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Out of the Shadows
by Ashlee Nicole Bye
The Laughing Listener
Format: Ebook
*I was generously given a copy in exchange for an honest review*
Rating: 4 Stars
I should start this by saying I am a HUGE fan of Cassandra Clare’s Mortal Instruments and Infernal Devices series. So when I read a description for this book that promised it would satisfy Cassandra Clare fans, I OBVIOUSLY jumped on it. In the beginning I wasn’t sure what to expect, but by the end I was a transformed Shadowlander fangirl. I was promised satisfaction and can report that I am definitely SATISFIED.
via GIPHY
THE REHASH
Sachi Manning is an average girl living her life in Melbourne, Australia. She’s just graduated with her best friends Olivia and Gabe and can feel the endless freedom ahead of her as they prepare for a trip across Europe. So naturally, that’s when Gabe gets killed, leaving Sachi and her friends shattered. And Gabe isn’t the only one—there have been a string of similar murders that humans are blaming on a serial killer, but the supernatural know better.
Fast forward six months and Sachi is getting through life one day at a time, living with her brother Nikko, and working at a local cafe. At night she has terrible nightmares that make sleeping hard, but she’s getting by. Out of the blue one day, she starts noticing things she never has before. One of the bartenders has tiny horns, a server is running around with pointy ears, and there’s a guy walking around Melbourne with a Doctor Who, Willy Wonka vibe. Trying not to think too much about these strange sightings, Sachi lets her friends talk her into going out to a club for the first time in months. While she’s there, she just happens to see Julian—Doctor Willy Wonka himself—with a freaking SCYTHE about to slice up Gabe, the guy that’s suppose to ALREADY BE DEAD.
This brings Sachi, Julian, and his partner Moss together on a quest to find out what Sachi really is and discover how people like Gabe keep turning up “dead” when they’re not suppose to. All the while, an acquaintance (co-worker?????) of Julian and Moss named Griffin lurks in the background, scheming and making his own plans for Sachi Manning.
THE UGLY
When I first started reading this, my inner fangirl was so full of The Mortal Instruments that the parallels between the two stories blinded me like a sharp laser beam to the eye. I was worried that there might be too many similarities. A sassy, strong girl with an amazing talent for drawing? Two brothers-from-another-mother that are red hot with amazing fighting skillz (that’s right, WITH A Z!!)? An entire hidden realm of mythical creatures that dumb humans don’t even know exist?
Plus, I admit that I was a tad overwhelmed in the beginning. We are literally just dumped right in the middle of an entire fantastical world with a lot of terms and characters I kept forgetting two pages later.
THE GOOD
HOWEVER. It only took me a few chapters to realize that this novel is completely in a world of it’s own. I thought the universe this book takes place in was very well thought out, complete with it’s own geography, rules, key players, and history. That’s why I was so overwhelmed at the start, but once Sachi comes along and we discover it with her, everything makes a lot more sense. Plus, being overwhelmed with information at the beginning kind of made the story more believable. If there really WAS a hidden mythical universe that I randomly and suddenly discovered (PLEASE LET THIS HAPPEN. DRAGONS AND UNICORNS IN MY LIFE WOULD BE GREAT), I would probably be really confused about it. Know what I mean? No? Okay moving on…
I also really SUPER FELL IN LOVE WITH THE CHARACTERS. Moss is just THE BEST and I wish I could watch the Vampire Diaries with him in real life. Sachi has a lot of spunk that was awesome to see in a female protagonist, despite the fact she frustrated me from time to time. And Julian. JULIAN. UGH. Similar to Jace Lightwood, I simultaneously want to hug and strangle Julian. So OBVIOUSLY that means I’m #OBSESSED with him now.
And this book is freakin’ funny! It’s filled to the brim with amazing humor and pop culture references that I really appreciated. It kept me engaged and I WANT MORE! When I was thumbing through the first few introductory pages, I knew I was in for a treat when I glanced at the table of contents. Here’s a sampling of my favorite chapter titles:
• “A Knee to the Groin is Always a Safe Bet”
• “All the Librarians Are High”
• “Who Doesn’t Love a Good Cat Gif?”
• “Cue Dawson Ugly Cry”
• “Why it’s Important to Always Keep Someone Else’s Dried Blood on Hand”
• “Don’t Do Drugs—You’ll Wake Up in a White Cell With the Whole World Thinking You’re Dead”
The jokes in this book gave me strong Buffy the Vampire Slayer vibes and I loved it. That’s like, the highest compliment I can give!
via GIPHY
FINAL WORD
This book is a tad overwhelming in the beginning and has some strong parallels to the The Mortal Instruments, but I really loved this. It’s a hilarious, fun read that I would TOTALLY recommend!
