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zapkode's review against another edition
5.0
{my thoughts} - I wasn’t quite sure what I thought about the book based on the synopsis. However, once I read the first three chapters I was glued. This book is about a girl named Addison Harmon. She was given up for adoption by her biological mother and then inherited her biological grandmothers estate when her biological mother had passed away. Her and her adoptive parents had been to the house and seen it. However, she is spending some time in this house and trying to decide what she is going to do with the house. A lot of weird things start happening that make her question her sanity. She soon meets a boy named Kace that leaves her with more questions about herself and who she really is as a person.
This book was well worth the read I enjoyed the lightheartedness of it as well as the added in paranormal things. The pages weren’t just filled with a bunch of information it was filled with a girls journey in learning about herself and things that had been kept from her. It shows her desire to know more and her ability to make things work given the situation she has been placed in. I look forward to reading book two!!!!
{reason for reading} - I was given a copy of this book from the author in return for an honest review.
This book was well worth the read I enjoyed the lightheartedness of it as well as the added in paranormal things. The pages weren’t just filled with a bunch of information it was filled with a girls journey in learning about herself and things that had been kept from her. It shows her desire to know more and her ability to make things work given the situation she has been placed in. I look forward to reading book two!!!!
{reason for reading} - I was given a copy of this book from the author in return for an honest review.
nikkijoy's review against another edition
4.0
This book was really good... I enjoyed watching Addison discover about herself and the past of her family. I cant wait to discover why her mom left. I wish it was a bit longer though. it was a bit rushed though. It did leave me wondering what was going to happen next. I'm definitely going to read Conjure... Cause I need to know more.
xofelf's review against another edition
4.0
This was a fairly good read. Needed more details on things, hard to picture some things.
nicklelove's review against another edition
2.0
It was mediocre. I wanted to give it 2 stars but it redeemed itself about 90% in when a twist in the story made me want to know more, do I one-clicked conjured since it was on sale. full review in a few weeks, after I'm done with the readathon.
meganmreads's review against another edition
4.0
Catalyst was a fun, action packed, and magickal paranormal book. Despite the fact that it’s New Adult, it was clean and only involved brief mentions of intimacy between the characters and other adult themes. The language was also relatively clean. Many New Adult novels are taking language and intimacy to the next level, which doesn’t bother me, but I love reading the ones that are New Adult based on character age instead of content! In many ways, Catalyst reminded me of a YA paranormal, just with older characters who are on their own for the most part. Still, though Addison was over 18 and living on her own, her adoptive parents were involved in her life, which I enjoyed
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It seems as if I’m always searching for books (especially series) to fill the gap that the cancellation of The Secret Circle TV Show left because I love magic and witchy paranormal plots. Catalyst was deliciously magickal, secretive, and enchanting! Addison inherited a house in the town of Soul Harbor from her biological mother. She knew nothing about her biological parents and the mere mention of them seemed to upset her adoptive mother, so she wanted to spend the summer away on her own to make a good decision about keeping the house. Addison’s arrival in Soul Harbor was a big deal to the magickal residents. Much like in The Secret Circle, her presence changed everything in regards to the balance of power. She was the key and she had no idea. Fortunately, she stumbled into Kace, a gorgeous local who had no problem filling Addison in on her heritage and importance. And the electricity between them was magickal, literally and figuratively.
I loved Addison’s character. She was down to earth, friendly, and curious. She wasn’t afraid to ask questions and learn about her magickal abilities and heritage. Kace was a wonderful love interest. He was laid back, open, and honest, which was something I wasn’t expecting. I suppose I expected him to be reserved and mysterious, but I’m glad he surprised me. I liked how the two of them were together, despite the fact that touch seemed to distract both of them. I was just as intrigued as Addison by the magickal qualities of the town and the inhabitants. I loved learning more about it and trying to figure out where Addison fit and what happened with her biological mother. She seemed to be a threat to someone and the target of some sort of revenge or plot. The conflict was interesting and completely unpredictable.
I do wish the book was longer. It wasn’t really slow or all that short, but I was so engrossed in the plot and the characters, before I knew it, the book was over. I wished the book didn’t end quite so soon, but I did like the way it ended and I’m intrigued by what might happen in book #2.
I recommend Catalyst to fans of witchy paranormal novels, both YA and adult. I loved the magical plot and I can’t wait to read the next book in the series. It was well written and entertaining. I’m hoping this series will be my go-to Indie witch series because I’m totally enchanted and I sense a series addiction forming. =) I love finishing a book and knowing that you’ve found a series that you’ll probably want to see through the very end! Catalyst has a ton of potential to be a personal favorite.
