Review: Mercy by Rebecca Lim

Title: Mercy (ARC)
Author: Rebecca Lim
Genre: Paranormal Young Adult
Release Date: 05/17/11
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Summary:

A fallen angel haunted by her past. Yearning for her immortal beloved. Forever searching for answers.Who will show her Mercy?

Mercy has lost herself. She can’t count how many times she’s “woken up” in a new body, and assumed a new life, only to move on again and again. During the day she survives in the human world on instinct and at night her dreams are haunted by him. Mercy’s heart would know him anywhere. But her memory refuses to cooperate.

But this time is different. When Mercy wakes up she meets Ryan, an eighteen year old reeling from the loss of his twin sister who was kidnapped two years ago. Everyone else has given up hope, but Ryan believes his sister is still alive. Using a power she doesn’t fully comprehend, Mercy realizes that Ryan is right. His sister is alive and together they can find her. For the first time since she can remember, Mercy has a purpose; she can help. So she doesn’t understand why the man in her dreams cautions her not to interfere. But as Ryan and Mercy come closer to solving the dark mystery of his sister’s disappearance, danger looms just one step behind.

Will Mercy be able to harness her true self and extraordinary power in time?

The first in a dazzling new series, Mercy masterfully weaves romance, mystery and the supernatural into a spell-binding tale.

Plot: 4 Stars
This novel was a great blend of mystery and the paranormal. It was slightly reminiscent of The Body Finder and Dirty Little Secret in the mystery aspect, but with a different paranormal twist. The first chapter grabbed my attention immediately. I wanted to know what was going on as much as Mercy, being thrown into a new body and a new life. It was very interesting to follow along as Mercy tried to blend in and carry on in the life she had been thrown into, without acting out of character and throwing up red flags to those around her. Throw in a visitor in her dreams and a local mystery that needs solving, and the events of the novel were non-stop. My one tiny criticism was that I wouldn't have known Mercy was a fallen angel for sure if it hadn't been included in the blurb on the back cover (and the wings on the cover). I feel like there wasn't quite enough about Mercy explained throughout the novel.

Pace: 5 Stars
Although this novel was slightly on the shorter side for the average Paranormal Young Adult, it was a very satisfying length for the given story. It was a very quick read, but not rushed in any way. Although there were two main plotlines (Mercy fitting in to her new life and the mystery of finding Ryan's sister), they flowed together very well. Neither plotline stole the spotlight away from the other. This novel was an example of the perfect pace for a novel.

Characters: 4 Stars
Mercy was a very strong character, with a very mysterious past. A mysterious past that I hope is delved into deeper in future novels. I feel like this novel barely scratched the surface of who Mercy is, and I really want to know more about her. Normally this would be a pretty big dealbreaker for me, but it was only her history that was lacking. We definitely learned a lot about her personality as she fit herself into the life she was thrown into. Ryan was a very likeable character. Although he was a bit erratic at times, but he was very passionate about finding his sister. Some of the other girls in the group with Mercy were very catty, but it was interesting to see how Mercy dealt with them. I really liked how there was just enough foreshadowing to make the reader think they may know who the bad guy was, but not too much to give it away. I thought I knew who the culprit was, but was pleasantly surprised at the end to find out I was wrong.

Cover: 5 Stars
This cover is great because you don't realize how cool it is until you've stared at it for a while. At first glance, it's a great cover involving a brooding cover model standing on some rocks. After you really take it in, you realize there are wings sprouting out of the cover model's back that are more visibly from some angles than others. And then, when you run your hand over the cover, you feel that the semi-invisible wings are in relief and add a nice texture to the cover. Although the copy of this novel I read was an ARC, I have since seen a finished copy in the bookstore, and the wings are even sneakier. I actually had to pick the book up and feel the cover, because at first glance I thought the wings had been left off. Luckily, they're still there. Wings aside, I liked the cover model, although she seemed a bit tall for the body Mercy was inhabiting. I loved the color of her clothes, and how the title that wasn't over the model matched, but the title that did cross her body was inverted like a negative.

Overall: 4.5 Stars

Disclosure: I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through Authors on the Web.