Review - The Holders by Julianna Scott

The Holders by Julianna Scott

ISBN: 9781908844422

Published by Strange Chemistry

Released 7th March 2013

Four out of five stars ****

Hi guys!

So, I've been getting through books at a rate of knots the last few days. Here is the first of many reviews to come over the next week. I'm trying to get through my TBR\Review pile. Lucky for me that they all look like really good books. The only thing I'm struggling with is which one to pick! lol

So here is The Holders by Julianna Scott. I really enjoyed this book. I gave it four out of five stars. Here is what Goodreads has to say about it...

17-year-old Becca spent her whole life protecting her brother from, well, everything. The abandonment of their father, the so called 'experts' who insist that voices in his head are unnatural and must be dealt with, and the constant threat of being taken away to some hospital and studied like an animal. When two representatives appear claiming to have the answers to Ryland's perceived problem, Becca doesn't buy it for one second. That is until they seem to know things about Ryland and about Becca and Ryland's family, that forces Becca to concede that there may be more to these people than meets the eye. Though still highly skeptical, Becca agrees to do what's best for Ryland.

What they find at St. Brigid's is a world beyond their imagination. Little by little they piece together the information of their family's heritage, their estranged Father, and the legend of the Holder race that decrees Ryland is the one they've been waiting for. However, they are all--especially Becca--in for a surprise that will change what they thought they knew about themselves and their kind.

She meets Alex, a Holder who is fiercely loyal to their race, and for some reason, Becca and Ryland. There's an attraction between Becca and Alex that can't be denied, but her true nature seems destined to keep them apart. However, certain destinies may not be as clear cut as everyone has always believed them to be.
Becca is lost, but found at the same time. Can she bring herself to leave Ryland now that he's settled and can clearly see his future? Will she be able to put the the feelings she has for Alex aside and head back to the US? And can Becca and Ryland ever forgive their father for what he's done?

As I said above, I really enjoyed this book. It took me a few pages to get into, as I was a bit thrown off by the cover. I know you should never judge a book by its cover, but I did! :p The cover makes sense now that I've read the book, but it gave me a very different idea about what this book would be like. I don't usually read any reviews or summaries before starting a new book, I like to be surprised and come at it with an open mind. So with this book I was expecting something like a more classic high/epic fantasy. I was not expecting it to be set in the here and now, I don't know why, but the cover has something other-worldly about it. Once I started reading I got over that though. 

I really enjoyed reading this book. The plot was good, if maybe a tad predictable, but it was the characters that really did it for me. Becca is brilliant!! She is smart, strong, independent, witty and fiercely loyal and protective. She was so much fun to follow and she felt very real to me. Her interactions with Ryland and Alex had me giggling many times. I love how she is very strong for her brother and would do anything to protect him, but she still has moments where we see how vulnerable she is. She is a refreshing character, in that she's not overly dramatic and in a state of constant crisis. She thinks things through but still has impulse control issues, mainly with her temper! lol She is not mopey and is very compassionate. I loved her!!!

I love the way that Scott has written this. Her words flow together and carry you through the revelations and plot twists with skill. She has captured the teenage spirit impeccably.  The main theme in this book is relationships and Scott has covered most of them. Siblings, parent-child relationships and romance. I loved the way that Becca loves. She doesn't hold back, she gives you all she's got. She would do anything to keep her brother and the other people she loves safe. She is a protector by nature, which slots in very well with the plot.

I am very much looking forward to the next one in the series. The only reason that I gave this book four stars instead of five, was that I didn't think enough happened in it plot wise. I loved everything else about it and I understand why it has been done, but I wanted a bit more from the ending. I am hoping that now all the characters are well established and the mythology is all in place there will be much more action in the next book!

See you next post,

Kaylie :0)