Review: Great for YA Fans
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 05 29, 2014
As the title of this review may hint, I'm not exactly a YA reader, but I occasionally dabble in some youthful reading to see what all the fuss is about. I may have skipped a few of the recent paranormal hits (Twilight, Hunger Games, etc), but I stumbled across this inexpensive eBook and decided to give it a try. While there were plenty of moments where I felt a bit out of my element, I enjoyed the character development and the lighthearted feel to the plot progression. Beaty showed her depth as an author when the suspense and the danger began to build, and just like many great authors, she was able to maintain tension without the reader losing interest, despite the occasional moments of humor or levity that were thrown in as infrequent respites. I almost with the book had centered on Ornella, or there should at least be a spin-off book about her life and times, as she was easily the most interesting and unique character that seemed to dominate any scene she was in. If this book had been a movie, she would have stolen the show. Hanna was a bit too filled with "angst" for me to properly identify with her or engage with her emotionally, but the story as a whole was enough to lead me on bit by bit. Eventually, when I came to the end, I realized that it had been a well-rounded, clearly outlined story without too many twists and turns, but also with very few obvious "mistakes". While I may not suggest this at my next reading club meeting, it was certainly a good book to while away a few afternoons with. Nicely done, Ms. Beaty.