Forged

A few months ago, my best friend wohis book was my most anticipated release for 2015, sn an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) of Forged, the third and final book in the Taken trilogy by Erin Bowman. I will readily admit that to I was beyond excited when she received it. I anxiously waited for her to finish it (which only took her a day!) and then I tore it out of her hands for my turn. I was hoping for a conclusion to this trilogy that would be as exciting, bittersweet, heartbreaking, and uplifting as the first two books. Forged did not disappoint. Erin Bowman weaves together characters with some of the most authentic relationships I have ever read, and from the first book I have held a special place for Gray Weathersby and his friends. When they love, the reader loves. When they ache, the reader aches. Forged is as funny as it is painful, as charming as it is soul-crushing. I need the books I read to make me feel something. In Forged, Erin Bowman tore out my heart and then ever so gently stitched it back together again. All the while the book delivers racing action that makes it almost impossible to put down. If you liked the first two Taken books (Taken and Frozen), you will love Forged. If you haven’t read the Taken trilogy, do it.

One thing I love about literature is its diversity, and the ability for every reader to find "that book" which stamps itself on them and leaves a mark of some emotion. If as readers we are lucky, we find multiple books which leave an impression. For me, the Taken Trilogy found a home. This is the first series with a male protagonist which I have loved since reading Harry Potter (I seem to be picky with my male main characters). I was anxious to read the final installment after being torn to pieces by the end of the second installment, Frozen, but had faith Erin Bowman would set things right. I had my wish fulfilled, though first I had to read through more gut wrenching scenes and hair yanking suspense, but the ending was a balm for those shattered pieces.  In a world where trust in another could lead to a death sentence, Gray Weathersby clings to those he loves and risks everything to expose the truth which divides the nation. Forged becomes an example of the challenge to humanity when faced with no clear moral answer, and the fortitude of unbreakable bonds between family, friends, and lovers. This books is fast paced (I finished it in one reading as there was never a good stopping point) with the perfect amount of suspense, humor, and endearing moments. But the true strength of this book can be found in the characters. The entire cast is so well-written, each with their own unique voice and set of quirks, that they linger even after completing the book. I could write more, but there would be spoilers.  If you love books full of suspense, adventure, moments where you want to scream because everything is about to fall apart-then read the Taken trilogy. If you love books with characters who are raw and real and flawed, then read the Taken trilogy. If you love books which present challenges to the human spirit, then read the Taken trilogy. If you loved Hunger Games-read the Taken trilogy. And if you love that big fat thing called cosmic irony-then this series is for you!

Forged was such a remarkably written book.  -I loved the setting, which is a world that has been devastated by war and split into two parts, West and East. The little towns, like Bone Harbor were so interesting to read about and figure out what secrets are hidden there and how these places are going to affect the story.  -  The characters in this book are some of my favorites I have read about this year. They are so relatable and it’s so easy to understand their emotions and the hardships their going through, but at the same time nothing can prepare you for the emotional journey they are on. My favorite characters are definitely Gray, Bree, and Clipper. They are just so unique and fun to read about. It’s also interesting how Erin Bowman can so easily make these characters seem so real. The decisions they make and the emotions they portray during certain conflicts are decisions I feel I would make if I was them.  -Overall this book was amazing from the first word to the last word. This book is definitely an emotional rollercoaster, but in my opinion that’s what makes a book good. I find a book boring when I feel the same emotion that I always fell when I read, happy. When a book is truly good, in my opinion, it makes me feel all the emotions whether that’s sad, angry, or happy. This book pulled me into the story and made me mirror the emotions and pain that the characters were feeling. I LOVED IT! I cannot say enough good things about this book it was just too good for me to even comprehend.  I highly recommend this book to any YA lover or anyone who wants a trilogy to begin their reading journey. It’s so good everyone needs to read this trilogy!!!

