saluki's review against another edition
3.0
Ari and Jackson's mission on Loge becomes increasingly difficult with the many obstacles they face. Plenty of unpredictable twists make for a nail-biting ride at times. Not everyone is who they seem but the character developments are often surprising and the sisterhood on Loge is strong. A betrayal at the end is not only unexpected but sets up all sorts of trouble for the third novel.
erinarkin20's review against another edition
4.0
Hover is book two of The Taking series and brings you back into the world of Ari and Jackson. If you recall, book one left off with thousands of humans being forced to cross over to Loge because of the poisonous neurotoxin that was released. The crossover was supposed to become but it turns out, they aren’t much better off on Loge as Zeus has plans for everyone, including Ari and Jackson.
Through conversations with her father and those now in power on Earth, Ari and Jackson have found out that Zeus is planning something horrible and they need Ari to step up to the plate try to kill him…that’s right – she is supposed to kill him. No pressure there…considering as an Ancient he is able to sense what she is feeling and thinking. I’m not going to reveal anything here but she definitely has her work cut out for her.
Ari is adapting to the newness of realizing she is part Ancient and what that means. On top of that, she has to do this in a world that seems somewhat foreign. She is also not really sure she can trust Jackson as he is not the boy she knew on Earth. It is definitely true that there is a lot she doesn’t know about Jackson but I thought that as Ari learned more about who he is on Loge, she came to realize he really was more than just “the boy” she knew on Earth. He carried a lot of weight on his shoulders and seeing Ari learn about all the things he had to deal with and manage was important because it gave her a different perspective of who he really is.
At the same time, she is also trying to understand what she is dealing with in Zeus. He is definitely an evil guy and really willing to do anything that will benefit him…anything. All in all, I can honestly say Zeus is one of those characters that make you want to climb in the book and beat the crap out of them. The things he did made me ragey and I really hoped that Ari was going to be successful in her mission.
Jackson remains as swoony as ever. Yes, he hasn’t always told Ari everything but he had his reasons. Ari wouldn’t be who she is if she just automatically forgave him but I am happy that she eventually gets past her issues. Jackson is doing what he can to help and protect Ari while on Loge. He knows that Zeus has his eyes on her and feels threatened by her and he does what he can to offer her some protection. He clearly loves Ari and is patiently waiting for her to get over her anger. Also, All I have to say is thank you for the shower scene Ms. West….definitely one of my favorites.
I know I mentioned the word swoony before…here are some of my favorite lines:
He glances up sideways, his hair once again shadowing his eyes. “What can I say? For me, it has always been you…”
Still my first thought every day for the rest of my life…will be you.”
This book introduced us to some new characters in Emmy, Vill, and Mami who in my opinion were great additions to the story. They all added some great layers to the story as well as helped reveal a bit about Jackson. I missed Gretchen and Law in this one - there were some glimpses of both and based on the ending I have a lot of questions as to what the heck has been happening on Earth as well as with these two.
Similar to book one, this book ends with a cliffhanger so if your heart can’t take it, you may want to hold off until book three is complete. If it doesn’t bother you so much, definitely go out and get this one and if you haven’t started this series, get moving on Gravity so that you can jump right into Hover once you finish as this comes out on August 13th. This series is a great mix of action and romance with a little bit of mystery. If you like the science fiction and dystopian genres you will definitely enjoy this series.
Thank you to the author and Entangled Publishing for the ARC.
This review can be found on my blog Fic Fare.
Through conversations with her father and those now in power on Earth, Ari and Jackson have found out that Zeus is planning something horrible and they need Ari to step up to the plate try to kill him…that’s right – she is supposed to kill him. No pressure there…considering as an Ancient he is able to sense what she is feeling and thinking. I’m not going to reveal anything here but she definitely has her work cut out for her.
Ari is adapting to the newness of realizing she is part Ancient and what that means. On top of that, she has to do this in a world that seems somewhat foreign. She is also not really sure she can trust Jackson as he is not the boy she knew on Earth. It is definitely true that there is a lot she doesn’t know about Jackson but I thought that as Ari learned more about who he is on Loge, she came to realize he really was more than just “the boy” she knew on Earth. He carried a lot of weight on his shoulders and seeing Ari learn about all the things he had to deal with and manage was important because it gave her a different perspective of who he really is.
At the same time, she is also trying to understand what she is dealing with in Zeus. He is definitely an evil guy and really willing to do anything that will benefit him…anything. All in all, I can honestly say Zeus is one of those characters that make you want to climb in the book and beat the crap out of them. The things he did made me ragey and I really hoped that Ari was going to be successful in her mission.
Jackson remains as swoony as ever. Yes, he hasn’t always told Ari everything but he had his reasons. Ari wouldn’t be who she is if she just automatically forgave him but I am happy that she eventually gets past her issues. Jackson is doing what he can to help and protect Ari while on Loge. He knows that Zeus has his eyes on her and feels threatened by her and he does what he can to offer her some protection. He clearly loves Ari and is patiently waiting for her to get over her anger. Also, All I have to say is thank you for the shower scene Ms. West….definitely one of my favorites.
I know I mentioned the word swoony before…here are some of my favorite lines:
He glances up sideways, his hair once again shadowing his eyes. “What can I say? For me, it has always been you…”
Still my first thought every day for the rest of my life…will be you.”
This book introduced us to some new characters in Emmy, Vill, and Mami who in my opinion were great additions to the story. They all added some great layers to the story as well as helped reveal a bit about Jackson. I missed Gretchen and Law in this one - there were some glimpses of both and based on the ending I have a lot of questions as to what the heck has been happening on Earth as well as with these two.
Similar to book one, this book ends with a cliffhanger so if your heart can’t take it, you may want to hold off until book three is complete. If it doesn’t bother you so much, definitely go out and get this one and if you haven’t started this series, get moving on Gravity so that you can jump right into Hover once you finish as this comes out on August 13th. This series is a great mix of action and romance with a little bit of mystery. If you like the science fiction and dystopian genres you will definitely enjoy this series.
Thank you to the author and Entangled Publishing for the ARC.
This review can be found on my blog Fic Fare.
dani_bugz's review against another edition
3.0
Probably closer to a 2.5-2.75
Such a let down... I mean I loved the plot and all the ideas and such, but as a whole, this one was not nearly as good as the first.
Read on at your peril, a spoiler filled rant follows.
For one thing, the characters pretty much have these complete personality makeovers. At one point Jackson just had a full on tantrum; like come on! And Ari went Ice Queen on him, after he omitted telling her he was Zeus' grandson (for good reason might I add) and just stubbornly cold shoulders him all that time. She even admits she shouldn't be doing it, but decides to hold that grudge 'cause she can. Needless to say, I found her to be a very whiny, weak character in this book. Not to mention doing unbelievably stupid things like rushing in and attacking Zeus without forethought. YOU WERE TRAINED BETTER THAN THIS, CHILD!
Then the author kept getting her facts mixed up from those used in Gravity. At the beginning Ari is thinking about old times back on Earth, with her getting up at 6am to train with her dad. NOPE! In Gravity it was 5am on the dot! She woke up with her alarm at 5.10am and got in shit with him for being late! I mean, maybe I shouldn't care so much about one little thing, but I feel a little cheated. Also, in Gravity Jackson explicitly said something like 'it's different from Earth, we choose our own careers', next minute everything is decided based on what the Healers decide is your best direction, VERY MUCH LIKE ON EARTH!!!
Then there was all this rubbish with those back on home, and everything not seeming right. I mean, why would you trust people who had previously ordered your murder and aren't even being straight with you when they tell you to murder someone else? And you want to bring thousands of humans back to that, along with countless innocent Logeans? I just feel like it wasn't very realistic coming from a girl who is mean to be the next leader of Earth's armed forces. She kind of acknowledges in the end that it may not be safe, but I thought she would have had way more doubts far earlier on in the book.
I also thought everything was just a little too convenient. Like Emmy being Mami's sister, and both being able to show her how to reverse heal, AND they have access to the Unity tree that no one else has access to. Then Ari's first Logean friend happens to be the daughter of the evil healer. There are more, but I will leave it at that.
These issues in mind however, I did race through the book as it was still an easy, fun read (despite the cringes and eye-rolls). I hate writing negative reviews, especially when I think the author is quite talented, but this book just so didn't do it for me.
However I am going to chalk it up to middle book syndrome. I loved West's writing style and ideas and plot and characters and pretty much everything in Gravity, so I'm hoping that book three is all I'm hoping and waiting and wishing for!
Such a let down... I mean I loved the plot and all the ideas and such, but as a whole, this one was not nearly as good as the first.
Read on at your peril, a spoiler filled rant follows.
Spoiler
For one thing, the characters pretty much have these complete personality makeovers. At one point Jackson just had a full on tantrum; like come on! And Ari went Ice Queen on him, after he omitted telling her he was Zeus' grandson (for good reason might I add) and just stubbornly cold shoulders him all that time. She even admits she shouldn't be doing it, but decides to hold that grudge 'cause she can. Needless to say, I found her to be a very whiny, weak character in this book. Not to mention doing unbelievably stupid things like rushing in and attacking Zeus without forethought. YOU WERE TRAINED BETTER THAN THIS, CHILD!
Then the author kept getting her facts mixed up from those used in Gravity. At the beginning Ari is thinking about old times back on Earth, with her getting up at 6am to train with her dad. NOPE! In Gravity it was 5am on the dot! She woke up with her alarm at 5.10am and got in shit with him for being late! I mean, maybe I shouldn't care so much about one little thing, but I feel a little cheated. Also, in Gravity Jackson explicitly said something like 'it's different from Earth, we choose our own careers', next minute everything is decided based on what the Healers decide is your best direction, VERY MUCH LIKE ON EARTH!!!
Then there was all this rubbish with those back on home, and everything not seeming right. I mean, why would you trust people who had previously ordered your murder and aren't even being straight with you when they tell you to murder someone else? And you want to bring thousands of humans back to that, along with countless innocent Logeans? I just feel like it wasn't very realistic coming from a girl who is mean to be the next leader of Earth's armed forces. She kind of acknowledges in the end that it may not be safe, but I thought she would have had way more doubts far earlier on in the book.
I also thought everything was just a little too convenient. Like Emmy being Mami's sister, and both being able to show her how to reverse heal, AND they have access to the Unity tree that no one else has access to. Then Ari's first Logean friend happens to be the daughter of the evil healer. There are more, but I will leave it at that.
These issues in mind however, I did race through the book as it was still an easy, fun read (despite the cringes and eye-rolls). I hate writing negative reviews, especially when I think the author is quite talented, but this book just so didn't do it for me.
However I am going to chalk it up to middle book syndrome. I loved West's writing style and ideas and plot and characters and pretty much everything in Gravity, so I'm hoping that book three is all I'm hoping and waiting and wishing for!
cupcakegirly's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 Stars!
There are two scenes in HOVER that I loved. The first involves Jackson's "dream" and the other involves water. You're welcome.
The rest of the book had me on the edge of my seat with my heart in my throat and I loved every.minute.of.it!
I wanted to high five Ari for her strength, the way she stands up to the uber creepy Zeus was amazing! Her stubbornness makes her brave, but it also makes her all kinds of stupid where Jackson is concerned. I mean, I get it, I do, Jackson lied and lying is not cool on any planet. HOWEVER, he lied in order to protect her and the fact that it takes Ari so.very.long to realize this made me want to grab her by the shoulders and scream, "YOU DON'T KNOW EVERYTHING ARI! NOW GET OVER YOURSELF GIRL BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE, BECAUSE REASONS!!!" *deep breath*
And then there is Jackson. Excuse me while I check all the trees in my neighborhood to see which one will transport me to Loge because I.AM.READY! If GRAVITY was Ari's story, HOVER is Jackson's. We get a glimpse into who and what has influenced his character as well as his ideals. Ari gets a better look at Jackson too, and what she sees will have her rethinking all of her feelings for him. (It may also leave her breathless, for reasons.)
Once again Ari and Jackson will have to find a way to work together if they hope to put a stop to whatever Zeus has planned. It won't be easy, opposition greets them at every turn and the sacrifices may prove too great. But the fast paced, heart thumping action leads up to an ending that will leave you stunned, dumbfounded and anxious for the next book, which I TOTALLY NEED LIKE YESTERDAY!
There are two scenes in HOVER that I loved. The first involves Jackson's "dream" and the other involves water. You're welcome.
The rest of the book had me on the edge of my seat with my heart in my throat and I loved every.minute.of.it!
I wanted to high five Ari for her strength, the way she stands up to the uber creepy Zeus was amazing! Her stubbornness makes her brave, but it also makes her all kinds of stupid where Jackson is concerned. I mean, I get it, I do, Jackson lied and lying is not cool on any planet. HOWEVER, he lied in order to protect her and the fact that it takes Ari so.very.long to realize this made me want to grab her by the shoulders and scream, "YOU DON'T KNOW EVERYTHING ARI! NOW GET OVER YOURSELF GIRL BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE, BECAUSE REASONS!!!" *deep breath*
And then there is Jackson. Excuse me while I check all the trees in my neighborhood to see which one will transport me to Loge because I.AM.READY! If GRAVITY was Ari's story, HOVER is Jackson's. We get a glimpse into who and what has influenced his character as well as his ideals. Ari gets a better look at Jackson too, and what she sees will have her rethinking all of her feelings for him. (It may also leave her breathless, for reasons.)
Once again Ari and Jackson will have to find a way to work together if they hope to put a stop to whatever Zeus has planned. It won't be easy, opposition greets them at every turn and the sacrifices may prove too great. But the fast paced, heart thumping action leads up to an ending that will leave you stunned, dumbfounded and anxious for the next book, which I TOTALLY NEED LIKE YESTERDAY!
alexperc_92's review against another edition
5.0
5 of 5 stars
Yup, absolutely action packed, emotionally breaking and brain storming sequel of Melissa West's series! I had seen the cover reveal of "Collide" a while back and it intrugued me to read the series. I was right about the plot and the theme of course!
In "Hover" Ari tries to save the humans who have been mutated while Jackson becomes her number 1 person from whom she will drawn the strenght she will need to fight back Zeus. Not to mention the ENDING!!! I never, ever expecting that! And I'll only hope not to be proven wrong. :)
Yup, absolutely action packed, emotionally breaking and brain storming sequel of Melissa West's series! I had seen the cover reveal of "Collide" a while back and it intrugued me to read the series. I was right about the plot and the theme of course!
In "Hover" Ari tries to save the humans who have been mutated while Jackson becomes her number 1 person from whom she will drawn the strenght she will need to fight back Zeus. Not to mention the ENDING!!! I never, ever expecting that! And I'll only hope not to be proven wrong. :)
otakuish's review
4.0
There might be slight spoilers in this review. I've tried to cover the most important/book ruining ones. But you have been warned, in case I didn't hide a spoiler and you read it.
What can I say? The ending killed me. UGHHH!!!!
Seriously, though I thought Hover was much better than Gravity. It goes away from the insta-love and allows Ari and Jackson to have time to actually learn more about each other (which is super important to Ari, obviously, cause she knows squat about Jackson). It also focused more on the Ancient side of this whole "war" and why they so desperately need to get away from Loge.
I really liked the shift from Earth to Loge (Um, can I just say that I REALLY need a wormhole so I can see the pretty lavender teal sky?). The first book was about Ari and her struggles. The second was all about Jackson and his. I liked that instead of focusing on just Ari, West decided to cover both the characters.
Pros:
- Ari's refusal to instantly fall back in love with Jackson. THANK YOU MELISSA WEST!!! I seriously hate insta-love. It's terrible and cliche. I liked that Ari took her time. Even though she knew that she was attracted to Jackson she kept her hormones in check and stayed friends until she could forgive him and learn more about him. (You go girl!!)
- Ari's amazing non-wimpy-ness. It seems to me a lot of the dystopian/apocalyptic girls tend to um...whine...about what they have to do. Ari doesn't do that, and she does what she has to do with a strong mindset. Unlike in the last book, where she did have her "woe is me" moments. (so, good on you girl! for finally stepping away from that attitude.)
