Oppression : Children of the Gods

Three Things I Loved About Oppression 1. Greek mythology. Guys, it's inspired by Greek mythology. That should be enough. Greek mythology is like ancient soap opera on steroids. All the scheming, the heartbreak, the killing -- it's campy good. I guess if it isn't your thing (HOW CAN IT BE NOT YOUR THING), this wouldn't appeal to you as much. But if it's your thing, if you're like me who filled notebooks and notebooks of family trees and stories and everything when you were a kid (yes, I was obsessed with Greek mythology when I was a kid), then this is for you. 2. Story world. In the Children of the Gods series, Descendants live with humans. They are the descendants of what the Greeks once considered gods. They have powers according to their lineage - light manipulation, persuasion, turning any liquid to wine, healing, conducting electricity, copying any power and a whole lot more. Oppression showed a beacon of light to all these terrific powers and I can't wait to read Uprising as I feel that more powers will be known in the second book. The Descendants also age slower than humans and can live up to 500 years, whilst looking like a normal 80-year old. There are several secret communities hiding in plain sight and they're governed by The Council, a bunch of corrupt leaders who descended from the original "gods". Cool? YEAH. Especially the powers. I also love how Jessica Therrien took Greek mythology and melded it into her own story. She used it for inspiration but she made it her own. 3. Cover. Isn't that GORGEOUS? The cover, that font, the model, the pose, her make-up, everything just looks good. I can't count how many times I petted my copy. My copy even came with these cloth leaf garland and they're just so Greek-looking and so pretty. Granted, I somehow don't get the relation of the cover to the story. Maybe the model's eyes are closed because they are oppressed? Or she's not yet aware of all the horror that's happening? That she needs to wake up and act? That sounds about right. Three Things That Didn't Really Work For Me About Oppression 1. Insta-trust and insta-love. Right after they met, Elyse just joins William, trusts this COMPLETE STRANGER and goes with him to wherever. And then they're already in love. Sigh. I truly don't like insta-love guys. I sometimes love insta-love when I don't realize it. Maybe it's disguised or not so instant. But in here, BOOM. First few chapters and they're in love. Fine, Elyse lived her life thinking she's alone, a freak. But does that mean you'll jump into a relationship right away? Maybe it didn't help that I'm not a big fan of the characters as well, which is point number 2. 2. Characters. Sadly, I was not invested in Elyse and William and pretty much everyone. My favorite character was Kara because she's one conflicting character with depth. The characters did not grate on my nerves but I didn't love them as well. I was indifferent and I was more into knowing all about the Descendants themselves. 3. Loopholes. So the Descendants age slower. So while Elyse looks like an eighteen year-old, she's secretly eighty plus years old. But why does she acts like a teenager? Why is everyone acting like a teenager when they're not? I don't get it and it took me away from fully enjoying this read. It just nagged me while I was reading it though I did my best to put it at the back of my mind. So that's about it! I feel bad that I didn't enjoy Oppression as much as I wanted to, knowing that I love anything Greek and the premise. Plus, Jessica Therrien is such a darling. However, I read tons of reviews of Oppression and they seemed to enjoy it so much. Even those who hate instalove found the romance sizzling and some also found Elyse a strong and relatable character. I guess this is a case of it's not the book, it's me but I truly think most readers will enjoy this novel. Oppression successfully established the world of the Children of the Gods series and it has done a wonderful job at it. I'll be reading the sequel for sure entitled Uprising. I'm excited to see all the scheming and fighting and I definitely want to know more about the Descendants.show more

I first stumbled upon Oppression on Goodreads and I thought hallelujah! More Greek mythology on the YA scene! I've had an infatuation with it since I was a kid. I bought all the books (well ok, borrowed from the library) on the Gods and Goddesses that I could find. Remember those kids books? The ones with the big, pretty pictures and blurbs of text? I loved learning about the different Gods and Goddesses and what they did. Artemis and Nyx were my favorites. I knew I had to get my hands on this book. Immediately, I connected with Elyse. Sometimes I had to go girl, are you me? I've always felt a like a loner, an outsider, and yeah I had my first kiss pretty late down the line too. Elyse led a sheltered life, she only had one friend growing up but she's a feisty one. She has ***** coming out of her pores. She stands up for what she believes in. She's my kind of girl. Then there's William. W o w. The boy is adorable, first of all. We all need a guy like William. He's kind and he's caring. He's the guy every girl deserves to have. He loves Elyse so much all he wants to do is protect her. While Elyse fell for William rather fast, and things became serious fast too, I think it fit. I'm a believer in love at first sight and William knew who she was long ago. He was waiting for her and I think Elyse connected with that. Their relationship took off from there. It was fate. Literally! He's a good guy with a good heart. Dang it I want my own William! And what a great supporting cast! I felt like I was hanging out with people I knew while I was reading their shenanigans. They bickered and they fought but they made up only to bicker again. They're a very endearing bunch. Then there's Anna, who I was rooting for the whole way through. My heart broken when we found out... something (no spoilers!) so I'm glad of the outcome. Then there's the rich mythology Therrien created. The world of Oppression is phenomenal. There's the slow aging, the fact that the Gods and Goddesses weren't really Gods or Goddesses at all, but "Descendants". Each has powers that they get from their bloodlines. For example, if someone is the descendant of Aphrodite, they have the power of persuasion; to make someone do anything they want. Jump off a bridge, fall in love with them, shoot someone in the face. I wish there had been more powers and bloodlines to learn about but I'm sure they're coming in book two. Honestly, I wish I was a Descendant. How cool it would be, right? Oppression is the perfect blend of action, romance, fate, and general awesomeness. Everyone should pick up a copy!show more

