Aria Rose, youngest scion of one of Mystic City’s two ruling rival families, finds herself betrothed to Thomas Foster, the son of her parents’ sworn enemies. The union of the two will end the generations-long political feud—and unite all those living in the Aeries, the privileged upper reaches of the city, against the banished mystics who dwell below in the Depths. But Aria doesn’t remember falling in love with Thomas; in fact, she wakes one day with huge gaps in her memory. And she can’t conceive why her parents would have agreed to unite with the Fosters in the first place. Only when Aria meets Hunter, a gorgeous rebel mystic from the Depths, does she start to have glimmers of recollection—and to understand that he holds the key to unlocking her past. The choices she makes can save or doom the city—including herself.  

Hardcover, 416 pages

Published October 9th 2012 by Delacorte Books for Young Readers

I have read several books on the topic of memory loss. This is the first one that in which I’ve been given a satisfactory explanation as to why only certain memories were lost. Other stories have skimmed over the facts and I find myself questioning why they remember some things but not others.

The story is set in a fantastical New York city in which the lower city has been mostly swallowed by water and is now referred to as “the Depths”, and the upper city has been separated into two major divisions, the leaders of which are enemies and politically divided. This year things are changing. A Mystic is running for election and has a good chance of winning.

The Mystics have magical powers. Each Mystic brings their own unique qualities to their magic and some are stronger than others. When non-Mystics became aware of just how strong the Mystic’s could be, those in power begin changing laws to have the Mystic’s drained of their powers.

Here our main character, Aria Rose, enters. The daughter of one of the most powerful men in the city, she is known to all just because of her status in the society. When she wakes after an overdose, she finds she is engaged to the rival family’s son and cannot remember falling in love. She does discover clues to a very steamy romance but the clues are all cryptic, leaving her very confused. 

Mystic City is a very interesting vision of a futuristic New York, and with the addition of characters with magical powers makes for a very fun, fantastical read. Not only did I enjoy the fact that the reader is actually clued in on the lost memories, but the details and background of the city, environment and political backgrounds adds several layers to the story that I wasn’t expecting. The romantic aspect is cute and the prospect of a revolution is enticing. Recommended.