- Jackson. Jackson is just an entire reason. 'nuff said. (Okay, I'm not that shallow. Okay, I am kinda shallow. However, Jackson was pretty awesome here. He took shit from Zeus, Ari and often himself and kept it together...kinda. You'll know what I'm talking about.)
-I liked all the new characters like Emmy, Vill and Mami. They were solid(ish) and made me want to root for their happiness.
- Surprisingly, I liked Zeus. He's one of those evil villain dudes that you can't help but like. He's crazy. He's awful. He's a damn good villain. But...I just wish that at some point we'd gotten to know why he got evil. You know?
- Ari realizing that no one is the bad guy, but that everyone is an unfortunate pawn in a power struggle. She understands that the Ancients aren't bad people, just like the humans aren't bad people either.
Cons:
- Plot holes...?? Was I the only one who thought that in the end
- Um, ARI HELLO!?!?!?
- Okay, this one kinda annoyed me.
Characters:
Ari: Better than Gravity that's for sure. She seemed less whine-y in this book. She also seemed stronger in her resolve to do something.
Jackson: Hello hunky. I liked how he never pushed Ari for more. He let her take the lead in the status of their relationship. So, kudos for that. He was also pretty damn sexy when he's being all commanding. We got to see a new side of Jackson that was broken and beautiful.
Zeus: *sigh* You're a good crazy old guy. I hope you die. Jerk.
Emmy: She's a sweet lady, if a bit rough. I liked how she had so much faith in Ari.
Vill: Sweetness. He showed Ari that maybe Jackson was more than she ever thought he was. And to maybe try to understand him. GOOD ON YOU SON!!!
Okay, there's way more characters than I have the ability to write for. These were just some of my favorites.
I can't wait for the last book to come one. 2014 GET HERE ALREADY!
What can I say? The ending killed me. UGHHH!!!!
Seriously, though I thought Hover was much better than Gravity. It goes away from the insta-love and allows Ari and Jackson to have time to actually learn more about each other (which is super important to Ari, obviously, cause she knows squat about Jackson). It also focused more on the Ancient side of this whole "war" and why they so desperately need to get away from Loge.
I really liked the shift from Earth to Loge (Um, can I just say that I REALLY need a wormhole so I can see the pretty lavender teal sky?). The first book was about Ari and her struggles. The second was all about Jackson and his. I liked that instead of focusing on just Ari, West decided to cover both the characters.
Pros:
- Ari's refusal to instantly fall back in love with Jackson. THANK YOU MELISSA WEST!!! I seriously hate insta-love. It's terrible and cliche. I liked that Ari took her time. Even though she knew that she was attracted to Jackson she kept her hormones in check and stayed friends until she could forgive him and learn more about him. (You go girl!!)
- Ari's amazing non-wimpy-ness. It seems to me a lot of the dystopian/apocalyptic girls tend to um...whine...about what they have to do. Ari doesn't do that, and she does what she has to do with a strong mindset. Unlike in the last book, where she did have her "woe is me" moments. (so, good on you girl! for finally stepping away from that attitude.)
- Jackson. Jackson is just an entire reason. 'nuff said. (
-I liked all the new characters like Emmy, Vill and Mami. They were solid(ish) and made me want to root for their happiness.
- Surprisingly, I liked Zeus. He's one of those evil villain dudes that you can't help but like. He's crazy. He's awful. He's a damn good villain. But...I just wish that at some point we'd gotten to know why he got evil. You know?
- Ari realizing that no one is the bad guy, but that everyone is an unfortunate pawn in a power struggle. She understands that the Ancients aren't bad people, just like the humans aren't bad people either.
Cons:
- Plot holes...?? Was I the only one who thought that in the end
Spoiler
Vill and Ari and all the Operatives were going to the other region on Loge. Why did they go to Earth? DID they go to Earth? Otherwise, how did Lawrence get there.- Um, ARI HELLO!?!?!?
