Friday, December 16, 2011

MEN in YA: Misfit by Jon Skovron (Review)

Genre:Young Adult, Supernatural
Publication.Date  August 1st 2011
Pages:384
Published By:  Amulet Books | 
WebsiteJon Skovron | 
Misfit - Goodreads
My review copy:Purchased by me
Where to get: Barnes and Noble | Amazon | Indiebound






     Jael has always felt like a freak. She’s never kissed a boy, she never knew her mom, and her dad’s always been superstrict—but that’s probably because her mom was a demon, which makes Jael half demon and most definitely not a normal sophomore girl. On her sixteenth birthday, a mysterious present unlocks her family’s dangerous history and Jael’s untapped potential. What was merely an embarrassing secret before becomes a terrifying reality. Jael must learn to master her demon side in order to take on a vindictive Duke of Hell while also dealing with a twisted priest, best-friend drama, and a spacey blond skater boy who may have hidden depths.

     Author Jon Skovron takes on the dark side of human nature with his signature funny, heartfelt prose.(goodreads.com)




"My name is Astarte."
"You're named after the Phoenician goddess?" he asked.
"Oh, you've heard the name? It seems so few priests these days have," she said with a mischievous glint in her eyes."But to answer your question, I am not named after the Phoenician goddess, I am her. And many others besides."
"Never speak of angels in this house again! Never! Is that understood?!"
"Your mother was a demon. That makes you half demon."

   
    
     Jon Skovron's second novel, Misfit, is a delicious and original blend of mythology and fantasy elements, spiced up with some hilarious teenage drama and sparkly dialogues. With its thorough world-building, wildly imaginative scenes and characters, and sneaky surprises, this fantastic YA novel will take you on a truly unforgettable journey. Prepare to be enchanted!
"This is disappointing. I had hoped to toy with you a little, halfbreed. But I think it would be lost on you. So I might as well just kill you."
     Jael might seem like a normal teenage girl who never kissed a boy nor got into any serious trouble, but in truth, she's anything but. On her 16th birthday some weird things are starting to happen. While hanging out at the playground, Jael is attacked by a weird, horrifying creature, that claims it knew her mother. Not even that, the creature says her mother used to be a queen! Later that day she learns from her father that her mother was a demoness. Which makes Jael a half-demon!    
"Do I at least have, you know... special powers?" she asked.
"No," he snapped." No powers, no horns, no nothing. You're just like any other girl, but your mother was a demon. That's it. No more questions. Is that clear?"
   Obviously, her priest-father did everything in his power to protect her from being involved in any way with the demon world. They were always on the move and he never talked about her mother or the past in general. But we all know how it is, the past has a way of catching up with you, and just when you think you escaped its grasp, it jumps you like a thief in a dark alley. The demon folk is not exactly what you'd called a forgiving-and-forgetting kind. Their queen betrayed them by turning good, and they want vengeance. Jael is now being hunted by the Duke of Hell himself, an angry, violent and vindictive creature who will do everything it takes to get her. Sweet sixteen? Not so much!
"But won't the priests get mad if they find out I'm a demon who goes to church?"
     This book was awesome. I've seen so many mixed reviews around, including both hyped-up raves and totally bashing ones, I really didn't know what to expect. I was, however, very intrigued by the cover and the synopsis, so I didn't think twice before picking it up! As it turned out, it was a great decision. I LOVED this book! It's a unique (and I'm not just saying that, it really is unique!) take on the demon world, that is rich in flavor, doesn't shy away from violence, and is totally compelling, scary and even funny at times. I had quite a few laugh-out-loud moments, but at the same time the story kept its pace and the tension was always there.
Once again, Jael's imagination conjured up a thousand different mothers. But after that night, none of them were kind or angelic. None of them would swoop down and rescue her from this life. She understood that much, at least.
      The richness of mythological and theological tapestry is truly irresistible. Personally, I love demonology and everything that deals with demons, angels, devils, gods and all sorts of supernatural creatures. For me, this was a delicious treat, especially since it also had some elements from Greek, Roman, Egyptian and even Phoenician mythology. The thing I liked the most about this book, though, is that it focused on Jael and whatever was going on in her head. She was a great character, one that really grew on me. Watching her struggle to accept the news about her origins and learn more about her mother, who she was and what she did... it was all very interesting and quite fascinating (and often heartbreaking!). I also enjoyed observing her relationship with Rob. They made a cute, adorable couple (Rob is such an awesome, nerdy skate boy!) and their growing attraction to each other seemed genuine and natural.

     The supportive characters were, well, OK. They didn't interest me as much as Jael, Rob and Jael's father. To me, these three characters made this book. Jael's father appeared to be a total douchebag at first - overly mysterious and strict, never answering any questions, always snapping angrily and keeping to himself. There's more going on there, though, and you don't really learn the whole story until the very end. I think he was a well-thought out and three-dimensional character, and he definitely added a lot to the story!

     Overall, this was a highly entertaining, original, flavorful and addictive read. I was literally swept away into the fantastically imaginative world of Misfit and I enjoyed exploring it a lot. It's a book that you can easily devour in one setting: well written, captivating and full of interesting mythological creatures. It's quite an intense thrill ride and I'm pretty sure that once you start reading, you won't be able to put it down! I know, I couldn't!



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This review is posted as a part of the MEN in YA event (Nov 20th - Dec 20th)


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About the Author
Evie is the Blogger behind Bookish. She enjoys reading many different genres, especially YA, Paranormal, Contemporary Fiction and Fantasy.
She loves talking to authors and is always happy to welcome them for interviews, and guest posts. She also likes spreading the love for awesome books and  chatting with fellow book-worms.
You can find Evie here: Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Shelfari | The Library Thing

28 comments:

Giselle said...

This sounds really good I have seen it around before but never really read any reviews on it until now. I'll have to look into it :)

Giselle
Xpresso Reads

LoveOfBooks said...

Oh I really liked this one. Yes, Rob and Jael are super adorable. I've seen a few reviews that say they don't 'believe' or 'get' the "nerdy skater." Which just makes me laugh, because why do they assume skaters can't be, or aren't smart? Pfft..

:)

roro said...

yea the covr is so cool the blodd dripping
review heart

Barbara E. said...

This sounds like a great book, I like the idea of finding out you're half demon when you turn 16. Thanks for the review, it definitely gives me a good idea of whether I'll like the book or not.

tthepageturner said...

Ooh, yay so glad you liked this one! I adore Rob and Jael - they're so cute! Plus, I love how Rob's a nerdy skater boy - it's different, you know?! =)

Anyway, awesome review! <3

LoriStrongin said...

Definitely sounds like a good read! Interesting twist on the half-demon trope by having a priest for a father. I can only imagine what that father-daughter dynamic must look like. And wow, that cover is gorgeous! Totally adding this one to my TBR list.


Smiles!
Lori

Evie said...

:) Thanks for all the lovely comments, snowflakes! :) Muah~!

Angie said...

I just added this to my TBR because you make it sound pretty awesome. I saw what you meant about the mixed reviews, but I'm willing to give it a chance. :)

Angie @ Pinkindle Reads & Reviews

DMS said...

I love that you described this book as enchanting. I am definitely interested in reading it. I haven't read anything by this author- but I am a big fan of mythology and fantasy. Also, the cover is very intriguing! Awesome review!

~Jess
http://thesecretdmsfilesoffairdaymorrow.blogspot.com

Amanda Nicole said...

This sounds really good! I like you, love anything having to do with demons, angels, mythology and all of that. Adding it to my TBR list right now. :)

Natalia Belikov said...

Evie!! holly molly! I love unique books with mythology and many lol moments! I dont even have this book in my to-read list but Im adding it now! I love the relevant points you highlight in your review though Im not really team Demon but Team Angel you really make me want to get this book asap! Specially for the mythological and theological stuff you mention! Thanks for sharing such a great review!! muah!!!! me loves you!! ^.^

Lisa Richards/alterlisa said...

I'm lucky enough to have an ARC of this on my TBR shelf right now. Can't wait as it sounds awesome!

