Book Review + Interview: Complexus by Melanie Roberts
Complexus
by Melanie Roberts
Publication Date: February 12, 2019
Genre: sci-fi, young adult
Synopsis
RAYNE She wanted to go to school. She wanted to find a boy to have a crush on, and go steady with. She wanted to have friends, be a gymnast, and find out what a ‘Slushee’ is. She didn’t want them to come after her. She didn’t want to go home. She didn’t want to be a Princess anymore. She didn’t mean to fall in love with Beau McCallister. And she never meant for anyone to die. But this isn’t a fairytale, and we don’t always get what we want. BEAU There is nothing interesting worth having in Greensville, Maine. The only things he had to his name were championship swim trophies, his mom, an identical twin, and a good amount of mischief. There was a good chance that was all he was ever going to have, and he was okay with that. Until her. Until her, he never knew he was capable of loving someone so much, and hating them at the same time.
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My Review
4 Stars
I received a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. I love when a book can surprise me and keep me on my toes. Complexus was nothing like I expected and hooked me from page one. It has sci-fi elements with romanced woven throughout the story and even some fantasy vibes in there as well. The world and characters the author has created really connected with me early on. I found myself staying up as late as possible to simply get a few more pages in. Beau and Rayne had to be my favorite part of the story. Their relationship felt real, no overly done lovely dovey romance stuff. They weren't perfect and that made them all the more relatable. I enjoyed following them both of their points of view through the story. Getting to see it from both sides gives you so much more to take in and you get a fuller picture. I loved learning more about who (and what) Rayne is. I was taken but surprise at many turns but loved every second of it. This is my first book by Melanie and it will not be the last. She has a talent for creating stories and I hope to see many more from her in the future.
Author Interview
1) Are there any authors, genres, or works of literature that have influenced your writing? I think that everything influences us one way or another. That being said, I would think that my favorite authors and books would leave an impact on me. Jennifer L. Armentrout has written one of my favorite books series called ‘Lux’. Any fan of that series will feel at home when they take a crack at Complexus. I’m also a sucker for psychological thrillers, and Jennifer Lynn Barnes is one of my favorite YA thriller writes. Young Adult Fiction is my home, and I am loving the fast growth of the New Adult Fiction genre. Some of my other favorite authors include Katie McGary, Victoria Schwab, and Kylie Scott. 2) What is your creative process when bringing your worlds & characters to life? I would like to say that I am a super organized writer with plots written down, and flow charts, and venn diagrams, but I am none of those things. I start to feel a story poking into my mind and it plants itself like a seed. I let it grow a little bit until I have enough to know who my characters are, and what their struggle in life is. Beau was a small town bad boy that didn’t have much but his twin and his reputation. Rayne wanted a life just as simple as Beau’s, but has her hands full being a runaway alien princess. They couldn’t be more different and that’s what ties your story together. With that little bit of information, I put my pen to my paper. Handwriting my books is always my go to for the creative process. It’s always felt like the characters want to tell their stories through me, and I’m just the proxy. It’s rare that I know what is going to happen next when I’m in that flow. That also makes me editing process that much more intense! 3) What were your inspirations behind Complexus? I mentioned how much I loved J. L. Armentrout’s depiction of aliens that didn’t have green skin and funny shaped heads. That let me know that there was more to work with than we might have initially thought. When I was writing Rayne, I didn’t automatically know that I wanted her to be from another planet. That part came later. I just knew that I wanted her to be lethal, vibrant, and innocent at the same time. The combination of the three seemed magical. I am always inspired when I go to Barnes and Noble and see the readers scouring the book covers for their next adventure. It makes me want to be worthy enough to give them something that will stick with them. When people tell me that they read the book and still think about Beau and Rayne every now and then, I know I’ve done my job. 4) Is there a character from your work(s) that you feel a special connection with? I give pieces of myself to all of my main characters, but if there is one that I feel most deeply to the bone, it’s got to be Storm Angel. She was my first, and she was written based off of my own personality in a lot of ways. There are three books in that series, the first of which was published when I was a senior in high school. As awesome as that is, you can imagine how much my writing has improved since then! Seeing as how I started Storm’s series ten years ago at this point (!!!!!), I decided to give her story a face lift. I’ve started to revamp the first and second book and in that series, and I’m so pumped to share it with you guys. 5) What led you to write and later publish your first book? I started writing when Twilight became really famous. At that time it was so hard to find something that didn’t involve vampires and werewolves. I say this as a HUGE Twilight fan, but I just wanted to put something fresh on the shelves. That’s always my goal. I don’t want to give you book that you feel like you’ve read before. As I said before, you favorite stories are the ones that impact you the most, but Storm’s story is one that I am very blessed to have been able to tell. 6) Is there any advice you would like to give to writers who are just starting? I don’t care if it takes you four years to finish your first book. FINISH IT ANYWAY!! And don’t listen to anyone’s opinion that is not contributing to the success of your passion. That being said, when you do finish it (and you will!!), give it to other people to read. Let them help you fill in the potholes and spit shine it, and don’t get offended if you hear something you don’t like. If they love you, they’ll be honest with you. Lastly, find your own writing style. Don’t try and write like your favorite authors, or writing a certain way because you think it’ll sell more books. Write what’s in your heart, and it’ll always be good enough.
About the Author
I live in Florida with my husband, and an undying need for more furry pets. I have a Master's degree in Mental Health Counseling at the University of South Florida with a focus in Marriage and Family Therapy. A (sometimes painfully) energetic personality, and a bad habit of bursting into song at the best of times, and the worst of times. The first Storm Angel novel was published when I was seventeen years old. Still in high school, and becoming a published author marked my name down in The Book of Nerds for all eternity. I read young adult fiction more than I sleep, and I have been known to buy books over groceries. I write for me, and I hope other people enjoy what comes of it. I love learning, and I love growing in my craft. I have watched many authors spread their wings through Amazon, and one day I hope to be one of them. Stories are lives that live forever. Each of my books is written by hand before it goes into a computer. Each of those pages are filled with a part of me that I desperately want to share with you. I hope you enjoy them, and I hope you share them with your friends and families.
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