Format: Ebook
*I was generously given a copy in exchange for an honest review*
Rating: 4 Stars
I should start this by saying I am a HUGE fan of Cassandra Clare’s Mortal Instruments and Infernal Devices series. So when I read a description for this book that promised it would satisfy Cassandra Clare fans, I OBVIOUSLY jumped on it. In the beginning I wasn’t sure what to expect, but by the end I was a transformed Shadowlander fangirl. I was promised satisfaction and can report that I am definitely SATISFIED.
via GIPHY
THE REHASH
Sachi Manning is an average girl living her life in Melbourne, Australia. She’s just graduated with her best friends Olivia and Gabe and can feel the endless freedom ahead of her as they prepare for a trip across Europe. So naturally, that’s when Gabe gets killed, leaving Sachi and her friends shattered. And Gabe isn’t the only one—there have been a string of similar murders that humans are blaming on a serial killer, but the supernatural know better.
Fast forward six months and Sachi is getting through life one day at a time, living with her brother Nikko, and working at a local cafe. At night she has terrible nightmares that make sleeping hard, but she’s getting by. Out of the blue one day, she starts noticing things she never has before. One of the bartenders has tiny horns, a server is running around with pointy ears, and there’s a guy walking around Melbourne with a Doctor Who, Willy Wonka vibe. Trying not to think too much about these strange sightings, Sachi lets her friends talk her into going out to a club for the first time in months. While she’s there, she just happens to see Julian—Doctor Willy Wonka himself—with a freaking SCYTHE about to slice up Gabe, the guy that’s suppose to ALREADY BE DEAD.
This brings Sachi, Julian, and his partner Moss together on a quest to find out what Sachi really is and discover how people like Gabe keep turning up “dead” when they’re not suppose to. All the while, an acquaintance (co-worker?????) of Julian and Moss named Griffin lurks in the background, scheming and making his own plans for Sachi Manning.
THE UGLY
When I first started reading this, my inner fangirl was so full of The Mortal Instruments that the parallels between the two stories blinded me like a sharp laser beam to the eye. I was worried that there might be too many similarities. A sassy, strong girl with an amazing talent for drawing? Two brothers-from-another-mother that are red hot with amazing fighting skillz (that’s right, WITH A Z!!)? An entire hidden realm of mythical creatures that dumb humans don’t even know exist?
Plus, I admit that I was a tad overwhelmed in the beginning. We are literally just dumped right in the middle of an entire fantastical world with a lot of terms and characters I kept forgetting two pages later.
THE GOOD
HOWEVER. It only took me a few chapters to realize that this novel is completely in a world of it’s own. I thought the universe this book takes place in was very well thought out, complete with it’s own geography, rules, key players, and history. That’s why I was so overwhelmed at the start, but once Sachi comes along and we discover it with her, everything makes a lot more sense. Plus, being overwhelmed with information at the beginning kind of made the story more believable. If there really WAS a hidden mythical universe that I randomly and suddenly discovered (PLEASE LET THIS HAPPEN. DRAGONS AND UNICORNS IN MY LIFE WOULD BE GREAT), I would probably be really confused about it. Know what I mean? No? Okay moving on…
I also really SUPER FELL IN LOVE WITH THE CHARACTERS. Moss is just THE BEST and I wish I could watch the Vampire Diaries with him in real life. Sachi has a lot of spunk that was awesome to see in a female protagonist, despite the fact she frustrated me from time to time. And Julian. JULIAN. UGH. Similar to Jace Lightwood, I simultaneously want to hug and strangle Julian. So OBVIOUSLY that means I’m #OBSESSED with him now.
And this book is freakin’ funny! It’s filled to the brim with amazing humor and pop culture references that I really appreciated. It kept me engaged and I WANT MORE! When I was thumbing through the first few introductory pages, I knew I was in for a treat when I glanced at the table of contents. Here’s a sampling of my favorite chapter titles:
• “A Knee to the Groin is Always a Safe Bet”
• “All the Librarians Are High”
• “Who Doesn’t Love a Good Cat Gif?”
• “Cue Dawson Ugly Cry”
• “Why it’s Important to Always Keep Someone Else’s Dried Blood on Hand”
• “Don’t Do Drugs—You’ll Wake Up in a White Cell With the Whole World Thinking You’re Dead”
The jokes in this book gave me strong Buffy the Vampire Slayer vibes and I loved it. That’s like, the highest compliment I can give!
via GIPHY
FINAL WORD
This book is a tad overwhelming in the beginning and has some strong parallels to the The Mortal Instruments, but I really loved this. It’s a hilarious, fun read that I would TOTALLY recommend!