Sweet Oblivion (Sweet, #1) by Bailey Ardisone

Sweet Oblivion (Sweet, #1) Reviews

• 
  Nancy

  Wow, where to start. I was contacted by the author and I am so grateful to have had the chance to read this fabulous story. Sweet Oblivion was excellent!! It had it all: humor, intrigue, suspense, action and romance.
  
  There was this annoying parallel story through the whole book and it wasn’t until the very last chapter that the parallel story made sense. But when the two stories came together I was shocked, surprised, and completely taken by surprise - this book was MAGIC!!
  
  So, what can I tell you about it without giving the story away? The main character, Nari, had a horrific home life but took solace in a friend she had been able to count on since childhood.
  
  The story starts the first day her best friend is at a different school and Nari is expecting to be all alone. Then the most absurd thing happens, she makes a new friend. I know it doesn’t seem absurd to you and me, but reading this story through Nari’s eyes - it was a shock for her to find Zaylie. Their first meeting had me laughing out loud and the subsequent world building sucked me in!
  
  I loved the characters, the plot, the pacing! I always base my review stars on how my body reacts to a story. Sweet Oblivion had my hands sweating and my heart racing.
  
  I definitely recommend it to anyone looking for an adrenaline filled love story with a deeply layered plot! EXCEPTIONAL! Bailey, I’m your newest fan!
  
• 
  Seanean

  
  http://librarytalker.blogspot.com/201...
  
  No book talk... just venting.
  
  I have waited two days to review this because I felt like I needed some space, but this was just awful and time isn't helping. I just don't understand the ratings on this one. There are so very many corny cliches, as well as obvious discrepancies that this book is just really predictable and fairly bad. Nariella was fostered by a wonderful woman and an abusive man. When the woman dies, Nari is left with the abusive guy and forced into a Cinderella-like life of keeping the house spotless, even when he destroys it, or she can't go to the bal... umm... the willow tree to meet her BFF. Just before she turns 18, she meets a mysterious guy with mysterious powers who has mysterious people following him looking for a mysterious place.
  
  ooookaaaayyy...
  
  There are so many plot holes and issues here including having no friends all her life, but suddenly having a pair of fraternal twins move to town who both think she's super cool. And the boy she's rejected, who moved away, has also moved back, so now she's got a whole clique going.
  
  About 3/4 of the way through, someone seems to have told Ardisone that the plot holes were a little too massive, so she drops in some things to explain stuff like why Nari would still be at the home of a foster parent after the wife died. With or without the abuse, someone would have come to check up on her from time to time since she was a foster and not formally adopted. But let's just drop in a page or two to say that she was a foundling who was never reported and therefore never really a foster child. Oh! And Nari's BFF is discovered to be an amazing archer at pretty much the exact same time, so you know that that will be important later.
  
  Nari is also fascinated by twins, not just her new friends, but she makes a comment early on about how she wished she had one, and, of course, there's a parallel story with Namine, who you just KNOW is Nari's long-lost twin (though that's not revealed here, it surely will be in the second book).
  
  There's a simple saying that what you don't know can hurt you and yet, Nari is kept in the dark by her mysterious stranger over and over again even when she's in the most dangerous situations. People tell her nothing and she seems to be OK with that. She also can't keep her own mouth shut and tells people all kinds of things that probably shouldn't be said, which means that will probably come back to haunt her in the future.
  
  This is bad with tons of talking and sudden emoting with no real explanation or development. It's just not well-written and I have no need to read anymore.
• 
  Runningrabbit

  FREE on Kindle. Check out more paranormal reads at
  https://www.facebook.com/ParanormalBo...
  
  This was a nice enough story and not a bad tale. The problem I did have with it was that it took until over half way to come to the point, making the novel way too long. The writing was a mixed bag, sometimes good, sometimes stodgy with some dialogue feeling forced.
  
  The characters were all likable, and I found this stretching my credibility to the farthest realms of the universe. Everyone was jolly jolly ho ho, all that was missing was Santa and the sleigh. At times a couple of the teens were classified as moody - really? When I have a bad day I'm worse than these guys. And don't teenagers (or most people, maybe?) swear at some time or other to express madness and lunacy? These guys say 'darn' and 'gosh'. Mmmmm.
  
  The teens in this novel need to join the 21stC including a bit of a reality check, although it's true I have no idea what the values are in small town America. For people who didn't express any kind of religion, everyone was way too mild mannered. And anyway, did I just suggest religious people are irrevocably likable? I hope not.
  
  My final point here is that ultimately the characters lacked true depth. The principal character comes from an abused home life both physically and verbally. I felt myself feeling that this was inadequately addressed - to experience true abuse I felt a couple of broken bones, bleeding wounds and hospital visits (or not) would have given this facet more lift, instead of some bruises on her arm. The abuse came off as token rather than the issue it was touted to be.
  
  The whole point of the story doesn't break into full technicolor until over halfway through the story; it took so long it was edging towards an impending anti-climax. I didn't quite guess it, although perhaps I should have, and this was a definite plus. There were a couple of things it could have been, but I didn't hit a bullseye. Wow.
  
  Now I've given you all a whinge, I'll point out I'm onto the next novel.
  
