Reading Level: Ages 13 and upHardcover: 344 pages
Release Date: August 1, 2012
Publisher: Carolrhoda Books
Narration: First Person: Lark
Genre: Dystopian/Fantasy
Challenge: None
Skylark Series:
Book One: Skylark
Book Two: Shadowlark (2013)
Book Three: The Leaden Sky (2014)
Order on Amazon: Hardcover
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Order on Barnes and Noble: Hardcover
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Vis in magia, in vita vi.
In magic there is power, and in power, life.
For fifteen years, Lark Ainsley waited for the day when her Resource would be harvested and she would finally be an adult. After the harvest she expected a small role in the regular, orderly operation of the City within the Wall. She expected to do her part to maintain the refuge for the last survivors of the Wars. She expected to be a tiny cog in the larger clockwork of the city. Lark did not expect to become the City's power supply.For fifteen years, Lark Ainsley believed in a lie. Now she must escape the only world she's ever known…or face a fate more unimaginable than death.
My Review:
*This review was originally posted in September 2012,
so I apologize if it sucks as bad as I think it does. xD
Skylark is an unique and original novel with a story line that I've never encountered before. It seems like the majority of YA novels nowadays have the same plot with little to no variation at all. Sexy, paranormal bad boy who has never been tempted by girls before notices the quiet and ordinary new girl in town. Girl and boy have instant connection and fall in love. Boy denies that he's in love and stays away from girl because of some paranormal reason or conflict. In the end, love conquers all and they both live happily ever after. After a while of reading the same thing repetitively, this novel was like taking a well needed breath of fresh air.
After hearing nothing but raving reviews for this book, I finally decided to open it up and give it a try. Sixteen year old Lark Ainsley wants nothing more but to fit in with everyone else and be harvested, a technique used to draw energy (Also known as Resource) out of a human body to convert to energy for the purpose of powering the city. In the city that she lives in, most kids are harvested around the age of ten, but Lark, being the oldest whose ever went without being harvested, feels left out and alone. Finally, the day comes when she's one of the few chosen to "serve" her city. However, she soon discovers that being harvested isn't all that it's made out to be. Her whole world is flipped upside down within the matter of days and she soon learns that everything she's ever known was a complete lie.
In my opinion, I found the beginning of this novel to be kind of slow paced. I loved Meagan's descriptive and flowy form of writing. but for some reason, I wasn't able to get sucked into the world Lark resided in. However, when Lark escapes and goes on her journey to find the Iron Wood, things get a bit more interesting. I admired the way that Meagan wrote Lark's feelings and discoveries when she left her city behind and entered the real world. When Lark described the sky and the earth, I felt as if I was looking through Lark's eyes and seeing the world for the first time.
In the beginning of her journey, Lark reminded me of a damsel in distress just waiting for Owen to sweep in and save her like a knight in shining armor. I really don't like weak protagonists, so I was getting annoyed to say at the least. However, Lark grows in character throughout the novel and learns to face her problems instead of running away from them. She learns to fight for everyone and everything she loves in her own special way, no matter the consequences.
Overall, I had mixed feelings about this book. Skylark is not a novel I would reread over and over again, but I definitely enjoyed my time with it. Not totally sure if I'll be reading the sequel yet, but I'm still considering it. This might be an obsess worthy novel for someone else, and in which case I encourage you to give it a try.
Rating: 3/5
I like it when a character goes through growth in a story(:
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