The Taking

The Taking #1

by Kimberly Derting

A flash of white light . . . and then . . . nothing.

When sixteen-year-old Kyra Agnew wakes up behind a Dumpster at the Gas ’n’ Sip, she has no memory of how she got there. With a terrible headache and a major case of déjà vu, she heads home only to discover that five years have passed . . . yet she hasn’t aged a day.

Everything else about Kyra’s old life is different. Her parents are divorced, her boyfriend, Austin, is in college and dating her best friend, and her dad has changed from an uptight neat-freak to a drunken conspiracy theorist who blames her five-year disappearance on little green men.

Confused and lost, Kyra isn’t sure how to move forward unless she uncovers the truth. With Austin gone, she turns to Tyler, Austin’s annoying kid brother, who is now seventeen and who she has a sudden undeniable attraction to. As Tyler and Kyra retrace her steps from the fateful night of her disappearance, they discover strange phenomena that no one can explain, and they begin to wonder if Kyra’s father is not as crazy as he seems. There are others like her who have been taken . . . and returned. Kyra races to find an explanation and reclaim the life she once had, but what if the life she wants back is not her own?

Genres: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Aliens, Paranormal, Romance, Fantasy, Mystery

368 pages, Hardcover

First published April 29, 2014

About the author

Kimberly Derting once wanted to be a “foxy lady trucker” but changed her mind when she took 7th-grade journalism and discovered writing. She hasn’t looked back since.

She’s the author of award-winning young adult novels, including The Body Finder series, The Pledge trilogy, and The Taking trilogy. She’s also co-written many popular picture books, including the Loves Science series, the Farm Friends series, and Penny: The Engineering Tail of The Fourth Little Pig. Her first solo picture book is Baby Steps: A Picture Book For New Siblings.

Her young adult books have been translated into over 15 languages, and both THE BODY FINDER and THE PLEDGE were YALSA's Best Fiction for Young Adults selections. Her picture books have received starred reviews, been Amazon book-of-the-month picks, and were featured in Good Housekeeping.

These days, Kimberly lives in the Pacific Northwest, where she watches WAY too much Netflix, orders 20-pound boxes of Nerds gumballs from Amazon, and loves to complain about the rain even though she lives in Seattle, where it rains ALL of the time! You can find her online at www.kimberlyderting.com


Note: I'm the worst about checking my Goodreads email...I apologize if I don't get back to you! If you need to reach me, try emailing me at kim(at)kimberlyderting(dot)com

Reviews

[Khanh, first of her name, mother of bunnies · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was Tyler Wahl. Tyler, who looked far too much like his older brother—my seventeen-year-old boyfriend—in looks, in stature...and, most of all, in age.
Tyler, who, the last time I’d seen him just the day before, had been only twelve years old.

This is the story of a special (and different) girl who got abducted by aliens, only to awaken five years later to fall in love with her boyfriend's 12-year old brother.



Who is now 17. But really, does that make it any less creepy, man?

The Summary:

"They’ve done something different to you—to make you special.”
I was still attempting to process what he’d just told me. About me being different from everyone else.

16-year old Kyra has just finished her softball game. She is a brilliant player, being scouted by multiple prestigious universities. Kyra doesn't give a flying fuck about all the other universities. She is in love with her childhood best friend, Austin. They've been in love since they were young teenagers, they're neighbors, they've been dating for years. Kyra wants to spend the rest of her life with Austin. Her dad thinks differently; in an argument with him over Austin, Kyra runs out of the car...and vanishes.

Kyra wakes up behind a gas station. She doesn't know how she got there, but she decides to go home. But it's not home anymore...The man who opens the door is not her dad.

“I don’t know what you’re problem is,” he hissed, trying to keep his voice low. “But this is my house, and you’re scaring my son. If you need help, then call 9-1-1. I can’t do anything for you.”

Freaked out, Kyra runs next door, into Austin's arm...or so she thought. Only it's not Austin. It's Tyler. Little baby Tyler...

...pipsqueak Tyler, who used to follow us around the house, intruding on conversations and telling the same annoying jokes that we used to tell when we were his age

AND MAN, IS HE HOT.

I tried not to look at how defined his bare chest was. Tried to keep my gaze from moving lower and noticing his muscled stomach and his navel, which was surrounded by a tuft of dark hair.

Austin who?! What's better than your 17-year old boyfriend?! His little brother! Who wants a 21-year old man when you can have a 17-year old boy?! YEAH!



And man, is he primed for seduction!

"You should know I’m glad you’re back.” He flashed me a sheepish smile as he added, “And now that I’m older, I’ll try to be a little more memorable.”

Way to usurp your big bro's girlfriend, man!

Austin who?

So now poor wittle Kyra's got a brand new family, she's lost five years of her life, but who cares, when she's got all-grown-up Tyler making googly eyes and staring at her?

We stood there for a moment, our eyes locked. It was too long, and we both knew it, but neither of us looked away, and then it was way, way too long. I’m not sure if it meant something, or nothing, and I hated how badly I wished I could see inside his head, to read his thoughts. But eventually my cheeks got hot, and I blinked first.

Austin who?

Who cares about her dad going insane and becoming an alcoholic because of her disappearance, when the consequences mean that Kyra and Tyler can spend heartbeats looking at each other feeling like fainting goats?

I saw a show on Animal Planet once about these fainting goats whose muscles froze up when they were startled, and they passed out. Like, they literally fell over if you scared them.
That was me, right now.
We stood like that for fifty-five straight heartbeats.

Austin who?

Oh! There's Austin. Only it's been five years, and he's, like, so old now. Not to mention he's got a girlfriend. But it's Tyler who makes her heart go pitter-patter now despite what she tries to tell herself.

Besides, on top of everything else, Tyler was still just Austin’s little brother. Too young to be anything more than a friend.

If I stopped lying to myself for even a second, then maybe there was a part of me where Tyler mattered more than he should.

Austin who?

Who cares if there are Men In Black from the National Security Agency following her when she's thinking about Tyler?

His green eyes, his new deeper voice, the way he teased me, his disarming smile. I couldn’t stop thinking about him.

Ins't that sweet? She remembers Tyler before his voice broke. Just adorable.

Austin who?

I mean, who's got time to think about the strange guy with copper eyes who's been following Kyra around all over the place when she can't stop comparing how much BETTER Tyler is than Austin. At everything. Even at opening car doors. Who knew there was such a specific way of opening car doors to make it extra-special. Just like Kyra.

He got out and came around to my side, opening my door and waiting for me. No one had ever opened my car door like that, not even Austin.

Who cares about the fact that aliens abducted her and returned her, that she's now extra-special? Who the fuck cares about her powers, when it's clear as the light of the hovering UFO that Tyler is the reason she came back. Not anyone else. Not her family. Not her friends. Not Austin (Austin who?). Not the government. Not her new group of friends.

Just Tyler.

I’d never been so alive, and I knew this was why I’d come back. To be here, right now, in this moment, with Tyler.

Austin who?

Bros Before Hos:

“Don’t pretend you didn’t know I had the hugest crush on you, Kyra. It wasn’t my fault I was only in the seventh grade and you barely noticed me.”

Also known as THY SHALT NOT COVET THY BROTHER'S CHICK, MOTHERFUCKER. Tyler, you are SO fucked up, man. You're lusting over your big brother's ex-girlfriend, the one to whom you now refer...as a cougar. Such a sweet hit line.

If you’re worried that I think you’re too old for me or something, I’m not.” He directed his gaze back to the road, but he was scowling now. “It’s not a big deal, Kyra. Really.” His lazy smile made a fleeting appearance. “I kinda like the whole cougar thing you’ve got goin’ on.”

Dude, I know she's hot, but man, she dated your BROTHER. There's got to be some kind of awkwardness about that. Austin and Kyra were together for years. They were best friends as well as lovers. Kyra snuck into Austin's bedroom every night, Tyler KNEW this. He still covets Kyra knowing what Kyra meant to Austin. What Austin meant to Kyra (apparently not much considering she forgot him 5 minutes after she saw the almost-all-grown-up-Tyler). All the emotional ties. All the secrets, the love. And you expect Kyra to forget about all the years that she had with Austin the instant she sees you?

