Review: Slow Starter but a real page turner by the finish
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 07 12, 2013
I was lucky enough to receive a PDF of this book in exchange for an honest review, so here goes. . .Approximately the first half of the book is spent introducing the main characters and building their back-stories in order to create the present day. Vivian is the main protagonist, but she is joined by some of her support team, including her Aunt Charlotte, her best friend Abby, and her romantic interest, Easton. This is all understandable, yet it keeps the book from grabbing my complete attention from the very beginning.Vivian has a vivid memory of the night her mother died, leaving her alone at a very young age. Luckily for Vivian her Aunt Charlotte came to her rescue, changing her own life in order to suddenly raise a child. The two women have a very close bond, with Vivian essentially thinking of Aunt Charlotte as her mother. Since Aunt Charlotte heard what Vivian had to say about the night that her sister died, plus some of the reports of what the scene looked like, she was well aware of Vivian's 'gift.' She encouraged Vivian to keep her abilities to herself and to never use them again, something Vivian was able to do until a specific incident at school.Tricia is the queen bee at the high school Vivian & Abby attend and makes an excellent antagonist. She has a particular dislike for Vivian, and Abby by extension. Her dislike escalates to hate when it becomes clear that Easton likes Vivian and not Tricia, who had her sights set on him. Almost every girl that has survived high school had their own Tricia, making her character completely authentic.One day Tricia sets the girls up to be humiliated and physically hurt in the middle of their lunch period. When Vivian sees what Tricia has planned and how it will hurt Abby something inside of her just snaps, and she ends up using her power against the giant girl Tricia had in place to hurt them. Vivian is lucky enough that no one really sees what happens between the two girls.At this point the action really picks up and it is difficult not to race through the remainder of the book. Though the characters are mostly relatable, there are one or two things that just don't quite ring true for me. It is because of those details and the slow start that I gave the book three stars. If I could I would give it 3.5 stars, but until that is possible I am going to stick with my initial reaction to the book.That being said, I certainly think that a sequel has great potential to maintain a consistent story arc. One that will potentially have the reader from cover to cover, keeping them from getting anything else accomplished until they've finished the book.