Book Review: Watch by Sharde Richardson

Watched by Sharde Richardson

Publisher: Jolt Books

Publish Date: May 31, 2011

ebook
Fiction, Young Adult, Paranormal
 ASIN: B00562SET6

My Review:
This is a hard review to write.  I really like the concept of the book and I kept reading because I was interested in what happened.  However my one problem was the book felt choppy.  With that said, I want it to be known that I think this author has some true promise.  Her idea was really fresh and I am anxious for the next book to see what happens next to Mikayla and Lucas, so I do really care about her characters so she is obviously doing something right. 

The book did flow at times and I would be really excited and then it would get a little choppy and I would feel a little lost, but then again it may have just been me.  Then it would start flowing again and I would become deeply immersed in the story once again.  I really liked Mikayla but had a hard time figuring her out, which I think is really  the way she is supposed to be (like most teenagers).  She has been through a rough event right at the beginning of the book and then is hit with finding out she is different when Lucas shows up.  That is where Ms. Richardson shines, is with the creation of the paranormal element of this story.  And I think with further development in the next book this series could really take off.  It's less paranormal and more of an urban fantasy feel.  Mikayla has the ability to truly be a kick-butt heroine (she pretty much is, she just has to further develop her self-confidence, but hey, she's a teenager).

I am trying to give props to this book even though I felt it had flaws because I truly think it has potential.  And the truth is another reader may have read it and thought it was the best book ever.  I think it has that potential.  I am not slamming this author.  Please don't think that.  I want to read the next book and I did like this book, I did finish it and I wanted to finish it, I did not feel forced to finish it.  I liked the characters and I liked the storyline.

If you enjoy young adult urban fantasy and want to try something different, give Watched a try, it has great potential and it may be the book you fall in love with.  For me I will anxiously be awaiting the next book to give Ms. Richardson another try.  I'm ready to see some more of Mikayla and Lucas.

My Rating: 3.5/5.0

Parental Guidance: I would say this is for the 16+ age group - the language is pretty rough, but what I would call typical for teenagers (hey I was one once), but if you are a parent and worry about what your teen reads, I wouldn't suggest this for under 16.  Over 16, they've heard it all before, and honestly, they've heard it all by 10, I know because my 10-year-old told me so :)  Again I'm not picking on the author, I think she used real teen speak in the book and I find no fault in that.

About the Book:
Mikayla doesn't want much: just to rock out to her favorite band, become the next Kwiki Stop video gaming champion, and keep her Q-tip habit under control. What she does want is the sight of the sudden inexplicable dark auras around everyone to stop. Problem is, those auras are demons and Mikayla is the last trait holder with the power to ban them. Which is a total buzz kill.

To make matters worse, the town folk of Sulphur Springs don't look the same, and her classmates are a little dark in the eyes. There are murders, suicides, reckless skinny-dipping, gratuitous use of Q-tips, and newfound powers that Mikayla must learn to control.

Her past becomes present when a shape-shifter tells her what her true identity is, and how to keep the demons of Hell from nipping at her Converse. Through him she'll discover who to trust, who to kiss, and how valuable her abilities are to the right beings. Because the evils of Hell aren't staying down without a fight...

Or without her soul.

About the Author (from Goodreads.com): 
Bio in 140 characters or less: Somewhere in the cosmic collision of life, God saw fit to make another Alabamian.

The nitty: An Alabamian who loves cheese and life. She works in a nursing home and steals stories from the elderly in exchange for sponge baths. Next year her debut YA novel, Watched, will be released.

The nitty-gritty: She grew-up in the South. Almost as far south as you can get. She says things like "y'all" and "ain't" and "shut the front door"(which is more or less an expression of shock). She married a giant man and they have one, semi-giant son who's sometimes called Cluckey or The Child. During the daytime hours she works in a nursing home with the elderly.(Side note: She wants to inform you never, under any circumstances, be late for a sponge bath or try to take their dentures. The elderly are very protective of their dentures.)At night, she churns out stories and conspires to take over the world from the confines of her computer room. 

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FTC Information: I received this book through Teen Book Scene for an honest review.  I do make money from purchases made at The Book Depository, but all money is used to fund giveaways and shipping for giveaways from the blog.