Well, apparently, she does, but that's not the point!

Tyler is so fucking smooth. He's got this while seduction thing planned out. He draws beautiful artwork for her on the driveway on several mornings.

Tyler had drawn a cobblestone pathway that stretched all the way from one side of our street to the other, bridging our two houses, practically from my front door to his. And running across the top of the pathway was a saying, written in beautiful, scrawling script. It said:

I’ll remember you always.

He gives her his favorite old books.

My phone buzzed again. "I’m saying I want to share one of my very favorite things in the world with you, Kyra."

He pretty much does everything he can, full-stop, to make Kyra his.

“You like that? I like to pull out the big guns when I’m trying to make an impression.”
My eyes lifted. “Is that what you were trying to do, impress me?”
There was a beat, a moment in which our eyes met and my heart leaped, and then his voice dropped, feathering my skin and making me shiver. “Of course I am, Kyra. I was sort of hoping you understood that.”

Which is cute, but it really doesn't disguise the creepy level.

PEDOBEAR APPROVES: My little sister is 10 years younger than me. She has a lot of guy friends. I've known her little guy friends from grade school to this day. Some of them have grown up well, tall, handsome, smart, charming, exemplary young men.

Am I ever attracted to any of them? Will I ever be?

HELL TO THE NO. EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEW. FUCK, MAN, THAT'S SO GROSS.



Yeah. Let's not forget that Kyra's known Tyler since he was practically a toddler.

I’d known Tyler his whole life. I’d been to all of his birthday parties, teased him when he had a lisp because he lost his front teeth, walked him to school on his first day, pushed him on the swing set until he cried mercy because it was too high, and built snowmen with him on snow days.

No, thank you. *shudder*

Kyra, the Special Girl: Kyra is very, very teenager. Which is to say she is self-centered, egotistical, and only sees what she wants to see. She is selfish, she cannot comprehend the fact that the fucking world doesn't revolve around her.

Ok, so it's been five years since Kyra disappeared. Did she want the whole fucking world to stay the same? Yes. You heard me. It's one thing to know that teenagers can be so ego-centric, it's another thing to read about one who makes me want to motherfucking punch her every other page.

Kyra expects the world to wait on her hand and foot. She hates the fact that her mother is remarried, to a kind man that Kyra now refers to only as "THE HUSBAND," her new little brother? "The kid." "The brat." That is, when he's not...

...the brat who’d stolen my mom.

It's a little baby! A little baby who can't even hold his own spoon and eat in a normal manner, which Kyra goes to mock, naturally. Because god help us if a toddler makes a mess while eating!

I’d already offended her and The Husband that morning when I’d implied that, perhaps, he needed more practice with a spoon as more of the oatmeal had fallen off it than made it to his mouth.

Her boyfriend, Austin, has moved on. He is now dating Cat, her best friend. Both former. They didn't mean for it to happen, but five years have passed; they were friends already, and they grew closer after Kyra's disappearance. And they're both trying to be friends with her again, but that's not how Kyra sees it!

The only two people I thought I’d wanted to talk to were now the enemy, camped out together and colluding against me.

I know it hurts, but there is a reasonable way for a character to get my sympathy. I want to take my sympathy, freeze it into a brick, and smash it into Kyra's face. Kyra can't really comprehend that people have a right to move on BECAUSE IT'S BEEN FIVE FUCKING YEARS.

So let's see, she came back after five years. Everyone's paying attention to her, pampering her, watching out for her...and still, Kyra feels like...

I bet I could implode, disintegrate into ash on this very spot where I was perched in my hospital gown on the edge of the bed, and no one would even notice.

Are you kidding me? You don't think everyone's looking at you and trying to figure you out and trying to get you to open up, bitch? Kyra somehow feeeeeeeeeeels that Tyler, hot Tyler, little Tyler is the only one who cares.

She snaps at everyone. The slightest comment from her ex-boyfriend regarding her ex-best friend Cat asking about her makes her snap.

“Cat misses you,” Austin said at last, clearing his throat loudly.
And with that, any nerves or worry that I might not say or do the right thing evaporated. Older, yes, but still just a stupid boy who said stupid things when he opened his mouth. “Cat? Really? You drove all this way to talk about Cat?”

The only one whose actions mean anything to her at all is Tyler. TYYYYYYYYLER.

The fact that he was here, standing outside my window and asking me how my day was, almost made me cry. No one else had bothered to ask how I was. He was the first person who wasn’t pulling me at both ends, like I was a rope in a tug-of-war.

Bullshit. Both her attitude and this book.

Austin who?



Disclaimer: I DO NOT ENDORSE PEDOPHILIA

[Christine Wallflower & Dark Romance Junkie · Rating 5 out of 5]

So upon reading this book, my initial reaction went something like this:


As in I couldn't articulate, look I'm a novice to YA science fiction particularly when it comes to aliens. But I have watched many movies, I absolutely love watching anything of the extraterrestrial kind. That being said, although I'm a novice, I do feel that this book was very light science fiction, it really appealed to me because first and foremost this book is a romance, it's a coming of age story. A book about a young girl having to survive when everyone has deserted her except for this one boy, who goes by the name of Tyler.

☆☆☆WARNING HERE BE INSTA-LOVE☆☆☆
Begone all ye non believers lol! The book is set at a fast pace, it's gripping and yes the word love is thrown around. Thing is I've never had a problem with insta-love as long as the author can sell it to me. I'm a romantic at heart, and I do believe in an attraction or connection so intense that the couple "instantly" falls in love.

So What's It About?
Well in a nutshell it's about this:



and this:


Not so much about the latter though, but you get my meaning. Kyra who's a soft-ball champion, has a fight with her dad while on her way home from a game. Her Dad stops the car at her her request, they're in a remote area, Kyra jumps out the car and begins to run. All of a sudden there's a flash of blinding light and the story begins.



From then onwards the book is literally a fast-paced exciting adventure. We have secret agents, an unknown government organisation and a sweet, romantic love story. Didn't you ever wish you had super powers when you were younger? Imagined all the cool stuff you could do with them, and the best way you could show them off? Because what would be the point if you couldn't show them off?

The Taking by Kimberly Derting fed that craving of mine. It was an absolute pleasure to read, funny, exciting, held my attention. If you're not to picky and looking for a fun YA sci-fi read, then I highly recommend this book. And the ending was one of those cliffy's you love to hate, leaves you wanting more but incredibly satisfying!



The look on my face when I finished reading!

My Favourite Quotes

1. I bet I could implode, disintergrate into ash on this very spot where I was perched in my hospital gown on the edge of the bed, and no one would even notice.

2. And I had been dead in a way. For five long years everyone had mourned me. They'd let me go and "moved on," and everything had changed.
And now I was back. A corpse with a second chance.

[Giselle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is another of those books that are fun and entertaining, but just don't have that spark that could have made them truly memorable. At least I have plenty of fun during the ride.

With an engaging start, The Taking pulls you right into its plot full of mystery and wonderment. Imagine being blinded by a light, and the next thing you know your world and everyone you know is 5 years older… except you. You're still sporting a bruise left from a game just that week, your phone is still fully charged, your clothes and appearance are exactly the same, yet 5 years have apparently passed. This is what happened to Kyra as she brings us along into her baffling story that leaves you dying for answers on every page. While it also contains family and romance, the mystery aspect is by far my favorite part of the book. I was salivating with theories, each one more exciting that the last. As the plot moves forward, we get curious developments that slowly reshape it into a completely different story than its contemporary-like beginning. What we uncover is nothing more than what's revealed in the blurb, but it's interesting nonetheless.

What disappointed me was the lack of depth. It had so much potential that went unexplored, choosing to focus instead on frivolous diversions. Sure there are passing mentions of Kyra being obsessed with keeping time, but she has a mostly unconcerned attitude towards the last 5 years. Her refusal to consider her dad's theories is one thing, but she could have been abused or tortured for years, her mind blocking it out to protect itself, for all she knew. Who has time to worry about that with the excitement of a new crush (although they did have great chemistry) and the stress of her ex-boyfriend hooking up with her ex-BFF anyways!? Priorities, guys! More psychological depth would have given the book much more dimension, not to mention realism. The brush off on that angle was rather disappointing. Another thing: when strange things start happening to her, she's in complete denial each and every time. Dude, accept you're a mutant already!

