Reviews

Blistered by Deidre Huesmann

wayfaringbibliomaniac's review against another edition

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5.0

I love Greek mythology. This was right up my alley. The writing was awesome and the author never gives too much away at any point. You're given enough detail about what is going on and upcoming events to keep you interested. I also love Azalee. She's so snarky, but it's really just a shield to keep from getting too close to others.

ifw_books's review against another edition

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4.0

Blistered by Deidre Huesmann receives 4 stars from me. Blistered is the first installment in the Modern Greek Myth Series. You do not need to be a Greek Mythology expert to be able to know what is going on in this story. Unless you are like me and love to do your own research you will not need to open Wikipedia, I promise. Enter Azalee, she is Blistered and kept in a dirty cold prison away from her family and civilization. Since she cannot walk or be in direct sunlight her prison us deep within the earth so that no light can burn her skin. Next in is Joel, a Sphinel who like everyone else in Illyria gets their energy from Apollo and the sun. These two are opposites in almost every way. They are both outcasts who have been shunned by their family. To rub more salt in the wound they are also unable to take proper Greek names. Joel is convinced that he must take Azalee to safety with her people on Mykonos. As the two escape Illyria and start their journey to Mykonos they are surprised to find a guest who has followed them. Niribelle was sent to retrieve them but decides to help despite the history between her and Azalee. Azalee and Niribelle also seem to have a thing for Joel which adds more fuel to the already burning fire. Can these three make it to Mykonos and keep Azalee alive? Deidre did such an amazing job with this book! I seriously cannot wait for the next one to come out!

kthomas4415's review against another edition

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4.0

Blistered (A Modern Greek Myth, book 1) 4 stars

Azalee is born into a hard life. She has parents, or as she calls them guardians, that treat her so terribly all because she was born as a Chertz. A Chertz is born with pale skin but dark hair and eyes, and seen as a curse to all who are surrounded by one. Azalee’s life takes a horrible turn when her village has a celebration for the God Apollo and they decide to ask her to be “saved” from her terrible form of Chertz. During this ceremony Azalle is mutated even further into a cursed form by becoming blistered, meaning she can never go into the sunlight without severe pain and damage to her skin. With her condition worsened, her parents and village send her into a life of imprisonment, put into a cell underground alone for years. This is where Azalle believed she would spend the rest of her life vowing to never trust her village, a village of Spinals, ever again.

In another village, a great distance away there is a boy by the name of Joel who is also seen as an outcast by those who surround him. At a young age, he comes across an ancient story, a story of a girl who is blistered and knows that it is his life’s journey to rescue her. Joel sets out on an adventure to not only save the girl who he has read so much about, but also to prove to everyone that he can live up to their expectations and become something great. However, good intentions and a sense of adventure don’t always come down to being prepared for all of the possible obstacles that may occur, as Joel quickly learns. During his attempt to break Azalee from her prison cell he learns that not only does he have to protect her from the “normal” elements that he survives on like sunlight, but also has to prove to her that not all Spinals are bad and evil people.

Blistered is a story of adventure through the world of Greek Mythology and finding friendship in the most unlikely places and learning to trust your gut over those in power. Azalee and Joel are a perfect combination of sarcasm and innocence to provide a whirlwind exploration into uncharted territories. Although this book is a little slow to start, I promise if you stick with it you will be swept into the fast paced story line and very ready to read the next book in the series!

lzw's review against another edition

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4.0

Blistered (A Modern Greek Myth Book 1) by Deidre Huesmann is the first book in the A Modern Greek Myth series that I gave 4 out of 5 stars. This is a fun paranormal read centering around greek mythology. The book is told from the main character's POV.
Azalee is a teenager who has been banned from her home, forbidden from taking a Greek name, cast into an earthly prison, and accused of being a witch. She is cut off from any contact except for the occasional visits from her parents. She longs to escape and walk in the sun, but she is afraid that the Gods would burn her with the sun's rays as punishment for escaping.
Joel has also been banned, and is hellbent on getting Azalee freed. He believes in destiny, and that she IS his destiny. Azalee isn't so sure of their fate, but is up for anything that sets her free. Joel is convinced that he must take Azalee to safety with her people on Mykonos. As the two set out on their journey to Mykonos, they pick up a third person-Niribelle. She is a warrior sent to capture them, but decides to align herself with the teens instead. Azalee and Niribelle seem to clash over everything, Joel included. Will they all make it to Mykonos? Which Joel fall for the warrior's charm and beauty? Can Niribelle be trusted? Read to find out their fate!
This was a great adventurous novel with well developed characters. It was a fast paced read with some surprises and twists. I can't wait to read more from this author!

