The Messenger Reviews

When I saw this cover, I knew it was something I needed to look at. When I read the back, I knew it was something that I needed to read right away. Luckily, I was not let down. This book was far from perfect, but it still managed to be surprisingly good, and I found it difficult to put down. 
This book reminded me a lot of Harry Potter, even though the subject matter is quite different. Everyone says it's like I Am Number Four and The Maze Runner, but I got a strong Harry Potter vibe. A likable, heroic young boy who has always been a little different from anybody else, discovers that he can do strange things that are sort of magical and goes to a boarding school. He groups up with a some kids, who are misfits in their own rights. While Ajay and Elise have no parallels, Brooke bares a strong likeness to Hermione, and Nick reminds me a bit of Ron. The books aren't exactly the same, or even too similar, but The Paladin Prophecy did bear a feint resemblance to the well-loved series. 
My one major problem with the book was the romance. Maybe I'm alone in this (though I highly doubt I am), but I don't think that every Young-Adult book needs romance, and if the time isn't put into making the romance good, then it really isn't necessary. I have no doubt that Mr. Frost can write a good romance, but in this book, there wasn't nearly enough time spent on it. It was poorly developed, and throughout the book, almost nothing happens between the two characters, but then suddenly they're kissing? I didn't feel anything between the characters, and frankly, this book really didn't need romance anyways. There was already enough to keep me occupied, and this was a black spot on an otherwise nearly-incredible book.
Really, the only other problem with this book was that I felt like the characters were rather one-dimensional, and fit simply into stereotypes. Will's the brave hero. Ajay's the smart geek. Nick's the athletic idiot. Elise is the witty rebel. Brooke's the passive goody-two-shoes. There was little character development, and though the characters were definitely likable, they were also quite flat.
Even though this may sound like a bad review, the book really was good. It was fast-paced, a bit mysterious, and generally well-written. There were flaws, yes, but the book remained likable despite of them. I definitely look forward to reading more from this series and this author!
Four out of Five Stars