Book Review: Grasping at Eternity by Karen Amanda Hooper

Synopsis:
Leave it to Maryah Woodsen to break the one rule that will screw up eternity: Never erase your memories.

Before entering this life, Maryah did the unthinkable—she erased. Now, at seventeen years old, she’s clueless that her new adoptive family has known her for centuries, that they are perpetually reincarnated souls, and that they have supernatural abilities. Oh, and she's supposed to love (not despise) Nathan, the green-eyed daredevil who saved her life.

Nathan is convinced his family’s plan to spark Maryah's memory is hopeless, but his love for her is undying. After spending (and remembering) so many lifetimes together, being around an empty version of his soulmate is heart shattering. He hates acting like a stalker, but has no choice because the evil outcast who murdered Maryah in their last lifetime is still after her.

While Maryah’s hunter inches closer, she and Nathan make assumptions and hide secrets that rip them further apart. Maryah has to believe in the magic within her, Nathan must have faith in the power of their love, and both need to grasp onto the truth before they lose each other forever—and discover just how lonely eternity can be.

X-MEN meets MY NAME IS MEMORY in Karen Amanda Hooper’s latest young adult release


(I'm being lazy...review copied from goodreads instead of creating my usual kind of post! :P )
Grasping at Eternity by Karen Amanda Hooper
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Riveting. Absolutely, 100% riveting. This is an insta-favorite for me, a re-readable, a book I'm going to peddle to all of my friends who are romantic, believers in soulmates, in re-incarnation, in connections, in magic, in love, in family...no, kindrily. If this weren't fiction, I would be nodding my head and saying, "oh so THAT is why my best friend felt familiar to me the first time I met her" or "Oh so that's why I feel that "clink" of connection with him." Who am I kidding? I'm saying that anyway.

This is AMAZING. Beautiful. Rich. Heartbreaking. Oh, how my heart hurt for Nathaniel. I wanted to smack Maryah for erasing. But wait...did she truly?

At the opening scene, I was sure I was going to dislike her. She's moping in a boathouse about how her father thinks she's inadequate. And I thought perhaps it was going to be a magical power family because of the word gift, etc. I forgot that humans have gifts, too: noble-minded, passionate, musically inclined, artistic, academic, sympathetic, capacity to love, etc. And then suddenly...holy crap. Ms Hooper...that was a helluva way to start your book. I pitied Maryah instantly, my heart aching, and I had no idea it was in for more twists.

This is book one and the final words in the novel are: NOT THE END. Oh, thank the earth! I need to read more. I need to see if Argos is who I think he is. I need to see what the hell Dedrick is doing to the kindrily and what he hopes to obtain from that. I need to know that Maryah will come into her full self again.

If you like romantic notions, if you believe in soul mates, if you like a little bit of human magic with a bump up of power (teleportation, talking to animals, freezing time, super strength, astral projection), if you like the idea that those you love will have a life with you again (aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters, etc), you need to read this.

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