Archangel Academy is more than a school to Michael Howard. Within its majestic buildings and serene English grounds, he's found friends, new love, and a place that feels more like home than Nebraska ever did. But the most important gift of Archangel Academy is immortality. . .
Life as a just-made vampire is challenging for Michael, even with Ronan, an experienced vamp, to guide him. Michael's abilities are still raw and unpredictable. To add to the turmoil, the ancient feud between rival vampire species is sending ripples of discord through the school. And beneath the new headmaster's charismatic front lies a powerful and very personal agenda.
Yet the mysteries lurking around the Academy pale in comparison to the secrets emerging from Michael's past. And choosing the wrong person to trust—or to love—could lead to an eternity of regret. . .
Synopsis taken from goodreads.
Title: Unwelcome (Archangel Academy)
Author: Michael Griffo
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy, Vampires
Publisher: Kensington
Publication Date: August 30, 2011
Format: Softcover
Source: Received from publicist. Many thanks goes to Kensington Books, and Teen Book Scene for sending me a copy of this book for review. I received this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review.
Blog Tour: Teen Book Scene blog tour. You can follow along with the tour here, or by clicking through the banner located below the review.
Look for it: Amazon, Book Depository
My rating: 3.5/5
Unwelcome picks up right where Unnatural left off. Michael is at Archangel Academy, and he is at the start of a new semester. After the events of the previous semester, he is hoping to just relax and enjoy the company of his new boyfriend. However, evil still lurks and is not done with Michael and Archangel Academy yet. The vampire factions are at the precipice of a war, and immortality may be cut short at any time. Danger and intrigue abound at Archangel Academy. Will Michael and Ronan survive, and will they still be united together?
Unwelcome was an engrossing read. Many new characters were thrown at the reader, however they were a welcome addition to the Archangel Academy crew. New villains rose to the challenge, and previously reliable friends are unwittingly crossing into enemy territory. There is still a lot of head jumping in the book as the point of view switches between several characters per page. Once you are used to the narrative style, and know the characters, it is easy to follow along with the different perspectives. I did find that in Unwelcome the head jumping was more refined and fluid as it would follow a set train of thought with a few characters. Michael would be going to confront his father, and Brania would be going to confront hers and it would switch back and forth between both of their conversations, much like a tv show of sorts.
Several new characters were added to the already large cast, and they brought both humour and suspense with them. We glean more insight into some of the new characters, and more tidbits are revealed about the different vampire factions, however there are still some aspects that are cloaked in secrecy yet. Hopefully they will be revealed within the next book as they will let us know more about the different factions and how they came to be.
Many intriguing twists are revealed in Unwelcome and it kept the story moving. Griffo is not afraid of killing characters once he is done with them, so be warned, some of your favourites could end up on the chopping block.
All in all, a solid follow-up to Unnatural. Relationships evolve to give us a new perspective on situations that we hadn't previously seen before. New family members entering the picture add another dimension as well as we get to see more of the vampire world and the inner workings of set family dynamics. I'm intrigued to know what will happen next for Michael, Ronan and their friends.
Unwelcome was an engrossing read. Many new characters were thrown at the reader, however they were a welcome addition to the Archangel Academy crew. New villains rose to the challenge, and previously reliable friends are unwittingly crossing into enemy territory. There is still a lot of head jumping in the book as the point of view switches between several characters per page. Once you are used to the narrative style, and know the characters, it is easy to follow along with the different perspectives. I did find that in Unwelcome the head jumping was more refined and fluid as it would follow a set train of thought with a few characters. Michael would be going to confront his father, and Brania would be going to confront hers and it would switch back and forth between both of their conversations, much like a tv show of sorts.
Several new characters were added to the already large cast, and they brought both humour and suspense with them. We glean more insight into some of the new characters, and more tidbits are revealed about the different vampire factions, however there are still some aspects that are cloaked in secrecy yet. Hopefully they will be revealed within the next book as they will let us know more about the different factions and how they came to be.
Many intriguing twists are revealed in Unwelcome and it kept the story moving. Griffo is not afraid of killing characters once he is done with them, so be warned, some of your favourites could end up on the chopping block.
All in all, a solid follow-up to Unnatural. Relationships evolve to give us a new perspective on situations that we hadn't previously seen before. New family members entering the picture add another dimension as well as we get to see more of the vampire world and the inner workings of set family dynamics. I'm intrigued to know what will happen next for Michael, Ronan and their friends.
No comments:
Post a Comment