24 Apr 2015

Review: Lailah by Nikki Kelly

Publication: October 7th 2014 by Feiwel & Friends
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal
Rating:
The girl knows she’s different. She doesn’t age. She has no family. She has visions of a past life, but no clear clues as to what she is, or where she comes from. But there is a face in her dreams–a light that breaks through the darkness. She knows his name is Gabriel.

On her way home from work, the girl encounters an injured stranger whose name is Jonah. Soon, she will understand that Jonah belongs to a generation of Vampires that serve darker forces. Jonah and the few like him are fighting with help from an unlikely ally, a rogue Angel named Gabriel.

In the crossfire between good and evil, love and hate, and life and death, the girl learns her name: Lailah. But when the lines between black and white begin to blur, where in the spectrum will she find her place? And with whom?

Gabriel and Jonah both want to protect her. But Lailah will have to fight her own battle to find out who she truly is.

I am an unfortunate reader where I cannot read a recently released book. Reasons I've got are: school, school, school and money. I don't have much time to read and no time to write a review. I just rate it on Goodreads and there you go. That's a review to me. But it's useless if you just rate a book and don't share a review. Plus, money matters. My mother scolds me every time I buy a book, either new or bargain. I want to yell at her 'You don't know how it feels to have this book!!' but that's impossible.

Lailah is one of the books I have been waiting to see at our local bookstore's shelves but is not there until now. (Disappointed reader here. Also, I am not that eager to order online since I'll pay for the book, the shipping fee and the custom fee.) It has been a talk on Twitter for a month or so since its release. The people are like tweet shouting at me that it should be read right now and feel the feels they felt! Nikki is also an interactive author. I love authors who are so approachable to their readers and discuss stuffs about their books. I have read mixed views of Lailah on Twitter and mostly they are really getting my attention and my envy level is growing high. Even Carmel of Carmel and Kyla ordered it online after reading it in on her phone. I'm so lucky she let me borrow her copy. That filled my envy over a book.

Lailah is the first book in the series The Styclar Saga where Lailah is the heroine stuck in the middle of a war between knave vampires and their masters. It is a war for freedom of the second generation vampires and who are willing to change and remain their humanity in their hearts. An arch angel named Gabriel is set to be an ally of these regressive vampires. Somehow, Gabriel is the only face and name Lailah knows through her vision of her past life. While Jonah, a vampire she saved from death, adds questions about her existence.

Nikki Kelly wrote Lailah with immense purpose–for Lailah to know what she really is. There are not much twists and turns but is quite thorough. On knowing her being, she is associated with Gabriel and Jonah, both from different dimension. Kelly intend these two to be part of Lailah–Gabriel from her past willing not to push her memories and Jonah, mysteriously wonders what in the heck is Lailah truly. Thus, Nikki tried and successfully put these characters together.

As much as I love the book, most readers rate it poorly. Lailah is sadly compared to Twilight and The Vampire Academy series. This is the part I should have reminisce TVD since it is the only vampire series that I have read but that didn't occur to me. Maybe for others, Kelly's writing is not that effective, but it is to me. Lailah is a pleasantly entertaining read. I think readers should not overwhelm their selves of what they have already read to what they are reading. They are written by different authors. They have different perspectives. Unless they are honest enough to tell their readers they got their inspirations from those books.

Lailah is for readers who love busy fights between beings from different dimension–vampires and angels–cunning love triangles, and horrendous self-knowing.
Interested to read 'Lailah'?
Purchase it at: Book Depository, Amazon, B&N

12 comments

  1. Omg I've heard good things about this book! I've tried reading it before but ended up DNF-ing it :( I might give it another try because of this persuasive review!! <3

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    1. I heard half of it. They almost negatively rate it! But it did not matter to me bc I really enjoyed reading Lailah. I have not mind of the questionable use of adverbs and adjectives. As long as I'm fascinated and I'm never bored, I'm rating it as good as I can. I hope you'll give it a try!

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  2. Wow, 5 stars? Looks promising, eh. I've been seeing this book a lot at Fully Booked but I'm hesitant to get it. I didn't read your review for now because I'm interested to get the book too and I'm scared that I might read a bit of spoilers or hints. I'll go back to discuss it with you when I have read it too :)

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    1. Yep! You did? I have not seen this at Fully Booked here but I'm trying to get a copy soon. It's okay, I do skip reviews too if I like the book's synopsis. I'll be expecting you to chat your thoughts with me! ;)

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  3. I actually have no idea if I want to read this, mainly because of the negatives.

    I read a sample of it and i was very on the fence because the writing feels a little juvenile and there is instalove. However, I did only read a short bit so I'm not writing it off completely. Your review is lovely, great one!

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    1. I have not read the negatives not until I finished the book. It's okay. Take your time on deciding. Maybe Lailah is not really for everyone. :) Thanks, BTW!

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  4. I really enjoyed this book too. I thought the idea was unique and fresh. The writing had a spark to it that I greatly enjoyed. I can't wait for book #2 because it has my favorite guy in the title "GABRIEL." I'm part of the Styclar Street Team and we're doing a book blitz for Gabriel, here's the sign up sheet if you want to be involved: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/19WQ6UaPMcK4eeW5xMsxDEVUhnB2gYcmtjAxp35e9D6w/viewform

    Rachel @ A Perfection Called Books

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    1. I thought that, too! But others are not buying it. And I didn't know there are lots of negatives after I read Lailah. :(

      I cannot wait for it, too! Thank you so much for inviting, Rachel. So lovely of you. <3

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  5. I am keen to read this...one day. xD I don't buy a lot of books, so the library is my bestest of best bookly friend and it doesn't have this one yet. GAH. I have seen a load of bad ratings for it too. I think everyone is just really biased towards vampires?? I could probably count the vamp books I've read on just one hand, though, so I'm game! :)
    Thanks for stopping by @ Paper Fury!

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    1. You're so luck your library updates everytime it has a new release. We got... UHHH. Nothing. Just some old, old, old books and is... *Sigh. You know.

      Yep, but it's not really much into vampires like Twilight and TVD, but it's more on Lailah. People will understand it whenever they read this. Hope you'll read this soon. I'll be on your blog for your review. You're welcome! :)

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  6. I haven't read this book before but it is on my TBR so I am looking forward to trying it at some point. I am someone who has read and loved Twilight myself but I think that I wouldn't compare the books when I try to read it myself

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    1. Try it, Olivia! Maybe you'll love it as much as I do. Glad you wouldn't compare books when you read them, some just do that. :(

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