Earthbound by Aprilynne Pike

Series: Earthbound (bk. 1)

Genera(s): Paranormal Romance

Subjects: mystery, supernatural, abilities, love, mythology, gods and goddesses

Setting: Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Camden, Maine and other towns between

POV/Tense: 1^st person POV, present tense: Tavia Michaels

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 338 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover and now in Paperback

List Price: $17.99/$9.99

Publisher: Penguin: Razorbill

Summary/ product description: “Tavia Michaels is the sole survivor of the plane crash that killed her parents. When she starts to see strange visions of a boy she’s never spoken with in real life, she begins to suspect that there’s much about her past that she isn’t being told.

Tavia immediately searches for answers, desperate to determine why she feels so drawn to a boy she hardly knows. But when Tavia discovers that the aunt and uncle who took her in after her parents' death may have actually been responsible for the plane crash that killed them--and that she may have been the true intended victim--she flees for the safety of Camden, Maine, where the boy she sees in her visions instructs her to go.

Now, Tavia is on the run with no one to trust. No one, that is, except for her best friend and longtime crush, Benson.

Tavia feels torn between the boy who mysteriously comes to her at night and the boy who has been by her side every step of the way. But what Tavia doesn't know is that the world is literally falling apart and that to save it she will have to unite with the boy in her visions. Only problem? To do so would mean rejecting Benson's love. And that's the one thing Tavia Michaels swore she'd never do.”

My Review:  Going into Earthbound, I had no idea what to expect. I bought the book last year because I loved Aprilynne Pike’s Wings series, and really wanted to read something else by her. I finally just read Earthbound right before the sequel comes out. Earthbound is a paranormal romance with mystery and mythology. It’s not about any specific mythology, but it’s about Earthbound gods. Tavia suddenly has the ability to create things out of nothing, but they only last temporarily. I sound like conjuring, which would be a cool ability to have.

Tavia is living with an aunt and uncle after her parents died in a plane crash. Tavia was injured in the plane crash too and had to under go brain surgery. She’s not disabled, but she does have to go to physical therapy and has a psychiatrist too. While being an orphan may be cliché, it doesn’t ruin the story. I really did enjoy this book. It was similar to other paranormal romance books, but also very different. Part of the story is the mystery behind what Tavia is and what she can do. It reminds me of some angel books I’ve read, but it’s not really about angels. There’s a reincarnation aspect that reminded me of the Fallen series by Lauren Kate.

My favorite character in this book is probably Benson. He’s a great friend and the main love interest in this book. He’s a library nerd and very smart. He calls Tavia nicknames that are pastries or confectionaries. He were glasses. Tavia keeps comparing him to superman, like his glasses are just a disguise. I kept picturing Benson as Alex Garfield from the newer Amazing Spiderman movies, or the guy who played Simon in the Mortal Instruments. I love Benson, and don’t care much for Quinn/Logan, but that could change in the second book. Aprilynne has a way of making you fall in love with both guys. I was Team David in Wings. I’m Team Benson for now in Earthbound.

The book starts out in New Hampshire. I don’t think I’ve read any books set in New Hampshire. Tavia grew up in Michigan, my favorite state to vacation. Tavia and Benson travel to Maine, which I’ve read tons of books set in Maine. Tavia is being chances by some bad people who want her dead or want to use her. Her aunt and uncle may not be who she thinks they are. She can’t trust anyone. Even the one person she trusts the most may not be who she thinks they are. There’s some action, explosions, car stealing and adventure. It’s a great book

If you liked Fallen by Lauren Kate, The Immortal series by Alyson Noel, Halo by Alexandra Adornetto, Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini, any books with mythology, gods and goddesses, angels, demon, magic or abilities. Paranormal Romance in general. Try this book. Also if you liked any Aprilynne Pike books, such as Wings, Spells, Illusions, Destined, Life After Theft or Sleep No More, read Earthbound.

Cover Art Review: I love the violet hue of the cover and the opalline paper it’s printed on. The pyramid on the back is awesome. The title looks awesome. The girl may not look like how a picture Tavia, but why go and change the cover to this ugly flower trapped in ice for the paperback?

And then for the sequel’s cover, it looks more dystopian than anything. I’m guessing the paper will be velvety or metallic. Earthquake came out July 8th: