Monday, May 6, 2013

Blog Tour + Giveaway: Fields of Elysium by A.B. Whelan

Tour Schedule
 
fields newFields of Elysium by A.B. Whelan

How can love mend a heart full of hate? Small town girl, Molly Bennett, moves to Los Angeles where she becomes an outsider while attending Beverly Hills High School. It seems life cannot be any more dreadful. Then one day after school, something magical happens. On a secluded hike in the Hollywood Hills, Molly chases her disobedient mutt and only friend into a hidden cavern. She stumbles upon a strange glimmering gateway that transports her to Arkana, a planet that is the cradle of an advanced human race. There, teenagers navigate amazing flying vehicles, compete in perilous games for glory, and possess supernatural powers. While Molly tries to wrap her mind around this unbelievable discovery, she meets the alluring and mysterious Victor Sorren. He is a Sentinel Apprentice, whose hatred toward people from Earth is beyond understanding. Yet every time Victor unpredictably saves Molly's life, his heart draws closer to hers, no matter how much he tries to fight against it. It further complicates things that their growing friendship is strictly forbidden. Earth people are prohibited in Arkana, yet Molly continues to cross through the portal to Arkana to see Victor. Torn between their double lives, they go down a dangerous path, from where there is no return and multiple endings. Fields of Elysium is a suspenseful, romantic tale full of forbidden secrets, unimaginable danger, deception, and the never-ending fight for true love.

My thoughts: The premise of this book caught my attention. I enjoy reading about time travel and parallel worlds. Fields of Elysium was an interesting book that was easy to read, though it was not my favorite.

There were some positive aspects about this book. First, I liked the whole idea of how the alternate world Arkana had different technology and everything was environmental friendly. Reading the descriptions of this world left me awed and only made me wish that our world had the same things. Next, I liked Molly's values when it came to respecting her family. She honored her parents' wishes and she did her best to be a good daughter. I also enjoyed that though she tried to follow the rules, her teenager side still came out. This made her believable. Another thing that I enjoyed about this book was how clean it was. It did not have many swear words and it didn't have sexual scenes, though it did refer to it somewhat. This book would be good for teens to read.

As interesting the ideas that the book had, I did struggle with trying to read it. Many of the scenes did not flow. It felt like different pieces of time where meshed together without the help of transitional words. There were also unneeded parts that could have made the book shorter. I found myself skimming a few parts in the book. Furthermore, I did not feel connected to the characters. I could not sympathize the love relationship between Molly and Victor. There were a few sweet moments between them but not enough for me to root for them. These were the reasons as to why my rating was not higher.

Overall, I wished I could have enjoyed it a lot more, especially with the great ideas that it had. This book was not the right book for me but I think that teens would really like this one. I rate it:



PRAISE "The novel's take on otherworldly travel is a compelling one, and the romantic plot will likely appeal to Twilight fans." - Kirkus Reviews

"I expected a good love story with a paranormal twist. I got so much more. I think you should take the chance and read it. Let this book take you on the adventure, fall in love." - Young Adult and Teen Readers

"Fields of Elysium is a fabulous read. ... Whelan paints her faith into the fabric of her story with deft, light brushstrokes, making her work accessible to all, no matter their spiritual beliefs or background." - Readers Favorite

"I escaped into this fantasy world, author, A.B.Whelan, created and I didn’t want Molly to go. From detailed descriptions, to sweet romance, and to all the twist and turns in the story, it had me captivated from page one." - Mary Ting, author of the Crossroads Saga

"Whelan's writing is very vivid and descriptive. It's more formal than the average YA novel, but I enjoyed the lyrical and mesmerizing quality to it. I thought the overall story read like a fairy tale--very sweet." - Megan Thomason, author of Daynight


Author A.B. Whelan A.B.Whelan is a Hungarian born, American writer. She currently lives with her husband and two children in Southern California. While growing up in a wealthy Eastern European family, she had a chance to travel Europe. Later as an adult, she visited Africa and the Middle East and lived in Ecuador and in Crete.
\

foe blog tour giveaways
 
  Blog Tour Giveaway $25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash A gift bag of one signed copy of Fields of Elysium, a scrabble-tile pendant on a necklace, and a fridge magnet Ends 5/15/13 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://www.iamareader.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. a Rafflecopter giveaway

2 comments:

  1. Thank you for the review. I'm sorry it wasn't as good as you expected it to be. :(

    Andrea, author of Fields of Elysium

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Don't apologize. It was still a great experience to read your book. I know that many others would absolutely love it!

      Delete