Elyse had enough drama in her life to last a lifetime or in her case - hundreds of years. Aside from aging slower than normal humans, Elyse had the ability to heal people. She had accepted long ago that she was different from other people and that she couldn't live a normal life. She needed to move from one place to another every once in a while and blend in with the crowd. She needed to be safe. But when she moved to San Francisco, she discovered two things: there were stalker-like persons who knew things about her and the guy working at the coffee shop down her apartment was gorgeous and strange. The Descendants were the Children of the 'gods.' They had long lives and special abilities according to their bloodline. This was one of the things I liked the most about Oppression. I knew that the story was Greek-myth-related but it wasn't the 'typical' Greek-myth-related novel. It was different. It had an X-Men-meets-the-Survivors (by Amanda Havard)-vibe going on. The author did an interesting twist on the Greek mythology that will appeal to and intrigue readers. I craved for answers and explanations and I got them. But of course, not all the secrets were spilled in this first installment. I'm particularly curious about the origin of it all: the Greek gods. William was the guy working at the coffee shop down Elyse's apartment. He was gorgeous, magnetic, mysterious, protective but slightly stalker-like and crazy in the beginning of the novel. He was the kind of guy that girls dream about every night. He wasn't the controlling boyfriend type although I'm sure he could control everything if he wanted to. He was always there for Elyse as she discovered who she really was and as she entered the world of the Descendants. William's relationship with Elyse was what other bloggers might describe as instalove but wait (don't close this window yet) there's more to it. You see, Elyse and William were fated to be together. Although William knew it long before Elyse did. Elyse had been living on her own for years. Although she had her stepmother, Betsy, it was still difficult thinking that she was the only one of her kind - the only one with the slow aging condition. She had never dated before. She never had a boyfriend before. Until she met gorgeous and magnetic William. For me, it made sense that they would be attracted to one another since one has been alone for too long, wanting connection and the other has been waiting for her his whole life. Love, action and danger mix together in this story of destiny. Elyse was fated to do big, great things that could possibly change her world forever. With a storyline like that, two sides were bound to oppose one another. There were characters you'd fall in love with and characters you'd hate so much you wanted to reach in the book and slap them. The story world that Therrien created reminded me of the story world of The Survivors by Amanda Havard. But aside from the mystery and ages-old secrets, Oppression had a youthful vibe that I found refreshing. There was cruelty and blood in Oppression that also balanced the happy side. Oppression is intriguing and enjoyable. I recommend this to Greek-myth-readers and paranormal romance readers.show more

Oppression had my full attention before I even started on the first page! The cover is stunning and the description made it sound like exactly my kind of thing. I've been reading quite a few of these Greek Myth YA books that are popping up lately and I'm really enjoying all of them; oppression was no exception! I think the premise is brilliant and unique and I couldn't wait to dive into it. Thankfully, it did not disappoint! Elyse was a wonderful character and I loved following her on her journey. She ages five times slower than regular people so while she looks like every other teenager on the street, she's actually an elderly woman! I found this concept very interesting and thought Elyse's character was portrayed well. Elyse has always known she's different though she hasn't quite known the full extent of it. It was so intriguing watching Elyse find out her past and I loved discovering more about the powerful world she belonged to. I think a lot of people will be in two minds about the relationship between Elyse and William. On one hand, it moves mighty fast. But on the hand, there are definitely reasons for this and it was still handled very well. It was definitely believable and one to root for! Elyse is a genuinely nice person who just wants to use her powers for good. She is a very strong and loyal friend and it's hard not to like her. Overall, Oppression is a well-paced, fantastic novel that I'm sure many people will enjoy. It offers something different to a lot of YA novels out there at the moment and I'd certainly recommend it.show more