Review: Human Blend by Lori Pescatore

Title: Human Blend by Lori Pescatore
Publisher: Self Published, CreateSpace (June 2010)
Paperback: 234 pages
Reading Level: Young Adult
Source: Author for Honest Review
ISBN-10: 1453765131
ISBN-13: 9781453765135
Rating: 4 Stars



SYNOPSIS (From Goodreads): Marion, Virginia seemed like a nice place to live a normal life, but she is not a normal girl. Laney has special abilities that keep her looking over her shoulder as she makes her escape from the men who had kidnapped her. A young doctor's interest is piqued when he witnesses her mysteriously curing a young child's illness. He befriends her due to his growing fascination with uncovering the true nature of her abilities, but not without harboring secrets of his own. Laney's budding relationship with a local boy puts both of them in danger when the men she was hiding from find her. All of their lives will change forever as ancient secrets become unearthed.


MY THOUGHTS: Human Blend brings a refreshing creative edge to science fiction. What I liked was that it was more than just contemporary science fiction, blending in the intrigue of a mystery, thriller, and a romance, which satisfies a wider reader base. Showcasing unique paranormal beings with multifaceted special abilities, these human blends and earthlings are not only interesting, they are well developed characters. The story starts off a little slow, but quickly picks up the pace soon after, and was full of suspense and action.

The basis of the story is that Laney runs away from her unpleasant past life where she was being taken advantage of by a group of men who used her special abilities to their advantage. She creates a new identity as Julie in Marion, Virginia, but her past comes back to haunt her, so we get to see how Julie deals with this and how her special abilities play an important role. Julie has to learn to trust people again, despite her bad experience before, if she is to survive in the world again. Julie’s bravery and fear are so well captured that you can’t help but be emotionally drawn to her. The bad guys were well written since I loathed them so much, being extremely dangerous, cruel, and merciless. They were very realistic and believable. And when the cat and mouse chase started, I found myself drawn to the book and I was suspicious of everyone. Early on in the book, I didn’t know who to trust, for Julie’s sake.

I enjoyed learning about Julie’s past through occasional flashbacks and about her paranormal side and special abilities from her mentors. There are secrets that are withheld that are slowly revealed as you read the book, which keeps you entertained.

There is also a heartwarming side to this book that looks at Julie’s role as a healer in the hospital. What fascinated me the most was the ability of Julie to heal the sick with just a touch. And the love triangle that surfaces between Julie and Austin, the boy she meets initially, and a doctor, named Eli definitely brings some excitement, sexual tension, and jealousy. There are some sexual references, but nothing too graphic, so this book is more suitable for older teens and adults.

What I disliked was how quick the romantic relationships formed in the book - within a few days. Also, there were a lot of supporting characters that I wish were explored more in depth, since I didn't really get to know them that well. But Human Blend is the first book in this trilogy, so I'm sure the author will shed more light on some of these characters in book two.

Human Blend gives hope that regardless of the difficulties you’ve experienced in life, it’s possible to recover and be able to really live again. I enjoyed reading this book! If you love science fiction that is innovative, you will want to read this book. And for those who tend to not read science fiction, there is enough romance, mystery, and action in this science fiction book to keep you interested.