Review: Catalyst by Jennifer Snyder

Catalyst

Author: Jennifer Snyder

Publication Date: May 1, 2013

Genre: New Adult/Paranormal Romance

~Synopsis~

Sometimes who we really are lies buried just beneath the surface…

After learning she’s inherited a house in the beachside town of Soul Harbor, Georgia, Addison Harmon and her best friend decided to take a much needed vacation before the pressures of life after high school suffocate them too heavily.

But what Addison finds isn’t a chance to recoup from a bad break up and hang out with her best friend while she decides what she wants to do with her future. What she finds is Kace Sullivan—a sexy guy she can’t seem to get enough of—someone who with one touch reveals a seductive world full of magick and secrets Addison isn’t sure she’s ready to be a part of.

~Review~

When it comes to paranormal books, magic is probably my favorite type. When I read the synopsis for Catalyst, I was instantly intrigued because it had the new adult feel with the paranormal added in and I like the idea of mixing the two. Most paranormal books I read are young adult, so I liked to see a new adult paranormal come into play.

However, I had mixed feelings about this book. It started out strong and I was definitely hooked and intrigued but at about 20%, it started to fizzle out. Scenes that needed more development were lacking while scenes that weren't really necessary had way too much detail. It also jumped around a lot and felt a bit dis-jointed and that made it hard for me to really dig in. Then at about 75%, it jumped back into action and had my attention. 

Addison is 18 and just found out she inherited an old beach house from her mother who gave her up for adoption when she was born. She goes to spend the summer in the small town to decide what she wants to do with the house. While there she meets Kace and she is instantly attracted to him and feels this connection. She learns that she has "elemental magick" and that Kace is her other half.

I liked Addison and thought she was a strong female lead. She adapts quickly to this crazy new information that she learns and she embraces the possibilities. She wants to know who she is and where she came from and I admired her for that. I also loved her chemistry with a Kace and it really showed on the pages. They ignited passion in each other. While Addison is a strong character, I see so much growth potential for her as the series progresses.

I also liked Kace and Callie though their characters aren't really developed much yet. Kace seems genuine and really into Addison. I don't sense any ulterior motives from him. He is as drawn to Addison as she is to him because of the magick but he really wants to know her too. Callie seems sweet and friendly and really welcomes Addison into their group. Adam is the one I'm not sure about yet. He is kind of intense and I can't tell whether he is good or bad yet. Theo is another character that I'm not sure about either. He is perceived as a bad guy but doesn't really play a big role in the book. However he has a pivotal role in the end so I have a feeling we'll be seeing a lot more of him.

Overall, I like the idea behind the plot and I think there is a lot of potential. I'm really hoping the future books will have a little more character development and the story will flow more smoothly. This book really had me in the beginning and the end but the middle made it very difficult to really immerse in.

*An e-copy of this book was provided to me by the author and Little Red Reading Hood for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own and unbiased.*

Thanks Jennifer & Laura!