A great book(:

***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog*** Forged by Erin Bowman Book Three of the Taken series Publisher: HarperTeen Publication Date: April 14, 2015 Rating: 3 stars Source: ARC sent by the publisher Summary (from Goodreads): Gray Weathersby and his group of rebels must make their final stand in the epic conclusion to the Taken trilogy, which New York Times bestselling author Marie Lu called "an action-packed thrill ride from beginning to end." The Order is building an unstoppable army, with every generation of Forgeries harder to detect and deadlier than the one before. It’s time for Gray and his fellow rebels to end the Order's world of lies. But when the most familiar faces—and even the girl he loves—can’t be trusted, Gray will have to tread carefully if he wants to succeed. Or survive. What I Liked: I think, of the three novels, this one was my favorite. Taken and Frozen received the same rating as this book, but of the three-star trilogy, Forged is my favorite. While it excelled in some areas (in comparison to its predecessors), it failed in other areas (where the other two might have failed as well). Overall, I'm glad that I stuck it out and finished this series, but it definitely isn't a favorite series of all time.  Gray, Blaine, Bree, and the group of rebels must plan their every move carefully in order to take down Frank and the Order. But Forgeries are everywhere, and it's getting more difficult to tell who is true and who is Forged. This conclusion novel is rife with betrayals, torture, and heartbreak. One thing that really worked for me in this book was the resolution of the love triangle. I stuck with this series because I liked the idea of it, and I wanted to know how it would end. I wasn't burning with curiosity, but I like finishing what I start. In this book, from the start, it is clear that Gray wants Bree and only Bree. He constantly says that he loves Emma like he loves his friends, like Sammy or Clipper. Gray spends the whole book trying to convey to Bree that his deepest regret is vacillating over whether he loves her and wants to be with her. So, I'm glad that love triangle was cleared up. The romance was meh; on the one hand, I hated Bree's tough-girl act, in terms of the romance. On the other hand, I see her point - she wants to protect herself from being turned down or jilted by Gray again. Understandable.  Just so we're clear - I don't like Bree, never have. There is a lot of action in this book, just as there is a lot of "dead" time. I definitely did a lot of skimming, in terms of the "dead" time, but I was really invested in the action, chunks at a time. There was this one point in the book, around page 160, when my heart stopped. And broke. And that was when I knew that, no matter how this book would end, this book would be my favorite of the series. Bowman did something extremely shocking and heartbreaking, and in the first half of the book! I totally would have expected something like that in the very end of the book. Props to her (though I'm SO SAD about that event).  I have to be honest - I couldn't remember much of the specifics of Taken and Frozen. Which is very telling of how invested I was in this series, I know. But I think this novel functioned well as a conclusion novel. The pacing was pretty consistent with the first two books (i.e. slow), and the novel addresses the big picture problem in little steps that lead to the big climax. The finish is a bit cliche, in my opinion, but whatever. It could have ended worse. What I Did Not Like: I still don't like Bree. She's too prickly and dense and standoffish and annoying and rude and brash and idiotic and did I mention annoying? I know what the author was going for - a fiery, brave, independent girl who doesn't need a guy by her side. Mostly, I found her irritating. The tough girl act got old real fast, and I just wanted to punch her. Talk about mixed signals. Talk about stupid decisions. Talk about double standards. I did not like this girl. She acts like she knows it all and everyone must listen to her when she has a FEELING, but God forbid anyone tell her she's wrong or try to do something other than what she said. Bottom line: if Bree were a male, we'd cry A**HOLE/JERK/BASTARD in two seconds. I don't like these traits in a male, and I don't like them in a female. I don't like anyone like that. Another problem that was consistent in all three books - the snooze factor. There are so many points in this book were I was bored, and then there were a few chunks when OMG THINGS ARE HAPPENING and then things calm down to the suspicion/wondering/musing parts of the book and I was back to being bored. Like, can we ponder what we should do next while on the move to the next safe house or something? Multitask? Maybe? I mentioned that I thought the ending was cliche - well, yeah. It wraps up pretty much how you might expect a cookie-cutter ending to wrap up. With the exception of that one surprising event on page 160-something (which is like, earlier than one half of the book), this book's ending has no big surprises. In my opinion. Maybe I saw it all coming. Maybe you all will see it coming. Maybe it's all just not that surprising.  Would I Recommend It: Well, if you've read Taken and Frozen, I'm of the opinion that you might as well read the third book. But it IS a pretty satisfying conclusion novel, and you won't be utterly heartbroken or flabbergasted. Especially if you don't have the problems that I had. This series definitely isn't the worse series I've read - in fact, it's an okay one, in my opinion. It's not a favorite, but I wouldn't necessarily NOT recommend it, if that makes sense. Rating: 3 stars. It was good, but not the best thing ever. I'm glad I read this series, and I'll definitely be looking out for Bowman's books in the future. I'll be catching Vengeance Road in September for sure. I think this author is a great writer and has plenty of potential, but perhaps this series wasn't a "wow" series for me.