Review: Sleignt (AVRA-K, #1) Jennifer Sommersby

Title: Sleight (AVRA-K, #1)
Author: Jennifer Sommersby
Publisher: Accendo Press, 328 Pages (March 23rd 2011)
From: the Author, Thank You!

Synopsis: Her mom is dead.
Ghosts follow her around.
Her best friend is an elephant.

And she’s about to meet the biggest game changer of all: a boy. With a secret.

When circus-dwelling Gemma Flannery learns she will be attending public school for the first time in her seventeen years, little does she know that fitting in with her 12th-grade classmates will be the least of her concerns. A pro at hiding her knack for seeing the dead (“shades”), Gemma is grieving the recent suicide of her mentally ill mother, a process eased by the introduction of her first real love interest, the charming and painfully handsome Henry Dmitri, who is harboring his own collection of dangerous secrets. Together, they will be presented with a frightening challenge: to assume their roles as heirs to a 3000-year-old magical text, the AVRAKEDAVRA, a book the über-rich, sleight-of-being master Lucian Dmitri would do anything to get his hands on. As each terrifying layer in her new reality melts away, Gemma unearths truths that her quiet, nomadic life with the Cinzio Traveling Players is not at all what she’d always cherished. Gemma and Henry must rely on each other to stop Lucian’s diabolical plotting that will bring the world to its tired, scab-riddled knees, and are sent on the flight of their young lives, to save themselves, their families, and the world from the darkest kind of destruction.

Let the chase begin.

Review: 4.5 Stars - Sleight by Author Jennifer Sommersby is more than just a well written story. It’s extremely easy to become quickly engrossed in the lives and secrets of the characters and even that of the Avrakedavra. With thrilling, fast paced interesting characters (including Elephants) Sommersby takes us of an enigmatic trip to the circus!

Teenager Gemma has always traveled, lived and played violin with a traveling circus. She’s different in more ways than that however, as she also keeps seeing ghosts. Keeping that to herself and being a kid in a circus is hard enough but when the circus somewhat settles down in one place, it’s the kids within the circus, that have the chance to go to a real school. Gemma was a great character. She’s for the most part a “normal” girl who stumbles on some startling secrets. All this while also trying to deal with her mother’s recent suicide. Sommersbys writing made the characters come off the page they feel real in so many ways.

When Gemma meets Henry, something in her changes and it’s not just the fact that she’s in a real high school for the first time either. She’s attracted to him for a number of reasons, including the mysterious aspects of who he is, his family are and where he comes from. It’s due to Henry’s father why the Cinzio Circus put down roots to stay in town, causing more and more questions for Gemma. There certainly is a creep factor when it comes to Henry’s father that’s for sure! However, Gemma and Henry know that they must band together to uncover the truth, which won’t be easy when it’s wrapped in deep rooted secrets and mysteries from the past.

The relationship between the two characters is sweet and moves along perfectly with the pacing of the story. Speaking of the pacing of the story, I felt everything fell into place perfectly, including the build up of those last few chapters that’ll have readers screaming for more. And yes, I’m kicking and screaming for more. *coughs JENN coughs*

Sleight had me sitting on the edge of my seat numerous times. The last few chapters were extremely thrilling and action packed. From the beginning of the story Sommersby thrusts readers into a dramatic and somber setting, giving the reader a change to get to know her characters on an emotional level.

All in all, if you are looking for a great new title from a bright new author, be sure to check out Sleight sooner rather than later. I highly recommend this title and author to anyone who’s a fan of YA books with magic, ghosts, amazing cast of characters and a more than thrilling story. Keep an eye out for the next book in the series – Stratagem out later in 2011.

FTC Disclaimer: I did NOT pay for this book, nor have I been compensated at all in any way or means for reading and writing this HONEST review.