bookingbonkers's review against another edition

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4.0

Blistered is a story about Azalee who is rescued from her prison by Joel. They are in Ancient Greece and must cross the veil to modern day Greece to return Azalee to Mykonos where she is destined to be. In their world, there are Spinels (children of the sun) and Chertz (children of the moon) races, Azalee being a Chertz and Joel being a Spinel. When Azalee was to be blessed by Apollo, she was instead cursed and became Blistered and unable to go out into the sun for which she was imprisoned. Joel has a mark that connects him to Azalee and gives his a sense of fate and destiny in freeing her and taking her to Mykonos.

I found this book to be fast paced and easy to get into considering the unfamiliar territory it put me in. The dialogue is fun and witty and the characters are strong , realistic and likeable. The story is a unique one that is full of discovery and developments that you do not see coming. There is a lot of exploration of Greek mythology and plenty of adventure that keeps your interest right up until the end. This book touches upon many subjects that make it a very good young adult read, quite a few life lessons portrayed in the story as well as education in the Greek mythology area.

This book leaves thing open for a follow up story, or stories, which I would certainly like to read and learn of what comes next for Azalee and Joel.

nikkismiles43's review against another edition

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4.0

Blistered: A Modern Greek Myth , Book 1
By Deidre Huesmann
⅘ Stars

Blistered is the first book in A Modern Greek Myth Series. This is my first time reading a book by Deidre, and trust me … it definitely won't be my last.
I'm not familiar with Greek mythology at all…. not even a little bit! So it did take me a little bit to get sucked into the book. But once I got deeper into the book and learned more about the characters. I did learn a lot about the Greek mythology !
So anyone who enjoys reading stories about Greek mythology, I highly suggest you read this book. It's quite interesting and really fascinating!!
In this book, a portion of the story …. fantasy world mixes with the modern world. It was done extremely well, or I thought so at least anyways.
Azalee is your strong and independent young teenager, only of 16 years of age. She has gotten herself in quite the predicament. Not knowing how to resolve the issue. She is stuck in a dirty and cold prison,Without a way to get out any time soon.
Joel believes it's his destiny to break Azalee out of prison. Even though, he knows deep down… he will eventually have to face some serious consequences.
Together they embark on an unforgettable journey to Mykonos.
While deeply angering the Gods.
Can they reach safely before it's too late? Or will it cause a terrible war to break out?
Someone new is out to get them… at no cost. Will she get what she wants?
You must read this book. It had me giggling a time or two. The friendship the two main characters build… you see it gradually progressing.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, from beginning to end. I'm so looking forward to reading the second book. I can't wait to see what will happen next. Great job, until next time….




arthistorygirl's review against another edition

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3.0

Blistered by Deidre Huesmann is the first book in the Modern Greek Myth series. The story is about Azalee and Joel. Azalee is kept as a prisoner of her people in a dark, dirty cell. All she wants is to be free. Joel has a destiny to fulfill and part of that includes Azalee. Joel frees Azalee but there are many challenges ahead for the two as they make their escape. Both are considered outcasts and cannot take a proper name. Also, Azalee is “Blistered” by the Gods and cannot travel in the sun or she will burn and and blister. Joel on the other hand needs sunlight to survive. The third person in the party is Niribelle. She is cunning and beautiful.
The story is interesting despite my memory of Greek mythology. The teens are honest and believable. Azalee is properly cautious of all people. Joel is sweet and kind, with a heart of gold. He does the best to make the best decisions in the situations they get into. Niribelle is a factor that has an agenda all her own. Will the three make it to their destination?
This was my first book by Deidre Huesmann and I enjoyed the story. I will be reading the next in the series to see where the story goes. I enjoy that the story left off and I want to know what happens next for the characters. This is a good story for a teen or older person. There is suspense, adventure, mythology, friendship, and more. Worth taking the time to check it out.

