Book Blurb:
From the moment she first learned the truth about witches…she knew she was born to fight them.
Now, at sixteen, Iris is the lone girl on the Witch Hunters Special Ops Team.
But when Iris meets a boy named Arlo, he might just be the key to preventing an evil uprising in Southern California.
Together they're ready to protect the human race at all costs. Because that's what witch hunters do.
Welcome to Hollywood
My Review:
3 Out of 5 Stars
Genre: Supernatural, Witches--
Iris has always been aware that she is different from other kids, regardless of her parent’s denial. When she follows a mysterious fog to a high school dance, she sees that witches are real and that she has the power to stop them from sacrificing girls to keep their powers and youth. Iris is the first of her kind, a female witch hunter. She has a lot to prove to the other hunters, as well as to herself, while facing an unknown enemy.
I was excited to read this title and my expectations were pretty high. I can’t pinpoint what my issue is with this book- it’s either the characterization or the writing style that is causing me to have a hard time getting emotionally connected with Iris. I think maybe because the book was written in 3rd person, yet at times it felt awkward and not actually 3rd person? I love the world the author created with a secret society of witches that control Hollywood and the hunters who risk themselves to save the vapid starlets. The plot with Iris as the only female hunter who had to prove herself while facing scary dreams of death was a really unique story.
I was not a huge fan of the romance thrown at me here. There is an instant bond between Iris and Arlo, the new recruit, and then there is a connection between Iris and Silos, the stranger who shares her dreams. But to make this love triangle even more convoluted, the evil head witch Belinda also shares a connection with Arlo. Sigh. I am not a huge fan of love triangles to begin with because I feel that there are so many better options to make a plot than the push and pull of "feels". But add into the mix the fact that Iris and Arlo "love" each other after pretty much 2 days of meeting each other and I just can't take it. The barely spend any time together and then Iris is convinced he spent the night with another woman, the makings of a beautiful relationship. I would believe that Iris loved Silos, with whom she shared dreams, feelings and chemistry (not to mention he has a sexy Scottish brogue), instead of Arlo who I felt more like she was going through the motions of what is expected of an ingenue in a book than the character experiencing actual feelings. It was kind of frustrating for me. If the author got rid of the romance aspect, and just focused on the twisty turny plot of the witches and Iris's place in the world, I would have loved this story so much more. As it is now, I thought it was ok.
I liked the idea of the book much better than the actual book itself. I see that there is a lot of potential in what is very obviously the first in a new series. The ending had a cliff hanger with a big reveal dropped on the readers lap, as well as many unexplained things that I look forward to seeing resolved if I decided to continue reading, which as of now I am uncertain of. I am sure someone else will absolutely love this book, but as for me I am undecided about how I feel overall.
I received this title from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
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