Starting with a contemporary feel, The Taking gradually molds itself into a full-out sci-fi novel filled with conspiracies and superpowers. It does have a few forced conveniences, and it's unfortunate that its potential is mostly left untapped, but it's a fun story that ends on an intriguing note.

--
An advance copy was provided by the publisher for review.

For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads

[April (Aprilius Maximus) · Rating 4 out of 5]

My second time reading this in preparation for 'The Replaced' and I LOVE THIS SERIES SO MUCH OH MAN


First read -
All of my reviews are spoiler free (unless stated otherwise) so you can go ahead and read my review!

THIS WAS SO INTRIGUING! I honestly couldn't put it down! It follows Kyra, a 16 year old girl who wakes up behind a dumpster and finds that five years have passed and yet she hasn't aged a day. All she remembers is seeing a flash of light before finding herself somehow in the same clothes, with the same bruises she had the day she disappeared, even though five whole years have gone by. DOESN'T THAT INTRIGUE YOU? COZ IT SHOULD. IT'S AN EXCELLENT CONCEPT. OKAY, ENOUGH WITH THE CAPS LOCK. OKAY.
Wow. This was absolutely excellent! The thing I'm seeing most in people's reviews is that they didn't like the instalove. BUT... If you were in Kyra's shoes and had come home to realise everyone thought you were dead for five years and your old boyfriends brother is helping you figure it all out, wouldn't you want to cling to someone who reminds you of the past? You wouldn't want to go through this alone, and you would have probably done the exact same thing Kyra did. You've just got to put things into perspective here. Her situation is far from normal. So instalove is allowed to happen, in my opinion.
I really don't want to say much, except that the writing was beautiful and the story was so unique and gripping that it will keep you up all night just wanting to know how the heck this whole situation happened. Such an excellent start to an amazing new trilogy!

[Melanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

See more reviews at YA Midnight Reads

In the end, The Taking wasn't too bad of a read. While I have a lot of nit-picks here and there, but the concept was refreshing and was just engaging enough to keep me reading till the very end.

Just yesterday, 16 year old Kyra was in a softball game. Today, she wakes up behind a dumpster at the Gas 'n' Sip with no idea how she got there in the first place. When she gets home, there's a strange man and boy shouting at her, telling her that this wasn't her home. So she goes to her boyfriend's house just across the street but something isn't right. Her boyfriend's 12 year old brother, Tyler, looks older. Looks older than Kyra. Soon she learns that she wasn't at a softball game yesterday. Yesterday, she was missing. She has been missing for 5 years now, and Kyra has no memory of where she has been. But what's more scary is that while everyone else has aged by 5 years, Kyra looks completely the same. Like she's still 16.

Sounds awesome doesn't it? A fantastic mystery thriller with aliens. Sadly, a series of criticisms made it obvious that this wasn't the fantastic alien mystery thriller. Firstly, I struggled to connect with the main character, Kyra. She's shallow and insipid, and I felt no empathy for her situation. I wanted to like her, but her character didn't jump out at me and her narration was boring and terribly mundane. Moreover, I was expecting her reaction to coming home 5 years later to be a little more significant. Sure, she's shocked and confused and lost but it didn't feel or come off as genuine to me. Kyra was more interested in Tyler than what was happening to her, in my opinion.

Another quibble was the romance which I have no interest in. There was instant love. Like instant love towards her ex-boyfriend's little brother that she knew when he was 12. Instant love in less than 7 days. Mel does not approve. I also got annoyed at how many times Kyra felt the need to point out Tyler's dimples. He sounded pretty cute at the start, but then it got aggravating. Here's a quote at 27%:

His response was immediate. I left you something. Look out your window. 
I hoped that "something" was him.

WOAAAH. Getting a little too fast there. Also, très corny.

I also have a HUGE grudge with the pacing in The Taking. The first half was excessively slow and tedious. All there is in the first has is watching Kyra settle back into her old life again--which I do appreciate--but it was boring, uneventful and had quite a large focus on the romance tension between Kyra and Tyler. As for the second half, things do begin to pick and gradually get more absorbing. We start getting some answers (some in which I had early on predicted) but the big question wasn't answered until the last quarter. I really wished we got more answers because it's rather awful being in the dark for majority of the read.

Ultimately, I don't think The Taking was a worthwhile read. While the concept will remain in my memory for a long time, the characters, romance and pacing made this book rather unmemorable.

~Thank you HarperTeen for sending me this copy!~

[Emma Giordano · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS BOOK WAS SO FREAKING AMAZING AND EVERYONE ON EARTH NEEDS TO READ IT NOW OKAY?! <3

[Dear Faye · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've read my share of alien stories these past two years. There's just something about extraterrestrial creatures that intrigue the geek in me - the unfamiliarity, that sense of other-worldliness, the knowing they come from somewhere that's  beyond human comprehension. I'm not sure where this curiosity of mine started, but watching X Files has surely solidified that. Unfortunately, many of what I read that had this subject matter last year have been largely disappointing, and I've yet to read a book with aliens that could completely satisfy me. As for The Taking, while it had potential, I didn't find it to be so special either.

Kyra was on her way home from a successful softball game. Unfortunately, she and her father have been arguing in the car about her boyfriend and her upcoming university life, and at the spur of the moment, she went out of the car only to be enveloped by a blinding white light. Next thing she knew, she woke up to the same place, but in a different timeframe, and she soon discovered 5 years has passed since anyone saw her that fateful night. And yet, she still felt like how she was that very day - the same bruise, the same clothes, the same everything. However, while this was so, everything else around her was completely different - her parents have now separated, she has a stepdad and a stepbrother, and her boyfriend (or ex boyfriend now) was in college with her best friend, Cat. Even his little brother, Tyler, who she remembered a 12 year old boy, was 17 now. What the heck happened?

THE GOOD

I loved Kyra's reaction to what happened. You can really feel her confusion, anger, and frustrations, seeing everything has changed in a moment's notice. I usually don't like the lashing kind of heroine, but I felt her reaction was well-justified. All of a sudden, she had a stepbrother and a stepdad. All of a sudden, the boy she loved has moved away to college with her best friend, Cat. All of a sudden, her parents who loved each other now hated each other's guts. Her old life has crumbled away and she was powerless to fix any of it, because five years has passed without her knowing, and it has become too late to do anything but to simply accept the situation as it was. Many times I felt like crying for her, especially when she found out about her boyfriend and her best friend being together. Even thought I personally thought it was okay since they genuinely thought Kyra was dead for 5 years, I still felt that pain. And man, did it hurt.

THE BAD

Whoo, boy. Let's dissect this one.

1.) Instalove . What the flying monkey balls. Not only was the romance weird, it was instalove at its finest. So we all know Austin was her boyfriend, right? And this Austin had a younger brother named Tyler, who, on the day of Kyra's disappearance, was 12 years old. When they finally see again, him finally seventeen years old as 5 years have passed, she commented on how he looked so much like Austin - the hair, the eyes, the face, everything. And next thing you know, that's all she would think about. How gentleman-ly he was, how similar they were... not even a week passed since her "coming back" and she's fallen for him! I mean come on, girl. I get that he's swoony and everything, but the last time you saw him he was 12. And you could have been 21, too, for Pete's sake, since at that time you didn't know if you were 21 or 16. At first it was cute because awww, puppy love, then it progressed too fast, and I was no longer convinced of their love for each other, which kinda came out of nowhere.

2.)  The unnecessary details . One thing that I noticed about this book was the prose. At first, I thought it was kinda lovely, because it really portrayed Kyra's feelings in a way that moved me. But then, I noticed some patterns. Some stuff were being added that just didn't feel necessary to the storyline. Then I got to that part where she was talking about her past, when suddenly I started reading about her taking the spaghetti from the fridge, peeling the plastic wrap, putting the fork in the center, twirling the fork, to putting it in her mouth, to fucking chewing it. But longer. Like, it lasted three paragraphs, okay?

