Rose Garcia

I received this book in exchange for my honest review. This is Book one of The Transhuman Chronicles. I was really surprised by this novel, quite a bit happens and the book is only 185 pages long. Dominique’s family moves to a new state during her final year of high school. Not only is she the new girl in town, but her old friends have moved on without her. You can understand Dominique’s frustration at being lied to for so long by her parents as she grasps trying to understand what has been happening to her and what the visions are she has been seeing. She learns of a war between the Tainted and the Pures, which she has been fighting for 8 lifetimes…this is her final life. Will she end the war or die trying? I guess you’ll have to find out for yourself. I honestly can’t wait for book two, this one was practically impossible to put down.… (más)

*3.5 Stars.

Thank you to BookSirens and Rose Garcia for the ARC I received and I am leaving this honest review voluntarily.

I really enjoyed the story Rose Garcia was able to weave together. While at first glance there was nothing new about the premise -- part-fae, part-human girl learns she has more power than she thought and ends up in a position where her decisions impact an entire population, with romance from the bodyguard on the side -- RG was able to refresh the story enough with her own flair to still make it interesting. I particularly liked that it deviated from the white anglo-centric perspective that usually accompanies these types of books and had a part-Hispanic female MC. The book also took some unexpected turns that kept the reader on their feet.

I have two main complaints which are why this book did not receive a higher score from me. The first is that the author's writing style seems to be to tell the reader what is happening rather than showing them. This made the story a lot less fluid and with a lot of unnecessary words to get the same point across.

The second complaint was in regards to the romance between Gabriela and Leaf. The description of this book was that it contained a slow burn romance, but that was definitely not the case. The attraction between the two literally seemed to appear from nowhere and then turned to love what felt like two pages later. There were points where I could feel the tension between the two of them, but in general, it seemed a little forced and way too quick for how long they have known each other. Definitely NOT a slow burn.

Despite these concerns, I am looking forward to finding out what happens in Book 2!… (más)

Dominique is 17 years old, it is her senior year and high school, and her parents have made her move from Michigan to Houston. New School, no friends, it really sucks. She meets Infiniti on Facebook, who happens to live down the street, and who invites her to a party. That's when things really start to change. Ouija boards, Tarot cards, then visions she doesn't understand are more than she can take. She meets Trent, who is really hot and her parents end up moving in Farrell, who is the son of a friend, and he is super hot to. Talk about confusing. Jan, another neighbor, introduces her to the concept of numerology, and she finds out that she in on her final life. Could things possibly get crazier? The answer is yes. Her parents aren't what they seem and neither is Farrell. Not only that, Dominque has been marked, and if she doesn't get things right this time.....time is up....and not just for Dominique.

I really enjoyed Final Life. It was a quick read and had a very interesting paranormal twist. The whole transhuman concept had the whole Sci-Fi/Fantasy element going on, yet Rose Garcia has written it in a way that is both fresh and believable, with the classic good versus evil theme incorporated. There is romance, and a love triangle of sorts that is very well done. Dominique ends up rising to her calling and being a pretty kick-butt heroine. The story also ended well, which I feel is important in any series. This was an excellent YA story that is both intriguing and entertaining and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys paranormal romance.… (más)