Sugar Skulls

This was a random request - based on the cover and the interesting as all get out premise. I honestly had not seen this one around that much, and it was fun going in completely blind. While it didn't blow me away - it does have its good parts.

Vee is the lead singer of the top band in the city, and Micah is a runner; off the grid and with a past. Both have past really. Told in dual POV, we learn about Vee, Micah, the rest of city and just how far they go to keep their hold on Vee.

What I loved most about Sugar Skulls was the setting. It's in his domed city called Cyrene that runs on energy from its residents. It's high-tech, drug pushing happy place. It was weird but great at the same time. I also loved the thrills. It's quick pace, and suspense. I was gritting my teeth at times, anxious on where the book was going to go.

Sadly, the romance was my biggest issue and since it played such a HUGE part in the book, it kind of clouded my judgement a little bit. You guessed it, insta-love. If you set how they met aside, the instant attraction and obsession, it turns out to be a sell-able romance and they are quite cute together. They went above and beyond to save each other, and while their efforts are awe-inspiring, I didn't understand it.

Plot wise - well, I can't really think of what the plot was in its entirety. I mean, they were just basically running from someone. There were quite a few small sub-plots that weaved together nicely, though. Vee's past. Micha's past. The rogue drug. Nothing concrete though, and that was frustrating.

Also, this is marketed as YA - and while I agree with that, it's mature YA. There is, obviously, a lot of drug use, explicit language and the sex scenes aren't always fade to black. I could honestly considerate it New Adult.

The Narration

The female narrator is actually one of my favorites, Kate Rudd. She narrates a LOT of YA and Adult books alike. I am starting to find though, that her voice is mature. Not to say that it wasn't before, per se, but I never had an issues with her portraying a teen. I heard it here. I still love her performance; she always catching the emotion and has the right inflection in her voice. This was however, my first listen by Scott Merriman. I really enjoyed his performance as well - and look forward to more of his work.

One thing. The narrator would change based on the characters involved in the dialog. It was weird at first, because you get use to Scott's voice during Micha's  POV and then BAM! Kate is there. It takes a few chapters to get used to, and I am not sure I'm a fan.

Overall - Sugar Skulls was just okay. I loved setting, the quick pace and for the most part, the narration, but the romance being insta love and lack of a solid plot could not sell me on this one. Still, if you are looking for something unique, this is it!

I received this book for free from The Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.