  
  
• 
  Wendy Hines

  
  First, I want to say that this cover does not to this book justice. Sweet Oblivion is phenomenal! If you enjoy fantasy young adult books, then this book was made for you!
  
  Nari has had a rough life. Her foster mom died when she was younger and her foster father blames her. He took away her only friend when she was eight (her teddy bear) and she constantly has to wear long shirts to cover the bruises, not to mention the mental and verbal abuse.
  
  Nari walks with her head bent looking down so no one can make fun of her purple eyes or make fun of her, something the other kids have done ever since Nari can remember. In fact, the only time she is at peace is with her only friend Ryden. However, Ryden is spending his senior year at a new school and Nari is on her own.
  
  Naminé's family works for the King and she's basically a slave. She and the one she has a strong bond with try fervently to get help from her world, but her energy is low and she's running out of time. When a prisoner offers a glimmer of hope for her and the people, Naminé will do whatever it takes to end the war they have endured for as long as she can remember.
  
  Brimming with memorable characters, Sweet Oblivion alternates between Nari and Naminé. At times it is confusing, but eventually it makes shocking good sense and sets the reader on edge, begging for the next installment. The secondary character development is just as great as the main ones, namely the Australian twins that become fast friends with Nari and her love interest, hunky Mykah. Two brilliant worlds, a fast pace (for me, anyways, as I couldn't put it down) and compelling characters, Sweet Oblivion is spectacular!
• 
  Mary

  I was contacted by the author to read this book and do a review. It sounded good, so I thought "why not?" Here is the problem.............it wasn't good..............IT WAS FANTASTIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  
  Best Part of the book: Well, there are two stories that are happening and a lot of questions throughout. However, this is why I kept reading. I needed to know more! Nari is an orphan and lives with her foster dad, Ray (I don't like Ray). She only has one friend, Rydan. He is a musical wiz! However, starting her senior year in high school, Rydan is shipped off to a musical school and she is alone. Not for long, 2 new students, Desmond and Zaylie. Here is the awesome thing: they are Australian! Zaylie is Nari first real female friend and Desmond is hot and has an accent.
  
  But, there is one person that I totally fell for in this book, Mycah. He has an English and kind of appeared into Nari's life. Nari has a pull to him. He is mysterious, strong, hot and has an English accent. NEED I SAY ANY MORE THAN THAT!!!!!!!!!!!
  
  On top of all that, this book is awesome! It keeps you wanting more.
  
  Not so good about book: CLIFFHANGER!! Bailey Ardisone drops a BOMB and now I have to wait for book 2. *hangs head* But I want more NOW!
  
  Well, I can say one thing, I will be counting the days till Book 2!!
  
• 
  JB

  Solid 3 stars for this one. I wasn't a big fan of the heroine, Nariella, due to her frequent tearfests and back-and-forthness, but I liked the boys in her life - badass hero Mycah Nightly and best friend Rydan.
  
  Technically, there wasn't a love triangle but there were certain love triangle-ish elements. I did enjoy Mycah & Nari's more heated moments. Good sizzle there ;)
  
  The parallel/2nd storyline, set in the fantasy world, was interesting, but I didn't connect with it as well. That could change in the sequel, though. Will have to wait & see.
  
  Overall, I liked Sweet Oblivion...at least well enough to read the next one.
  
• 
  Becca

  Okay i am going to try to get through this review without yelling at the main character too much, but it is going to be as task so be warned.
  
  So to keep with tradition of my reviews, i need to find you a song to or two to "assign" to some aspect of the book. First and foremost "Damage in Your Heart" by Weezer, i love Weezer. and just to be original "Face Down" by Red Jumpsuit Apparatus which is describing her relationship with her step/foster father?
  
  Um first quick thoughts, if you are thinking that you will get a nice, equal amounts of time between the two MCs you are mistaken, and i a struggle with this point because i actually like Nari's story a lot more than i did about Naminé - yeah both N names, with four letters, ending in "i" that won't get confusing....so anyways for me that wasn't a totally huge issue because both have a "fantasy", "paranormal" aspect to them so i was okay with it. Actually one of my big issues when i started reading this was that i was concerned about the two different plots running along with each other, and i wanted to know when/if they would collide, well i will tell you they do...sort of. But i won't tell you when, i know i am cruel like that. Okay so the plot for the most part i liked and i think that is what kept me going quite honestly. So...yup moving on
  
  Plot: Okay since there were two MCs and telling through their POVs this is going to be a bit weird...
  
  Nari's (i don't remember how to spell her whole name) plot: This was the one that i was more interested in, but god, this is going to be difficult, okay so i am going to do Naminé's first so forget this...
  
  Naminé's plot: The book was more gear towards Nari. Naminé's chapters at longest were like two pages? maybe? There was a lot of new information that wasn't explained until much, much later and very vaguely, which bothered me and i also understand that its not the most simplest thing to just plug in info for no good reason but if we spent more time in Naminé's world, and learned more about what is going on there i think it could have happened, and quite frankly i am wondering how it will effect the second book. But really Naminé's plot was vague at best, and nonexistent at worst.
  
