Review Detail

This book pulled me out of a reading funk I didn't even know I was in. Lately the books I've read have either bored me or just been unimpressive overall, so I was surprised when I found myself nearly halfway through after one day of reading.

I really enjoyed the pacing. It moved at a steady, and for the most part, quick pace. There weren't huge action scenes with boring lulls thrown in-between, but there was definitely action. It was a nice, subtle movement that seemed natural. Even the huge mystery was done well. Just when you think you're getting bored and annoyed with being left in the dark you're given enough answers to satisfy the craving for answers. I even remember thinking when Gray finally gets answers "wow, he didn't have to drag it out in bits and pieces, what a refreshing change."

While I didn't really mind the love triangle, I also would have been fine without it. I did, however, enjoy the fact that it wasn't your usual triangle. First of all, it's one guy and two girls. That's almost unheard of in and of itself, but I also like Gray's attitude about it. He didn't do the typical love triangle thing and lead one/both of them on, but instead was truly torn. He's faithful to girl #1, but is also close with girl #2.

I was satisfied with the world-building and back-story. It was enough to make me really feel like a knew the world, while still leaving plenty to be discovered and answered in the next book. My only issue is with the technology. Part of the problem is Gray's limited understanding, but I also felt like most of the technology could exist in our own time. And I'm a big fan of futurey stuff. I mean, if this is a futuristic world, I don't want it to seem exactly like our own except when convenient.

The Nutshell: Taken was a refreshing change of pace from my recent reads. It had a steady pace that let me forget myself in the story. The love triangle isn't the usual girl confused about two guys, and is, instead a guy slightly confused about two girls. It's nice to see a different scenario than normal. The world-building made a good base for the rest of the series without feeling like a complete set-up.

Direct Hit