Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

I'm loving this wonderful series set in a fictional small town in South Carolina! The magic is magical and the setting is comfortable and the characters are really likable. Beautiful Darkness is the second book in the Caster Chronicles series, so this review may contain a few spoilers. To read the review of the first book, Beautiful Creatures, click here.

I just about started this review with "this is the first series featuring witches/witchcraft that I've enjoyed!" and then remembered Harry Potter.  But aside from Harry Potter, this is the first series featuring this much magic that I've loved.  The setting grabbed me and pulled me in heart and soul.  The books are set in Gatlin, SC, a small fictional town just outside of Summerville, SC, which is near Charleston, SC.  I grew up in SC!  The authors do a great job representing the state.  I love hearing the descriptions of the food and the culture.  Lena even makes a comment at one point about all the different casseroles that show up on her doorstep when tragedy strikes.  So true!  If someone you loves dies in the South, you can totally expect an avalanche of casseroles to be delivered to your house.  This book happens to take place in June, so there's mention of the climate also.  Again- the authors nail it.  There's mention of the weighty, oppressive heat peppered into the story.  It's all very natural and unobtrusive.  Being a YA book, the action continually moves forward without any lengthy descriptive passages.  Still, the setting itself, with the heat and the culture and the traditional magic (like the Gullah magic that Amma works) almost act as a minor character.

The characters are awesome too.  First, the uniqueness of point of view:  the book is told by Ethan Waite, a non-magical male.  Seems like most of the magical/witchy books are told from the female perspective.  (At least in the YA realm.  I haven't tried any "grown up" witchy books.)  Ethan is such a good guy.  I want to be his friend, and also can't help but wonder if I'd be worthy of being his friend.  He's not perfect- he definitely has some moments- but overall he's so good.  So much better than many actual teenage boys I know.  You can really see the influence of his Amma in him.  I love reading about how much he cares for his family and friends.

Lena is almost a secondary character in this book.  The whole plot is driven by her; is about her; but yet she's not a truly active player in all of it.  Instead, Ethan and Linc spend a large portion of the book "chasing" her.  (I don't want to say too much and spoil anything!)  Just like how the first book was all about a build-up to Lena's sixteenth moon; this book is about her seventeenth moon.  Lena is just as communicative as ever... *insert sarcasm*  And of course you'll have to read the book to find out if she claims herself for light or dark!  It's not obvious:  you'll be on the metaphorical edge of your seat as you read this book.  Along the way, you'll experience lots of Caster magic and all the members of the Ravenwood family and lots of mystery.

I listened to Beautiful Darkness, and the narrator did a fantastic job.  He had a Southern accent that wasn't too overdone or anything.  His pacing and enunciation were spot on.  I would definitely recommend this audiobook.  There were also some sound effects scattered throughout too, which is rare!  They were really well done.  Not too many; not too few.  And each time the seventeen moons song came up, it was actually sung by a female, to music.  I think this is one of those rare cases where the audiobook may actually be slightly better than the physical book!

Overall, a great series and a great book.  Two thumbs up!

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by Tynga at Thursday, January 19, 2017

 Brown Books for Young Readers, caster chronicles, Fantasy amp; Magic, Friendship, Kami Garcia, Library, Little, Magic, Margaret Stohl, Review, YA, young adult  Leave your mark

✎

Ice Whale by Jean Craighead George

I mentioned last week that I was reading this book, and that I thought it was really cool and unique- especially the "whalish" language.  I finished the book and it lived up to it's expectations 100%!

Ice Whale tells the stories of a bowhead whale, Siku, and an Eskimo family.  The story begins in 1848, when a young Eskimo boy, Toozak, witnesses a whale being born.  This is really, really rare.  (In fact, it is only in the last couple of years that anyone has actually witnessed the birth of a right (bowhead) whale.  Toozak's sighting in Ice Whale is fictional.)  Unfortunately, Toozak is young and naive and accidentally leads American whalers right to the whale's pod.  The village shaman tells Toozak that he and his family are now cursed, and must watch over Siku until either a member of the family saves Siku or Siku saves a member of the family.

I thought the curse aspect of the story would involve more mysticism, but alas... it did not.  The book reads much more like "curse" = "banishment."  But there is still the aspect where Siku talks to other whales and to the descendants of Toozak!  That's an awesome detail.  Here's a shot of one page (no spoilers):

Every generation names their first-born "Toozak."  Eventually we get to a generation where the first-born is a girl; even she's named "Emily Toozak" in fulfillment of the shaman's orders.  There was one point in the book where I got just a little turned around with all the Toozaks, but that could just be because I was quite tired while reading it.  It's a middle grades book, so it shouldn't take much brain power, but there's a lot of info in this little gem!