  Now Nari's: Like i said before twice already, i liked her plot line more, but it could be because i had a chance to "connect with her" and i am going to go stick with that statement because she is a good source of my anger. but i will get to that later. This is about the plot. I enjoyed it, i am a sick, sick, twisted, sadistic person, if you have ever read any of my reviews before you would know this i say it almost all of the time, anyways so with that said i love characters that come from broken homes. Unfortunately this book at times just didn't go as far as it could have. I wanted it to take that extra step, and this goes for about everything. The relationship between the love interest included, because it was like hot and heavy sometimes but would be quickly dampened and honestly the book was acting like a tease sometimes. Anyways letting that go, there are two Aussies introduced in the beginning of the book and when i read about them in other people's reviews i was thinking they had something do with all this paranormal/fantasy stuff, nope. At least not that i know of, they just felt like extra characters that weren't entirely needed to be introduced, i do not know let me think about that for a bit longer. Anyways!!! back to the plot again. Oh there was suspense, and cliffhanger chapters that i adored! and there were many scenes that i was head over heels for - both the like "evil" bad-guy scenes, and kissykissy scenes. Mostly my anger roots within the characters so let me tell you all about it!
  
  Characters!
  
  Naminé: first again because this is all i can say about her. I don't know her. I know what she is, i know she has dreams, a friend that is a prisoner, and that is about it.
  
  Nari: ANNNNNNDDDDD here are where my problems begin. Like i have mentioned i like characters that come from broken families, well when i imagine these characters, she doesn't quite fit the bill, at times in the beginning she is just tooo cheery for my likings considering where she comes from, also she seems kinda of bold? with Ray - abusive foster father - and he doesn't react the way that i would assume, i think we have just a few violent scenes between them, and i get it verbal abuse is used too, so okay that isn't my biggest issues but it is up there. My BIGGEST FREAKING ISSUE is the fact that we cannot go one chapter without knowing how Nari has sworn off all men, and she will never allow herself to be romantically involved, or love them, even when she is with a guy. Yup you heard me right, well read it right...you get the point. BOTHERED THE HELL OUT OF ME. that is why there are so many angry GIFs through my progress of this book. I was ready to jump into the book and punch her in the baby maker, then maybe i don't know kill her? if she said it one more time, and she did. so now that i finally got to yell about that, oh wait i might not be done...no i am okay...i think i hold no promises i might rant again later. I just, i don't know her character didn't fit quite well with her situation and that is what bothered me i think the most. She is loyal i will give her that.
  
  Mycah? i don't remember how to spell it: Love interest. And all around hottie, with ENGLISH ACCENT! He has quite a few secrets this one. Anyways he is sort of aloof and i was wondering his feelings at first but i could obviously see that he cared for Nari even if she is fu...*and i breathe in, breath out trying not to think of it* anyways. He is sort of amazingly awesome and i really like him. But he has secrets that i cannot talk about, but he is worth the read at least i think so.
  
  Rydan: Is the best friend who abandons Nari at school for the senior year, he too is aloof, and he kinda pisses me off a lot, and it pisses me off how accommodating Nari is for him. Like if she starts to demand to know things about her friend of blah, blah amount of years, because she has trusted him completely with hers, but when he gets pissed she takes it all back? You're fucking kidding me right? Seriously? i would have beat that kid's ass that is not fair and that is not how a healthy friendship functions, and i know you are all thinking, well how would you know? I know i am thinking it because i don't think i have a healthy friendship ;) anyways so yeah...
  
  The Aussie twins: Um...hmm. Well Nari does stupidass shit with the girl twin, tells her things she shouldn't but who am i to judge. I don't know how much i think that they were needed for the story honestly. I just felt like they were there to help the plot move towards certain ways but they didn't have to be Aussies and they didn't have to be new characters either, but i suppose i understand the new students thing. But i am going to lump Liam in there too, unnecessary.
  
  Ray Foster Father, there for a little bit, and just doesn't take things as far as i think they could have, and i will admit he does some real asshole shit, like the first scene with him i wanted to punch him in the babymaker and make sure that he thinks twice about doing anything. But he disappears so there is that...i mean he still "around" but we don't really see him anymore after Mycah comes into the picture.
  
  Alright so the ending: well A WHOLE LOT happens, and that isn't to say nothing happens in the beginning because it does, and it is very interesting and kept me at the edge of my seat - like i said i liked the plot of this book - anyways even more happens in the last few chapters, and mother facker i hate cliffhangers, and this is a cliffhanger so there you have it. So if you are wondering yes i probably will be reading the second one i am hoping against hope that i won't have to hear the same three lines from Nari at least twice in the same chapter....
  
  My last piece of advice, is that overall, i liked the idea, and i wanted to love the characters but i could at best like them because they annoyed me. well Nari and Rydan annoyed me, and a little bit of Naminé did but since we didn't know anything about her i can't say that honestly now can i? The plot is worth it, i liked the idea that it is was presenting and i look forward to what the next book has to offer.
  