Spoiler
Girlfriend, what you doin' listening to a clearly suspicious new stand-in president? I knew something was fishy the moment they refused to tell her all the things happening at home. And you STILL went back after Gretchen's clearly frantic last call. She even ended it by saying "DONT!" *sigh* For a person who's so intuitive and able to spot things, you're kinda blind.- Okay, this one kinda annoyed me.
Spoiler
When Mami TELLS Ari that's she's selfless. Umm....okay. I mean I get it, she kind of is. But she's kind of not at the same time. Also, show and don't tell? I hate it when people just SAY stuff instead of DO the stuff.Characters:
Ari: Better than Gravity that's for sure. She seemed less whine-y in this book. She also seemed stronger in her resolve to do something.
Jackson: Hello hunky. I liked how he never pushed Ari for more. He let her take the lead in the status of their relationship. So, kudos for that. He was also pretty damn sexy when he's being all commanding. We got to see a new side of Jackson that was broken and beautiful.
Zeus: *sigh* You're a good crazy old guy. I hope you die. Jerk.
Emmy: She's a sweet lady, if a bit rough. I liked how she had so much faith in Ari.
Vill: Sweetness. He showed Ari that maybe Jackson was more than she ever thought he was. And to maybe try to understand him. GOOD ON YOU SON!!!
Okay, there's way more characters than I have the ability to write for. These were just some of my favorites.
I can't wait for the last book to come one. 2014 GET HERE ALREADY!
bookishanjali's review
3.0
3.5 Stars
So after Gravity which I read only a couple months before Hover I was pretty excited to get my hands on the sequel and I have to say there were some flaws to Hover but it kept my attention and I'm so involved with the characters and seeing how things play out with them it's pretty obvious I'm going to follow this series to the end.
Anyways Hover starts off a little after where Gravity left off. Ari wakes up on a whole other planet with some serious trust issues and of course she has every right to doubt everyone and everything around her including Jackson. The main plot in this book is they are on a mission to kill Zeus the ruler of Loge and with all the twists and turns West throws in it makes it pretty impossible for Ari to do so.
As far as the characters go I think West did a great job in developing them and letting us learn more about them especially Jackson, he was such a mystery in Gravity so I loved how in depth we get with his character in Hover. As far as Ari I still loved her but because of her trust issues with Jackson at times her I love him but I hate him scenario became a little annoying, but she is just as kick-ass as the first book. We also meet a lot of new side characters and get glimpses of the ones from the last book. From the new characters no one really stood out to me I was actually more curious about what was going on with the ones we met in Gravity.
I did feel that there were a lot of unanswered questions in Hover and some things that I wish was more thoroughly explained. Nothing really got resolved in Hover and then there was that ending talk about major cliffhanger! Needless to say I didn't love this book but I liked it enough to where I'm already marking off the date for the release of Collide which is the third book in the series.
So after Gravity which I read only a couple months before Hover I was pretty excited to get my hands on the sequel and I have to say there were some flaws to Hover but it kept my attention and I'm so involved with the characters and seeing how things play out with them it's pretty obvious I'm going to follow this series to the end.
Anyways Hover starts off a little after where Gravity left off. Ari wakes up on a whole other planet with some serious trust issues and of course she has every right to doubt everyone and everything around her including Jackson. The main plot in this book is they are on a mission to kill Zeus the ruler of Loge and with all the twists and turns West throws in it makes it pretty impossible for Ari to do so.
As far as the characters go I think West did a great job in developing them and letting us learn more about them especially Jackson, he was such a mystery in Gravity so I loved how in depth we get with his character in Hover. As far as Ari I still loved her but because of her trust issues with Jackson at times her I love him but I hate him scenario became a little annoying, but she is just as kick-ass as the first book. We also meet a lot of new side characters and get glimpses of the ones from the last book. From the new characters no one really stood out to me I was actually more curious about what was going on with the ones we met in Gravity.
I did feel that there were a lot of unanswered questions in Hover and some things that I wish was more thoroughly explained. Nothing really got resolved in Hover and then there was that ending talk about major cliffhanger! Needless to say I didn't love this book but I liked it enough to where I'm already marking off the date for the release of Collide which is the third book in the series.