Book Review: Mercy by Rebecca Lim

Mercy (Mercy #1)
Author: Rebecca Lim
Genre: YA Fantasy/Paranormal
Release Date: February 12, 2013
Publisher: Disney Hyperion

Description:

Mercy is an exile from heaven with shattered memories of who she used to be. She's doomed to "wake" repeatedly on earth, each time in a new body, and assuming a new life. During the day she survives in the human world on instinct, and at night her dreams are haunted by her lost love, who pleads with her to find him. This time is different. When Mercy wakes up she meets Ryan, an eighteen-year-old reeling from the loss of his twin sister, Lauren, who was kidnapped two years ago. Only Mercy and Ryan believe his sister is still alive. For the first time she can remember, Mercy has a purpose: she can help. So she doesn't understand why the man in her dreams cautions her not to interfere. But as Ryan and Mercy come closer to solving the mystery of Lauren's disappearance, danger looms just one step behind. Will Mercy be able to harness her extraordinary power in time? The first in a dazzling new series, Mercy masterfully weaves romance, mystery, and the supernatural into a spellbinding tale that readers will devour.  

Mercy is the first book in a series that follows a girl named Mercy who was exiled from Heaven and can't fully remember who she truly is. She is thrust into a different human form each time she "wakes" and she must assume the life of the person she has taken over. Her only solace comes at night, when she is visited by her soul mate in her dreams. Things are different when Mercy wakes this time as a teen girl staying in a host home whose daughter, Lauren, was taken and never seen from again. Lauren's brother - Ryan - is different than most people Mercy has met and they feel an instant connection to one another. Mercy finally feels she has a purpose in this body - she is going to help Ryan find his sister. As Mercy and Ryan close in on the person behind Lauren's kidnapping - more girls begin to go missing and it seems that Mercy has found herself the newest target. Will Mercy and Ryan be able to find and save Lauren in time? Has Mercy finally found her true calling while being trapped inside these bodies?

This was an absolutely mind blowing novel that went above and beyond any expectations I had for it. Mercy is a unique main character who only has bits and pieces of her true memory and identity and is constantly searching for her soul mate. She inhabits the body of a seemingly random girl and assumes their life until she is jarred out of that body and wakes in a new one. Mercy is a strong female lead who exhibits courage and bravery along with compassion, sympathy, and love. We get to glimpse a bit of her true origins in the book and it really intrigued me. The history and story behind Mercy and the others like her was captivating and I'm really hoping to read about it more in the other books in the series. Towards the end of the book, Mercy comes into her powers and is able to do amazing things. I loved that she finally is able to tap into her natural form and help others. The way that these supernatural occurrences are described in the book are vivid and incredibly detailed. I'm really hoping to learn more about Mercy's history, her soul mate, and her purpose on Earth in the following books. The plot was really intriguing and original. It was also fast paced and had me turning the pages as fast as I could to see what would happen next. The book was a blend of fantasy, action, adventure, and mystery with some romance thrown in for good measure. I loved how the author easily mixed genres together to enhance the story. This was a captivating and enchanting first book in a series that promises to have readers devouring every page. Highly recommended for fans of YA fantasy and paranormal fiction!