  Alright if you don't totally hate my for this review, because a) its long, b) because i was a bit of an ass - sorry but i am just trying to be honest here c) because my views are whack which i can honestly say that is semi true, but they are my opinions and i am convinced i am always right ;) anyways if you can overlook ALL these things, or at least two, or even one, or none, you can check out other books that i loved, liked, or hated on my blog that i share with a friend who does compt, fiction stuff. I mostly do indie authors, so show some love towards them. but anyways i will give you the link if you decide to stop by, or even if you stuck it out through this entire review without ripping out your hair, we appreciate you!
  http://theviolethourbookreviews.wordp...
• 
  Alyssa

  ***
  Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***
  
  Sweet Oblivion by Bailey Ardisone
  Book One of the Sweet series
  Publication Date: December 30, 2012
  Rating: 4 stars
  Source: Copy sent by the authors
  
  Summary (from Goodreads):
  
  sweet adjective ˈswēt a : pleasing to the mind or feelings : AGREEABLE, GRATIFYING - often used as a generalized term of approval
  ​
  obliv·i·on noun ə-ˈbli-vē-ən, ō-, ä- 1: the fact or condition of forgetting or having forgotten; esp : the condition of being oblivious 2: the condition or state of being forgotten or unknown
  ​
  Have you ever wanted to forget? Nariella Woodlinn has. Many times. Especially when her already frustrating life gets turned upside down by a mysterious boy who randomly shows up in her small town and she can’t seem to understand anything about him, despite how much she tries.
  
  ​Nari hates everything about her life except for her best friend Rydan, but now that they’ve been separated during their senior year of high school, she has to learn to make new friends without him. When strange unexplainable phenomenons start becoming an every day part of her life, Nari struggles to come to grips with reality. And with love.
  ​
  Naminé has responsibilities. Duties. It is her obligation to fulfill all that is asked of her by their King. But when a glimmer of hope is introduced to her by a prisoner she tends to and it means life or death for her and her people, she does all that she can to turn that hope into reality and finally end the vicious war that has been ensuing since she was born. Even if that means keeping it secret from her King. Even if it means carrying out the biggest betrayal against the King ever seen during her time.
  ​
  She has hope. She will fulfill her duty. She will not let her people down.
  
  What I Liked:
  
  This book was EXCELLENT! I hope I do not offend anyone by saying this, but for an indie author, and a debut, this book was so well put-together! I love the dual plots, the characters, the romance, and the relationships presented in this book!
  
  The dual plots is something that readers are told right away, from the summary. We get to see the story of Nariella, and the story of Naminé. Nariella's story is definitely the forefront of the plot, but Naminé gets a chapter every now and then. Nari lives in the present, modern-day world, whereas Naminé lives in the fantasy world (same time, I believe, but different setting). Their worlds cross, because of certain people. Nari's story was more interesting, but Naminé's story deserves some attention, as it is all about the Kingdom, the struggling world of Aselaira, and dying people. But Nari world is more relatable to readers, and I definitely loved reading about her day-to-day life.
  
  Nari is a wonderful heroine. As readers, we get a clear view as to what she is thinking, and that makes her very relatable. Her friendship with Rydan, her desire to just fit in somewhere at school, and her fear of Ray is all so real to readers. I love her insecurity, because in this insecurity, she does not seem weak. Rather, she seems like an actual person, who is trying to find herself, but needs to depend on others to find that strength. This does not seem weak or passive to me.
  
  I LOVE Mycah. Let me tell you. I am not sure if this is intentional, but Ms. Ardisone does not spend too much time on his appearance - like, full-on paragraphs or anything. There is the initial view (or several initial views, as Nari sees him many times without actual associating him in her mind as someone with which she goes to school), but then, there are more subtle hints that give away his appearance, and Nari's attraction to him. I love these small nuances in writing that Ms. Ardisone adds. While full-on paragraphs of descriptions can be pleasing to the imagination, I also like when we know generally what he looks like, and then get a little more as we go.
  
  But aside from appearance, Mycah is really incredible. I found him to be a passionate yet mysterious young man, creepy at times, but endearing at other times. I really, really like him. You can tell when he is introduced to the story that he will be Nari's love interest, and what a love interest he is.
  
  Secondary characters. Desmond, Zaylie, Rydan, Liam, and Ray all provided a nice backdrop of characters for Nari and Mycah. The twins, Desmond and Zaylie, are hilarious, and definitely a great addition of comic relief to the story. Rydan is a mystery, although by the end, he is a mystery no more. Liam... well, I can see his purpose in the story. Go Liam! And Ray. Trust me when I say - you WILL hate Ray. And that is okay. He is such a jerk and a butt and every other mean word that applies to him.
  
  NO love triangle! For those of you that have been with me here, you KNOW that I ABHOR love triangles. Well, I think it is safe to say that there is no love triangle in this book, and hopefully, in this series. At least, for Nari and Mycah. I love those two together so much - I would not be able to stand it if Nari or Mycah fell in love with other people!
  
  I mentioned that I like the relationships in this book. By relationships, I do not just mean the romance (which I JUST explain above!). For example, Nari's relationship with Rydan is a deep, meaningful friendship. I love how Ms. Ardisone explores this friendship, from the peaks to the valleys. There is NOTHING romantic between Rydan and Nari, so get that out of your head (if that thought was there). Nari's relationship with Zaylie is another friendship, but this time, it is a friendship with a girl. This is significant, because Nari has never had a close relationship with a girl her age. Desmond and Liam are two more male friends to which Nari is close, but nothing like Nari's friendship with Rydan.
  