Because the book covers many generations of Toozak's family, we don't get to know any of them very well.  However, their lack of dimensionality doesn't detract from the story- the main story is the whale, and the main "selling point" of the book is the setting and the zoology.  The reader does get to know Siku pretty well.  The anthropomorphism is done very well- I truly felt like I was getting an inside look at whale society.  It didn't read like some little kids' magic animal book; I felt Siku's rhythms and movements and saw the coast of Alaska through his giant eyes.

That brings me to another major winning point with Ice Whale- the setting and zoology.  I get cold easily, and live in the American southeast, but Jean Craighead George's writing made me want to visit Alaska!  The descriptions of the ice and the coast weren't overly wordy but were sweeping.  Also, the way that she works actual factual zoology into the story is excellent.  When I finished the book, I realized I had learned so much about the bowhead whales, and I never knew it was happening during the reading!  (There's also an afterword that clarifies and summarizes a lot of the information from the story.)

Overall, a good book.  Newberry Award winner Jean Craighead George has definitely not lost her touch with prose in this final novel.  The curse aspect combined with the "whalish" makes this a very unique book as well.

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by Tynga at Thursday, April 14, 2016

 anthropomorphic animals, Dial Books, Fiction, Friendship, Jean Craighead George, Library, Review, young adult  Leave your mark

✎

Circa Now by Amber McRee Turner

To be honest, y'all, I deliberated over this review.  I read Circa Now a couple of weeks ago, and I really enjoyed it, but I also felt slightly misled.  In the back-of-book synopsis, I felt promised "a hint of magic."  In fact, that final paragraph of the synopsis is a bit off base.

It is, however, truly a "gripping story full of hope and heart."  So that's excellent!  Circa Now is Circa's story- a young teen who lives in a small town with her photographer parents.  One night her dad goes out to deliver some photos and is caught by a tornado.  Just as she and her mom are beginning to pick up the pieces and find their new normal, Circa begins to notice that things that she and her dad Photoshopped in photos are coming true.  A strange boy even shows up on their porch, the exact right age to match a baby that she and her dad Photoshopped into a picture!

More than anything else, Circa Now is a story of hope and healing... and maybe not so much of magic.  You know that we here at Tynga's Reviews avoid spoilers like the plague, but I can't help this one:  there is no magic.  I enjoyed the story.  The author is quite talented.  But the publisher put a misleading synopsis on the back cover.  I think there was enough in the book to recommend it even without a teaser of magic, but maybe that's just me.  From what I've been able to glean from author interviews and talking to other bibliophiles, authors very rarely have hardly any say over these synopses, so don't hold this against the book!

As I mentioned, it is a story of healing and growth.  Circa is quite a young teen, and she's having to deal with the horrific tragedy of losing her dad.  Her mom has depression and anxiety, and there are even hints of mild agoraphobia.  Not only is there a beautiful story here of a young girl coming into her own through hope and help from friends and family, there's also a story of friendship.  In the middle of all this, there's a strange boy, Miles, who shows up on their doorstep with amnesia.  After the tornado he found a photograph on the ground with Circa's parents' photography studio address on the back, and he found his way to them.  Circa and her best friend really step up and they befriend Miles.  I love that this is a YA book without romance!  Just friendship.  It's really sweet.

Overall, I very much recommend this book, even minus any actual magic.  The writing is superb, and I had trouble putting down the book ever.  The plot kept a good, steady pace and the characters are 110% lovable.  Then there are these cool photos roughly every other chapter.  A big part of the plot focuses on photographs that Circa and her dad Photoshopped, and the author put them into the book so that we can see them!  I loved that detail.

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by Tynga at Thursday, March 24, 2016

 Amber McRee Turner, Disney-Hyperion, Family, Friendship, magic-not-magic, photoshop, Publisher, Review, young adult  Leave your mark

✎

Lair of Dreams by Libba Bray

Before I start, let me warn you that Lair of Dreams is the 2nd installment in the Diviners series by Libba Bray.  If you haven't read The Diviners, you may want to start there.