WHAT.

WHAT. THE. HELL.

WHO GIVES A FUCK ABOUT HOW YOU EAT YOUR SPAGHETTI? I GODDAMN DON'T.

You know, I could totally understand that if this book were entitled Pasta Eating For Dummies, but it's not. What was the point of that, really? I just didn't get it. I didn't get it at all.

3.)  Internet abbreviation in a traditionally published novel . Need I say more, really? If it were in a text message or in a chatroom discussion, I would understand that, but it's not. I know many others will agree with me they don't think F-M-L in their thoughts. They think it instead as "Fuck my life", not as three individual letters.

The pounding in my head was back, starting behind my eyes and radiating down the back of my neck. FML.

Major, major, MAJOR facepalm.

4.) Weird verbs. I didn't even reach 5 percent of the book yet and I encountered this... this... this "verb". Or rather, this sorry excuse of a verb:

whisper-yell

Why. Just... why. Why can't it simply be whisper? There are many ways to write urgency in a dialogue. That's what punctuation is for. Use them, please. Don't make up words.

And I swear if I see stuff like whisper-tell, whisper-cry, whisper-whimper, whisper-shout, whisper-moan, whisper-groan, whisper-mutter, whisper-exclaim, whisper-cheer and even whisper-whisper, I will lose it. SERIOUS-FUCKING-LY.

5.) Weird pacing.  While I loved the angst that happened in the first half of the book, it gets to the fast-paced part in an incredibly slow pace. You need to read like half the book before it even crawls along. And then we're given WTF situations, one after another, and while I find the alien concept here kinda... intriguing... the "superpower" stuff like levitation, superstrength, night vision, stalled breathing felt contrived. I was not happy at all.

ALL IN ALL, it was a disappointing read, BUT I have a feeling it has potential to get better. So I'm going to keep my hopes up. I'm not going to be pessimistic about the rest of the series, and will check out the next book when it comes out. Hopefully it will deliver.

[praiz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE The Body Finder series, and I've heard such positive things about these books too. Finally starting it, I'm pretty excited!

***

That ENDING!!!! UGH, I need the next book asap!!!

[Kassidy · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I received and e-copy ARC of this book from Edelweiss in return for an honest review. Thank you to Harper Collins and Edelweiss for the opportunity to read this story early*

It is very hard for me to put my thoughts into words....

I highly enjoyed reading this book, it was fun and definitely hard to put down!!
The book starts off with the main character Kyra disappearing for 5 years after winning her softball game. Everyone assumed she had been kidnapped or died since she was gone for so long and they moved on with their lives.
Well.. Kyra comes back. Oddly enough, she doesn't look a day older than 16, she's wearing the same thing she wore when she disappeared, and she doesn't remember where she has been for the last 5 years..
This is such a wonderful and interesting premise, but the way it was developed was a little weird for me. I feel like most of the book reads like contemporary or realistic fiction, then the last part of the book we finally get some exciting supernatural answers.
I don't want to give away too many details because not knowing what is going on is the fun of this book! Overall, I really liked it and I loved the supernatural twist. The writing style is easy to read and it was very entertaining. The characters were also fun!

My more detailed thoughts:
Essentially, when Kyra returns, she has to deal with her broken family and love life. I got wrapped up in her story which does involve a lot of romance and a fun love interest. At the same time, I had to take a step back and think, woahhh... what is going on, this girl still doesn't remember or know what happened to her over the past 5 years. It almost seemed like she didn't even care and was just focused on this guy for majority of the story. It was definitely entertaining and fun, but I knew the whole time something was wrong and there was some sort of supernatural stuff going on. I wanted to know more about what happened to her and why she doesn't remember. However, we do get those answers towards the end, which I am happy about. I just wish that part of the story line began developing sooner.
I do recommend this book, and I am super excited for the sequels!
This book would be good for fans of The Lorien Legacies series by Pittacus Lore and the Lux series by Jennifer L. Armentrout!

[Rachel E. Carter]

This was the perfect read for a spooky Halloween weekend. It reminded me of Elizabeth Chandler's Dark Secret series I grew up on: a bit of mystery, a bit of romance, a protagonist I liked, a bit of creepy, and yea, just a fun read... only of course this had aliens =) Hope to read the sequel at some point <3

[~Tina~ · Rating 2 out of 5]

It kills me that I couldn't love this book. Seriously, it hurts. One of my favorite series is The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting. It's a great mix of thriller and romance and stars the cutest couple I've ever had the pleasure of reading. I was really looking forward to reading The Taking. The blurb has a very Flight of the Navigator feel to it, which is one of my favorite childhood movies, but at last I just could not love this one.

In a nutshell, this was just to dang fast. I had no time to feel connected to Kyra's life before the flash of white light that changed her life, so I couldn't feel any real sympathy for the time and people she lost. I didn't find Kyra to be very likable and thought she was closed-minded and immature. I totally get that yes, she’s been through this unspeakable ordeal, but I just couldn't understand why she didn't get that the people in her life missed her, loved her and mourned her, but after 5 years of believing she had died, had to go on with their lives. But I think it was the relationship between Tyler and Kyra that was my biggest issue. It was too much to soon and crazy instant. Like 7 days- I love you- fast. I had a hard time processing this new found love since Kyra was so hell-bent and head over heels in love with Austin just a week ago. I did find Tyler to be pretty adorkable -obsessed mind you- but he had some sweet moments. There is also a lot of loose ends, meaning we get zero answers as to why this happened to Kyra and others like her and what her new funky powers mean. I would have liked to have learned a little bit more then what we got.

With that said, I still thought the overall concept idea was fascinating. The storyline was freaky, thought provoking and filled with so much potential. But when it’s all said and done, I just didn't feel emotionally invested or personally connected by any of these characters and while the story had some entertaining factors, it wasn't the solid escape I was hoping for. This one wasn't for me, but keep in mind, this is probably just me. Kimberly Derting is an amazing writer and while I couldn't love this particular novel, it won’t stop me from reading more books by her in the future.

[Jilly · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF

It just didn't make sense. I'm sorry. There is no way that a person showing up 5 years later, with no recollection of what happened to them, after a huge investigation, would have been sent home after a few minutes in the emergency room. No way. The FBI would have been involved in a missing persons case and would have been there right away. She would have been kept under observation in the hospital with psychologists helping her to figure out what happened and to re-introduce her back in to her life. They would have waited for those blood tests to return. It was just too unbelievable. All of it.

[Lindsay Cummings · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ahh I loved this book!! it's the perfect mashup of scifi, paranormal, and contemp. I don't want to give away any spoilers, because there's a fun secret about what's really the cause of Kyra's disappearance. But what a fun, fast-paced read, with plenty of emotion and lots of questions. I loved the relationship between Kyra and Tyler...it was adorable and believable! And the concept for this book is so fun! :) The cover fits it perfectly---there's a hint about everything in the cover, one you'll only understand once you've read the book!

[Victoria Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven't picked up a Kimberly Derting book since I read her THE BODY FINDER series (which I loved, loved). Not only was this book every bit as good as her debut series, but it's forcing me to realize my mistake in not buying THE PLEDGE trilogy. Reading THE TAKING was like watching a new series you totally fall for, and realizing there's another five series already out, ready to be downloaded. You know that feeling? It's epic. And so is Derting's storytelling.

If you need me, I'll be nose-deep in book 2.

[Eilonwy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kyra Agnew plays a game of softball one afternoon, sees a bright light on her way home--and wakes up on another afternoon, five years later. Everyone has changed: her parents, her boyfriend, her best friend. But Kyra hasn't. She's exactly the same, right down to the bruise on her leg. What could possibly--or impossibly--have happened?

I went into this book anticipating a taut science fiction thriller.

And what I got was a paranormal romance, featuring all the vampire-human romance problems, just with a premise that manages not to be about vampires. I do have to give this author big credit for achieving that, since the v-word has been an automatic agent and publisher reject since at least 2010 (trust me, I know), and this story manages to do an end run around that. I can't say more without being totally spoilery.