  Remember how I said that you would hate Ray? Well. Nari and Ray's relationship is a sad and bitter one. Elizabeth, Ray's wife, found Nari as a baby, and brought her to Ray to raise her. When Elizabeth died (before the story started, not a spoiler), Ray was left to take care of Nari. Ray never wanted Nari, or any children. So, Ray drinks himself silly, and often hits or verbally abuses Nari. This relationship is painful to read, but it is a necessary one, as it explains Nari's fear of being close to Mycah.
  
  Have I said enough to convince you to read this book?! I hope so! :D
  What I Did Not Like:
  
  Let me preface this by saying that I got a first edition copy of the book - and the author has already contacted me about this complaint. However, it is worth mentioning. There are many very small grammatical errors, like word spelling mistakes. But it went beyond this. There were SO MANY places where commas should have been, and were not. For example, consider the simple sentence structure below (NOT from this book):
  
  I love your hat, Jen!
  Well, most of those sentences in this book looked like this:
  I love your hat Jen!
  
  Again, this may have been fixed in the subsequent printing. But there were so many of these errors! I know it cannot be an isolated mistake. It was distracting, for someone who has an eye for grammar and grammatical mistakes. The writing style itself was very good, for an indie author! I mean no offense by that; but generally, debut indie authors do not have a concrete writing style. I did not find this to be a problem for Ms. Ardisone.
  
  The only other thing that I would have liked to see or know more of would be the second part of the dual plot. More specifically, Naminé's world. Naminé had her own chapter every now and then, but her chapters were one to two pages long at the most (so, very brief), and did not give much information about the other world of the story. I hope that Ms. Ardisone explores the other world in the next books, because I believe this would really add to the fantasy setting of the series.
  
  Would I Recommend It:
  
  I believe I would recommend this book to any Young Adult lover - it has bits of paranormal, contemporary, and fantasy all wrapped in one. And it is definitely a book that older and young audiences can read and enjoy.
  Rating:
  
  4 stars. I definitely think this series has the potential to be an extremely popular fantasy series, if everyone gave it a chance! I am highly impressed by this debut novel, and cannot wait to read more from a talented indie author.
• 
  Danielle Young

  Nariella has a hard life. Hated and beaten by her father she finds solace in the one person that has always been there for her, Rydan. With the knowledge that her best friend will be attending a different school, Nariella accepts the fact that her last year of high school will suck. But with newcomers Zaylie and Desmond her year is looking up and her school year is off to a good start. Then Mycah shows up and throws her life into complete chaos.
  
  Namine lives in fear for her family, for herself and for the kingdom. But there is hope and she is the only one who can bring that hope home. And Namine will do anything to make that happen, even if it means betraying her king.
  
  Sweet Oblivion is a wonderful foundation for what promises to be a 'Sweet' series. (pun totally intended). It is so full of twists and turns that it is almost impossible to see which way Bailey Ardisone is going to take the story next. The story of both the above girls unfolds simultaneously with just enough speed to make you pull out your hair in frustration for not getting the answers you desire. I know at one point I wanted to throttle author Bailey Ardisone for keeping so many secrets from me.
  
  And boy do secrets abound in Sweet Oblivion. Especially when it comes to the tall, dark, and overly mysterious Mycah Condie. But he isn't the only one keeping secrets. It seems that everyone in this story has something they want to keep hidden. Nariella wants to keep her heart hidden, Rydan hides anything personal, Mycah hides...well everything and Namine hides her mission--only the biggest piece of information!
  
  But Mycah's secrets probably wreak the most havoc though. With Mycah's mysterious appearance in Nariella's life not only has she been in more danger then ever before, both physically and emotionally, but Mycah and his mysterious ways are putting a rift between her and her best friend.
  
  Despite all the secrets Mycah is hiding, Nariella is thinking about ditching her life rule, never fall for a boy, ever! She is also thinking about opening herself up to him in a way that she has never done before, but when she goes to share her special place with him her world completely falls apart. Secrets get revealed, lives change and you go what the hell? Did that just freaking happen? And by the time you realize it actually happened it's over, but it has only just begun.
  
  I seriously love the mystery of the entire story. Bailey Ardisone did an excellent job of keeping the truth of what was going on until the very end. As you slowly unraveled the story you couldn't help but fall in love with her characters. Nariella who's life sucks and just wants to get through her senior year, Rydan the mysterious and sexy best friend who is always there for Nariella, to the easy to like Zaylie and Desmond who give the book that needed real feel and of course the always mysterious, sexy and dangerous Mycah; that can't help but fall for the girl he swore to stay away from, a girl he can't stop saving. Each of the characters in this story has something for you to like and it is easy to fall in love with all of them. And to add a couple *cough* Mycah and Rydan *cough* to your book boyfriend list! ;)
  
  I like to think of Sweet Oblivion as leaving a trail of breadcrumbs to awesome things to come. Each of the secrets held, lies told, and mysterious and unexplained things is just one more crumb that will lead you on a twisty, suspenseful, lovable, and sweet thrill ride with many more incredible things in the wings.
• 
  Kathryn

