Review: The Marked Girl by Lindsey Klingele

Posted December 16, 2016 by Lillian in Reviews / 4 Comments

I received this book via Edelweiss, My Book Shelf. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.

Review: The Marked Girl by Lindsey KlingeleThe Marked Girl by Lindsey Klingele
Series: Marked Girl #1
Published by HarperCollins on 2016-06-07
Length: 400 pages
Reviewing eARC, Audiobook from Edelweiss, My Book Shelf
Rating:
Reading Challenges: 2016 New Release Challenge, Blogger Shame Review Challenge

Worlds collide in Lindsey Klingele’s debut young adult novel, The Marked Girl, an exciting fantasy tale turned upside down. Elissa Sussman, author of Stray, calls The Marked Girl “a magical debut with a big heart.”

When Cedric, crowned prince of Caelum, and his fellow royal friends (including his betrothed, Kat) find themselves stranded in modern-day LA via a magical portal and an evil traitor named Malquin, all they want to do is get home to Caelum—soon. Then they meet Liv, a filmmaker foster girl who just wants to get out of the system and on with her life. As she and Cedric bond, they’ll discover that she’s more connected to his world than they ever could’ve imagined…and that finding home is no easy task.

The Marked Girl has humor, heart, and harrowing adventures, perfect for fantasy lovers and reluctant fantasy readers alike.

The Marked Girl is an interesting read by debut author Lindsey Klingele. Honestly I wasn’t expecting it! The book starts with an action scene but you quickly learn it is fake. The main character is a budding director and is filming a scene with friends, very Dawson’s Creek-ish if you ask me. It was fun twist when you are expecting a fantasy. Then people appear out of nowhere through a portal….now we’re getting somewhere with the fantasy 😉

Liv is a fun character. She’s a 17 year-old, foster girl that pretty much sticks to herself. She relies on few people and even fewer know her background. She trusts only two people, her caseworker and her best friend. She’s independent and basically trying to keep her head down so she can graduate and be on her own. She’s so close to getting there when her life is derailed by mysterious teens.

Cedric is the opposite of Liv. He is a prince from Caelum. He’s strong, confident, a leader, at least he appears to be. He doubts himself. After his family is taken hostage by Malquin, Cedric escapes with his betrothed and her brother through a portal that lands them in modern-day LA, right in the middle of a film shoot. Obviously they have no clue what that is which brings a little humor to the book. Cedric and his friends go into hiding and search for the ancient scrolls that will send them home.

The premise of this books plot really sets up the entire series. There is a lot of info-dump but it is done in a way that flows with the story. Cedric explaining to Liv who they are and where he is from, Liv explaining her living situation and how to use a cell phone, those kind of things. Liv decides to help Cedric and in the process learns something she didn’t know about herself. She’s more tied to his world than she realizes and the danger it puts her in is terrifying. I loved the imagery and suspense of the book! And the characters really drive the plot. The humor in Liv trying to explain modern-day technology made me snicker more than once too.

Overall I really enjoyed the story. I alternated listening with reading and the narrators are fantastic! I was really drawn into the story and unable to sit it down! The alternating POV between Liv and Cedric made for an interesting read as well as the readers get to see how Cedric views the modern-world and how Liv thinks he’s nuts at least at first 😉 If you enjoy urban fantasy, I highly recommend it! Be warned…there is a cliffhanger. I can’t wait for the next one!

About Lindsey Klingele

Lindsey Klingele grew up in Western Michigan, where she read every book she could get her hands on. She eventually moved to Los Angeles (the real land of make believe) and worked as a writers' assistant for TV shows such as THE LYING GAME and TWISTED. She still loves living in LA, especially since it's home to great television shows, truly excellent cheeseburgers, and her pitbull, Bighead.


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