But despite the clever vampire avoidance, my adult self found this book utterly forgettable. It's full of YA tropes that feel really old now:

✔ Instalove(TM) (with the younger brother of Kyra's "former" boyfriend! The boyfriend she thought she was going to spend the rest of her life with! As of no more than a week ago, as most of this book takes place over only a few days. And the brother was 12 when Kyra disappeared, i.e., yesterday! But Kyra immediately feels an amazing attraction to him! I mean, really?! And YUCK!)

✔ Parents who are barely around. Kyra's been missing for 5 years, but when she reappears, her mother, especially, seems far less affected than you might expect. So Kyra seems to spend most of her time following her return unsupervised, just like every other teen in a paranormal romance.

✔ And of course, a focus on the romance to the detriment of the rest of the story. "Tyler, Tyler, Tyler" pretty much sums up Kyra's thought processes.

So this book felt kind of familiar. Kyra spends most of the book hating on everyone who isn't Tyler with all the passion Bella Swan brought to hating on everyone who wasn't Edward in the first volume of Twilight. I could relate some--they've all moved on after 5 years, and it's all a terrible shock for Kyra--but it still wasn't exactly pleasant (although some of it had some decent humor). The science fiction/mystery parts of the story are there, but never had the tension or urgency I was hoping for. The whole thing felt totally meh to me, and it took me ages to get through it, partly because I was so bored I completed a different book before getting back to this.

That said, I think my less-jaded teen self, who hadn't already read (a) far too many paranormal romances and (b) far better examples of science fiction, would have really liked this book. And Teen Self is, of course, the actual target audience. My adult self would give this two stars. Teen Self might give it up to four. So three it is.

[Giselle · Rating 4 out of 5]

An Electronic Advanced Reader Copy was provided by the publisher via Edelweiss for review. Quotes have been pulled from an ARC and may be subject to change.

Kyra has it all, a wonderful loving family, a boyfriend whom she knows all her life, and a best friend by her side. On the night after her softball game, she gets into a fight with her father and the next thing she knows she's behind a garbage  dump. She finds out that five years has passed by and people believe she was kidnapped. With no memory whatsoever she i stills the help of her boyfriend's little brother Tyler to help her. What she finds can't be real right? And the ramblings of her father may not be delusional after all.

Started off slow but I guess it was a way to kick-start the romance. It was fairly predictable that it would start off with her abduction. But what surprised me was her super powers. They were all so cool and I loved reading about it. I won't spoil it for you, but it did kind of sound fun. The middle really started to pick up and I was finally invested in the story when she tries to figure out why she can do the things that she can do. The pacing is definitely a nail biter because I love these books where someone is being chased. It always brings me to the edge of my seat. Sure the romance was quick, but I ignored that in favour of the mystery surrounding the fireflies. I needed to know what they were!

As for the characters, we have Kyra and her being the main character we're privy into her mindset. Having no memories can be alarming, and tough on everyone. Imagine waking up and you believe it was just yesterday where your whole life was normal only to be living in the present where everything is wrong. It was hard on her, but I believed she acted so much like a bratty teenager. Especially towards her family. There was no need to be mean or rude at all! Then there's Austin. Who I believed to be a selfish jerk because he talked only about himself and didn't even care about what Kyra was going through. They were friends for years, yet he gave up on her?! That's not love. On the other hand, I pretty much loved Tyler. Sure he could be cocky and downright annoying, but he also had a sweet side. He is adorable and loves books and is truly kind to Kyra and treats her well. All those beautiful chalk drawings were so cute! I couldn't help but smile during those parts. All the other secondary characters played a pivotal roll and I liked them as well. Even the NSA agents. They reminded me of Mr. Smith from The Matrix movies lol

There's just something about Kimberly writing that I can't help but love. If you like your chase scenes, with super powers and a whole lot of romance thrown in, pick this one up! 

[readbykiki · Rating 5 out of 5]

BY FAR THE BEST BOOK I'VE READ SO FAR THIS YEAR!

The writing was great, the characters were relatable, flawed, yet funny. And there was non-stop action. I have no idea why this book doesn't have higher ratings because I honestly felt like I was watching an epic 13 episode television series in my head.

I NEED BOOK 2 NOW!

[Colleen Houck]

Love this one, especially the fireflies. The hero is very swoonworthy and that gets me every time. Can't wait to find out what happens next!

[Nicolinia Spurgeon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Words I have none!!! This book is everything!! Simply amazing!!!

[Farrah · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thrilling and romantic read that was full of secrets, The Taking was a fantastic YA paranormal romance. I really enjoyed reading this brilliant book. Loved it!

Kyra was a good heroine. She was put in a rather difficult situation. She disappeared for 5 years, though she doesn't remember having been gone, and wakes up to a vastly different life. But she dealt with it as best she could and stood strong despite everything that was thrown at her. My one problem with her, though, is that she could be a bit bratty and somewhat selfish and kind of petulant. I understood that her life had changed drastically and she wanted it all to be as it was, but she acted really immature and wasn't understanding that 5 years was a long time and her loved ones had moved on. So, that was a bother. Regardless, I still really liked her. Overall, I thought she was a great heroine.

Tyler was so adorable. He was so sweet and wonderful and I totally loved him. He'd had a crush on Kyra 5 years ago, but, obviously, she was older than him and, since he was only 12 years old, that wasn't going to work. But, after 5 years, that crush didn't go away and, now that it could go somewhere, it deepened into something much more meaningful. He was just so sweet to Kyra. I could go on and on about how wonderful he was, but I'll just say that I adored him and move on.

The romance was very sweet. I thought it was especially adorable with Tyler's situation and how he finally had a chance to be with the girl he crushed on for so long. I thought they were really sweet together and, after that ending, I really hope they can end up with a happy ending.

The plot was fast paced and I was hooked the entire way through. There were tons of thrills and secrets that had me on the edge of my seat. I really liked the idea of aliens taking people and altering them as some kind of experiment. But, I wish there had been more explanation as to why they were doing that and how. I wasn't really bothered by it, though, because I assume we'll get more of that explanation later in the series. I really enjoyed the story and that ending has me itching to get my hands on book 2. So much changed for the characters and I'm dying to see how it works out for them.

The Taking was a brilliant YA paranormal romance. It had thrills and secrets and an ending that left me wanting more. I totally loved it! Lovers of YA romance, this is a book you don't want to miss.

*I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

[Dark Faerie Tales · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: The Taking is a pulse-racing, action packed story of a girl who doesn’t know what to believe. A stunning book and something I will definitely check out the sequel for!

Opening Sentence: We killed them.

The Review:

Kyla is an ordinary girl, with ordinary parents and an ordinary life. She’s madly in love with her boyfriend, Austin, and she just won the championships for her softball team by her amazing pitching skills. Her father wants her to get a scholarship through softball, and go to a good college. All Kyla wants is to settle down with Austin and be at the same school as him — a school that isn’t nearly to her dad’s standards. But one day after Kyla and her father are fighting, a sudden bright flash of light illuminates everything and she wakes up, five years later, people saying she’s been missing for five years when really she just was knocked out or something for a few seconds — her whole life has fallen apart by now. Austin is dating her best friend, Cat. Her dad is drinking and spouting crackpot theories about aliens abducting her. Kyla’s mom remarried and has a new child. Everyone has aged but she looks the same as five years ago. Basically, she’s left in the ashes of what used to be her life. But Tyler, Austin’s brother, is always there to support her. He’s the only one she can trust, with the strange powers she seems to be gaining and agents from the NSA tracking her every move…

Wow! Wow, wow, wow. I started this at about 4, took a 3 hour break for family movie night at 5, and then finished at 9. The first part was okay, and the chapters kept me hooked, but it wasn’t very exciting until you reach halfway. Then you are constantly gasping and praying and hoping and your feelings are set on fire.

Kyla’s feelings of not belonging are so wonderfully illustrated. Always there is a constant undercurrent of how everything has changed. The Husband, her mom’s new child, her father’s smell of liquor on his breath, everything reminds her of the life she lost. Though the plotline could have proved very confusing, information is given to you in a crystal clear way.

