriguing bad guy was a lot of fun. The third reason I loved this book was because it wasn't what I expected. It is not just your typical fantasy story, and definitely not a normal vampire novel. It has some real depth and doesn't focus on the supernatural aspect as much as relationships, trust and loyalty.

There is really very little I can say about improving this story except that I really want to know more about the Realm, and the more minor characters introduced toward the end (I'm sure Sera and Luke do too!). I'm sure we will learn more in the sequel (please?). The only real disappointment I had was in one of the characters, I won't say whom, and their decisions at the end of the book. I feel like I put a lot of hope into this person and they let me down, but then again, I suppose that was the point. Sigh.

Overall, this was a fabulous read, and I would definitely recommend it. It was good freaky fun! It looks like there will be a sequel and I will certainly be picking that up. I can't wait to find out what's next for the Raine twins and their paranormal entourage. show less

My reviews can also be found at: http://escapingwithfiction.blogspot.com/

I went into this book thinking that it was a slightly paranormal story about two teens who have some sort of psychic abilities--which was more than enough to intrigue me--but I was so pleasantly surprised when the story revealed and offered so much more! Intangible is filled with several different classes of supernatural individuals, all of which I love. I devoured this book rather quickly since there never seemed to be show more a shortage of excitement and new information regarding the vast array of characters within the plot. J. Meyers is an excellent writer and she's got me completely addicted and dedicated to the characters within this book.

Luke and Sera are the main focus and main characters of this well-crafted novel. They are twins with some seriously gifted and wonderful abilities--she can heal people with her touch and he has visions of the future--and their bond as siblings and twins is incredible. In fact, their loyalty and connection to one another is one of the things I adore most about this book. It's completely believable. They would do anything for eachother, which is a fact that is proven when Luke has a vision about Sera dying and then all hell seems to break loose soon after. In the midst of trying to save Sera's life the twins face heartbreak, love and a new knowledge of a world separate from everything they've ever known--one where they may be destined to play a huge role.

Intangible is told through several alternating perspectives (although the majority of the time it's Sera and Luke's), which is something that is hard to pull off, but it was executed so flawlessly in this case. I liked the variety that came from this and it made me giddy to be aware of information before some of the other characters were made privy to it.

Speaking of other characters, I'd like to make it clear how much I thoroughly enjoyed all of them! I'm so smitten with Jonas; he has such an edge of power and mystery which is appealing in itself, but when he was around Sera and she brought out the humanity and the protectiveness in him, it made me melt! I'm totally team Jonas! Plus, how can you not like a tall, dark and handsome guy? Then there's Fey, Sera and Luke's best friend, who is capable of so much it will blow your mind. Even Lilith, the crazy/evil villain has a certain allure that made me appreciate her character. There was also Marc, the new kid in town. Reading things from his point of view at times always left me feeling something different every time, especially when it involved Sera. I felt bad for him one minute and wanted to punch his lights out the next.

There is so much going on in this book but the author presents and explains it all without it being overwhelming. The ending was just plain fantastic and I'm pretty sure I finished reading the last pages with wide eyes and an open mouth. I'm assuming and I'm desperately hoping that there is going to be a second book, because I honestly didn't want this one to end. I'm in awe at all of the possibilities surrounding the future of Luke, Sera and their allies! show less