Obsidian

Oh this is not good. Usually, when I dislike a book I do not finish it therefore I do not review it. BUT I vowed to read all of the Battle of the Books 2017 titles with the kids and ......wow. Just wow, this was not good.

First, imho, it's a complete retelling of Twilight only minus the sparkly vampires and add on the shiny aliens.

My major problem with this (and I have many less major problems with it as well) is the absolutely abusive relationship that is being glommed off as romance here. Damian is verbally abusive to this girl from the second she meets him. It's abuse! It is not sexy to be treated or talked to in this way, ever. Please, I beg readers to know that no one who cares about you would EVER talk to you this way.

Then there is major problem #2: WTF is up with the lack of world building? Why create a race of aliens and then don't bother to explain them? Instead we are given dribs and drabs of nonsense WE (the reader) are supposed to piece together into a Lux origin story? All I picked up is that, similar to Superman, triplets are shoved into a space vessel (?) and shot into space to land where ever.... Also, when they get there, they can pick supermodel bodies, eat all they want and NEVER gain weight, and leave the very scientific “trace” of light on any human they touch or hang out with while in alien form.
Yup, totally explained.

Finally, here is what made me want to throw this across the room: The bad alien (it's not really explained why the bad aliens are the bad aliens or why they are also on Earth but did NOT get to pick supermodel bodies) is called Baruck. Because in 2012 the author could not think of more alien sounding name then “Baruck”? I think we know where Armentrout lands politically.

It's not bad enough to be laughably bad. It is bad enough to be read by a tween or a teen and misconstrued as “romantic”.

I don't know how this ever ended up on a BOTB list.