Tyler is a perfect guy — determined, cheesy, but believing and loyal. Austin had been a talker, but Tyler is a listener. Austin had forgotten Kyla for Cat, but Tyler still remembers his crush from five years ago. I think Kyla and Tyler’s relationship moved a slightest bit fast, but the pacing of the book as a whole was fine, and so it didn’t matter much to me. I loved Tyler, and while I appreciated Austin at the beginning, his interactions with Kyra after she is returned prove he is a first class jerk.

I am so excited for the second book, I can’t even tell you. Again, the farther half of this book was basically perfection. The first half, good, but the second just had me enthralled. If the whole book had me as engaged as the second part, it would be an a thousand star review. Sadly, I’m only giving it four stars because part one would be three and part two six, so I’m averaging it out. Everyone who loves science fiction should check this out as soon as it is released. You. Will. Not. Regret. It.

The Taking is an engaging, exciting, pulse-racing novel. If you can’t get through part one, fight through it (although part one is not bad at all, just not as good as the second). This is such a unique novel. The cover isn’t very exciting, but the content is great. Pacing is wonderful, romance is fabulous, story was told so well. Go now and pre-order it, okay? Okay. Happy reading!

Notable Scene:

But I stopped, unable to speak or think or breathe the moment I saw it…

…them.

So very many of them.

It was like looking at a constellation.

A radiant, sparkling, living constellation.

“Oh my god…” I covered my mouth with both hands and gasped between my fingers. Tears blurred the lights, blending and distorting them until they were one giant mass in my eyes. “They’re so . . . so beautiful.”

Simon looked at me, confused. He lowered the knife and let go of his sleeve as he turned to see what I had. To know what I knew.

That we’d been in the wrong place all along.

“Fireflies.” He breathed.

FTC Advisory: HarperTeen provided me with a copy of The Taking. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review

[Rissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

The taking⭐️

Everything looks the same but her house is not her house her boyfriend is not her boyfriend. Nothing is as she once knew.

Its been 5 years but what happened in those years and why cant she remember?!

[Tanecia · Rating 5 out of 5]

omg, this gave me such a rush!

[Phoebe · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is the stupidest book I've ever read. I'm making a new shelf just for this book, because thats how bad it was. It doesn't deserve to touch the other books, because it might be contagious. Oh also there are some spoilers below, so if you make really poor life choices and decide to read this book, don't read the rest of this I guess.

Let's talk. Kyra, softball super genius who has been in love with Austin, her boy-next-door neighbor, eternal confidant, childhood friend turned teenage crush, goes missing one day. Five years later she reappears to find the whole world has... CHANGED? Is such a thing...possible?? Other people have AGED of all things. Kyra is personally offended that other people have been alive the 5 years she's been gone, except of course when it comes to her new crush, Tyler. Tyler is the younger brother of her *BEST FRIEND CHILDHOOD CONFIDANT AND SUPER HOT SUPPORTIVE SPEND-THE-REST-OF-MY-LIFE-WITH-HIM* boyfriend, Austin. Since she can't remember anything that's happened in the last five years, for all intents and purposes, yesterday Tyler was 12. The fact that Kyra spends about 0 seconds being weirded out by him hitting on her and takes about 10 hours to forget about Austin and decide that Tyler's the new hot thing on the block is... fucking gross. Let's be real. That's fucking weird and gross. He was 12- YESTERDAY. But Kyra's got some teenage hormones that can't be ignored, so, fuck all that- Tyler's her new squeeze.

Kyra also spends some time hating her mom for getting divorced, getting remarried and having another kid. All 3 of these people will be hated uniformly for the rest of the book, despite any and all efforts by them to make her feel welcome and at home. It's not like Kyra just fucking mysteriously reappeared after 5 years without aging or something? OH WAIT YES IT IS. The fact that her family isn't totally fucking freaked out by this and calmly attempt to reincorporate her into their lives doesn't really matter to Kyra.

What about Kyra's Dad? Well he went a little crazy while she was gone. Kyra disappeared into thin air after a giant flash of white light, and Dad thinks it was aliens. But...PSHAW! Who believes in ALIENS? Kyra is disappointed and angry that her Dad has turned into such a nutcase. She doesn't really want anything to do with him. At this point, its also important to note that Kyra spends NO time, as in not even ONE SECOND, being frightened or scared about what happened to her. She's just pissed at everyone. Kyra LITERALLY does not spend any time wondering what happened to her, or trying to find that shit out, or even considering aliens, or thinking of alternatives to aliens. She spends approximately 95% of her time thinking about her 12 year old boyfriend Tyler and the other 5% hating her new family and thinking about how she'd rather gouge her eyeballs out with forks than hear her mom refer to her new kid brother as her brother again. (no she actually says that)

So when the NSA comes knocking, Kyra, who is super stupid and really would have needed those softball scholarships to get into college, doesn't understand what they could possibly want with her. Mysterious reappearance? No, that's probably not it. When someone leaves her a cryptic note- what could they POSSIBLY want to talk about? Kyra is so stupid. So stupid. For someone who magically reappeared out of think air 5 years in the future, Kyra sure does seem to think that nothing supernatural or weird happened to her. When the NSA reappears with helicopters and hazmat suits and she's saved from their abduction by a very "normal" guy, Kyra still doesn't think aliens are a possibility. Her new friend, Simon, says he was abducted too and slices his arm open so she can watch it heal. Kyra still puts air quotes around words like "abduction" and "aliens" because she's a savvy girl who knows whats possible and what's not- RIGHT???????????? She realizes she hasn't aged in 5 years, knows that shady government agencies are trying to kidnap her in HAZMAT suits, but, like, aliens? Like, no way, that's just, like, totally too weird.

At this point, its important to note that Kyra eventually comes to terms with the fact that she's the specialist of the alien abductees and that she's sort of got superpowers (speed, strength, healing, telepathy, etc etc) and eternal youth on her side- BUT WHAT IF TYLER THINKS SHE'S A FREAK???/ FUCK, HER NEW 12 YEAR OLD BOYFRIEND THAT SHE'S BEEN GOING OUT WITH FOR 4 DAYS MIGHT NOT LIKE HER ANYMORE FUCKKKKK. THE NSA MIGHT KIDNAP HER AND EXPERIMENT ON HER BUT WHAT ABOUT TYLER???????????????????????? WHAT WILL HE DO IF HE CAN'T DRAW HER CHALK MASTERPIECES? I know, I know, Kyra has her priorities ever so slightly out of whack. Also, after the whole aliens thing is confirmed to be true, Kyra doesn't consider apologizing to her Dad who, it turned out, was right and never gave up on her. Nah, it was cool to treat him like he was crazy and basically tell him to leave her alone. TYLER ON THE OTHER HAND.

Also like fuck the last 30 pages of this book were ESPECIALLY hard. Kyra teams up with some other abductees to save Tyler (it turns out Kyra's blood is poisonous or some shit and she's killing him) by trying to get him abducted by aliens too.

FUck.

[Ornella · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was hesitant to read this book because it was by Derting and her previous Body Finder series just didn't do it for me, but the subject matter and that beautiful cover made me cave in, not to mention I just had to press that little green Download Now button instead of actually requesting. So download I did. I really shouldn't have. I really could have gone without.

I didn't like Kyra. At all. She was a brat, spoiled, and selfish. Worst case of Only child syndrome ever. Look, it can't be easy waking up the 'next day' and finding out that 5 years have passed, your parents are divorced, your mother remarried and had another kid. It must be brutal, but you DO NOT act like a self entitled little bitch because of it either. After a few days of having been back, Kyra sneaks out of the house and tells no one, because hell, what's the point, it's not like she was JUST MISSING FOR FIVE YEARS.

I thought about leaving a note or something for my mom to let her know where I'd be, but then I figured she had my number -because she was the only one beside Tyler, who did-and she could call if she was worried.

*Takes deep breaths* Moving on!

Tyler, Tyler, Tyler. I really liked you at the start but then that spark just fizzled and burned out. You went from swoon worthy to just a tad pathetic and I don't do pathetic. Went from Lovely, epic chalk drawings with beautiful quotes and sharing books because "I want to share one of my very favorite things in the world with you, Kyra." To being just a puppy being dragged around by Kyra with zero back bone and no substance. To say I was disappointed is an understatement. I'm hoping this changes in the second book. (Not sure if I'm gonna read it though).

