Book Review: Collide by Melissa West

Collide was an amazing conclusion to an epic series!

When I first read Gravity, the first novel in the series,  in January 2014, I was blown away. At that time, I was just getting interested in science fiction and didn't really know to expect from a dystopian alien novel. What I got was one of my favorite science fiction series out there. The first novel was a five star read for me, and the second, Hover, was deserving of all four stars. The Taking Trilogy has been a lot of fun for me to read.

I can't tell you much about the plot of this novel because it is the third book in the series. The first novel, Gravity, follows Ari and Jackson, the two main characters. Ari is the daughter of the Commander of the military and she is training to become an Operative. Jackson is her biggest rival in the school she trains at. Human on this Earth coexist with another species, Ancients. These aliens are assigned a human and every night while the humans are asleep, the alien species take a vital nutrient that only humans possess. One night, Ari can't find her mask that humans where so that they fall asleep. There is only one rule in her society: Don't Ever Peek. You're never supposed to figure out who is your assigned alien. Ari, our ever intelligent heroine, does peek and finds her alien to be none other than Jackson. She is blackmailed to help him, or else all humans will die.

This conclusion to the series was everything I wanted. Ari and Jackson, the two main characters in the series have so much chemistry. One of the things that I love about both Ari and Jackson is that they are each their own person. Both have distinct personalities, and yet our two main characters are so alike. Ari is headstrong as is Jackson, and they are both willing to make sacrifices for the greater good.

Another thing that I loved about Ari and Jackson is that they were a very strong couple this time around. In Gravity, the couple were both at odds with one each other and actually strongly disliked, or almost hated, each other. They matured throughout the first book and realized that they might just be a perfect match with one another. Their relationship was a newborn baby in the first book that went through adolescence in the second. Hover saw Ari and Jackson's relationship in the preteens and teenager stages; they didn't exactly know what they wanted and the relationship was filled with angst. By Collide, Ari and Jackson's relationship matured into adulthood; they understood and listened to each other. I really loved how I didn't have to read anything that was angst ridden. It was one thing in this explosive book that I did not have to worry about.

Another one of my favorite aspects of the novel is definitely the science fiction aspect. It's what truly makes the novel a great experience. The implementation of the alien race not only introduced some really great actions scenes and dilemmas, but political tension as well. I could never put Collide down; it was so action packed and never had a slow moment.

The alien species is not the only thing that contributes for it to be classified under science fiction. The Taking trilogy is set in a futuristic world with advanced technology in engineering, agriculture, architecture. In fact, it's futuristic in every aspect.

If you haven't heard of this series, I plead with you to pick it up! It's so much fun and Collide was everything I could have asked for. I only had minor problems throughout the whole novel, but it didn't really take away from the experience that much.

With that, I give this book

4.25 Stars!





Have you guys read this series? What is one of your favorite alien books?

P.S. Melissa West is releasing a full length novel that will take time before Gravity! It'll be published in April next year!