ARC Review: The Stricken by Morgan Shamy
Started 12/10
Finished: 12/16
Hello besties!
This review is special because I received The Stricken as an Advance Reader Copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review. The Stricken is available to pre order on Amazon and will officially be available on March 5!
Back Jacket Synopsis: What if our spirits walk to another life while our bodies sleep?
Every day in Clara's world, a dark cloud descends upon her town. The storm comes like clockwork, erasing everyone’s memories. Everyone except Clara. But after Clara’s father mysteriously disappears, things change. The Diviners, captive souls who feed off memories, come for her. With the help of a mysterious figure, Clara escapes the Diviners and flees to Khalom, a city in a parallel world, where she hopes to find refuge. There, Clara discovers that she is a Noble―one of the few people to have knowledge of both worlds, along with the ability to venture between the two.
Forced to live the Noble life, Clara goes to school with peers who want her dead. Meanwhile, a rare and dangerous power begins to stir inside of her. The power of Death. And it grows until she’s not sure if she can control it. When the Diviners break through the city’s defense and students begin to turn up brain dead, Clara must find a way to harness her newfound power in order to stop the attacks before the city―and her mind―is wiped clean.
Nikki’s Review: Oh my goodness, Morgan has done it again! If you have been a part of Besties Write Stuff for a while, you know I recently reviewed one of Morgan’s other books- The Dollmaker. After reading The Stricken, I am officially a Morgan Shamy stan! Her prose is lovely and her storytelling is top-notch in each story that she writes.
I love the worldbuilding in The Stricken. I haven’t read a story like this in a very long time. Clara, the protagonist, struggles going back and forth between her parallel lives while simultaneously learning to accept and harness her power of Death. The light and shade of Clara was exciting and nuanced. Her inner thoughts were expertly crafted and helped to propel the story along.
Morgan also has a gift for writing romantic tension that makes you smile from ear to ear and kick your feet while reading. I loved the dynamic between Clara and her main love interests, and the way it came together in the end was so unique. The story and character arcs all worked together and tied up in such a satisfying way. I messaged Morgan immediately after finishing and demanded to know if there was going to be a sequel because I loved it so much! I am invested in these characters and hope there will be a follow up in the future.
Great quote from the book:
“Sometimes we don’t get what we want. Sometimes we dream, and things don't turn out how we desire. But we keep trying, and when we don't stop, sometimes miracles happen.”
“Movie” Rating: PG-13 due to some minor violence and death/themes of death
Overall Recommendation: If you enjoy books with great worldbuilding, loveable characters, inner battles between light and darkness, and mysterious love interests, you will love The Stricken!
You can pre-order The Stricken by Morgan Shamy on Amazon by clicking this link.
Disclaimer: *Our reviews are solely our opinions and not swayed by any outside factors. The reviews are for fun and not meant to be taken as a professional book endorsement, review, or advice.