Review originally published at Love, Literature, Art, and Reason Book Review Blog
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It seems as if I’m always searching for books (especially series) to fill the gap that the cancellation of The Secret Circle TV Show left because I love magic and witchy paranormal plots. Catalyst was deliciously magickal, secretive, and enchanting! Addison inherited a house in the town of Soul Harbor from her biological mother. She knew nothing about her biological parents and the mere mention of them seemed to upset her adoptive mother, so she wanted to spend the summer away on her own to make a good decision about keeping the house. Addison’s arrival in Soul Harbor was a big deal to the magickal residents. Much like in The Secret Circle, her presence changed everything in regards to the balance of power. She was the key and she had no idea. Fortunately, she stumbled into Kace, a gorgeous local who had no problem filling Addison in on her heritage and importance. And the electricity between them was magickal, literally and figuratively.
I loved Addison’s character. She was down to earth, friendly, and curious. She wasn’t afraid to ask questions and learn about her magickal abilities and heritage. Kace was a wonderful love interest. He was laid back, open, and honest, which was something I wasn’t expecting. I suppose I expected him to be reserved and mysterious, but I’m glad he surprised me. I liked how the two of them were together, despite the fact that touch seemed to distract both of them. I was just as intrigued as Addison by the magickal qualities of the town and the inhabitants. I loved learning more about it and trying to figure out where Addison fit and what happened with her biological mother. She seemed to be a threat to someone and the target of some sort of revenge or plot. The conflict was interesting and completely unpredictable.
I do wish the book was longer. It wasn’t really slow or all that short, but I was so engrossed in the plot and the characters, before I knew it, the book was over. I wished the book didn’t end quite so soon, but I did like the way it ended and I’m intrigued by what might happen in book #2.
I recommend Catalyst to fans of witchy paranormal novels, both YA and adult. I loved the magical plot and I can’t wait to read the next book in the series. It was well written and entertaining. I’m hoping this series will be my go-to Indie witch series because I’m totally enchanted and I sense a series addiction forming. =) I love finishing a book and knowing that you’ve found a series that you’ll probably want to see through the very end! Catalyst has a ton of potential to be a personal favorite.
Review originally published at Love, Literature, Art, and Reason Book Review Blog
jasmyn9's review against another edition
4.0
Catalyst is a fantastic start to a new series. Addison, given up for adoption to protect her, has no knowledge of her past and the part she could play in the bigger picture. This first book covers more than just her discovering more about her birth family, it also shows how she discovers herself and a world of magic she never knew existed. She discovers that not only is there magic, but there are several kinds, and she is not sure if she really wants to have any part of it at all. Addison drew me in from page one. She is a blend of mystery and openness. I enjoyed watching her relate to her old friend, her adoptive mom (very touching), and all the new people she meets in Soul Harbor. The people of Soul Harbor are diverse. With a cliffhanger for an ending, I was left not sure of who were the good guys and who were the bad guys. While that may sound like a bad thing, it was done brilliantly and only made the characters even more intriguing. There were a few times while Addison was learning about magic and the town history that dragged just a little, but never enough to make me want to put the book down. These less exciting areas were always followed by a new revelation - about a character, about the past, or about magic. There are even a few characters that seem to be minor but show a lot of potential for expanding their standing in future books. I think this is a great start to a series that has me hooked. It is different enough to stand out, but still feels comfortable. The characters are what makes or breaks a good series, and these guys definitely make it! - See more at: http://hotofftheshelves.blogspot.com/2013/08/book-tour-and-review-catalyst-by.html#sthash.sisAwDhh.dpuf
jezzebelljc's review
3.0
My Air, Your Fire...It's Elemental Baby
Just look at that cover, would you? Isn't it gorgeous?
The Good
I loved the beginning of the story with the mysterious inherited house that Addison receives upon the death of her birth mother that she's never known. It was a lot of fun reading Addison and her best friend Vera navigate Georgia on their own without parents around for the first time.
There's a lot of strange things that happen when they first arrive and she runs across some people that made me scratch my head and ponder their odd behavior. Even when some answers arrived for me as the story progressed, there were still questions popping up everywhere. There are a lot of characters introduced that I am very interested to know more of.
Kace is a stud that has Addison feeling sparks and forgetting all about her recent tragic break-up. There is a lot of potential there. Also, with the magick that's explored there is a TON of room for a fantastic series.
The Bad
I know that I LOVE twists and turns, but this particular book didn't wrap up a single thread all the way.
The characters, while very enjoyable, aren't fully fleshed out yet. Also, one of my favorite characters isn't even in the story for long.
