Title: XODUS
Author: K.J. McPike
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal Fiction & Fantasy
Page Count: 388
Format: Paperback
Source: Sent in exchange for an honest review
“Maybe we were both crazy . . . but what if we weren’t? What if my mother really could astral project? What if she wasn’t the only one?”
The first time it happened, Lali Yavari told herself it was just a dream. But when she starts flashing between realities during the day and seeing people disappear before her very eyes, she can’t deny that something is happening to her–something she’s sure is linked to her mother’s disappearance.
Then the unsettling Kai Awana shows up at school, and Lali discovers she has inherited her mother’s ability to astral project–with a surprising twist. Not only that, but Kai needs her help to get to a world she never knew existed. In exchange, Kai promises to help Lali find her mom using his own unique ability.
Now Lali must learn to control her budding power if she ever hopes to see her mother again. She’s not sure she can trust Kai, but with her mother’s life hanging in the balance, will she have a choice?
The synopsis for this novel really had me at first read. I actually didn’t know what “Astral projecting” was before this novel. But when the author added a clear explanation in the text, I was very thankful (I was too lazy to look it up). Again, I do not read a lot of fantasy so it was great to be able to read something as unique as this.
I just have to get this out there: this novel was absolutely great & I can’t wait to read the next novel in the series or duo-logy (I am not sure what McPike is deciding at the moment).
With that being said, of course there were several positive aspects about this novel. Firstly, I must say for McPike’s first novel, she did pretty good. She had me on the edge of my bed whenever I decided to pick it up and read. The writing style was understandable and comprehensible. There were no parts in the novel in which I got bored or the pacing was slow.
One thing I especially enjoyed was the diction & the names chosen for the characters. Even though they were challenging to pronounce, there was a pronunciation guide in the beginning which was VERY appreciated. I thought the meaning behind “XODUS” was genius and I honestly didn’t even notice what the letters represented until the text revealed it all. And then I was mind-blown and I felt kind of dull-witted, haha. This was literally me:
I also enjoyed each character individually. They all had something special about them (besides their Astral Projecting), and it added more interest to the novel. The main character, Lali, was relatable in so many ways and her siblings were so humorous.
The entire plot & premises was intriguing from the start, and as the novel proceeded it just continued to get better. I won’t go into too much detail because I am afraid I may spoil some things. But I will say there are a TON of plot twists and times where I thought I was going crazy because I couldn’t believe what was happening. So yes, my emotions were kind of everywhere when reading this novel. Oh! And can we take a moment to appreciate this novel’s cover as well????
Overall, as I said before, I did very much enjoy this novel. It was a great, refreshing read for this month, and I am very thankful that McPike asked me to review her very first novel.
So what’s my rating?
I gave K.J. McPike’s, XODUS, a…
5 out of 5 stars
Let me know down below your thoughts, comments, or questions regarding this novel!
Thanks for reading…(and thank you again to K.J. McPike for giving me the opportunity to read & review her novel)
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