Review, Scavenger Hunt & Giveaway: Chosen by Paula Bradley

Chosen (Line of Descent, Book 1)
by Paula Bradley
Release Date: July 5, 2011
2011 Fiction Studio Books
Softcover Edition; 333 Pages
ISBN: 978-193655810-0
Genre: Fiction
Source: Review Copy from Meryl L. Moss Media Relations (Jai Retter)

 3.5 / 5 Stars

 Summary

Shy and introverted Mariah Carpenter has concealed a hidden talent from childhood that, according to her mother, would brand her a freak.  Now a fateful encounter has caused her secret skill - an extraordinary psychic ability - to become greatly enhanced.  Suddently, she has a purpose for her gift, as her vision gives her the ability to find kidnapped children telepathically.

But is this a blesssing or a curse?  When Mariah's fourth Finding is filmed by the FBI and the recording is stolen and sold to a broadcast journalist, Mariah's worst nightmare becomes a reality.  She is acclaimed worldwide as a saint and messenger from God - and vilified as the Antichrist whose powers must be quelled.  Meanwhile, another government agency has it own covert agendy for Mariah...

My Thoughts
Chosen was an interesting novel and definitely was not what I thought it was going to be.  It's very deceptive in its description, and after a number of twists and turns, and some suspicions on my part, it led in a far different direction from what I originally thought, and I was pleasantly surprised by the result.

Mariah was a woman looking to redefine herself and discover a reason to live.  After an attempted suicide attempt, she discovers solace in her new church and in the warmth of the people who surround her there; as the months go by, she learns to love herself again and begins to enjoy life again and truly feels like she has a unique place and a role to play.  But Mariah is not like others in that she has a huge secret, a secret that comes out one night, and she needs those around her to help her get through it.  Mariah has psychic abilities that define the odds, and since her suicide attempt, these psychic abilities have grown stronger and more powerful.  Mariah even has the urge to hurt other through these powers and it is this conundrum with which she has to deal as every episode comes upon her.  I found Mariah to be a very complex character and enjoyed her tremendously.  Even though there was a dark side to her powers, and you start to question whether she will use them for good or for ill-purposes, you can't help but like her and wish her well in these situations.  It also made her more vulnerable and more human as she develops her powers in the sense that she is a person who has problems and issues to deal with that are similar to yours but are also very different.

While I enjoyed the storyline quite a bit, I did find it somewhat disjointed and it seemed to be more of set-up for the following books in the series.  While the scenes that involved the kidnapped children were interesting, and the aftermath of dealing with Mariah's emotions were intriguing, I'm not sure if there was enough follow-up or development as I was left feeling like there should have been something more.  There was also a lot of plotlines throughout the novel, but the main plotline was not fully developed and I wasn't altogether certain of what exactly the main point of the novel was all about. 

Verdict
Chosen was a fun, interesting read, but there was something definitely missing in the overall plot in the sense that I never fully understood exactly what the main plotline was trying to tell me, and I definitely did not feel like there was a resolution to this novel.  I would definitely like to see a bit more development in the secondary characters as they are important to Mariah's storyline, and I would like to see a bit more organization with regards to the many different plotlines in this novel.  Otherwise, I would recommend this novel to anyone who is looking for an interesting twist in the psychic phenomenon and is ready for an encounter with something a little bit different.



Curling Up by the Fire's Chosen Scavenger Hunt Excerpt

Mariah heard a soft sucking sound: the last thing she saw was the man bathed in a blue-white glow. And then he disappeared. 

Giveaway

Two of my lucky readers have the chance to win a copy of Chosen by Paula Bradley, courtesy of Fiction Studio Books. 

• Open to residents of US/Canada
• Please leave a comment below with your email address.  Answer the following question:  What is your favourite alien / government conspiracy film / book?
• Contest ends 15 August, 2011 at 11:59 pm.