Kyra was absolutely boy crazy. There were I love you's exchanged after exactly 7 days of her coming back. Just no. It made it seem like Kyra couldn't be her own person, she always had to have a boy with her to define herself. It was frustrating. She had already decided to throw a future full of promise away because she wanted to go to same college as her boyfriend *rolls eyes*.

Kyra was also stupid. She gets some blood work done and the guy that draws her blood is found dead not a day later after that. Does she get curious? Eh, it was a very fleeting thought in between her obsession with Tyler. She also doesn't need to eat much or sleep. But she is totally normal guys. She is 21 now, so she wants to be treated as an adult, but acts like a 5 year old instead and is vindictive enough to get a toy that her 2 year old brother wants just to watch him squirm. But she is an adult now! She can totally take care of herself.

She only decides to figure things out at around the halfway mark, and that's when things started looking up. Everything was a tad unbelievable but I was willing to go along with it till they got to the contagious part. If a disease is air-borne that means it's transmitted through aerosol particles from when you sneeze and cough. It does NOT mean that just because your blood is out in the open and you breath in the same air you suddenly have the disease. Not only would the blood have to touch you, you would need to have an open wound to be infected. Not to mention the inherent properties of the virus/pathogen and how much of the virus you'd have to be exposed to, to actually get the disease. This was VERY poorly done. So unless Derting comes up with it's actually a an alien parasite that worms into your skin or some such bizarre thing then I'm not buying it at all.

Oh, and did I mention she was also a special snowflake? *SIGH*

They have done something different to you-to make you special.

This girl is slow on the uptake, uses Tyler's phone to call her mom when the NSA is looking for her, uses a phone when they are running in a pitch black forest at night while being chased by dogs/NSA agents, therefore giving away her position. She argues about the fashion statement fanny packs make and refuses to put stuff she needs to carry in it because it's such a nerdy thing to use. Who cares that she can't use her hands now.

"I'm not letting my stuff touch that thing. My hands work just fine. You know your nerd status just shot up like a million points, don't you?"

*stabs eyes out*
I could go on, but I think you get the picture. I only kept reading cause I wanted to know who takes the people, but of course we don't get real answers and some weird crap happened at the end that makes no sense and it of course ends in a cliffwanker.

Needless to say I give up on this author and I'll just get someone to spoil the rest of the trilogy for me so I can have some peace of mind.

[Ioana · Rating 2 out of 5]

It shouldn't come as a surprise that I'm a sucker for a pretty cover and The Taking? It has a pretty cover with a healthy dose of interesting synopsis which simply means I really wanted to like it.

If I'm to be completely honest, I did like the actual plot. The disappearance, the aliens, the why of it all, it was compelling. The rest..wasn't.

The main character, Kyra, is your run of the mill Mary Sue. She's good at everything she does, she's got the perfect boyfriend with whom she has a perfect relationship, she blushes a lot. (I don't actually remember if she does blush a lot, but she's an YA MC..chances are she does). Even after the taking, she's still so speshul and superior to all the other kids that were also abducted.

She comes back, from where or how is anyone's guess, after five years to find her family, friends and boyfriend have all moved on. No shit, right? Wrong. She's surprised, stunned, down right flabbergasted! How dare they not wallow in misery for five straight years? Who gives them the right to move on, heal and be normal people again?! The guts they have to not cling to the past! Unacceptable. (just think of me as a method actor)

What's the first thing Kyra does, you might ask? Why, make googly eyes at the dashing boy next door, Tyler. Tyler, who's ripped, 17 and her ex boyfriend's younger brother. He whom she remembers as being 12. Because that's not a total mindfuck at all and not in the slighest creepy.

Is it still instalove if he used to have a crush on her when he was 12? Jury's still out on that, but it's a creepy love nonetheless.

Also, I can understand why Austin-the-ex moved on, it HAS been five freaking years. But Kyra? The way the story goes, she has no memory of the past years, it's been nothing more than a day for her. So, how the hell does she fall out of love and in love so fast?

In and of itself, the romance wouldn't have bothered me as much if it wasn't such a central, huge part of the novel. Literally nothing happens for the majority of this book (think 70-80%) except for Kyra being a mumbling idiot in front of a smooth-talking Tyler. Which, if you think about it, is kind of ironic considering she's supposed to be older and wiser and shiznit.

But who am I kidding, Kyra is not a mature MC. In fact, she acts like a petulant, ignorant child who's prone to fits and stomping her feet. Attractive, amirite?

She has no regard for her mother's new life, for the destructive tornado effect she has on her family, for her dad's miserable life he's had since she disappeared. Just look at what she does ONE day after she's been back:

"Suddenly I didn’t feel safe out here, in the park in the middle of the night, all by myself, and I wondered what I’d been thinking coming here."

Yes, Kyra, I'm wondering the same thing. You've been home for a day and you think skipping out into the middle of the night, giving your mom one more thing to worry about, is a good idea? Genius.

If that's not enough to make you want to strangle Kyra, here's more: she doesn't once question things, not for a good long while. It's been five years, she understands this. She hasn't changed a bit, she actually suspects she might stil be 16 ( because we couldn't possibly have a romance where the love interest is younger than the heroine, for some weird reason), and yet..she doesn't ask questions. Kyra is not one bit curious about where the hell she's been, what happened, why she has no memories. You'd think, in a situation like this, a normal person would be frantic with worry, looking for answers, grasping at straws, even willing to accept their dad's crazy sounding, alien related explanations. Nope, not Kyra, bless her little heart.

All she cares about are Tyler's pecs. Because they're ripped, yo!

By the time she starts acting like a normal person with half a brain, I was no longer invested in the story, not really.

All in all, it's not a terrible book, if you like your scifi lite, with a focus on romance, peppered with annoying, cutesy moments. It just takes so long for the plot to get moving, you might find yourself asleep by then.


That said, I will probably pick up the sequel because..reasons. I'm a masochist, clearly, but I'm also still a little bit curious about the kidnapping and where the story leads.


PS: woah, woah wooooah! Waaait a second. I just re-read the synopsis and this stood out:

"[..]Kyra isn’t sure how to move forward unless she uncovers the truth. With Austin gone, she turns to Tyler, Austin’s annoying kid brother, who is now seventeen and who she has a sudden undeniable attraction to."

Why exactly does this female main character NEED to turn to the male love interest in moments of confusion? To me that sounds like this:

"With one man gone, Kyra needs to turn to the other strong man that protects puny female to feel safe". ugh. Maybe I have issues, I don't know.

[Brooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to thank Harper Teen for providing me with an early copy of this book to read and review. This is my first book from author Kimberly Derting and I'm so glad that I jumped in! Receiving this book for free has in no way influenced my opinion or my review.

Blurb from Goodreads:
A flash of white light . . . and then . . . nothing.
When sixteen-year-old Kyra Agnew wakes up behind a Dumpster at the Gas ’n’ Sip, she has no memory of how she got there. With a terrible headache and a major case of déjà vu, she heads home only to discover that five years have passed . . . yet she hasn’t aged a day.
Everything else about Kyra’s old life is different. Her parents are divorced, her boyfriend, Austin, is in college and dating her best friend, and her dad has changed from an uptight neat-freak to a drunken conspiracy theorist who blames her five-year disappearance on little green men.
Confused and lost, Kyra isn’t sure how to move forward unless she uncovers the truth. With Austin gone, she turns to Tyler, Austin’s annoying kid brother, who is now seventeen and who she has a sudden undeniable attraction to. As Tyler and Kyra retrace her steps from the fateful night of her disappearance, they discover strange phenomena that no one can explain, and they begin to wonder if Kyra’s father is not as crazy as he seems. There are others like her who have been taken . . . and returned. Kyra races to find an explanation and reclaim the life she once had, but what if the life she wants back is not her own?

As of late I have been very into Sci-Fi reads. So, when I picked this one up, I was hoping it would live up to the other Sci-Fi books I've been reading. And I'm so glad I did. First off, did you see this cover? Don't understand it? Well, pick up the book and you will!

