Blog Tour: Phoebe Pope and the Year of Four (Review)

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Title: Phoebe Pope and the Year of Four (Shapers #1)

Author: Nya Jade

Release Date: October 30th, 2012

Publisher:  Dreamwell Publishing

Genres: YA, Paranormal, Fantasy

Pages: 335

Source: For review/blog tour

The students of Green Lane Academy roam their halls unaware that below their manicured campus exists a prestigious school of an entirely different kind . . .

Sixteen-year-old Phoebe Pope has enrolled at the Campus Below: a spy academy for shape-shifters hidden deep beneath the grounds of a boarding school whose humans unknowingly protect it. There, thanks to a carefully planned schedule, she leads a double life: spy trainee Below and normal teenager Above.

As if two course loads, concealing a secret power she alone wields, and coping with her father’s recent death weren’t enough, Phoebe finds herself developing major feelings for actor and teen heartthrob Colten Chase, who attends the Campus Above and appears to be majoring in winning Phoebe’s heart. But when officials learn that Phoebe may be at the center of a startling prophecy, she becomes the target of shape-shifting assassins who will stop at nothing to suppress the truth.

Now Phoebe’s lessons about Shaper’s enemies and spycraft take on great importance as a menace stalks the campus, with Phoebe as its target. Meanwhile, what began as an unlikely relationship with Colten, quickly morphs into heartache when she suspects that something sinister lurks beneath this movie star’s glitter and fame. Suddenly, Phoebe’s caught in a mesh of lies, betrayals, and danger where she doesn’t know who to trust, and needs to rely on herself—and her secret power—to get to the truth and to stay alive.

You guys, I haven't read that much about shape-shifters so when I came across a blog tour sign up for PHOEBE POPE AND THE YEAR OF FOUR, I just couldn't resist. Luckily, I was so not disappointed in this debut YA novel and I can't wait to read more of this series.

 

I actually wasn't expecting to like Phoebe at all (don't ask me why) but I surprisingly did. Yes, I admit she was a bit naive at times and I sometimes didn't understand why she made a particular choice, but overall she was just a very fun and likeable character.

 

Of course we have a mystery guy, Colt. I kinda got annoyed at how mysterious and kinda closed off he was and how we spent most of the book trying to figure him out. Can I say that I wanted more romance from Colten and Phoebe? Yeah, I'm such a romance addict. :P (Not that there weren't Colten and Phoebe scenes, I just wanted more :) )

 

The writing was so perfect for this book. I loved Nya's descriptions and word choices so much. You can picture vividly in our head everything that happens in this book and I friggin loved that.

 

I couldn't put this book down for a second. I flew through it and I devoured it within hours. There was non-stop action and mystery and just full of awesomeness. The plot was very intricate and everything was revealed at the right time, and the pace of the book was just right.

 

The only reason why this didn't get a five star rating was because I felt like something was missing. I really have no idea what, but I just feel like there needs to be more. But I still highly recommend it to YA paranormal and fantasy fans.