Indigo Awakening (The Hunted #1)

I received an e-copy of this book from the publishers at NetGalley for a blog tour and an honest review.

I had heard about this book when I had first discovered book blogs. I started reading countless reviews and found myself practically salivating over the opportunity to read it. But, as what normally happens, the book was placed on my to-be read list and got swallowed by copious amounts of other books. If my to-be read list gets any longer, I don't know how I could possibly read them all. In most instances, this happens. It gets shuffled to the back burner until the sequel comes out. Once the sequel is available it makes the desire to read the first book that much greater. So here I am, finally reading the book I have wanted to read for ages.

The story of Rayne and Lucas Darby starts with Lucas finding his way away from the mental hospital he was placed in after his parents were killed in a plane crash. His older sister, Mia, was at a loss as to what to do with him when he started hearing voices and acting erratic. Her only solution was one provided to her by the church she was a key member of. She locked her brother up and kept their sister, Rayne, away from him. Lucas, fearing what could happen to him if he stayed in the mental hospital any longer escaped and only contacted Rayne to tell her not to look for him. He had every intention of disappearing and finally living his life the way he wanted to. But the voices the medication had suppressed are back and one in particular, a girl's voice, urges him to find her and be a part of something bigger than he could have ever imaged.

Rayne's main objective is to find her baby brother and make sure he is safe. She knew the hospital he was in was not good for him, but with Lucas's guardianship falling on her sister, Mia, Rayne had little say in the matter. Finally she has a chance to take care of her brother the way she should have in the first place. Along the way she meets Gabriel. He is an odd but attractive boy who seems content being a loner, until Rayne comes along. Rayne recognizes a lot of the same attributes in Gabe that she does in her own brother. Perhaps he is the only one who can understand her brother well enough to find him, if he actually leaves his protective cocoon to do so.

Rayne, Lucas, and Gabriel are in a war between the advanced, but often seen as mentally diranged, children who are the beginning of a new race. Think humans 2.0. It is the church's mission to rid the world of these evolved adolescents and that starts with their recent escapee, Lucas.

This was one of those books that I was super excited about but found to be really hard to get into. Normally I can handle the swapping perspectives but for some reason when it would switch from Rayne to Lucas to Gabriel to Rafe to Kendra and so on I just found myself struggling to keep track. I'd be reading from Rayne's perspective and with no clear end to her story it would switch to Rafe or Lucas and I'd be left blinking at my e-reader and wondering if I had missed some sort of transitional cue. It kind of got so confusing that I would have to step away from the book for a bit. I hate doing that because then I makes the reading feel choppy to me.

So the format wasn't there for me. But the story as a whole was intriguing. It was a unique spin on the young adult fantasy genre. I have read a few similar books but not something that seemed like it would evolve into a full out war between normal people and these Indigo children. I am anxious to read the next book and see where it goes.

Overall, the book was good. Was it as mind-blowing as I had imagined it would be? Not exactly. But it was far from terrible.

Indigo Awakening combines evolutionary science with fantasy to create a dystopian world of intrigue.

Review Posted on: http://www.ladybugliterature.blogspot.com

Indigo Awakening is an original and intriguing start to The Hunting Series...
Jordan Dane really captured my attention with the concept, or perhaps we can call it a conspiracy theory of sorts, on 'Indigo Children, which are children who are believed to have a supernatural abilities. I had never heard of this, and to see the many articles, websites, etc. and theories based on the possibility of these children existing made Indigo Awakening even more alluring to read.

(My one personal disclaimer regarding this book: I have to admit, the eARC made the story a bit difficult to follow. The story-telling jumps from different points-of-views, primarily from the three key main characters, Rayne, Lucas and Gabe. But as we are introduced to more characters, we do get a peek into the minds of almost all of the other characters as well. At times, switching from one voice to the other made it difficult to easily transition and I had to re-read or I was confused as to who was thinking/speaking. I am really hoping that this was just a glitch in my eCopy and that the finished product is more visible and easier to notice.)

When Rayne finds out that her younger brother Lucas has escaped the mental institute that their older sister had him committed to, it's time for Rayne to step up and take matters into her own hands. After losing her parents in an accident, their oldest sister has dictated their every move, but Rayne is now determined to find her brother and save him from whatever their sister and her 'church' had planned to do with him next.
While looking for Lucas, Rayne gets into some trouble and is saved by Gabriel... she is both frightened and intrigued by him. And even though her whole body screams to run the other way, she can't find it in herself to run away from him. There is something about Gabe that is so familiar to her; plus, he has an unexplainable connection to Lucas. She won't abandon her plans on finding and helping Lucas. And, if along the way she can learn more about Gabe, help him, she will.

The story-telling in some ways is fast paced, and in others, a bit choppy too since it is told in numerous points-of-views. You will definitely need to pay close attention since things tend to move faster and switch around as you get further into the book.
When the story was told from Rayne, Lucas, Gabe and the others like them, I liked where the story was going and felt connected to them, felt their connection to one another, their emotions and was able to sympathize and understand what they were going through and see their transformations. These kids have had to run and hide to protect themselves, even from their own families. They have had to grow-up quickly and find ways to survive. They are very mature for their ages, and it broke my heart to see them so alone and work so hard to keep their family together and safe.
When the story would bounce to the 'bad guys', it was difficult for me to be exposed to them. Their thoughts were vile and evil, and I disliked them very much - which is exactly how I was suppose to feel, uncomfortable and disgusted.

What I loved the most is each time I was introduced to a new 'indigo' we not only learned a little bit about their personality, but their power too. No two kids where the same - some where stronger than others. And at different levels too... and most of their powers have yet to mature. This is definitely something that I will be looking forward to seeing in the next book.

The ending to this book is both heartbreaking and bittersweet. No cliffhanger here, BUT, there are a lot of unanswered questions, a lot of stories that have yet to be told, and it also leaves you with a hint of what you can expect in its sequel. One that I am definitely looking forward to.
If you are looking for something different, out of your comfort zone, with some mystery, action and a new spin on the supernatural - this is the one for you to pick up and read right now!