Now, let me tell you that Lair of Dreams is definitely one of the top books I've read in 2015, if not the top book!  It's positutely the elephant's eyebrows!  You see, the characters are very young adults in the grandest of ages, the roaring '20s.  They live in New York, New York, and all have careers relating in one way or another to entertainment.  There are parties and speakeasies, the most fun and fantastic lingo you'll read in a book, and absolutely no cares in the world.  Hollywood, I'd love for someone to make this series into movies soon, please!

Some of these fun and flashy characters have special powers.  They are diviners, able to read the past and the future from personal objects.  Or dreamwalkers, able to reach people in their dreams, or the dead from beyond the grave.  Some of them have powers not yet realized when you start the book!  One thing I love about Libba Bray, though, is that she doesn't give every single character powers, and there's no formula to who has them and who doesn't.  Keeps this reader guessing right up to the reveal!  I also feel confident telling you that you will love all of the characters.  You will find yourself (like me) wishing for a time/fiction machine to go to the jazz age to hang out with them.  There's sweet and flirty Evie, who loves life (and her friends) with an unequaled ferocity.  And serious and smart Theta.  And southern gentleman Henry.  And goofball Sam.  And naïve but loyal Mabel.  And courageous and smart Ling.  And more!  I know it sounds like a lot, to have so many main characters, but Bray is a masterful storyteller who introduces them one by one (some in The Diviners and some in this book) to avoid confusion.  In both books, we meet the characters separately, or in small groups/pairs, then as the story progresses their individual narratives knit together to form the most lovely collective.

The plot also feels "woven together," from many different strands.  Each pair or group of characters is experiencing major events from very different viewpoints, giving the reader a total picture without an omniscient narrator talking over your shoulder.  My book's end flap described this book as "heart stopping," and I must concur.  This is one of those stay-up-way-past-your-bedtime-reading books, because you'll have to know that your beloved characters made it through another day!  Divining is a dangerous job already, with physical side effects (we learned in The Diviners that it's different for everyone, but usually involves something like a hangover effect), and now there's a mysterious sleeping sickness sweeping through NYC.  The victims appear healthy when they go to bed, but then their loved ones are unable to wake them by any means.  It especially affects Ling, who is the daughter of a Chinese man and who lives in Chinatown, where the sickness appears to have originated.  Will the dead she encounters in her dreamwalks help her solve the mystery before too many people are claimed?  Will she herself be able to remain safe of the sickness?  Soon all the local diviners are involved in a dangerous situation that involves the sickness, a ghostly woman, and a mysterious man in a stovepipe hat.  I don't want to give anything away, but it's definitely a page-turner!  It also feels a bit "dark," if that makes sense.  Despite all the fun '20s lingo, these characters feel like they're in very real danger, and much of the book takes place at night, and sometimes in unsavory parts of town.  Just one of the best marriages of suspense and mysticism and fright that I've read since Stephen King.

I'll close with an enthusiastic Hallelujah Chorus in praise of the audiobook.  A young lady named January does the reading and she's the bee's knees!  Absotutely the best!  No, the lingo doesn't do her justice... she, like the author, is a master at her craft.  She manages to get a 600+ page book onto only 19 CDs without ever feeling rushed.  She does distinct voices for 12+ characters, including males.  (My personal fave is New Orleans-raised Henry!)  And she sings!  With multiple characters in show biz, there are some snatches of tunes sprinkled throughout the book and January sings them and sings them well!  Really adds to the ambience.  I think this is an occasion where I'd actually recommend the audiobook over the physical book!

Five of five incredibly enthusiastic stars to Lair of Dreams!  And here's to hoping the third book isn't too long of a wait!

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by Tynga at Thursday, October 15, 2015

 1920s, diviners, Friendship, Historical, Horror amp; Ghost Stories, Libba Bray, Library, Listening Library, Review, The Diviners, young adult  4 People left their mark

✎

The Twistrose Key by Tone Almhjell

OHMYGOODNESS!  How much did I LOVE this book!  I usually hate when a book has a blurb on the front proclaiming it "*famous book title* meets *famous book title*" but in this case it turne out to be so true.  The Twistrose Key had a blurb saying it was a mash of The Chronicles of Narnia and The Golden Compass.  So accurate!

