Monday, February 18, 2013

From the Stacks: Broken Illusions by Ellie James

So many of the reviews I saw for this book said that it was much better than the first book, and I was already curious to know what would happen with the whole Chase/Trinity/Dylan issue. I had to read this one, and I'm glad I did, though now I am finding it difficult to get my hands on the third book.



Summary:

"It's almost Mardi Gras, but for sixteen-year-old psychic Trinity Monsour this is no time for celebration. Another girl is missing. Tormented by visions she doesn't understand-of an empty street lined with crumbling old buildings, a terrified voice warning her to be careful, and a body lying motionless in the grass-Trinity embarks upon a dark odyssey she could never have imagined. She'll stop at nothing to better understand her abilities, convinced that doing so is the only way she can make sure the terrifying images she sees never actually happen. But it seems everyone wants to stop her. Her aunt is worried Trinity might discover secrets best left in the past; her best friend, Victoria, is afraid Trinity is slipping away; her boyfriend, Chase, fears she's taking too many chances, and the lead detective will barely let her out of his sight. Only one person stands by her side, and in doing so, Dylan slips deeper and deeper into her heart and her dreams-blurring the lines between reality and illusion. When the dust settles, one of them will be dead."

My Thoughts:

Compared to Shattered Dreams, I felt that Broken Illusions felt much more cohesive and I could actually remember what happened. It definitely did not feel as jumbled. And where the first book started off with so many characters that it was difficult to try and keep them all straight, this book really seemed to just focus on the core group, and that certainly helped.

I still don't like Chase. I've been thinking about it and trying to deduce exactly why I don't like him for Trinity. He is a very caring guy, that much is obvious when you see him with Jessica and how he is there to support her. But I guess that is also part of the problem. He is always postponing time with Trinity because Jessica needs him all the time. I get that she's been through a trauma and she can't be around most people, but come on, Chase...you can't keep ditching your girlfriend for your ex.

Oh, then there are the so-called friends of Chase, people like Amber and Luc who constantly degrade Trinity both verbally and on Facebook...and how does Chase react to that...well he deletes the posts on Facebook and he gets a little upset, but does he really do anything to stand up and support his girlfriend? Not really...and why is that? Well, it might have something to do with the fact that as much as he tries to believe that she's a psychic and has no control over that, really he doesn't know how to handle that. Maybe that's why he is constantly having to tell Trinity that they'll have to put a raincheck on hanging out.

Thank goodness for Dylan. Seriously, I kept waiting and waiting for him to pop into this book because I knew he would just make the story a hundred times better. I liked him immediately upon meeting him, and those feelings certainly haven't changed. It took until about the halfway point in this book before Dylan actually shows up in person; before that it was just basically Trinity remember the events of last book and also, you know, dreaming of him. I'm sorry, Trinity, but if you're dreaming about a guy like that and he's not your boyfriend, you seriously need to step back and consider why that is.

I could probably talk for an hour or more about these characters, without actually even discussing plot details and twists and anything like that, but I won't because I don't think you guys want to read a 12 page book report. Anyway, I thought that the psychic aspect was more understandable in this book. I loved the information provided by new character Julian; it really worked. And for all of Trinity's dreams and all of these girls going missing and the intrigue of this story, it is absolutely perfect to have it take place in New Orleans. I think it really enhances the sensation of what is happening.

We learned a little bit more about Trinity's mom in this book, which was great, and just a little bit more about Jim Fourcade, but I'm still extremely curious. Considering everything that happens at the end of Broken Illusions, I have a feeling that perhaps the Fourcades will play a slightly bigger role in the last book. Also, I applaud Ellie James with the revelation of who the big bad was the whole time because I actually did not see it coming.

Loads better than the first one, Broken Illusions definitely earns a 5/5 from me...and now to try and find a copy of Fragile Darkness...

Broken Illusions at Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/broken-illusions-ellie-james/1107039095?ean=9780312647032

Broken Illusions at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Broken-Illusions-Midnight-Dragonfly-Novel/dp/0312647034/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1361157377&sr=8-1&keywords=Broken+Illusions

Other Readings:

I managed to borrow a copy of Kept by Shawntelle Madison from the library, and I'm really excited about it because I really really enjoyed Coveted. I'm also working on a couple other books I've borrowed from the library, as well as a few of my NetGalley books, so expect some more reviews and bonus reviews coming up.

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