  Where do I begin? First, I want to thank Mary at Book Nerds Across America for hosting this tour as well as introducing me to this fabulous book.
  Secondly, I had heard rumblings from friends that they loved Sweet Oblivion. So, of course, I was highly intrigued and just knew I had to read it.
  So now, I have opened up the book and dove right in; following the life of our lead character Nariella, Nari for short. The life that this young girl has, completely rips you apart. Page by page, I literally ached for her. The things she was having to endure made me want to reach in and strangle the piece of crap that she had to live with. But that aside, watching her blossom and come out of her shell kept me enthralled all the way through.
  Now, that is not all that captivated me. There were times I was getting downright frustrated because I needed answers and I wasn't getting any. Why are we learning about this other world simultaneously reading through Nari's? Although intriguing, WHY is it important? I knew it was important and would tie together soon enough, but it killed me with anticipation...waiting....and waiting....(yeah, I am not patient sometimes) but alas, answers were revealed and BAM...EXPLOSIVE information was thrust upon me and guess what happens next?? Yep, the book ends...And how does that leave me?? FRUSTRATED!!!
  OVERLY THRILLED...EAGER for the next book....
  But I have skipped ahead of myself.
  So, as we follow through Nari's life, we meet her best friend Rydan---whom I feel there is more than meets the eye about...New friends enter the picture from Australia, Zaylie and Desmond---Fun and open characters allowing Nari to gain more confidence and reassurance in relationships....and last but not least, Mycah---the hot mysterious stranger in town that captures the heart and soul of Nari...BUT, let's not forget that in the other world that we are following, we find harsh situations with otherworldly beings, Namine trying desperately to find the one person that could hopefully change the dreaded days of their lives.
  How does everything tie to together? Obviously, I am not going to tell you, and yes, I am going to tell you...READ THIS BOOK!! Wonderfully written, great character development, and an alluring tale that keeps you glued to your seat the whole way through.
  A DEFINITE MUST READ!!
  
  www.tsktskwhattoread2.blogspot.com
• 
  Sycho

  Sweet Oblivion was an extremely confusing read. At one point I told my husband, 'I am 80% finished with this book, and I haven't a clue what is going on.' Most of the book felt plot less. I couldn't figure out what point the story was trying to make or where it was going. The chapters alternate between two point of views- Nariella and Namine.
  Nariella is girl who is obviously in the real world. That much is easy to figure out, but she is surrounded by characters you know nothing about. Rydan has been Nariella's friend since childhood, but he is so silent and closed off the only thing you really learn about him is he is very talented with music. Then there is Mycah. He just suddenly starts showing up, and when he leaves no one can even remember he was there. Mycah is a very easy to like character. He has a lot of mystery around him that keeps making you want to turn the pages.
  The Namine chapters give you very little information to help you figure out the story. It is easy to guess that she is in a fantasy world and not Earth. Other than the not-on-earth thing I had no idea what was happening, or even what the point of these chapters were.
  Then the last 5% of this book happened. Everything started to make sense, and somewhat fall into place. It really left on a huge cliffhanger, but I loved it! I have not purchased the second book in this series yet, but I do plan to do it when I am able. I really can't wait to find out what is going to happen next. And I think I will understand what is going on better in the next book. The ending had several surprises, and really made the other 95% worth it. Sweet Oblivion was on it way to having a low rating from me, but in the end it was a major turn-around.
• 
  Justine

  I received this book free from the author in exchange for an honest review.
  Honestly, if I would have seen this book on the shelf I wouldn't have picked it up. I don't really like this cover and I don't really think it fits the story at all. I would have preferred just a willow tree on the cover. I did find the plot somewhat predictable. I knew as soon as Mycah was introduced that he was not human. But I was shocked about the rest of the story. Although I found it a bit confusing, I did enjoy the back and forth between the two characters (I know this is bad but I can't remember the characters names because they were too much alike). I'm hoping in book two everything will come together and help make everything make sense.
  I felt like this book consisted of a few very strong characters. Most of them were very set in their ways and don't like being imposed on by "new characters". There as that one rather large jaw dropping shocker that I was not expecting. Now I just need the background either to as why Rydan couldn't remember or chose not to remember. That's all I can say about that so I don't ruin the surprise. Also I want to know what the big secret is. I can kind of guess but I want to know if I am correct.
  Besides a few hiccups, this book was quite enjoyable and I look forward to book two. I would recommend this book to fantasy readers.
• 
  Jasmine

  I am so thankful that someone recommended this book, because I fell in love with this book! Bailey, has that magical touch, where you can connect to the characters, and feel what they are feeling. Sweet Oblivion is told in different POV’s, you have Nari and Namine…….
  Nari thought she was a normal teenager, just trying to get thru high school, she has only one good friend, Rydan. Nari, and Rydan, have a very unique friendship. Rydan, how can you not love him? He is a terrific musician, and a total sweetheart. All of sudden Mycah comes into the picture. The mysterious Mycah, okay okay….I love Mycah too! I can’t choose between Team Mycah or Team Rydan, so how about Team HOT GUYS! *nods* Yep, sounds good to me.
  It was a little hard finding things that I didn’t like, I only found two. One being Nari’s stepdad! He is rude, and deserves to be unhappy, forever! And the other thing, was the ending. The major CLIFFHANGER!!!!! Book 2 could not come soon enough!
  I HIGHLY recommend that everyone reads Sweet Oblivion! You will not regret it! One more thing, I am so happy that after I read this book, because I met some awesome people! Not only am I fan of Bailey, but I also get to call her my friend! Love my sweeties!!!
  
