Review: Mercy

Title: Mercy

Author: Rebecca Lim

Publisher: Hyperion

Publication Date: May 17th, 2011

Source: Bought

My Rating: 3.5/5

(Goodreads) Summary:

An electric combination of angels, mystery and romance, MERCY is the first book in a major new paranormal series.
There's something very wrong with me. I can't remember who I am or how old I am, or even how I got here. All I know is that when I wake up, I could be any one. It is always this way. There's nothing I can keep with me that will stay. It's made me adaptable. I must always re-establish ties. I must tread carefully or give myself away. I must survive.
Mercy doesn't realise it yet, but as she journeys into the darkest places of the human soul, she discovers that she is one of the celestial host exiled with fallen angel, Lucifer. Now she must atone for taking his side. To find her own way back to heaven, Mercy must help a series of humans in crisis and keep the unwary from getting caught up in the games that angels play. Ultimately she must choose between her immortal companion, Lucifer, and a human boy who risks everything for her love.
 
My Thoughts:
 
Let me start out by saying that the summary is very misleading in my opinion. After reading it, I assumed this was going to be another good "angel book", but that was not the case. The plot actually focuses more on an ordinary, totally human, missing person mystery.
 
Mercy is....well I'm still not completely sure what she is, but she uncontrollably inhabits random peoples' bodies and has to live their lifes for a while and she's not sure why. I find the concept interesting and I only wish there was more about Mercy's life and less about the one girl she is occuping throughout the book. The girl's name is Carmen and she's an ordinary human. With Mercy in control of her body, they help solve a local mystery about a mising girl which is suspenseful, but again, I wish there was more of the supernatural element.
 
The characters for the most part, were lacking. Aside from Mercy and Ryan (her human lover), the character's personalities were not fully developed. It's like the book was all about Mercy and Ryan and maybe two or three descriptive words about 20 other characters. That may have been intentional since Mercy didn't stay in Carmen's body long enough to get to know people, but I still felt like stronger personalities would have added to the book.
 
That being said, I did really enjoy both Mercy and Ryan as they were both strong characters. Their romance did not takeover the entire book and was not at all forced. Usually the heroine lays eyes on someone unnaturally attractive and thinks "We are meant to be together, I can feel it" and then they are in love within a few days. But I don't think Ryan or Mercy ever told one another they loved eachother (thank goodness because they did not know eachother for long) and their relationship seemed rational and realistic.
 
Basically, Lim's writing was very smooth and the mystery did keep me guessing until the end, I just wish the book revealed more about Mercy as an angel...or whatever she is. The ending was the one thing I really enjoyed. It was sort of expected but unexpected at the same time because most authors don't choose to give their books a "sad ending" like Lim, but I thought it was perfect and I can see myself picking up the second book, Exile, sometime soon.