Review: Crash by Lisa McMann

Title: Crash

Series: Visions (#1)

Author: Lisa McMann

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Release Date: January 8th, 2013

Source: Gifted (Thanks, Katie!)

My Rating: 3.5/5

If what you see is what you get, Jules is in serious trouble. The suspenseful first of three books from the New York Times bestselling author of the Wake trilogy.

Jules lives with her family above their restaurant, which means she smells like pizza most of the time and drives their double-meatball-shaped food truck to school. It’s not a recipe for popularity, but she can handle that.

What she can’t handle is the recurring vision that haunts her. Over and over, Jules sees a careening truck hit a building and explode...and nine body bags in the snow.

The vision is everywhere—on billboards, television screens, windows—and she’s the only one who sees it. And the more she sees it, the more she sees. The vision is giving her clues, and soon Jules knows what she has to do. Because now she can see the face in one of the body bags, and it’s someone she knows. Someone she has been in love with for as long as she can remember.

In this riveting start to a gripping trilogy from New York Times bestselling author Lisa McMann, Jules has to act—and act fast—to keep her vision from becoming reality.

 

Before I really start my review, let me take a moment to appreciate how marvelous the cover for Crash is. I normally get freaked out by eyes on covers but the color scheme, the detail, the fire in her eye just made me so completely fascinated. It stands out against all the pretty dress and typography covers out there and I love it. The rest of the novels in the series are just as gorgeous too.

Now, onto my thoughts of the book! I had been wanting to read this one for quite some time, but never got around to picking it up. Just last week, the Ottawa Bloggers had a surprise book exchange and I ended up with a copy of Crash thanks to my lovely friend Katie from The Bevy Bibliotheque. I decided to pick it up almost immediately, and I didn't really put it down once I had. This book hooked me. I, just like Jules, didn't know what the heck was going on and I was desperate to find out. I stayed up well past midnight for this one because I just had to see how it would all come to an end. 

The narrator Jules I liked but never found myself loving. Maybe it was the writing style (which I'll address later) or her jittery personality but I didn't connect to her entirely. I liked her, though. I liked her humor and admired her determination. She wasn't going to let anything stop her from preventing her vision and I enjoyed reading her journey. I have a feeling she is going to grow a lot in the series, and really come into her own. I can't wait to see it! 

The real stand out character for me in Crash was Jules' brother Trey. He was hilarious, charismatic and a caring older brother. There was depth to him and quite the personality. I can't wait for more of him in the next two books. And, of course, I couldn't do a review of this book without talking about Sawyer. I can tell he's going to be one heck of a lover interest in the coming books, and I really liked him by the end of this one. I can't wait to see where McMann takes his storyline. I can see so much potential there! I loved the dynamic Sawyer and Jules had, and how balanced they were. They made a solid, adorable pair.

The issue I had with Crash was the same issue I had with the Wake trilogy: the writing style. It's just, simply, not my taste. I'm a huge fan of minimalist writing, but I find McMann's to be minimalist without the impact. Normally, I think minimalist writing packs a punch, with each word so carefully chosen and weighted. I didn't feel that with Crash, but rather felt like the words didn't always flow properly. I found Jules voice to be both entertaining and sporadic. It was like her voice changed between scenes, and it made me not able to completely connect with her. There were moments where I was laughing at her antics, and warming up to her but it never quite got there for me. It's just a personal taste, I know. But the writing did have an impact on my overall enjoyment story. On a positive note though, her writing kept me interested. I did NOT want to put the book down, and just flew through the book. It was a fast-paced style that definitely kept me interested.

As well, and this is just a personal pet peeve beyond anything, the replacement of the word "God" with "dog" drove my crazy. I understood why it was there, but replacement swear words are irritating to me unless they're done properly and consistently. I didn't find this to be the case in the book. I know some people found it endearing, and I honestly get their point of view. I, sadly, just don't share it. But, again, that's just a personal pet peeve of mine. (And, let's be real, I could probably use some replacement swear words in my own vocabulary!)

Overall, I really enjoyed Crash. As soon as I turned the last page, I logged onto the Chapters website to see if we had the second one in stock because I NEED to know what will happen. If you're looking for a fast-paced, intriguing read with fun and sweet characters, you should definitely pick up Crash. I know I'll be checking out the rest of the series really soon!

- Ciara (Lost at Midnight)

Find This Book: Chapters/Indigo | The Book Depository | Goodreads | Simon & Schuster's Website