REVIEW: OPPRESSION BY JESSICA THERRIEN.

Title: Oppression (Children of the Gods #1)
Author: Jessica Therrien
Edition: Paperback
Published: February 28, 2012
Publisher: Zova Books
Pages: 339
Source: Copy provided by the Author
Category: Mythology, Urban Fantasy, Romance
Trailer: not applicable

Synopsis:

Elyse knows what it means to keep a secret. She's been keeping secrets her whole life. Two, actually. First, that she ages five times slower than average people, so that while she looks eighteen years old, she's well over eighty. Second, that her blood has a mysterious power to heal. For Elyse, these things don't make her special. They make life dangerous. After the death of her parents, she's been careful to keep her secret as closely guarded as possible. Now, only one other person in the world knows about her age and ability. Or so she thinks. Elyse is not the only one keeping secrets. There are others like her all over the world, descendants of the very people the Greeks considered gods. She is one of them, and they have been waiting for her for a long time. Some are waiting for her to put an end to centuries of traditions that have oppressed their people under the guise of safeguarding them. Others are determined to keep her from doing just that. But for Elyse, the game is just beginning-and she's not entirely willing to play by their rules.

 

Oppression is a nice read!

I was lucky to be given a finished copy of this book in exchange for a review. I love Greek Mythology and the cover of Oppression is simply gorgeous that seems to hide mysteries behind it. I wanted to really read it and I would like to thank Jessica Therrien for allowing me to even review it.

Having a genetic disorder where you age five times slower than a normal human has its pros and cons tied to it. It would be as if you are an invincible immortal, you get to be young for hundreds of years and you have so much time ahead of you. But Elyse actually didn't see it that way. She only knows the cons because she experienced them first hand: she lose people she loves while she remain young and she has to move away every few years for people not to notice her not aging. When she moves to San Francisco and lays eyes on a gorgeous young guy, she feels as if she's being sucked near him and couldn't contain her need to see him. Only to be weirded out that he knows her and claims that someone's following her. And finally reveals that there are more like her, a Descendant.

Wow. There goes my expectations. It hurts to see my expectations tumble down so hard. Ladies and gentlemen, we have another case of insta-love. Why does it always have to be like this? Like it only takes a few pages to fall inlove this hard? Why does it only have to take a single sight to be this irrevocably in love with someone? Why does it always have to ruin a very promising novel? Okay. I hate insta-loves. This novel, all in all, could have received a five star rating only to be murdered by such impulse to fall in love that fast. As in, why?? But aside from that, I liked what Therrien created. The love I have for Greek Mythology amplified my strength to hold on to this until I finish it. The plot was actually something I haven't encountered before, except for the romance part, that I was actually thrilled to go through the entire adventure. Being a Riordan fan, the familiarity of Oppression brought lightness inside because I wouldn't have to research anymore and again, I gripped on to the pretty cool presentation I was given. What I like most is the genetic disorder front. Tell me, who wouldn't be stoked to have that disorder? You won't have to wish to be a vampire anymore, right? The novel was also a little slow for me, it took me while to be immersed in it because few things kept on popping in the middle of a major scene and I had to really go back and re-read the previous paragraphs to keep me well-informed.

If you have never been in a relationship ever and you are so used to shutting out people to save yourself for future pain, would you easily let yourself feel something for someone you don't even know? Will you open your world so wide to someone you are not even sure you can trust? Well, Elyse basically nailed this. She was alone almost all her life and never allowed herself to be close to people. She was too afraid to feel pain after she lost her parents. Then seeing William for the first time, she immediately opens up and then falls deeply in love with him. She even went with him the first time they met when he told him they have to go. I don't know people, but I think there's something wrong in there somewhere. She didn't even fight him but trusted him right away. She could have refused at least. And I don't understand why she has to be okay when people doesn't give her answers. I just don't. BUT I'm glad she fought for Anna. Because if she didn't, I would hundred percent hate her. And what about William? He's like a knight in shining armor with a power no one would be able to resist. I don't disagree with that, it just annoyed me why he persisted on keeping things from Elyse and would eventually surprise her and then ruin everything. Why can't he just tell her things straight to her face? Ugh. Only thing I liked though, the warmth they feel when they touch hands, that it only happens seldom. I find it sweet. Kara? Kara? So predictable. And the ending? Untimely and very confusing.

Oppression is a novel with a very nice twist of mythology and paranormal. It is a very dangerous and unfair world yet love and trust prosper in the middle of war to get freedom. I wish there was more to it that this though. I would really want to like it, even love it however, some things just doesn't work instantly for me.

(I am still going to get Uprising.)

Thank you so much Jessica Therrien for the finished copy!

VERDICT:

"When things don't play out the way they should, do you watch the sequence of unfavorable events unfold or do you step in and try and change the tide?"