Eleven-year-old Lin has had a rough couple of months.  Her family has moved to the city from their farm, and then Lin's pet rat Rufus passes away.  On a cold, wet night, Lin goes exploring in her cellar and finds a magical key, addressed to her.  Next thing she knows, she's in Sylver, just as Lucy passed through the wardrobe to reach Narnia.  This is where I got hooked:  only a couple pages in and I was rearranging my life to make extra reading time!  You see, Sylver is where especially well-loved pets or tame wild animals go after death.  They become larger and more dextrous and gain speech and they live in a little town.  How AWESOME is that premise?!  To think that our beloved pets never truly, completely die, but instead go on to a magical place?  Lin has been "summoned" to Sylver to help solve a mystery.  There's one semi-human (human in shape & form, but very magical) family that lives in Sylver and helps maintain the magic.  Unfortunately, they have disappeared.  If Lin can't solve this mystery and find them in just a few hours, Sylver will start to unravel as the magic unwinds.

Ya'll, this upper middle-grades story was so good that I'm trying to convince the hubby (usually only reads adult nonfiction) to try it!  The writing and pacing were excellent.  I never found myself bored or skimming.  In fact, this book took me a little longer to read than usual because I would find myself lingering over a particularly well-written passage.  It was hard to remember that C.S. Lewis himself didn't write it!  I so enjoyed "walking" around Sylver with Lin and Rufus, and meeting other animals.  When the task grew dangerous, I found myself getting pretty nervous.

The characters themselves definitely added to the book.  The friendship between Lin and Rufus is so sweet.  Neither is perfect, but they complement each other well.  When Lin gets too impatient and impulsive, Rufus is there to force her to slow down and think.  And when Rufus encounters a fear, Lin is there to help encourage him along.  The characters also did most of the heavy-lifting of world building.  Because this is Lin's first (and probably only) visit to Sylver, Rufus continues to explain things to her as they go about town searching for the missing people.  This also clues the reader in on the social mores and infrastructure layout of Sylver.  Super helpful, and meant there were no long paragraphs or sections describing scenery.

The mystery itself was really well done too.  Lin continually uncovers clues throughout the evening, but you'll be guessing until the end!  There's no way anyone could predict that ending.  Don't worry; no spoilers.  Just saying that the clues were doled out often enough to keep me very, very engaged, but not quite enough clues were given for the reader to solve the mystery before Lin does.  I love "group solves" in mystery books!

To sum up:  excellent writing, characters you'll love, gorgeous setting.  I'm adding Tone Almhjell to my "auto-buy" list!

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by Tynga at Thursday, July 30, 2015

 Action amp; Adventure, anthropomorphic animals, Fantasy amp; Magic, Friendship, Mystery, Publisher, Puffin Books, Review, Tone Almhjell  4 People left their mark

✎

The Isle of the Lost by Melissa de la Cruz

Have you ever wondered what the kids of Disney's most famous royalty and villains would be like?  In The Isle of the Lost, Melissa de la Cruz explores just that!  In this book, we follow the adventures of the teen kids of Belle & the Beast, Jafar, Cruella de Vil, Maleficient, and the Evil Queen.  I was actually debating at first whether or not to review the book here on Tynga's Reviews, because all of the villains and their progeny have been banished to a magic-less island.  A book with no magic?  That wouldn't do.  But it turns out that Carlos, Cruella's son, is a tech whizkid who has invented a machine that briefly allows magic back onto the island.  This spark of magic set in motion a whole chain of events for the group.

I was definitely drawn to The Isle of the Lost by it's gimmicky nature:  the story of the teenaged children of Disney's most (in)famous villains going on a magic-filled adventure together.  That being said, I do feel that the gimmickiness will draw a clear line between those who will love the book, and those who will hate it.  First, a basic working knowledge of and love of classic Disney is required in order to full "get" all the references.  Also, there is a lot of book before the reader gets to any action, wherein the main characters are hanging out about town, interacting with other minor Disney characters, and developing setting.  Disney fanatics will love this; others may find it a bit tedious to wade through.  Personally, I fell more toward the latter group.  Many minor characters are briefly introduced and then never mentioned again, which I found off-putting.  But I could see a Disney-loving teen totally digging "seeing" all their faves living together on an island!  Second, this book is a "prequel" to a made-for-TV movie.  This isn't a spoiler; it's clearly stated in many places.  Not everyone is into the whole multimedia series experience.  This actually led to a great discussion with a library customer about the pros and cons of the multimedia experience.  Another well-known example of this is the 39 Clues series; there are many books in this series, and all contain hints/clues and special log-in information to allow readers to also interact on a website.  They're very popular.  I didn't watch the movie after finishing this book, and I'd be very interested to talk to someone who does, to see how the total package experience went.

