Review Detail

**Note: I received e-ARC of Mystic City from the publisher via Net Galley, but that did not influence my review in any way.**

It’s like Romeo and Juliet with an even deeper, more hidden, more intense and magical Romeo and Juliet twist set in a dystopian world ransacked by global warming. For over a hundred years, Manhattan has been divided into East and West, run by two political feuding families, the Roses and the Fosters. The novel begin with us being introduced to Aria, the daughter of the power-driven and ruthless Mr. Rose, and her battling through a hazy fog set in place because of her recent memory loss. She was told by her family and doctors that it was due to an overdose on Stic (a drug created with Mystic energy). More surprising to her that she used Stic in the first place, and then managing to overdose on it, is that she is now engaged to the Foster’s son, Thomas. She feels guilty because she doesn’t remember their sordid love affair, but with encouragement from her family, she wants to try to at least fall back in love with him again, even if she never recovers her memory of how they fell in love in the first place.

At her engagement party, Aria goes out on a balcony to steal a few moments to herself. When she finds herself in a compromising position over the railing and nothing but thousands of feet of nothing and death below her, she’s quick to grab the hand of a stranger with a starburst tattoo on his wrist who pulls her to safety and then he disappears. Later in her room, she finds a locket and a cryptic note that reads “Remember.” Racked with questions, Aria goes in search of the only person she feels like could unlock all her secrets, Thomas. Traveling to the Depths, where the impoverished and Mystics live, is terrifying and even more so when she’s attacked. Coming to her rescue, is an attractive guy with magic-like abilities, a rebel Mystic, with a peculiar tattoo on his wrist. But something about him seems so familiar and Aria finds herself completely drawn to him.

Through a series of event, a nagging suspicion that she was never in love with Thomas, resurfacing memories, and time spent with Hunter (the rebel Mystic), Aria wonders if perhaps her parents aren’t harboring secrets of their own. In political warfare, where the union of Aria and Thomas means that the Foster and Rose families can unite against a common enemy, the Mystics and their political leader, not all is as it seems and layers of betrayal and ruthless corruption are lurking around every corner.

Overall, I’d say Aria was an okay character, but I’m definitely not bordering on any girl crushes. To be quite frank, she aggravated me. Her naivete and willingness to submit to her father’s demands had me downright furious in some parts. But by the end, I felt like she was ready to play hardball, so I’m excited to see how much she’ll grow in the next books.

Our hero, Hunter, was a different story. I thought he was charming and sweet, but also a bit cocky and strong. So, basically I thought he was delicious... except for the usage of pet names between he and Aria. (Girls like a bit fluff, but don’t smother us with it. We still like a heroes manly.)

The story was a bit slow-going at the beginning for me, but once I really got into it, I really got into it. It’s an incredibly unique plot and I’m really excited to see where this series goes from here.