The main action came at the very end of the book and ended on a cliff-hanger. The rest of the book, I spent trying to figure out if people should be trusted or not. I think I was expecting a lot more magick throughout, but it is mainly just introduced and explained.
The Romance
Kace is supposed to be a hot 'fisherman' for Addison, but for me, they are still in the getting-to-know-each-other phase so there's really no meat in their relationship. Addison I know more of, but what I know is that she is coming out of a relationship and is on the rebound. The two of them together are very cute, and I do like Addison's internal dialogue when Kace is around. There is some action, but it's cut away scenes so don't be looking for a steamy romp.
Conclusion
This one is a great set up for a series. I feel like the best is yet to come for this story-line. The magick that is introduced which is Elemental and Hoodoo has some real potential and I enjoy the mysteries even while I would like some of the threads tied up a little more. I like the characters and the side characters as well, but I do hope that we learn a lot more about them in the following books. I will be continuing the series. Recommended for some.
*Sent for honest review
Just look at that cover, would you? Isn't it gorgeous?
The Good
I loved the beginning of the story with the mysterious inherited house that Addison receives upon the death of her birth mother that she's never known. It was a lot of fun reading Addison and her best friend Vera navigate Georgia on their own without parents around for the first time.
There's a lot of strange things that happen when they first arrive and she runs across some people that made me scratch my head and ponder their odd behavior. Even when some answers arrived for me as the story progressed, there were still questions popping up everywhere. There are a lot of characters introduced that I am very interested to know more of.
Kace is a stud that has Addison feeling sparks and forgetting all about her recent tragic break-up. There is a lot of potential there. Also, with the magick that's explored there is a TON of room for a fantastic series.
The Bad
I know that I LOVE twists and turns, but this particular book didn't wrap up a single thread all the way.
The characters, while very enjoyable, aren't fully fleshed out yet. Also, one of my favorite characters isn't even in the story for long.
The main action came at the very end of the book and ended on a cliff-hanger. The rest of the book, I spent trying to figure out if people should be trusted or not. I think I was expecting a lot more magick throughout, but it is mainly just introduced and explained.
The Romance
Kace is supposed to be a hot 'fisherman' for Addison, but for me, they are still in the getting-to-know-each-other phase so there's really no meat in their relationship. Addison I know more of, but what I know is that she is coming out of a relationship and is on the rebound. The two of them together are very cute, and I do like Addison's internal dialogue when Kace is around. There is some action, but it's cut away scenes so don't be looking for a steamy romp.
Conclusion
This one is a great set up for a series. I feel like the best is yet to come for this story-line. The magick that is introduced which is Elemental and Hoodoo has some real potential and I enjoy the mysteries even while I would like some of the threads tied up a little more. I like the characters and the side characters as well, but I do hope that we learn a lot more about them in the following books. I will be continuing the series. Recommended for some.
*Sent for honest review
lilyelement's review against another edition
4.0
Addison Harmon and her best friend head to Soul Harbor, Georgia for Summer when Addison is left a family house from her recently deceased birth mother. Having just graduated high school, she isn't sure what to do with her life and is using the trip to explore her options. This adventure allows her to find herself, as well clues to her birth mother's family past, though some mystery still remains. Addison and her best friend, Vera, quickly explore the small town and meet some of the townspeople. Not everyone is welcoming, while others greet Addison with open arms. There is a little bit of everything - mystery, paranormal, and romance to name a few which kept my attention.
Catalyst is an amazing start to a series and a must read if you like New Adult books, or even Paranormal books. While Catalyst does end somewhat abruptly, I can definitely say that I'm dying for book 2 so I can see what happens next. When I started the book I knew from the first few pages that this would be something I wouldn't be able to put down, and I was right. Jennifer Snyder managed to suck me into her world with intriguing characters and an awesome plot. I highly recommend Catalyst, and cannot wait to read more books by Jennifer Snyder.
Catalyst is an amazing start to a series and a must read if you like New Adult books, or even Paranormal books. While Catalyst does end somewhat abruptly, I can definitely say that I'm dying for book 2 so I can see what happens next. When I started the book I knew from the first few pages that this would be something I wouldn't be able to put down, and I was right. Jennifer Snyder managed to suck me into her world with intriguing characters and an awesome plot. I highly recommend Catalyst, and cannot wait to read more books by Jennifer Snyder.
sagek's review against another edition
4.0
*I received a free digital version from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Catalyst is a fast paced, magickal book full of new discoveries and shocking situations. It all started when Addison inherited a house from her biological mother and decided to stay there for the summer in hopes of figuring out what to do with it; should she keep it or not? In the process, she learns about her biological family, and in turn what was passed down to her. She also meets new people -specifically Kace who she gets involved with- and begins to be immersed in the world of magick.
