Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Hi Everyone! I hope everyone is having a great week!

Starting over sucks.

When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I'd pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring.... until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.And then he opened his mouth.Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something...unexpected happens. The hot alien living next door marks me.You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon's touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I'm getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades. 

 If I don't kill him first, that is.

(Synopsis and Cover Photo provided by Goodreads)

4/5 STARS

What causes Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout to glow bright is the writing and characters that comprise it.

When I read this book I became empowered by the addicting and cohesive writing. I definitely want to read Onyx, Obsidian’s sequel, to see more of Armentrout’s amazing writing!

The main characters Katy, Daemon and Dee were very easy to connect to and care about.

I really liked Katy’s bravery, remarks on her book blogging life and her stubbornness. I also found it cool to learn that she also has light brown hair.

I really enjoyed how Katy stood up for herself. After months of disqust and coldness, sprinked with rare moments of lust, from Daemon, Daemon expects Katy to listen to his demand to not go to a dance with a boy he dislikes. I laughed as Katy replied, “Oh yeah, because Simon’s going to leave a trace on me that attracts killer cows instead of killer aliens.” (Artmentrout 288)

I liked how Daemon steadily grew in to a likable character as the story when along. In the beginning of Obsidian, Daemon acted mean and arrogant. Then, as the story went along, he revealed his good characteristics. I like how he is a flawed character who's attitude developed  throughout the story. While, I may not be think he is the most amazing character ever, I grew to care for him and enjoy his wit. I loved it when he told Katy a wise truth about beauty, "I always found that the most beautiful people, truely beautiful, inside and out, are the ones who are quietly unaware of their effect.” (Armentrout 66)

Dee was so bubbly and sweet in Obsidian. She is the perfect friend and I enjoyed how she, unlike the rest of her alien family, was brave enough to be friends with humans and did not feel humans were inferior. I admire her way to brighten up everyone’s mood.

I feel that the minor characters, such as Adam, Ash and Lesa, were intriguing but not amazing. I saw sparks of moments where I started to feel connection to one of them- Adam! My favorite line of the whole book was  “It’s courageous,” Adam said quietly, staring at the throw rug. “It is what any of us would’ve done.” (Armentrout 276)

The above quote lights up fireworks in my mind.

The strong connotation of “courageous”, the break for humility and how it reveals Adam respects bravery are all reasons I love this quote. It caused me to look forward to future books in the series to see Adam cause more amazing moments in my reading of this story.

The plot may take a while for the action edge of the story to happen, but I found the mundane moments enjoyable to read. Katy’s summer vacation to be exciting as she became friends with Dee and has casual conversations with Daemon. I liked how the story was introduced first, instead of rushing to the action and to Katy finding out the truth. Katy was wonderful at figuring out that Dee and Daemon were not as normal. I found Katy’s daily life at school exciting as she adjusted to a new school. 

My favorite event of the story was an incredible night that I feel everyone should read. This section of the novel is addicting, enjoyable, has many incredible lines and brave actions. Its a dance that coincides with a brilliant bonfire scene that leads to an awesome fight turned incredible night. 

What makes this book not amazing to me though, is that it seemed too redundant sometimes and I felt the action were a bit rushed. I found myself uninterested in the action scenes and after awhile Katy’s and Daemon’s bantering was sadly a bit tiresome. I enjoyed their relationship more when Katy and Daemon starting having normal conversations without constant defensive remarks. I wish the attitudes Katy and Daemon had during the night after the dance ended could have remained the whole story.

Overall, I believe that you should read Obsidian if you enjoy fantastic character development and exquisite writing!

I am excited to read Onyx this summer to read a hopefully even better story!

Thanks for reading!