But I digress.  Back to the book!  As I mentioned before my whole gimmick and multimedia experience sidebar, the four main characters embark on a quest of sorts in the second half of the book.  All four are children of villains, and are expected to act as such.  Where most parents encourage their kids to share and play nicely with others, these kids have parents who encourage dirty tricks and graffiti.  So it was very interesting to see how de la Cruz would write them into a "group project" of sorts.  I feel like she did it pretty well!  The characters are definitely a bit caricaturistic, but they're beyond 2D.  For an upper middle grades/young YA book, the writing is superb.  As an adult reading it, it felt a little "young," but I was reading it with the eye of a young teen, and I could totally name a few tweens that I'll be recommending this to.

The best news?  No spoilers, but The Isle of the Lost works as a standalone too.  So no worries if you don't want to try the movie!  No cliffhangers.

You'll just need to read the book to see if the quartet accomplishes their magical goal!

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by Tynga at Thursday, July 09, 2015

 Descendants, disney, Disney Hyperion, Fairy Tales amp; Folklore, Fantasy amp; Magic, Friendship, Melissa de la Cruz, Purchased, Review, young adult  4 People left their mark

✎

Bobby Ether and the Academy by R. Scott Boyer

I had mixed feelings about Bobby Ether and the Academy.  The main character, Bobby, is 14 and has just discovered that he has special magical abilities.  Within an hour, he has manifested his ability, been sorta kidnapped twice, loses his parents, and is sent to live at a special boarding school for kids with these special abilities.  And that's only the first chapter!

My mixed feelings started with the cover.  I know that you're not supposed to judge a book by it's cover, but look at it--would you guess middle school or high school for that cover?  I would have totally put that cover firmly in the middle grades category.  Turns out this book is 100% high school:  it's got quite a bit of length to it, the main character is 14 and in high school, and there is a scattering of "damns" and "hells" throughout.

My mixed feelings continued with the pacing of events.  As I've mentioned, a LOT happens very quickly.  And the pace never lets up at all.  This would probably be a great reluctant reader recommendation.  The reader cannot zone while reading this page-turner, or they'll miss some of the action.  No lengthy scenic descriptions here!  Bobby Ether and the Academy is character- and action-driven all the way.  However, while lots of action can be very appealing to some, for me it fell a little flat.  I started to feel like the author had a list of two dozen plot points to bring up, and then went back down the list resolving them in the second half of the book.  I can't put my finger exactly on any given moment, but there was a point where the book started to feel formulaic for me, which distracted a bit from connecting to the characters.

Bobby Ether and the Academy is a great readalike recommendation book.  I could definitely see myself recommending it to a youngish teen who has finished the Harry Potter series and is looking for their next read.  The older main character, tougher plot points (Bobby's loss of his parents and some other family secrets), and slight use of language make this a good "what do I read next?" book.  And after the exciting, action-packed finale to the book, I had to go visit the author's website to make sure that there's a sequel!  (There is:  Bobby Ether and the Temple of Eternity.)

I will also say that the magical elements were well done in this book.  I had no trouble believing in how they worked, and they fit nicely into the greater story.

Overall, not a bad book.  Not a great go-tell-all-the-people-to-read-it-now book either.  Definitely not one to judge by it's cover.

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by Tynga at Thursday, June 18, 2015

 Bobby Ether, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, Edelweiss, Fantasy amp; Magic, Friendship, R. Scott Boyer, Review, young adult  Leave your mark

✎

The Time Fetch by Amy Herrick

The Time Fetch follows young teens Edward (Dweebo to some), Danton, Feenix (Edith to her mother), and Brigit as they discover a stone that holds time foragers, fight to restore order to their world as the time foragers rapidly eat away at their town, and struggle to grow into themselves and discover the good in those around them.

I would only give The Time Fetch 2 or 3 stars out of 5, but I want to give a caveat right up front:  I read this book right after a fantastic one, and I read it over a very busy few days in my personal life.  There wasn't any time for me to sit down and really get immersed in the world; I read it in short bites.  I feel like that might have colored my "meh" opinion.

The Time Fetch did have a pretty unique and interesting premise.  Edward, kind of a loner kid who's just coasting through life has to find a rock to bring into science class last-minute, so he looks out in his aunt's backyard and chooses one at random.  Turns out this is a very special rock, one that should never have moved.  Now the forces within, little bee-like creatures who feed on time, have been disturbed and released.  Suddenly time is starting to literally fly by!  The kids are in class only a few minutes before the next bell rings.  They get home from school only to find it's already dinner time.  They grow taller and stronger overnight.  I was definitely intrigued by the concept of fantastical creatures foraging on time, like locusts of the fourth dimension!  Unfortunately, I felt like this could have been explained much more if the book was longer or the start to a series.  (It's a standalone; I checked.)

