Book: THE FOREVER GIRL
Author: REBECCA HAMILTON
Genre: PARANORMAL ROMANCE
Published: January 2012
Series: Forever Girl #1 (upcoming series)
Source: Dark Minds Book Tours, no other compensation given for an honest review
From Good Reads:
Sophia Parsons’ family has skeletons, but they aren’t in their graves...
Solving the mystery of an ancestor’s hanging might silence the clashing whispers in Sophia's mind, but the cult in her town and the supernaturals who secretly reside there are determined to silence her first.
As Sophia unknowingly crosses the line into an elemental world full of vampire-like creatures, shapeshifters, and supernatural grim reapers, she meets Charles, a man who becomes both lover and ally.
But can she trust him?
It’s not until someone nearly kills Sophia that she realizes the only way to unveil the source of her family's curse: abandon her faith or abandon her humanity. If she wants to survive, she must accept who she is, perform dark magic, and fight to the death for her freedom.
My Review:
THE FOREVER GIRL was a good book. I start off with that simple sentence, because the rest of my review might meander a bit and will definitely involve my more complex thoughts on the story. So, I will put it out there that I did really like this book.
There are some books where the characters draw me in even if the story isn't captivating. There are some books where I am just wowed by the writing and technical aspects of the plot. And, there are some books where the world-building is so intricate, so definitive and absorbing, that I can picture myself there. THE FOREVER GIRL combines the best aspects of all three of these.
Let me start with the characters. In some ways, Sophia seems to be the only character that matters. Charles has a little of his back story explained, and there is some references to Lauren's background, but both characters revelations still revolve around Sophia and their relationship with her. Ivory is much the same way, though her past is explored deeper, in that Sophia gets to experience her memories. But, the book does have a parenthetical title of Sophia's Journey. So, perhaps because of the consistent way (and the first person POV) that the story unfolds, this seems acceptable, and in fact, necessary.
The actual world that Sophia lives in is a contemporary one. Perhaps, a xenophobic one, with the small town that she lives in, and the virtual cult leader that torments her and has taken her mother from her side. Still, it is contemporary, and most think of the words "world-building" in an fantasy setting. It's really the mythology of the novel that drew me in. The elementals and their modern counterparts as seen through human eyes, such as witches being earth elementals. Even the language (Strigoi, Cruor) is intriguing and the revelations of who is what, how they became drawn to Sophia, and how they will be involved in future books in this series, really made THE FOREVER GIRL interesting to me.
This book made me really think about why I liked it and why it appealed to me. I had so many thoughts as I read, that it was the first time that I almost stopped to take notes. Hamilton has started a series that I definitely intend to return to. Her mix of fantasy, paranormal and contemporary elements, along with her mythology and plotline should appeal to anyone looking for a book with crossover appeal genre-wise. With Sophia being college age, but still going through a "coming-of-age" experience, and dealing with relationships and friendships for the first time as an "adult", THE FOREVER GIRL is also a great novel for older YAs to adults alike to enjoy.
4/5 for plot
4/5 for characters
4/5 for language
My Rating: 12/15 (3.5 stars)
Highly Recommend, if you liked:
Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Eve of Samhain by Lisa Sanchez
Seers of Light by Jennifer DeLucy
Find the author at:
Website | Blog | Twitter | GoodReads
Purchase book at:
Barnes and Noble | iTunes | Amazon
Available formats: NookBook, Kindle
Tour Participation:
Author: REBECCA HAMILTON
Genre: PARANORMAL ROMANCE
Published: January 2012
Series: Forever Girl #1 (upcoming series)
Source: Dark Minds Book Tours, no other compensation given for an honest review
Sophia Parsons’ family has skeletons, but they aren’t in their graves...
Solving the mystery of an ancestor’s hanging might silence the clashing whispers in Sophia's mind, but the cult in her town and the supernaturals who secretly reside there are determined to silence her first.
As Sophia unknowingly crosses the line into an elemental world full of vampire-like creatures, shapeshifters, and supernatural grim reapers, she meets Charles, a man who becomes both lover and ally.
But can she trust him?
It’s not until someone nearly kills Sophia that she realizes the only way to unveil the source of her family's curse: abandon her faith or abandon her humanity. If she wants to survive, she must accept who she is, perform dark magic, and fight to the death for her freedom.
My Review:
THE FOREVER GIRL was a good book. I start off with that simple sentence, because the rest of my review might meander a bit and will definitely involve my more complex thoughts on the story. So, I will put it out there that I did really like this book.
There are some books where the characters draw me in even if the story isn't captivating. There are some books where I am just wowed by the writing and technical aspects of the plot. And, there are some books where the world-building is so intricate, so definitive and absorbing, that I can picture myself there. THE FOREVER GIRL combines the best aspects of all three of these.
Let me start with the characters. In some ways, Sophia seems to be the only character that matters. Charles has a little of his back story explained, and there is some references to Lauren's background, but both characters revelations still revolve around Sophia and their relationship with her. Ivory is much the same way, though her past is explored deeper, in that Sophia gets to experience her memories. But, the book does have a parenthetical title of Sophia's Journey. So, perhaps because of the consistent way (and the first person POV) that the story unfolds, this seems acceptable, and in fact, necessary.
The actual world that Sophia lives in is a contemporary one. Perhaps, a xenophobic one, with the small town that she lives in, and the virtual cult leader that torments her and has taken her mother from her side. Still, it is contemporary, and most think of the words "world-building" in an fantasy setting. It's really the mythology of the novel that drew me in. The elementals and their modern counterparts as seen through human eyes, such as witches being earth elementals. Even the language (Strigoi, Cruor) is intriguing and the revelations of who is what, how they became drawn to Sophia, and how they will be involved in future books in this series, really made THE FOREVER GIRL interesting to me.
This book made me really think about why I liked it and why it appealed to me. I had so many thoughts as I read, that it was the first time that I almost stopped to take notes. Hamilton has started a series that I definitely intend to return to. Her mix of fantasy, paranormal and contemporary elements, along with her mythology and plotline should appeal to anyone looking for a book with crossover appeal genre-wise. With Sophia being college age, but still going through a "coming-of-age" experience, and dealing with relationships and friendships for the first time as an "adult", THE FOREVER GIRL is also a great novel for older YAs to adults alike to enjoy.
4/5 for plot
4/5 for characters
4/5 for language
My Rating: 12/15 (3.5 stars)
Highly Recommend, if you liked:
Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Eve of Samhain by Lisa Sanchez
Seers of Light by Jennifer DeLucy
Find the author at:
Website | Blog | Twitter | GoodReads
Purchase book at:
Barnes and Noble | iTunes | Amazon
Available formats: NookBook, Kindle
Tour Participation:
Great review! I have this one on my TBR. I am curious to read it now. I am a huge fan of Obsidian, so if you think I'll like this one based on that, I am definitely reading it sooner.
ReplyDeleteThanks!
Great! I'll be putting this on my TBR
ReplyDelete