• 
  Candy Smith

  I read this book in one sitting.I was captured by the dilimea of each character.The author draws you in and keeps you guessing the truth til the very end.The story is told form two points of view from two girls from two different worlds.
  Naminé lives in a kingdom ruled by a false king.She has a gift she must hide from everyone to keep from being imprisoned.But this gift is the only chance of hope to save her people.Can she reach through in time?
  Nariella lives with the guilt of her mother's death,in a home with her abusive stepfather,is an outcast at school,and only has one friend,Rydan.Nari must start the school year alone as Rydan's parents have chosen to send him to a school for gifted musicians. Mycah is the definition of hottie. He strolls into school and Nari's life throwing it into chaos.
  Nari goes through so much with very few answers as to why things are happening that its a wonder she doesn't fall apart or go insane with curiosity because I know I sure wanted to.There is a glimpse here and there of the truth you just have to put all the pieces together like a jigsaw puzzle. Nari must try keep the peace between Mycah and Rydan while trying not to betray either one but with every new event it becomes harder. Nari,Mycah and Rydan's worlds collide into a gripping tale.
• 
  Anastasia Pergakis

  I've tried for a long time to write a more professional sounding review than just "THIS BOOK IS AWESOME!" but, after thinking it over for a few weeks, I just can't.
  
  There is nothing about this book that I didn't like. The characters were developed extremely well and I loved every single one of them. The backstories, mystery, and tension were amazing and I couldn't put the book down. I loved it so much, I immediately bought the second book in the Sweet series and read it immediately after I finished this one!
  
  World building and details - awesome. I was pulled into the story and felt like I was really there in each scene, feeling, seeing, hearing, tasting, and smelling everything the characters did.
  
  Epic story telling! There was great flow, plenty of tension (both romantic and otherwise), and come on, elves. Can't go wrong with elves!
  
  Sorry, that this review isn't more detailed, but honestly, this book is simply amazing. Everyone who loves a good read should pick this up, especially if you love elves and great storytelling.
• 
  Tammy Hall

  Hope is such an amazing word and it is what Nari clings to as she has nothing else her only friend is Rydan. Together they form a bond that nothing could break. Rydan is Nari's hope. Sweet Oblivion is an amazing story. I was so moved by the beauty of it all. Each chapter was played out with such depth and emotion that it sent me reeling in a state of oblivion. For Nari her life is so messed up yet she is able to find that one glimmer of hope she gets from Rydan and she holds on for all she has in her.
  Namine is a beautiful character with turmoil of her own. If she betrays the king she may loose everything but, if she let's go of her hope all will be lost to her anyway. Does she do what is right or does she let go and abandon all that could be?
  I found myself so deep into this book that I was truly sad when it ended my only hope was that there would be more of this story to follow.
• 
  Charissa

  This was a cool concept for a story. Nariella (Nari) feels like an outcast at her high school, with no friends except Rydan (who has moved to another school this year) and a foster father who despises her. When two new kids move in, they become her new friends and life seems to change for the better. But then a mysterious, handsome stranger starts showing up and strange things begin to happen to her.
  
  I was pulled in by the mysterious occurrences, and couldn’t put the book down as I tried to figure out who Nari really was...and who the mystery guy in her life was too and where he got his power. This starts out like any other teen plot set in a high school, but quickly changes pace and gets your heart racing with lots of action packed scenes with bad guys and super powers. I really enjoyed it.
  
• 
  Ashley

  It took me a little while to get into this book but I am glad I didn't give up on it because it wound up being an amazing book. I was sucked into the book after the first couple chapters and then I didn't want it to end. The characters are unique (as are their names) and while the book is a fantasy book you don't really see it right away. It isn't until the end that everything starts to make sense and then it just leaves you hanging! It's like one minute your just going along and it ends.
  
• 
  Janie

  What a truly powerful story.
  
  I thoroughly enjoyed this story and thought the dynamics between Rydan, Nari and Mycah was utterly incredible!
  I loved how the story flipped between the two worlds of Nari and Namine!
  I really can't wait to read the next book to see if Rydan and Mycah can ever get along :)
• 
  Clare dooley

  I read this in a sitting and would like to read the next book in the series. I have so many books on my tbr list that I'm going to put it on hold. I will say that my focus was more on Mycha's tale... The chapters from the kingdom seemed out of synch until the very end, as if it could have been its own story
• 
  Missy

  LOVED IT! OMG, what more can I say. The story line was intriguing and captivated my interest from the very beginning. The author did a fabulous job of delicately weaving suspense, foreshadowing, and a good sense of humor into the plot.
• 
  Halee

  Good overall story, but grammar and structure of writing was terrible. Could not finish.
• 
  Diana

  loved it awesome plot
• 
  Kara

  Unputdownable. Totally sucked me in. Do yourself a favour and read it.
• 
  Cheryl

  Rydan and Mycah. Mmmm. Thanks to Ally, for giving me this recommendation. Can't wait to start the next one!
  