Like the author's other books, Catalyst is fast paced, has a great flow, and is well described. The way magick is introduced and the buildup to it was enjoyable, though I do feel Addison accepted it far too easily. I found that Kace kissing her until she said it wasn't a very realistic way for some own to accept it, even though she could feel it. I enjoyed it either way though, I just would've liked a more realistic way, since everything else about this book feels very real, despite the magical elements. Which also makes the flow great, since the story feels so real and possible. It's very engaging.
I also love how the information was spread out so that it never dragged or felt boring. We learned a lot, though there's definitely more to explore, and yet I never felt like I was having an information overload. All the information was put in seemingly effortlessly and realistically. It definitely helped the flow and the enjoyment factor.
The characters were interesting, though I wish we knew more about Kace and his friends and Theo. We mainly only got information about Addison, since it was her POV, and so we only got to know about the others through what she saw, mostly. What I love about Addison is that she isn't selfish. She feels so guilty that she wants to learn about her biological family and the fact that it's hiring her adoptive mom, and I find that admirable. She wishes at one point that she didn't want to learn about them so much, since it was hurting her mom, but she stayed in Soul Harber anyway because of her magick and what she knows she has to learn. I also love how nice and compassionate she is, though there weren't many examples for it. I definitely enjoy her relationship with Binks. It's interesting to read about and I love how he tries to protect her, though I really hope he wasn't injured.
Kace is the one I want to know more about out of the characters we don't really get information for. Him, and then Theo. We know Kace has an apartment with Adam, that he is very sexual, that he doesn't dunk much, his favorite color is green, and he has a magickal element of air. We don't know about his family, or his job, or his favorite sports or activities, or what he likes to do with his friends (other than hang out on the beach or cliff). We don't know much about his background, or anyone else's for that matter. Despite that though, I enjoyed reading about them and I'm hopeful that we'll know more about them in the next book.
Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book and I'm eager for the next one! I recommend this to lovers of action(sorta), fantasy(because magick), and maybe even romance.
Catalyst is a fast paced, magickal book full of new discoveries and shocking situations. It all started when Addison inherited a house from her biological mother and decided to stay there for the summer in hopes of figuring out what to do with it; should she keep it or not? In the process, she learns about her biological family, and in turn what was passed down to her. She also meets new people -specifically Kace who she gets involved with- and begins to be immersed in the world of magick.
Like the author's other books, Catalyst is fast paced, has a great flow, and is well described. The way magick is introduced and the buildup to it was enjoyable, though I do feel Addison accepted it far too easily. I found that Kace kissing her until she said it wasn't a very realistic way for some own to accept it, even though she could feel it. I enjoyed it either way though, I just would've liked a more realistic way, since everything else about this book feels very real, despite the magical elements. Which also makes the flow great, since the story feels so real and possible. It's very engaging.
I also love how the information was spread out so that it never dragged or felt boring. We learned a lot, though there's definitely more to explore, and yet I never felt like I was having an information overload. All the information was put in seemingly effortlessly and realistically. It definitely helped the flow and the enjoyment factor.
The characters were interesting, though I wish we knew more about Kace and his friends and Theo. We mainly only got information about Addison, since it was her POV, and so we only got to know about the others through what she saw, mostly. What I love about Addison is that she isn't selfish. She feels so guilty that she wants to learn about her biological family and the fact that it's hiring her adoptive mom, and I find that admirable. She wishes at one point that she didn't want to learn about them so much, since it was hurting her mom, but she stayed in Soul Harber anyway because of her magick and what she knows she has to learn. I also love how nice and compassionate she is, though there weren't many examples for it. I definitely enjoy her relationship with Binks. It's interesting to read about and I love how he tries to protect her, though I really hope he wasn't injured.
Kace is the one I want to know more about out of the characters we don't really get information for. Him, and then Theo. We know Kace has an apartment with Adam, that he is very sexual, that he doesn't dunk much, his favorite color is green, and he has a magickal element of air. We don't know about his family, or his job, or his favorite sports or activities, or what he likes to do with his friends (other than hang out on the beach or cliff). We don't know much about his background, or anyone else's for that matter. Despite that though, I enjoyed reading about them and I'm hopeful that we'll know more about them in the next book.
Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book and I'm eager for the next one! I recommend this to lovers of action(sorta), fantasy(because magick), and maybe even romance.
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