Hey guys, today I’m doing something different! I read the book Catalyst as part of the blog tour organized by The Write Reads. I’m very grateful to be a part of the tour! Catalyst is the sequel of The Field and can be read as a standalone (in fact, I haven’t read The Field and I had no problems following the story).
Catalyst follows Marcie as she, her brother Eric and his girlfriend Renee join an archaeological dig overseen by Marcies parents. It starts when Marcie and the others arrive at the dig site. There, she meets the other students she will be working with, including Leo and Scott. Marcie also meets the senior graduate assistants Zeke and Lorraine. But Marcie has an odd feeling about Zeke and Lorraine that she can’t place as they work on the dig site…
When one day Marcie, Eric, Renee and Leo follow Zeke and Lorraine on a hike, Marcies feeling is confirmed as Zeke demonstrates how he moves a large rock. With his mind. If that isn’t enough, Zeke and Lorraine ask Marcie and the rest to help them save the world. But can they take on such a big task?
Marcie is a strong lead who stands up for what she believes in and I really respect that. She says what she thinks but she’s also fair to others. Those are characteristics I often miss in books, so I was glad to follow Marcie on her journey!
I did feel however that Marcies love interest fell a little flat. It started off cute and realistic, but I liked him less and less throughout the book. At a certain point in the book, I just wasn’t rooting for them anymore, which was a big let-down for me as I’m a huge romance lover.
I really enjoyed the first three quarters of the book. It was very clear that the author was sending a message to the readers and I appreciate that. But the last quarter of the book was incredibly confusing as it was a lot of information in not enough pages. It think the subject of the last part would have been great for a sequel, but it was too much to fit into this book and make it work.
Catalyst is a fun young adult book with a strong lead. I recommend it to readers who are invested in making the world a better place and to very patient sci-fi lovers, as the sci-fi part comes up later in the book. I enjoyed Catalyst and I really hope you do too!
Here’s the official blurb of the book:
Marcie is spending her summer working on the archeological dig that her mother runs: Angel Mounds, a site of an ancient indigenous civilization. Soon after she arrives, she meet some intriguing individuals, and becomes wrapped up in a supernaturally-charged mission to save the planet from the destruction man has brought upon itself.
Marcie Horton has a sixth sense. Not in the “I see dead people” way, but . . . well, maybe a little. She feels a sort of knowing about certain things that can’t be explained-an intuition that goes beyond the normal. Then there was that one summer four years ago, when she connected with a long-departed spirit . . . But nothing that incredible has happened to Marcie since.
This summer, Marcie is spending time working at Angel Mounds, the archeological dig her mother heads, along with her brother, Eric, and his girlfriend, Renee. The dig is the site of an ancient indigenous civilization, and things immediately shift into the paranormal when Marcie and her teammates meet Lorraine and Zeke. The two mysterious dig assistants reveal their abilities to access the Universal Energy Field with their minds-something Marcie knows only vaguely that her brother has also had experience with. Marcie learns how our planet will disintegrate if action is not taken, and she and her team must decide if they are brave enough to help Lorraine and Zeke in their plan to save Mother Earth, her resources, and her history. It looks like the summer just got a lot more interesting.
Get your copy here!
Finding Eden is the second book in The Eden Saga, but can be read as a standalone. The story is set in a post-apocalyptic US, where some people have mutations in their DNA due to the Bio Wars. Because of the potential danger they pose according to the government, extra Wardens are hired to kill mutants on sight.
Princess Piper Parish has always struggled with following the rules of Capalon, her kingdom. Love is seen as an unnecessary distraction in Capalon and things like singing, dancing, wearing dresses and eating sugary foods are prohibited. Knowing she is seen as a disappointment in Capalon, Piper leaves on a quest to bring back her mother after she received an anonymous note stating that her mother is still alive and being held in Mondaria, the enemy kingdom.