Mercy (Mercy Novel, A) [Hardcover]

Rebecca Lim (Author)

Book Description

Release date: May 17, 2011 | Series: Mercy Novel, A (Book 1)

Mercy in an exile from heaven with shattered memories of who she used to be. She’s doomed to “wake” repeatedly on earth in a new body, each time 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. 

But 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 since 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 spell-binding tale that readers will devour.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Subtly beautiful and utterly intriguing, Rebecca Lim's Mercy series brims with mystery and romance that pull readers through the veil between worlds real and mythical." Andrea Cremer, author of Nightshade "Mercy is a page-turning mystery with touches of romance. Rebecca Lim has created a modern-day Quantum leap for the teen set (but with angels): well-rounded characters, including a particularly strong heroine; beautifully written prose; and a dark and twisting plot that kept me guessing until the very end. Readers will be begging for the sequel." Laurie Faria Stolarz, author of Touch and Blue is for Nightmares series --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

About the Author

Rebecca Lim is a writer and illustrator based in Melbourne, Australia. She worked as a commercial lawyer for several years before leaving to write full time. Rebecca is the author of fourteen books for children and young adult readers, and her novels have been translated into German, French, Turkish and Portuguese.

Product Details

• Age Range: 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion Book CH; Reprint edition (May 17, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1423145178
• ISBN-13: 978-1423145172
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 1 x 8.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (48 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,052,307 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Mercy seeking justice June 25, 2011

By Kimberly Bower

Format:Hardcover

Mercy, an angel in exile, is kept off balance by the knowledge that on the whim of a higher power she can be plopped in any human body of any age at any time in history. The only common thread is that a blindingly bright being, Luc, offers her guidance in her dreams. As an angel, Mercy is expected to observe but not interfere in the course of earthly events but her strong sense of justice prevents her from abiding by that mandate. Today Mercy finds herself inside the body of Carmen, a talented but socially awkward teenager with the best soprano voice in the region. Tiffany, whose voice ranks second, takes every song as a personal competition and, followed closely by her snobbish posse, intimidates Carmen at every turn. Their high school choir joins three other area choirs in the sleepy town of Paradise for a cultural exchange that will culminate in a concert intended to challenge even the best voices. As part of the exchange, each teen is a guest at the home of a host family. Carmen (Mercy) is placed in the home of the dreamy but deeply frustrated Ryan whose twin sister has been missing for two years. Through Mercy's paranormal ability to see into the life of anyone she touches, she discovers that Lauren is alive and being held captive somewhere in Paradise. Despite Luc's strong warnings Mercy is compelled to help Ryan find Lauren. As they search for Lauren another singer is kidnapped. The author offers enough red herrings to keep readers guessing as to the abductor until his identify is finally revealed. Mercy's instinctive response to that revelation will pleasurably surprise and startle readers.

In "Mercy", Rebecca Lim takes on the difficult challenge of writing in the intimate first person point of view. She struggles in the early chapters as Mercy tries to introduce herself without being fully aware of her own true identity and as Mercy awakens and tries to get her bearings in yet another human body. Once Mercy becomes immersed in her new mission the author's struggle ends. Readers will reach a point where "Mercy" cannot be put down. Reluctant readers may be encouraged to push through the beginning if they consider it to be Mercy's profile page on a social networking site where self-promotion and the copious use of "I" is conventional. The ending will leave readers eagerly awaiting the sequel.

NOTE: I requested and received a copy of this title via NetGalley.com but made no commitment to review it.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Review from The Word Fiend October 25, 2011

By Shelagh

Format:Hardcover

Mercy marks the beginning of a series that holds the promise of being very exciting. Plus there are angels, so you know I'm happy.

I got the feeling while reading Mercy that Rebecca Lim was still finding her writing feet with her debut. But she definitely ends the book with them planted on solid ground. The pacing of the story was generally good, but there were some sections where I felt that more could have been made of the atmosphere and action. Lim does a good job of keeping the reader guessing through the mystery of the disappearing girls. The mystery storyline provides the solid backbone for the book and while I would have liked to see other aspects, such as Mercy's angelic background, handled with as much confidence I was left feeling satisfied once I finished the story.

Mercy is an intriguing character and I definitely plan to read the next book in the series to find out more about what is hinted at and suggested in Mercy. I really liked the concept of Mercy repeatedly finding herself in a new life and a new body. I tried to put myself in her situation and realised how incredibly lonely it must be to make connections only to leave that life and have to start over again. There is a suggestion of this loneliness in Mercy and it does motivate some of her decisions and actions. I also really appreciated Mercy's discovery of her love for music and her ability to sing - angels are, after-all, often referred to as the heavenly choir. The music formed a lovely connection between Mercy and her human "host", Carmen. I hope that Mercy gets to meet Ryan again in future books because the growing romance between them was interesting. I do, however, not trust the mysterious Luc who appears to Mercy in her dreams and I hope she stays the hell away from him.

Overall, Mercy is a good start to a series that I will happily be following. Rebecca Lim's writing grows in confidence through the book and I am sure that she will continue to bloom as a writer.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Mercy by Rebecca Lim Book Review June 15, 2011

By Amber @ Down The Rabbit Hole

Format:Hardcover

Mercy begs the question of what a person would do when thrust into another body in another life with nothing to go on but instincts. This is the only life that the character Mercy has ever known and it's was interesting to read a novel about a character who was as unsure of things about herself as she was about her hosts. Coupled with a twisting plot and incredibly vivid writing, it made for one excellent read.

I found myself drawn to Mercy because of her confidence. She wasn't some shy young girl. She was an older soul and had had plenty of time to figure out who she was. At the core she was an honest, tough-as-nails and funny because it of. It was interesting dealing with a girl that didn't even know her real name but she still had confidence in herself. It was really refreshing to read a character who knew she could do anything and proved it constantly. She helped not only herself but also the bodies she fell in and those around her.

Being a chorus nerd, I loved the singing angle and the way the author described the music, the mechanics of sining and the elation the character felt was just gorgeous. It felt as familiar as being home and wasn't so techinical as to allinate other readers. I thought the plot was fasy paced and worked to highlight what Mercy is good at. Her connection with the uber-cutie Ryan was undeniable and I really liked their relationship. Mercy repeats quite often that Carmen isn't anything to write home about as far as looks but Ryan is able to see inside and falls for the person Mercy is. I also loved the twin connection between Ryan and his missing sister.

The reason I'm not giving this is a five is that I found some bits of dialogue a little confusing. Someone would respond to a question that was never asked or I'd have to re-read lines a few times and still couldn't understand what the character was trying to say or describe. However, the author was particularly skilled at describing people in unique ways.

Mercy is one of the books that really utilizing a confident voice and plot to make it the best it can possibly be. Though it's relatively small, it packs a powerful punch and is a breeze to get through. I'd definitely let Mercy slip into your life for a little while. I don't think it's a story most will regret living in!