Asheley T. said...

i've always been a little scared off by the more demon-ish things, but i really love mythology. so i'm sort of on the fence about this on, to be perfectly honest. i suppose it is very wimpy of me. and a bit dorky.

but the fact that you like it weighs heavily with me, because i trust your judgment completely. i think maybe since it mixed the demonology with the theology and mythology, i would totally be willing to give it a chance.

great review, evie!

Nicole Mainardi said...

I haven't been hearing the best reviews for this one, but I'm glad you liked it! I have an ARC so I'll have to check it out soon :) Great review!

Sabrina said...

I keep putting this off and on my wishlist. Thanks for the review! I'll try to keep it on this time!

Sana said...

Yet another book in my never-ending to-read list... =)

In Julie's Opinion said...

I've heard mixed things about this book, too, but that never stopped me from wanting to read it, and after reading your review, I know I'll love it! You mentioned that it had "elements from Greek, Roman, Egyptian and even Phoenician mythology" and I absolutely LOVE books with all kinds of mythology together, so that alone moved it to the top of my must read list! Thanks for the awesome review:)

Chel said...

I'm a total sucker for nerdy boys. I think they sizzle~ it's a total plus that he's a skater boy too. And oh, 3D characters and adorable relationship between the main characters. I think I'm going to like this book.

Chel @ The Procrastinator's Corner

mimz said...

Great review! :D This book has been on my TBR pile for so long. Everyone I've asked absolutely loves it! And the cover is amazing.

Denise Z said...

Well I am ready for a new flavorful read and Misfit has been on my wishlist for a while. I am glad you enjoyed it and reinforced my desire to read it:)

Taneika said...

I haven't seen many reviews for this, but this sounds fantastic! The "elements from Greek, Roman, Egyptian and even Phoenician mythology" makes me want to read this book EVEN MORE. I had no idea it was such a complex novel! I must get my hands on this!

Anonymous said...

I have been eyeing this book for a long time. Just the name and cover have me totally intrigued and then when I read what it was about, yea I definitely want to read it. I absolutely love mythology and this book definitely covers it all which is awesome. Jael seems like such a great, strong character. First trying to be a normal girl is hard enough when your dad is strict, and then finding out you are a half demon thanks to your mother, that is one tough subject to bounce back from. It seems Jael truly wants to figure everything out and I can tell she grows a lot in this book. I love there is a romance in this book because I am a sucker for romance. You got a mysterious skater who is more than meets the eye and I am glad that his and Jael's relationship grows throughout the book. I can't wait to read Misfit and see her kick butt. I have a strong feeling I will love this book.

Tristan said...

Hey Evie, I really liked this book but it was hard to get into at first. I really loved Rob though, just the mention of skaters and I'm mush lol. Great review ;)

Triatan @ Reads With Wreckless Abandon

Linny said...

Like you, I've seen mixed reviews about this one, though I haven't read it myself yet. Glad to see you enjoyed it though! Demons are one of my favorite fantasy elements in YA books because they, like you said this one doesn't, often don't shy away from violence and are scarier. I'll have to check this one out, thanks for the review! :)

Kali Skittles said...

I've never heard of this! It sounds really good. I added it to my TBR. I was reading the blurb and when it got to the demon bit I was in. And then I read your great review! :)

Jaime Lester said...

I found Misfit at my local library not too long ago and brought it home with me thinking it sounded like a great read. Usually, as was the case with this book, I will get on on Goodreads and see what people have to say. I don't usually let reviews make my decision on what to read or not, because I have a tendency to be able to truly enjoy most books that I read. But with this one, I let all of the negative reviews sway me and I think I may have made a mistake. Luckily, I now have Misfit on my Kindle because I felt bad about my rejection of it. After your glowing review, I am going to start reading it and make my apology complete! Thanks for another great review!

Gaby said...

I keep seeing this book everywhere so I read the summary and I am proud to say the it is currently in my TRL :)

Mary Preston said...

I was of two minds about reading MISFITS, but after reading your review I think I will give it a go.

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