The plot premise isn't the only thing left unexplained.  There's an entire scene with Feenix that never really ends up going anywhere.  After it was all over, I kept expecting it to pop back up later in the story... but it never did.  So it was really unnecessary in the scheme of things.  And Feenix's name!  Her name is actually Edith.  Maybe I missed something somewhere, but I don't think the author ever explains the nickname.

Two of the secondary characters really saved this book for me and kept me pushing through:  Danton and Brigit.  I absolutely loved Danton's energy and enthusiasm and friendliness!  If I was a kid again, I'd totally want to be friends with Danton.  He also exhibits a thoughtfulness beyond his years that is super sweet.  And Brigit is such a sweet thing.  She cares so much for her family and friends.  Although quiet, she shows a great inner strength.

Another redeeming factor:  the Action!  Adventure!  near the end of the book.  The story culminates in some pretty daring do's, where the characters experience a great deal of danger to save their town from the time foragers.

My library classifies The Time Fetch as "Young Adult," but I'd only hand it to the youngest of young adults.  Like some middle schoolers.  I'd be afraid, though, that even a younger kid would question the plot holes, and wind up slightly dissatisfied.

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by Tynga at Thursday, May 14, 2015

 Action amp; Adventure, Algonquin Young Readers, Amy Herrick, Friendship, middle grades, Publisher, Review, time, young adult  Leave your mark

✎

Beckon Me by Cindy Thomas

This fantastic New Adult book has just the right mix of college life, friendship, romance, and ghosts!

Beckon Me is only the second New Adult book I've tried.  I've been hesistant, under the misbelief that New Adult is just YA with sex.  Boy, was I wrong!  If all New Adult is anything like Beckon Me, its more about the age of the characters (college or very young adult) and the depth of the characters' interactions with each other and with the world.

Karina and Rainey, best friends, go out together one night during their freshman year to see a photography exhibit.  In an instant, their lives are changed when they come upon a mugging, and get shot.  In that instant, Karina learns that souls don't die with the physical body; they cross over into whatever is next.  Unfortunately, something goes awry and Rainey's soul doesn't cross over.  It lingers, and it's scaring the crap out of her.  Essentially "haunting" her.

Cindy Thomas has written wonderfully complex characters that the reader can't help but fall in love with.  Reading the scenes where the main character, Karina, is hanging out with first Rainey and then Gabby took me right back to my own college days.  Not only that, but I truly wanted to be in the apartment with them, eating ice cream, watching movies, or going out to a club to let loose.  I think the author did a fantastic job with Karina--writing her character in such a way that we see her internal struggle when it comes to making new friends.  Is it a betrayal of her best friendship with Rainey to accept Gabby's friendship?  Absolutely not!  And are you into romance?  There's this lovely slow build between Karina and Eli, the hot guy next door.  The sexual tension was killing me!  You see, he's not only hot and right next door and a fellow student at Backbay University, he's also witty and ever-present, always making himself right at home with Karina in class or at home.  He's her trainer (more on that in the next paragraph), and he's got a great physique (which Cindy Thomas does a fantastic job describing (fans myself)), and there's a hint of "maybe it's forbidden" thrown in.  No spoilers, but I will let you know that there's no behind-closed-bedroom-doors scenes, in case you're not into that.

As I mentioned, Eli is Karina's trainer.  Rainey's ghost keeps popping up in Karina's life, and this is because she's been marked as a possible Beckoner recruit.  Beckoners are people who help guide souls to the other side.  There are many pros and cons to accepting the job, one of which is that Karina will be able to help guide Rainey's soul, and release her from a purgatory-type place.  I thought this was pretty cool:  Karina essentially gets to "job shadow" or "intern" with Eli before making the final decision.  There are a few months in which they train and talk about all the aspects of the job before she makes her decision.  It turns out it's not as straightforward as Karina thinks.  You'll be kept guessing until the end whether or not Karina is willing and able to accept the danger!

I am so very, very glad I decided to give this New Adult romance/paranormal/friendship book a try, and will be waiting very impatiently for the next book in the duology!

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by Tynga at Thursday, April 16, 2015

 Author, Beckon Me, Cindy Thomas, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, Friendship, Love amp; Romance, New adult, Paranormal, Review  3 People left their mark

✎