"It was fast paced and unpredictable; I sped through this novel while at the same time willing myself to slow down." — Miss Remmers
From Amazon.com...
"Sixteen-year-old Yara Silva has always known that ghosts walk alongside the living. Her grandma, like the other females in her family, is a Waker, someone who can see and communicate with ghosts. Yara grew up watching her grandmother taunted and scorned for this unusual ability and doesn't want that to be her future. She has been dreading the day when she too would see ghosts, and is relieved that the usually dominant Waker gene seems to have skipped her, letting her live a normal teenage life. However, all that changes for Yara on her first day at her elite boarding school when she discovers the gene was only lying dormant. She witnesses a dark mist attack Brent, a handsome fellow student, and rushes to his rescue. Her act of heroism draws the mist's attention, and the dark spirit begins stalking her. Yara finds herself entrenched in a sixty-year-old curse that haunts the school, threatening not only her life, but the lives of her closest friends as well. Yara soon realizes that the past she was trying to put behind her isn't going to go quietly."
Why I read this: I was offered to participate in an ARC Book Tour, something I'm generally not too crazy about. But after looking at the cover and reading the description, I figured I'd give it a go.
Plot: The plot was what made this book for me. It was absolutely fantastic. It was fast paced and unpredictable; I sped through this novel while at the same time willing myself to slow down. "Intrinsical" is unlike any other book I've read; there were times that the plot was almost too full of depth and I found myself having to back track — but this only added to the plot and was never a waste of time. I did struggle a little bit with the idea of "Wakers"; it could have been explained more thoroughly. The plot of this novel definitely had me thinking and considering all the possibilities.
Characters: I did have a hard time liking the characters; there wasn't any one thing that bothered me or one thing that I would have changed — I just didn't like them. I had a hard time relating to them. I found the language that they used to be slightly unbelievable; for instance, being so completely upset at your best friend with one sentence and completely forgiving and lovable the next sentence. It just seemed a little too "fictional" for my taste there.
Cover: At first glance the cover is interesting, but it isn't until after you've read the novel that you realize the significance.
Final Thoughts: This is definitely a "love" for me, despite is charactorial flaws (I made that word up, but I can't find a "real" word that fits better so I'm leaving it). This a fantastic novel that somehow "slipped" through the mainstream bibliophilic world, but rightfully deserves it's spot in Barnes and Noble (I didn't see it at my local store). "Intrinsical" is one of those amazing book finds that you don't expect. I highly recommend this novel to anyone looking for something unique and different than any other book.
Originality: 10/10
Ending: 9/10
Characters: 7/10
Plot: 10/10
My reaction/enjoyment: 10/10
Theme: 10/10
Imagery: 10/10
Setting: 5/5
Voice: 5/5
Style: 5/5
Tone: 5/5
Cover: 9/10
Overall: 95/100 A
To the FTC, with love: Part of an ARC Book Tour