"Beg for Mercy" by Shannon Dermott

Oh.My.Angel! This book shook my world, uprooted it and tossed it in the deepest, darkest waters!!! I finished reading it yesterday, but was so SMITTEN, I needed to take some time to think it through. It was amazing, it was completely stunning, breathtaking and addictive. I cannot wait for the next installment to come out. So please, Shannon, hurry!!!

Please be aware that the following review may contain some minor spoilers.

Mercy is not an ordinary sixteen-year-old girl. Not in a long shot. But what she is isn't something to be proud of because it's like a fast-spreading poison, like a dagger straight through the heart. In one word, she's deadly. One kiss of hers can take away human life. True, the person may be quite happy about it at the time, but in the end he would just be a crumpled, motionless heap on the ground.


Two years ago Mercy had no idea what she was. So when the time came for her first kiss, and she braved the shame and embarrassment of it all, she couldn't possibly imagine that Paul, the boy she liked would fall breathless at her feet. After that incident, her mother had no choice but to give her the basics. And the rules. Main one is: no boys.

Truthfully, Mercy didn't mind that rule at all after the realization of the danger she may impose upon more intimate contact sunk in. And who could blame her, really? Who would want to suck out the life if their loved ones? You got it: nobody.

So when she gets stuck in a classic game of "spin the bottle" and Flynn, the most gorgeous bad boy of all french-kisses her, Mercy expects the worst. But to her surprise, he's still alive and he's even laughing about the whole thing. How could that be?

After that night, things change dramatically for Mercy. Suddenly, guys are interested in her, girls are jealous of her, and her own containment of her inner demons is about to crack. Especially so when gorgeous blonde Luke steps in the picture and claims her.

Would she be able to control herself around him? Or would he be her first victim ever?

All I can say about this book is that it shattered me to pieces. So much that I actually had to take my time to write this review, because my thoughts were scattered in millions of fragments and it took a while to stitch them back together. Rarely do I feel so strongly about any novel. Only the masters have been able to provoke such grand emotions in me.

So, what I liked about this book was, well.... EVERYTHING. Okay, well yes, I admit there were some grammar inconsistencies, and they did kind of distract me from time to time. But everything else was so brilliant and engaging, I just couldn't put the kindle down.

I love romance/self-exploration stories, and this one was just that. It had lots of kissing and romance scenes; it had light action; it had lessons, breaking of rules and over-the-top excitement. There was uncontrolled passion and self-growth. The constant banter between Flynn and Mercy really cracked me up. The discoveries she made about the male gender were funny, and in a way - unexpected.

In short: I really enjoyed this book and would surely recommend it to anyone who loves paranormal romance stories.

The characters:
* Mercy was a well grounded character. She had her head cleared that she could not date. Perhaps not ever, or at least not until her mother gave her the basics on how to control herself. I loved her desire to strife to know more, and that she used the SAT vocab list in her daily life. I cracked up laughing at the big words she kept throwing at Flynn. I felt her pain and struggle with her darker self all along. I hurt with her, I laughed with her. She was a very real character.

* Flynn was the all time bad boy that every girl ultimately falls for. Mercy isn't one to hold back either. However, the fact that she despises him and his huge ego kind of pulls that attraction back a little. I loved his blaze demeanor, and I loved that underneath the hard shell, there was a core full of tenderness and desire to love and be loved back.

* Luke was the one character who kept me on edge the whole time. Not only was he smart, gorgeous and the ultimate boy a girl would want to wake up next to every morning, but he was also mysterious. So much, that we only find out what he is in the last few pages of the book. Not that I couldn't guess way before then, but I just really wanted to see it stated somewhere. Gosh, every time he held Mercy in his arms, I felt like I was in her shoes. It was amazing!!!

*Sebastian was another bad boy. Delicious and unearthly from the very beginning, he made my blood boil the moment he made his appearance.

*Paul - urghh, well, I really didn't like Paul. He was so self-centered and hypocritical I could barely stand him. Honestly. And he pretended to be the best friend, when he was of no help at all. He's close to my list of dislikes only with the bad guy.

*Maggie - well, she was a nice girl most of the time. She wasn't of much help, unless we count the romantic department. She isn't in on Mercy's secret, but truth is, I'd rather it's kept this way. I feel like her mouth is too big for her own good.

*Mercy's mom - well, what can I say, she must've had her reasons for keeping Mercy in the dark for all her life, and for not teaching her how to control her darker half.

Several quotes that I marked as I read along include:

One:
"You are a pompous licentious asshole, and there is nothing I need to hear from you but thank you for the ride," I said closing the car door maybe a little too hard on my exit.

Two:
As I continued down the hall Flynn fell in step with me.
"You could thank me," he said.
Barely turning in his direction, I scowled and rolled my eyes. "I could scream bloody murder too." I said flippantly.

Three:
"Oh, I'm just thinking, that's all."
"About?" I said. (...)
He stopped again. "I guess if I'd wanted to fill you in, I would have," he said giving me the eye that said "duh".

Four:
I hadn't really wanted to spell it out but here it goes. "Does she know you're sleeping with me?" I asked.
When he stood, turned and cocked his head to one side I realized the error of my words.
"She knows that I'm sleeping at your house but I doubt that she really could comprehend my fantasies," he said, raising his eyebrows as he eyed me up and down.

With all that said, here is my rating: