Manipulation Blog Tour: review

Insight (Insight #1) by Jolene Perry

Release Date: 09/03/12

Paperback/e-book, 367 pages

Micah hates her ability to “see” things when she touches people. She’s terrified of relationships, holds on to guilt over the death of her classmate, Lacey, and has no idea what to do with a vision from Landon, a boy from her school. She feels him falling for her, but Micah doesn’t do friends, much less relationships.

Enter a spooky history project about a tragedy from three hundred years ago, and voodoo dolls that Micah somehow feels has to do with her gift. Suddenly she’s sure the shadows in the woods are following her every move—without Landon’s relaxed attitude about what’s happening in her life, Micah would be sure she’s going crazy.

With no ideas on timing or specifics, the visions of both herself and the people she cares about are turning dark—and it appears the shadows around her house do move on their own. But as Micah and Landon try to prevent Micah’s visions of the future, the shadows close in, and they’re now afraid they’ve become the cause…

Micah's story is the first of three girls, with unique talents, who are part of a 300 year old tragedy that follows them in the shadows.

Manipulation (Insight #2) by Jolene Perry

Release Date: February or March 2013

Paperback/e-book

Addison Harper has always gotten everything she wanted. 

Well, anything that doesn’t take time away from her busy parents.

Dean has gotten very little that he wants. His want is down to one thing. Find his brother.

They both use their talent of manipulation to get what they want... just a touch. But what happens when they find out the other can do what they can do - and all they want is each other?

Coming soon...

Seeker (Shadows #3) by Jolene Perry

Release Date: March 15, 2013

Paperback/e-book

"A couple hundred years ago, my gift was considered one of the weaker ones, but with the way The Middle Men has grown, people who can seek out talents the way I can have become imperative. We’re both the collectors of new talent, and police the talent that we’ve already collected. No one else could. Insighters can see us coming, and Manipulators could tell us we don’t want to be there. Shields can slow me down. But Seekers, as Mom puts it, see through all the BS, and do what needs to be done.

We also have to be the best at blocking the talents of everyone else. It’s the perfect job for someone like me—structured and methodical with room for creative hunting.

Seeker. It's what I do best." 

Told from the perspective of "the bad guys" 

Seeker is the final book in The Shadows Trilogy... 

About the author:

Jolene Perry

website | Twitter | Goodreads

Jolene grew up in South-central Alaska. She’s lived in Anchorage, near the Alyeska ski resort, on a cabin on an island on a lake, and then in a boring old house.

Jolene kissed a boy on her high school graduation night. One she’d wanted to kiss for a long time. They got married two years later, have built two homes together, survived military deployments, law school, student loan debt, and two children.

Jolene plays the guitar, takes pictures, and loves to hike. She doesn’t like rivers, but loves the ocean. She loves to fly, but gets motion sick. Her ultimate vacation would be to sail through the deserted islands in The Bahamas. Two years ago, she got that wish when her parents retired on a sailboat.

She taught high school French when she was only a few years older than her students, and then taught middle school math with her degree in political science and French.

She spends grocery money on designer fabric, shoes, and books.

Jolene cannot express how many times she wished she could write a whole novel. And now she has. Several times. Life is good.

I get excited whenever I get ready to read a book by Jolene Perry. Why? Because I know I will find the heart of her main characters across the pages of her stories. From dynamite dialogue to descriptive locations, engrossing storylines, and fluid pacing, she is a wonderful storyteller. So far I've read a bunch of her contemporary novels and Insight is my first paranormal by this author.

Just as I thought--I had nothing to worry about. Ms. Perry can handle the otherworldly as well as contemporary. Micah is a tough skinned girl with the gift of 'touch', or as she views it, a curse.  I could see where her ability could be loathsome after brushing up against a person and seeing a past/present/future event all the time. She handles her curse by going out of her way not to come into contact with people except for Landon. When she touches him, it's comforting. He finds himself interested in Micah as well but it's hard to be with her when she's always trying to be on her own. Until they have to do a school project. Then they have to be together. 

Micah is another awesome Perry character. I just got a sense of who she really is and I enjoyed watching her develop a relationship with Landon. He may have taken some time to really care for but that was ok since he grew on me. The mystery kept me reading and those creepy shadows added to the tension. Insight was a wonderful departure from the usual contemporaries I read by Jolene Perry but it still carried her trademark touch of heartfelt characters with strong voices and unique situations.

Rating: 4

Cover comment: Very cool!

Book source: I received a copy from the author during a blog tour in return for my honest review.