Review: Diplomatic Immunity by Brodi Ashton

Diplomatic Immunity

Author: Brodi Ashton

Publisher: Balzer & Bray

Release date: 6^th September 2016

Pages: 368

Genre: Young Adult

Synopsis (Goodreads)

Aspiring reporter Piper Baird decides to write a scathing exposé on the overprivileged students at an elite Washington, DC, school, only for her life to change when she begins to fall for the story's main subject, in this new realistic contemporary romance from Brodi Ashton, the author of the Everneath trilogy.

Raucous parties, privileged attitudes, underage drinking, and diplomatic immunity...it’s all part of student life on Embassy Row.

Piper Baird has always dreamed of becoming a journalist. So when she scores a scholarship to exclusive Chiswick Academy in Washington, DC, she knows it’s her big opportunity. Chiswick offers the country’s most competitive prize for teen journalists—the Bennington scholarship—and winning will ensure her acceptance to one of the best schools in the country.

Piper isn’t at Chiswick for two days before she witnesses the intense competition in the journalism program—and the extreme privilege of the young and wealthy elite who attend her school. And Piper knows access to these untouchable students just might give her the edge she’ll need to blow the lid off life at the school in a scathing and unforgettable exposé worthy of the Bennington.

The key to the whole story lies with Rafael Amador, the son of the Spanish ambassador—and the boy at the center of the most explosive secrets and scandals on Embassy Row. Rafael is big trouble—and when he drops into her bedroom window one night, asking for help, it’s Piper’s chance to get the full scoop. But as they spend time together, Piper discovers that despite his dark streak, Rafael is smart, kind, funny, and gorgeous—and she might have real feelings for him. How can she break the story of a lifetime if it could destroy the boy she just might love?

Review: 3 out of 5 stars

I’m still unsure how I completely feel about this book, I fell for the interesting synopsis but there were aspects in it that I didn’t fully connect with at all.

Our MC is Piper Baird who has earned a scholarship to the exclusive Chiswick Academy in Washington with an opportunity to compete for the Bennington journalism prize which will ensure her receiving an offer to one of the best schools in the country. She is willing to do anything it takes to win, including writing a piece exposing her wealthy classmates.

Piper is a character that needs to grow on you, she is a little too self-absorbed yet focused, passionate and driven but also blind to the fact that she’d be hurting others, especially Rafael Amador, the son of the Spanish ambassador and the boy at the centre of the scandals.

Rafael was an interesting character, I quite liked him but I couldn’t work out his motivations when it came to Piper. He was smart, intelligent and funny and I enjoyed getting to know him.

One of the main things that I didn’t like in this book were the stereotypes, rich kids versus the poor and of course the diplomatic immunity in which the privileged were exempt from certain laws. You could tell from the onset the dramas that would arise from Pipers investigations, I honestly couldn’t see how things would work out in her favour.

There is a small amount of romance, it certainly wasn’t at the forefront of the story and for me it wasn’t believable, it felt forced and they weren’t a couple I completely loved together.

This book was well written and kept me interested but I didn’t completely love it, that may be because of the MC or me wanting more from the storyline overall.

Thank you to Balzer and Bray via Edelweiss for the opportunity to read Diplomatic Immunity.

REVIEW: Everneath (Everneath #1) by Brodi Ashton

Author: Brodi Ashton

Pages: 370

Series: Everneath

Publisher: Harper Collins / Balzer + Bray

Amazon: Everneath

Synopsis. (Goodreads)

Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath, where immortals Feed on the emotions of despairing humans. Now she's returned- to her old life, her family, her friends- before being banished back to the underworld... this time forever.

She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can't find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists.

Nikki longs to spend these months reconnecting with her boyfriend, Jack, the one person she loves more than anything. But there's a problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who first enticed her to the Everneath, has followed Nikki to the mortal world. And he'll do whatever it takes to bring her back- this time as his queen.

As Nikki's time grows short and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she's forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole's.

REVIEW: 4 out of 5 stars

Everneath is the first book in the Everneath series by Brodi Ashton.

Nikki Beckett was missing for six months, enticed into an underworld known as the Everneath by an Everliving or immortal known as Cole who fed off her sorrow and fear.

Everneath is a place where immortals feed on the emotions of humans or Forfeits; they are literally sucked dry of all feelings and memories they have ever had, if they return they are usually old and emotionally broken. Six months away from home equated to a century in the Everneath.

On her return, Nikki has only six months to say her goodbyes and make amends to everyone she has ever loved; her father, brother, best friend Jules and ex-boyfriend Jack. After this time, the tunnels will return for her to pay her dues.

It took a little while for me to enjoy and actually like Nikki as a character, being sucked of all of her emotions left her empty and this certainly came across on the pages (a good thing) but I found as her relationship with Jack progressed she became stronger and more determined which I liked, her character growth from the beginning to the end of the book was wonderful to see.

Now Cole, I initially liked; I felt quite sorry for him but he was relentless in his pursuit of Nikki and trying to get her to return to Everneath with him as queen got a bit tiresome for me, he came across as manipulative and desperate.

Jack, I truly adored and felt sorry for what he had to endure after Nikki’s disappearance. He was selfless, capable and understanding and I am truly hoping everything works out for him. The romance Nikki and Jack once shared was so sweet and I liked that he didn’t just try to ignore her once she returned; he sought the answers he needed and stood by her.

I thoroughly enjoyed the mythology, I have always found the story of Hades & Persephone, Orpheus & Eurydice fascinating but this story was told in a unique way which I really liked.

I liked how the story alternated between the past and present; it showed the slow progression of how things came to be, initially I found this to be confusing but I soon grasped the concept of the storytelling. I was so anxious to find out why Nikki was so desperate to escape her life and what Jack had actually done to betray her; there was certainly some miscommunication along the way which was quite sad but it showed the place Nikki was in emotionally.

Ms Ashton’s storytelling was certainly creative and entertaining and the emotions evoked were very real and portrayed the characters perfectly. I enjoyed her writing style and the compelling plot; the pacing started off slowly for me but quickly picked up. There are still a number of questions I have which I hope will be answered in the next installment.

Everneath is a wonderful debut and I am quite eager to read the sequel.