  Namine might be my favorite character. I don't hate any of the main characters, so yay!
• 
  Miranda

  Loved it <3
• 
  Megunz

  Bailey Ardisone is a collaboration by two sisters born and raised outside of Chicago, Illinois. They took the last names of their two grandmothers and combined them together to form their pen name. They both married the love of their lives and spend their days submerged in books, movies, music, or art and love travelling. Fantasy books and movies have been a huge part of their lives and are obsessed with Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Sweet Oblivion is the first book they have written together and is the first novel of a series
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Book blurb:
  
  
  
  
  
  sweet adjective ˈswēt a : pleasing to the mind or feelings
  ​obliv·i·on noun ə-ˈbli-vē-ən, ō-, ä- 1: the fact or condition of forgetting or having forgotten
  ​
  Have you ever wanted to forget? Nariella Woodlinn has. Many times. Especially when her already frustrating life gets turned upside down by a mysterious boy who randomly shows up in her small town and she can’t seem to understand anything about him, despite how much she tries.
  ​Nari hates everything about her life except for her best friend Rydan, but now that they’ve been separated during their senior year of high school, she has to learn to make new friends without him. When strange unexplainable phenomena start becoming an every day part of her life, Nari struggles to come to grips with reality. And with love.
  ​
  Naminé has responsibilities. Duties. It is her obligation to fulfill all that is asked of her by their King. But when a glimmer of hope is introduced to her by a prisoner she tends to and it means life or death for her and her people, she does all that she can to turn that hope into reality and finally end the vicious war that has been ensuing since she was born. Even if that means keeping it secret from her King. Even if it means carrying out the biggest betrayal against the King ever seen during her time.
  ​
  She has hope. She will fulfill her duty. She will not let her people down.
  
  Some secrets are best kept in Oblivion.
  
  
  This book is just WOW, it's hard to even put into words how FANTASTIC this book really is. This book is like nothing I have ever read. While I was reading I almost has a sense of the Lord Of The Rings undertone to it, which is purely amazing. I'm very glad I was able to enjoy this magnificent creation. The details and the magnetism that was put into this novel is breathtaking, you truly get a sense of being right there with the characters.
  
  
  
  So many different emotions are in play throughout the pages, varying between, sadness, compassion, friendship, love, loyalty and fear. One of the main things I saw in this book is a sense of mystery, you were always kept arms length with some characters, but the authors did it in such an inventive way that it makes you want to keep reading. This book took me a bit longer to read then I had hoped, for the simple fact that I have been uber busy. This book is pure MAGIC, everything about it is wonderful. Her characters really touch your heart.
  
  
  
  Nariella touched my heart the most I think. Everything she went through throughout this book pulled on my heartstrings. I can't count how many times I wanted to go into the book and hug her or try to help her. She's someone I could see my self being friends with if she was real.
  
  
  
  Naminé is a mystery, you don't get to learn too much about her. But from what I read of her, I liked. I can't wait to read more about her and her land.
  
  
  
  Rydan is one of a kind lol he's mysterious, caring, protective oh and did I mention hot? He can come off as uncaring or a bit stuck up, but when you get to know him more you can't help but love him. He was one of the characters that honestly intrigued me the most. I wanted to know more about it and was happy every time he stepped on to the page. He would definitely be one of those guys I would have fallen for. He's very talented in many areas, I won't tell you in what areas of course ;) you'll have to read the book to find out.
  
  
  
  Mycah, oh man where to even begin with him*sigh*. When you first meet him he comes off a bit stalkerish and creepy but as you read on you get to see a different side to him. He's handsome with piercing blue eyes and rock star raven hair. He's very caring, dashing, proper and of course mysterious. There is a sense of danger with him but he's very kind and gentle to those that matter. He will melt your heart and turn it to mush within a few pages. I was smitten with him thanks to Twitter but I'm more in love with him now. He's one of those characters that will keep you guessing throughout the book. He's an odd ball, I think its mostly because he's British ;) of course that makes him ever more alluring and sexy heheh *faints* He's also very cheeky, which is very entertaining. More often then not I wanted him to tell Nari the truth.
  
  
  
  Zaylie and Desmond, now these two made me laugh. Their bond reminds me so much of my brother and I. They argue like school children and its hilarious, I was very glad that Nari was able to make friends with them. Those are the type of friends that people look for all their lives.
  
  
  
  Ray, ugh I couldn't stand that man. All I felt for him was pure rage, so many times I wanted to jump in that book and kill him myself. He's the devil in disguise, Bailey truly captured the essence of bad parenting with him.
  
  
  
  If I could give this book a million stars I would in a heartbeat. It's beautiful, heartbreaking, magical, awe-inspiring. A perfect blend of a fantasy world mixed in with the real one. My favourite part of this story was the intensity, the mystery and the fact that there was two different stories that intertwined. I recommend everyone who love Lord Of The Rings or fantasy to read this. Bailey is a brilliant author and I cannot wait to read the second book!
  
  
  
  Follow her on twitter @BaileyArdisone
  
  
  
  Follow Mycah on twitter @MycahNightly
  
  
  
  
  http://www.goodreads.com/BaileyArdisone
  
  
  
  
  website
  http://www.TheSweetSeries.com
• 
  Amber Dawn

  Fantasy
  
  I would have enjoyed this if Mycah hadn't gotten under my skin. Its an interesting to a fantasy series. It gives you a glimpse into another world and there is plenty of action. There was just way to much teen drama mixed in.
• 
  Jennifer

  Slow
  
  Very hard to get into the story, till the very end. Now, I can't wait to read the next book.