Kyra, I love her. She's smart and sassy and strong, super strong. She will do anything to figure out what happened to her, why she was missing for so many years but still looks sixteen! She spends the entire story fighting for herself and figuring out who she really was (before she was Taken). Kyra is faced with twists and turns and uncertainty. And she's also faced with feelings for a boy who was only twelve last time she saw him. I think my favorite part of Kyra is that she keeps a clear and level head for most of this book (although the romance does throw that off a bit for her, but that's nothing new for a YA book).

Tyler, oh how I loved him. He was super sweet and totally swoon worthy. At first, I felt like it was odd that he and Kyra became this pair, but then it just kind of clicked and made sense. He was so much more her speed than his older brother. And Kyra knew herself so much better with Tyler than she did with Austin. So Tyler was really good for her. Best of all he's super loyal and totally believes in Kyra. It seems he would do anything for her, risk anything for her because she is all he's ever wanted.

I blasted through this book in one day. I loved every page of it. I was never bored. The action and twists and turns kept me wanting more (and I still want more even now that the book is over). It was fast paced and never boring. The story seems completely plausible, if you believe there is more out there than just the human race. But Derting left quite a bit of mystery in the story and I really loved that. She was able to give little bits here and there to create a rich and intriguing story. I loved her writing and prose, it was easy to read and flowed well.

Most interesting of all for me is that the story reads as a bit of a contemporary, with the romance that blooms between Tyler and Kyra and the fact that it's set in our time, as opposed to a future or something of that sort. The romance was sweet and slow for the most part (although Tyler was acting on a crush that he had had on Kyra for 5 years, but for Kyra the relationship was new). I enjoyed that the characters were completely relatable and fleshed out well and their emotions were very real. I could really feel the situations they were placed in and what affect they hd on them.

Derting creates a thrilling ride through this new sci-fi mystery. I highly recommend this book if you are a fan of Jennifer L. Armentrout. I can't wait for the next installment as the ending was a bit of a cliffhanger.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sixteen-year-old Kyra wakes up behind the Gas ‘n’ Sip gas station with no memory of what has happened to her. All she can remember is the arguement with her father, the flash of light and then nothing. Thinking she passed out and it’s now the following day, Kyra makes her way home, however she suddenly finds that things are how she left them last night. Five years have passed, her family has changed and aged, her boyfriend has a life in College with a new girlfriend but Kyra, Kyra is still the same….she hasn’t aged. What happened to Kyra during them five years is a mystery, but Kyra wants answers but will she like what she finds?

The Taking started off with such an engaging and strong start that I instantly assumed this would be a fantastic read. It’s intriguing and exciting. It reminded me of one of my favourite films that was released in the late 80’s called Fight of the Navigator and even though I knew it wouldn’t have the same final outcome, I was still so impressed with the start of the story, I was dying to rate it 5 stars straight away. But then, I have no idea what happened because once I hit about a quarter of the book, I suddenly lost interest.

I liked Krya and I felt for her situation but I almost felt as though I was more concerned for her than she was herself. She has no idea what has happened, her parents have no idea and I felt as though there wasn’t much concern of that. No concern from doctors, or the police. Everyone seemed to accept Kyra’s story and just try to get on with their lives. I kept reading and thinking that surely there should be more hype over the fact she’s returned without aging, but there wasn’t any. Kyra was obsessed with keeping time, but we never find out the reason why. She also spent a lot of time being upset over her ex-boyfriend and her new love interest, but for a girl who has lost five years of her life and she has no reason why, surely she would be more upset? For me the lack of emotions didn’t make her story believable.

The plot of the story was quite entertaining, however it’s not until a third of the book that you start to get a hint of what is going on. The romance was good, a little fast but good. I didn’t mind that Kyra fell for her ex-boyfriends brother. I think the way the author did their story was quite good and especially with ending – that was totally unexpected.

In all, The Taking was an okay read. I just felt it was a little poorly executed and needed to be a little more believable. Would I read the sequel? Maybe, I’m not sure if the ending grabbed me enough to but I could change my mind.

Thank you to HarperTeen for giving me the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Bang Bang Books · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5
Received this book from Edelweiss.
For more reviews visit www.bangbangbookblog.com
Overview

Kyra is an all American 17 year old who loves softball, her dad, and her boyfriend. One day, after the championship game, Kyra and her dad are having an argument about college when Kyra gets out of her dad’s car and mysteriously disappears. She resurfaces 5 years later…bum, bum, bum.

The Good
*It was well written especially the first couple of chapters.
*The ending was interesting-didn’t see it coming

The Bad (This entire review contains spoilers)

Now it’s time for Really? with Dawn.

*So you’ve disappeared for 5 years and you’re still the same age and you go to your old house and some strange man who ends up being your stepdad doesn’t recognize you. Really? The girl hasn’t aged a day. Shouldn’t there be pictures of her all over the house?
*So you’ve disappeared for 5 years and everyone has been looking for you and now you’ve returned and go to Target but there is no media outside waiting to get your story? Really?
*So you’ve disappeared for 5 years and you don’t try to figure out what happened to you or try to figure out why you haven’t aged a day until midway thru the book? You’re only concerned about the boy across the street and not why you can’t remember anything about your abduction or why all of your peers are 21 and you still look 16? Really?
*So you’ve been abducted by who knows what and you go walking outside by yourself in the middle of the night? Really?
*So you’ve finally decided to investigate your abduction and you meet a guy named Simon who tells you he was abducted too and that all the other abducted live on a compound and that you should come b/c the NSA is hunting you but you can’t go because you are in love (after 5 days) with the boy across the street and Simon understands and lets you go but neglects to tell you extremely important stuff like if you bleed in front of people they will die in 2 days? Really?

Overall
The first half was instalove, which I hate. The second half gets better because there’s action but it’s predictable. If you want to read an excellent alien science fiction book, read The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey.

Book Clubs for Tweens/Teens-
Please stop reading if you don’t want to see spoilers!!!

I do this b/c I am a librarian that runs a book discussion group for 5th-7th grade. Parents of younger teens are expecting librarians to pick clean books and it is helpful to know if the book is okay for middle school. Otherwise, I am all for Intellectual Freedom.

The only thing is language. There’s a couple of shits, fucks, and pussies
Okay for 13 and older

[Sara Grochowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's been five years since Kyra Agnew mysteriously disappeared after a fight with her father. A lot can change in five years - people age, marriages fall apart, new relationships develop - but, when Kyra reappears, there's nothing new about her. Everything, right down to the bruises and dusty softball uniform she was wearing when she disappeared, are exactly the same. For Kyra, it feels like the softball game, kissing her boyfriend, and fighting with her dad happened mere hours before... for the rest of the world, life has moved on. Kyra finds her parents divorced and her boyfriend five years older... and his little brother, Tyler, too. Kyra's life has been taken from her and she's determined to find out how and why. Things have definitely taken a turn for the weird, and her father's conspiracy theories don't sound near as far fetched as they would have five years ago... or, for Kyra, yesterday.

I love, love, love this book! Admittedly, I love everything Derting has written, but still. Derting's first series, which begins with THE BODY FINDER, also has a paranormal slant, so to me, she's returning to her roots with THE TAKING. I love her dystopian series - THE PLEDGE - too, but there's something compelling about her paranormal novels. I think it's the fact that her characters are so normal, except for that one element that sets them apart. In THE BODY FINDER, it's the main character's ability to sense the aura of a dead body. In THE TAKING, it's a mysterious, perhaps otherworldly, disappearance that steals five years from the main character's life and leaves her... changed. When you read one of Derting's novels, you can't help but wonder 'what if.'

It doesn't hurt that Derting writes romantic leads that leave you a bit breathless and a whole lot in love. In THE TAKING, Kyra finds herself - somewhat inappropriately - drawn to Tyler, who was only twelve when she disappeared. Now Tyler is the same age as Kyra and all to determined to prove he's no longer a little kid. The Tyler/Kyra romance was so wrong it was right. Even though Kyra tries to resist Tyler's charm, I'm not sure any girl could resist someone so determined to sweep her off her feet.

If you haven't read a Kimberly Derting book yet, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR!? If you have, give yourself a pat on the back, you have impeccable taste.