Familiar Strangers by Evelyn Burdette

Familiar Strangers (Forbidden Bloods #2) by Evelyn Burdette

YA/Fantasy

Rating: 4 Starts

The past can change you...

The past proved to be too difficult for identical twins Claudia and Melina Grimwood. After dealing face-to-face with Rebels in brutal situations a mere month ago, the girls are finally able to take a break and fly back home to California. It's here where both girls truly begin to struggle internally with overcoming their past and their new personalities begin to surface.

If inner battles weren't enough for the twins, both girls develop strange feelings of being watched and once back in Shukova, they begin finding creepy notes hidden amongst their belongings. All proves too much for Melina, who finds rebelling with one of the school's biggest troublemakers comforting. And as Claudia tries to get her sister back on track, she finds herself becoming less and less like herself. While the twins struggle against their true identities and their past, the problem worsens and they find themselves fighting another brutal battle full of mysteries and sinister situations. This is the exciting second installment in the Forbidden Bloods Series.

First Thoughts: I knew this book was coming out but when I was talking to Evelyn one day she told me that she was sending me a copy. I was so happy because, at the time, I didn't have extra money to buy the book. The thing that got me even happier was Evelyn mentions me in the acknowledgments in the beginning of the book. She thanks me for advertising her page on my House of Night page. I was glad to do it and I didn't need to free book or my name in the book but it was a wonderful gesture and I was super excited to see it. Okay, so time for the serious part. I have to admit I was disappointed with the cover. Evelyn makes fantastic covers and I wonder if she will ever consider redoing this one. The cat and bird are just so boring. Covers are meant to grab people but this one looks like a children's book. The synopsis is great though, if someone looked passed the cover and read the back cover they most likely would have bought it.

Writing Style: Yay!! This one was just written by Evelyn. Nothing against Grace, but I really wasn't a fan for her writing in Silent Screams. Evelyn seems to be doing so much better on her own this time. She was able to channel Melina from the first book and actually make her character more believable and likable this time through.

Characters: Claudia is pretty much the same. She was changed a bit because of the trauma from the first book but she was starting to get back to normal. Until the parts with Melina. Melina starts to channel her inner Claudia and begins to start acting rebellious which is totally a Claudia thing. It's nice seeing Melina as a person and not the stereotypical goody goody who seemed fake.

Final Thoughts: This one is so much better than the first book. Silent Screams was good but I think it being written with a co-writer set it up for destruction. You had two different people writing and two different writing styles. To me, it didn't work. This one is so much better. It does make me think though. If Grace came up with her own book 2, would I feel the same way for that one as I do this one? Probably not. I think I prefer Evelyn's way of creating characters. This is a great book. It ends pretty good letting you know there is more to come but I haven't heard anything about a book 3 from Evie. Which makes me sad...ah well, maybe someday.

Silent Screams by Evelyn Burdette and Grace Charlton

Silent Screams (Forbidden Bloods #1) by Evelyn Burdette & Grace Charlton

YA/Fantasy

Rating: 3 Stars

Pain should never be kept a secret...

Identical twins Claudia and Melina Grimwood learn this lesson quickly as, on their sixteenth birthday, life as they know it turns upside down. They are abruptly yanked from their sunny California life and dropped into the Canadian Rockies, where they must attend Nicholai's Academy, a school for vampires, witches, werewolves, and shapeshifters.

There they learn they are what the supernatural call Forbidden Bloods, a result of the illegal union between a vampire and a witch. While Claudia shows the signs of being a vampire and Melina exhibits the powers of a witch, both girls develop minor powers from the other side and the telepathic ability to communicate with each other. When their new life takes a turn for the worst, the deeply connected sisters begin keeping secrets from each other. Rather than turning to each other in their time of need, they hide their pain and attempt to deal with it themselves, causing the trauma to escalate.

First Thoughts: I met Evelyn through the House of Night page I run and she asked me if I could advertise her page on my page. I did and soon they had a contest for sharing and getting more fans and with my friends plus the House of Night fans, I won the first book and it was signed. The cover fits very well with this story. The castle is very mysterious because it is surrounded by mountains and the colors give it that creepy feeling. The synopsis is what got me. I am a twin myself so I instantly connected with this story and couldn't wait to read it.

Writing Style: This book was co-written by Evelyn Burdette and Grace Charlton. If I remember correctly they both wrote for one of the twins. Evie was Claudia and Grace was Melina. So you had two people with completely different writing styles for a separate character. Genius idea! For being their first novel, the writing wasn't that bad. There were a few things that bugged me but that was mostly with the Melina chapters. You could definitely tell the differences between the writing. It's not the best writing in the world but it's definitely not the worst.

Characters: Claudia and Melina are twins. The cool ones too, they are complete opposites. I know exactly how that feels so it was easy for me to connect with them. I'm not like either of them but still, I think I share traits with both of them. Melina, the witch, is calm, sweet, and very friendly. She's kind of predictable though. The 'oh so sweet' with the boyfriends and such. Nothing new to me. Claudia, the vampire, was the tough one who was strong willed and never hid how she felt. She's the wild child. I love her attitude. I was a little like that myself so it was easy for me to connect and relate to Claudia.

Final Thoughts: Looking back, this book isn't the greatest book in the world. It's a great concept, I love the ideas for this. I think what my problem was is that it was written by two different people and you could just feel it through the words. Dual-narratives are so difficult to keep up with but I love them so much at the same time. It is a great book and I am so glad I got a chance to read it and have it on my bookshelf.