Intertwined

Intertwined by Gena Showalter

Intertwined #1

Most sixteen-year-olds have friends. Aden Stone has four human souls living inside him:

One can time-travel.

One can raise the dead.

One can tell the future.

And one can possess another human.

Everyone thinks he's crazy, which is why he's spent his entire life shuffled between mental institutions and juvie. All of that is about to change, however. For months Aden has been having visions of a beautiful girl -- a girl who carries centuries old secrets. A girl who will either save him or destroy him.

Together they'll enter a dark world of intrigue and danger . . . but not everyone will come out alive.

Aden Stone has four other people constantly talking to him inside his head. Not only are the souls noisy in his head, but each one of them has a special ability as well, causing unexplainable events to happen. It's no wonder people always think he is crazy. Heck, I know I would have gone insane after just one day without some peace and quiet. Throughout his life he has been passed from one place to another, including mental institutions and even juvie. His unique blend of abilities land him in trouble more often than not. However, all of this changes when he starts having visions of himself with a mysterious girl. Aden finds her so captivating that he is willing to risk everything just to know her, and he sets out to find her even though one of the souls predicted it would lead to Aden's death. Through the girl, his world is opened up to things he never knew were possible to exist, and lands them both in a whole world of trouble.

This book is absolutely jammed pack, to the point where the amount of things going was a little excessive. There were so many different perspectives and subplots going on, at times I wasn't even sure what the main focus was supposed to be at that point. I think the main plot about Aden and the trapped souls got pushed a little too far to the wayside, with everything else taking up the focus. However, that being said, this book really is a compulsive read, and definitely could not be called slow at all. The title is fitting as both the main character and all the events are really intertwined to weave one really complicated web.

The characters in this book were great and full of depth. Aden is so strong, its amazing what he has survived, and the obstacles that he has overcome. Through everything, he kept his sanity despite what everyone else might think. Victoria and Riley were exactly what you would expect from someone of their ages. They are slightly out of touch, but their willingness to try for the ones they care about is endearing. The only character that didn't seem to be fully fleshed out was Mary Ann. Her personality just didn't seem as substantial as the rest. Perhaps this is because of her past and the fact that she completely changed when her mother died, almost as if parts of Mary Ann died with her. I'm hoping to see her have more of an identity in the future books and perhaps get a little of her "fun" back.

I enjoyed this book despite its flaws. Even though there way so much going on, it surprisingly wasn't confusing at all, just a little over-crammed. I will definitely be checking out the next book in the series. This one ended on a shocking note, and paved the way for what promises to be a very interesting sequel. Hopefully things will be a little less jumbled now that the "world" is fully established and we get to spend more time with the characters together and developing their different relationships. I am also very eager to see both Mary Ann and Aden's growth as they get further and further into their new "world" Overall, it's a good book with a great premise that read very fast as it never once seemed to slow down. Definitely not a bad start to a new YA series, and I look forward to reading the rest.

Rating:

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Intertwined (Harlequin Teen)