Chasers by H.W. Vivian

My Rating: 4 of 5 Stars

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About the Book:

In the small town of Winston, Colorado, Shelby, Gary, and May are born with a "condition" that prevents them from walking on the bare earth. Many years later, May runs away from home, and it is up to Shelby and Gary to find her. They encounter many horrors along the way, and must find a way to cure themselves of the "condition" before it's too late. 

My Thoughts:

*I received this book for review from the author, but this in no way affected my thoughts expressed in this review*

I had been looking forward to reading this book long before I did. Sometimes, that's not always a good thing. The book can sound so promising and your hopes get all built up and it be for naught. As far as Chasers is concerned, this is not the case. It more than lived up to expectations! 

This story has multiple view points, but I think the author knew what she was doing with it, which made all the difference in how the book read. Yes, perhaps the information could have all been provided by one character, but I liked being able to see inside the different characters' heads the way she did it. The author really shows you what's happening, instead of telling--which I love! I felt like the description she used made it so easy to picture what was happening without having to be given every little detail, if that makes sense. 

 I have to say, I am so happy I was able to read this book. This is a start to what promises to be a great series, and not only that: I can't wait to see what other ideas Miss Vivian has brewing in that creative head of hers as this is by the far one of the most unique YA books I've read! 

Excerpt:

Back then, I didn't know him very well. We were hardly even acquaintances. But people constantly talked about our similarities. Everyone said that we were practically the same: born in the same hospital on the same night at the same time. Apparently, only those with our particular "condition" were born at all that year. 

When he was born, Gary had a large lump on the bottom of his spine, like a tumor. But after the doctors took a bunch of X-rays, they found that there was no tumor after all. So they did what they thought was logical and cut it off. What dropped out, underneath all the blood and pus, was a beautiful grape-sized green rock. Its edges were sharp and jagged, as if it were plucked directly from the earth.

Thus, an emerald was born. 

As for me, they extracted a small red ruby from my spine. Understandably, I don't remember that day very well, but I'm pretty sure that it meant we were somehow meant to be together.

I also knew that we were mistakes - not from our parents, but from nature. Somehow.

Afterward, life went on normally for both Gary and me in the little industrial town called Winston, Colorado.

 

About the Author:

Facebook: www.Facebook.com/HWVivian7
Twitter: @vhwang7

  H. W. Vivian (1988-Present) was born Vivian Hwang in Flushing, New York, to a Taiwanese immigrant family, and grew up in her hometown. At a young age, she showed great interest toward the arts, studying piano, violin, and percussions, while drawing and painting on her own time. Her parents' divorce when she was eight years old took a big toll on her personal life, but she soldiered on by burying herself in her artistic endeavors. She joined the Bayside High School music program when she was fourteen. Afterward, she enrolled in the Art Institute of New York City's culinary arts and restaurant management program. After graduation, she returned to traditional college schooling, enrolling in Baruch College-CUNY's Bachelor of Business Administration, majoring in Finance and Investments, and minoring in Theater. During this time, H. W. Vivian conceived the idea for her first novel, Chasers, but wouldn't publish it until many years afterward. She is currently writing her second novel, Days of Amber, and expects to release it in early 2015.