lisa01's review against another edition

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4.0

Blistered by Deidre Huesmann Rated 4 stars

Azalee has spent most of her life in a prison. She really didn't do anything to be put in there other than be born. She has always been a little different but when something happened at the age of 4 she woke up in the prison and has been there ever since. Many years have gone by when this young man shows up and tells her he it is her fate to break her out. She doesn't believe him at first and tells him to leave. After some convincing she decides to go with him.
Joel has grown up hearing stories about the girl who has been imprisoned in the basement of her parents house. He feels his fate is tied to hers so he needs to get her out and to the island of Mykonos. That is the place where she can live the rest of her days among her own people. He decides to break her out but forgets about their differences. She is a child if the moon and he needs the sun so that makes traveling a bit difficult.
An unexpected visitor shows up along the way, Niribelle, who is gorgeous and has been sent by the Kurios. Azalee doesn't like her or trust her. On the other hand Joel likes her and has been friends with her many years while growing up. Azalee feels a little weird when Joel pays too much attention to Niribelle. As this trip goes on Azalee is wondering if Mykonos is a place she should be going.

Joel seems like such a nice guy. He puts up with whatever spews out of Azalee’s mouth. He doesn't ever blame her for anything he's very understanding. Niribelle seemed completely untrustworthy from the get go. She was just too suspicious acting. I am glad the Joel wasn't taken in by her charm.


bwagner's review against another edition

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4.0

Blistered (A Modern Greek Myth Book 1) by Deidre Huesmann is the first book in the A Modern Greek Myth series. This book is excitement, action and fantasy. This story is what a fantasy book should be. This story is about destiny, trusting and secrets.

Azalee is a woman labeled as a witch who has been held prisoner deep within the cold earth. All she really wants is a home but that means she would have to escape. Escaping is appealing but the only problem is that she can't be out in the sun light, her skin will burn and fray, blistered by the gods. What will happen when he breaks her out? How will she survive? Will they make it to Mykonos?

Joel has been shunned, outcasted and forbidden to take a Greek name. His goal is to keep her safe. Will he be able to keep her safe once he breaks her out of prison? What will happen when the battle-worn Kurios send their warrior after them? Will he fall for the warrior's charms as she is gorgeous and cunning? How will her magic effect things?

This story brings these characters to life and will pull you into the fantasy world. They have one goal, Mykonos! But what will they find when they get there? What will they discover once they reach Mykonos? Will they survive? Are they all in danger?

This is my first ready by Deidre Huesmann. Deidre works in her local shipyard, dressed all in safety gear and getting her hands dirty. When she isn't in the shipyard or writing you can usually find her catching up on her reading, kicking it with her children and playing video games. This story is a page turner that will have you turning page after page until the end. I highly suggest this story as I know you will enjoy the journey it takes you on as much as I have.

shannonlovesbooksandreading's review against another edition

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4.0

What a very interesting and entertaining story. At first I felt like this was book 2 and I was missing something but as the story progressed things were explained and I became less confused. I still have questions that need to be answered so I am hoping book 2 will do that for me. This was my first book by Huesmann and I really enjoyed the world she has written about. I am looking forward to reading the next story in this series, Priestess, with the hopes that my questions will be answered.
Our story begins with Azalee who is known as the Blistered Child. She has been imprisoned underground because the sun literally burns her skin right off her body. She has come to accept her life in the underground prison until one day Joel shows up to “rescue her”. They then begin the adventure to return to Mykonos, where they believe Azalee came from and can live safely. On their way they meet Niribelle, who has been sent to assist them in their journey. Niribelle is a strange and confusing girl. I’m not sure if she is causing trouble or is just socially awkward. The meet others on their way who seem insignificant at the time but we find out later they may be very important players in this story.
There are different kinds of people in Azalee and Joel’s world, namely the Spinels and Chertz. It is the belief of some in this story that not all people are created equal and each group of people should stay with their own kind.

“There was always a hierarchy. The true Spinels were utterly pure of blood and hailed from renowned families who once languished on the most beautiful islands. Then there were the lesser, those who had made the poor decision to mix their blood with Greeks who possessed paler flesh and darker hair.”

This belief causes mixed feelings in Azalee. As she continues her journey many things she has known becomes questioned.
Huesmann does a great job of keeping us guessing as to what could happen next. Looking forward to the next book .