After the accident that took her parents' and sister's lives, 16-year-old Ever can see people's auras and read their thoughts. She even has conversations with the annoying ghost of her little sister, Riley. The stimulus she receives from the outside world is overpowering, and so she constantly tries to shut it out by wearing large hoodies and toting an iPod with earphones in everywhere.
Until the new student, Damen Auguste, comes into her life. He's dark, beautiful, talented, and perfect--and Ever is terrified of him, even when she's mysteriously drawn to him as his presence and touch somehow manages to calm the psychic chaos in her head. However, there may be more to Damen than he's admitting, and it involves Ever as well--involves her to the point where it may cost her her life if she doesn't come to turns with who she is and what she can do.
I've tried reading Alyson Noel's other books before, and I didn't get very far into them. Now I remember why. Ever's character is about the only redeeming thing I can find in this book. Her character grows and changes in the course of the novel, from a sullen and frightened trauma victim to a teen beginning to "come into herself," so to speak. I found the other characters flat and annoying. Ever's friends Miles and Haven didn't seem real, and I was especially annoyed that there seemed to be no development to Damen and Ever's romance; it was like one moment they've just met and she's avoiding him, and the next--BOOM!--he's stalking her with red tulips and she's grudgingly admitting to herself that she likes him. Please. Additionally, while the story idea is intriguing, the writing lacks immediacy and there are lots of moments when I wanted to throw the book across the room because I did not understand why insert-your-choice-of-plot-device was thrown in so suddenly and randomly.
Still, it's not hard to see why the Immortals series will have a large fan base. Damen--or at least the idea of him--gives Edward Cullen a run for his money. Fans of Stephenie Meyer may do well to check out Alyson Noel's latest book.
Until the new student, Damen Auguste, comes into her life. He's dark, beautiful, talented, and perfect--and Ever is terrified of him, even when she's mysteriously drawn to him as his presence and touch somehow manages to calm the psychic chaos in her head. However, there may be more to Damen than he's admitting, and it involves Ever as well--involves her to the point where it may cost her her life if she doesn't come to turns with who she is and what she can do.
I've tried reading Alyson Noel's other books before, and I didn't get very far into them. Now I remember why. Ever's character is about the only redeeming thing I can find in this book. Her character grows and changes in the course of the novel, from a sullen and frightened trauma victim to a teen beginning to "come into herself," so to speak. I found the other characters flat and annoying. Ever's friends Miles and Haven didn't seem real, and I was especially annoyed that there seemed to be no development to Damen and Ever's romance; it was like one moment they've just met and she's avoiding him, and the next--BOOM!--he's stalking her with red tulips and she's grudgingly admitting to herself that she likes him. Please. Additionally, while the story idea is intriguing, the writing lacks immediacy and there are lots of moments when I wanted to throw the book across the room because I did not understand why insert-your-choice-of-plot-device was thrown in so suddenly and randomly.
Still, it's not hard to see why the Immortals series will have a large fan base. Damen--or at least the idea of him--gives Edward Cullen a run for his money. Fans of Stephenie Meyer may do well to check out Alyson Noel's latest book.
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