Review: Beautiful
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 01 26, 2013
I promise to be brutally honest with my opinion, but it should not be taken as fact. Any reader should read it for themselves, before they decide if this book has any merit or not. Do not judge this book biased solely on my opinion. If you do, you might miss out on a great read. You never know. It could happen. My review may contain spoilers, but I really strive to be spoiler-free. I downloaded this book for free on Amazon.com. This book was not suggested nor "gifted" to me by the author. I have no affiliation with the author or his/her publisher.1. Strong Main Character/ Female Heroine: Brennen has lost everything she has ever cared about. Everyone is gone from her life that was ever important in it, except her grandmother, but her memory is going and it is only a matter of time before she is gone as well. Brennen decides to stop being invisible and embrace her youth. I can relate to her in this way, because I used to be so afraid of what others thought of me. I used to take their jealousy and hate to heart, but like Brennen, I have learned to let it go by me. It is hard to stay unaffected, but I learned that haters quickly move on, when their prey pretend like they do not care. If words were stones, I would have been dead long ago, but I have the strength like Brennen has to move on. She is an inspiring heroine, even though she falls too quickly in love with the characters in this book. Although to give her credit, Elijah is really something and I believe that I would fall for him in two seconds as well, but Sam? It was unexpected and a little forced. It was too unbelievable for me and the way she kept going back and forth. It seemed out of character to me. I never imagined that Brennen would be that way and it is a little disappointing, because it takes away from her inner strength. A girl with real inner strength would never need a man to make her feel complete. She is complete with or without one, because it depends upon her, not the guy. 3 out of 5 stars2. Strong Main Character / Male Hero: Sam was very charming at first, but I slowly began to dislike him. I think that the author was trying to go for a love/hate relationship for the reader to experience, but it was poorly executed. I just found myself really hating him for not being understanding by the end of the book. I do not know if I will ever like him again as the series progresses. Elijah is the most perfect guy in the world, and then add angel wings. No mortal guy could ever compete with him, so it comes as no surprise that Sam feels insecure around Brennan. Elijah knows her like no other person in the world. At first, I thought that he was very creepy, but once I realized what he was, I could understand him on a whole new level. AS Brennen's eyes are opened to the truth, so does the readers'. It is a unique experience and not all books are as suspenseful as this one. Many times in books, readers know more than the main character, but I did not feel that way with this one. The complexity of the characters keeps you guessing, even after the book is over. 3 out of 5 stars3. Strong Main Character / Evil Antagonist: President of Hell is really an absent threat sending demons after Brennen. As far as evil villains go, this one is as absent as one can get, while still affecting the intended target. The evil yellow eyed demons have been ricking havoc on Brennen's life for a long time, longer than she has ever known before...and the angels above are to blame. Even though, the evil guy is not present, his presence is felt throughout the entire book. 3 out of 5 stars4. Strong Minor Characters: Will does not enter into the picture until halfway into the book or a bit more than half. He is an influential character without really trying to be. He becomes a gateway to Brennen's birthright. He is unreliable, but the reader forgives him later, understanding the circumstances after the fact. Although I was not fond of Will at first, he began to win me over with his charm and good humor. He really cares about what happens to Brennen without giving that caring a sexual undertone. It was a refreshing change, when Will did not join the love triangle and turn it into a love square. Actually since Emily and Chris are also caught in the web of love, let's make that a pentagon that Will prevented from becoming a hexagon. I clearly dislike unbelievable love triangles or whatever shape they come in besides two...a line. Emily is a great friend for Brennen, until the end of the story, when the reader learns that Emily is not too happy with Brennen due to jealousy. It is a wonder how she was able to keep them together, when all she really wanted was for them to fall apart. Do not get me wrong. She was not a backstabbing bitch, but she did want Sam. She was too good of a person to ever forcibly break them up though. Chris was just an awkward third wheel most of the time and I feel like he did not provide anything for the story. It was almost like he was not really there at all, except at the end, so that Sam could punch him in the face for crushing on Brennen. Really? Really?! Pathetic. 3 out of 5 stars5. The Plot: Brennen learns the truth about her troubled past, discovers her birthright, and finds out who the people around her really are. The storyline is perfect in and of itself. There were a few nips and tugs at the fabric of it, but the plot survived. It is not a unique story, because I have heard different versions of the same plot line; however, this is a new take because of a few factors: how "angelic" Brennen is and the darkness to something that you never thought you had to fear before. All in all, I really enjoyed what the whole story was about. 4 out of 5 stars6. The Setting: I believe that I have hit the jackpot for the most descriptive settings in a book. The places described are breathtaking and the visions of a black sky are awe-inspiring. I felt like I was actually in the story and seeing everything with my own two eyes, instead of experiencing it through my mind's eye. Although this story did not take place at a whole bunch of places, the places that were described were beautifully written and not just vague and meaningless blurs of generic design. 4 out of 5 stars7. The Dialogue: I enjoyed the witty banter and how the characters spoke. The dialogue was good, but nothing lyrical or rhythmic. It did not have a unique quality to it, but it was not stilted or unbelievable in anyway. It was just average and average is great in its own way. Nothing wrong with average, unless you do not want to be...average that is. 3 out of 5 stars8. Engaging Surprises: There were plenty of surprises in this book that made me completely absorbed into the novel. There was a surprise lurking around every turn and when the reader least expects it, something jumps out to scare the living daylights out of you. This was a very thrilling read that kept at its fast pace and never once slowed down. I enjoy it when a novel is pace consistent, because it gives the reader the feeling that the novel is moving forward and not lagging behind or worse...dragging a lifeless body forcibly by the ankles attached to the back bumper of a car. Vivid imagery, huh? 5 out of 5 stars9. Climax: I feel like the author could have had a really intense moment that would have put everything into perspective for Brennen, but the author missed the opportunity to do so. It was a slight high and not nearly high enough for me to really realize that it was the climax of the story. There was a slight high that evened out really quick. There was not much of a climax for me, never mind of epic proportions. 2 out of 5 stars10. Emotional Response: I did not find myself crying for these characters, but I felt sympathy for them. Nothing really pulled hard on my heart strings and that is okay for me. I know that this novel was not written for that purpose. The reader is supposed to relate to the characters, but feel separated from them in order to see the bigger picture that the author is creating. But since I am judging emotional response in this one, I am going to have to score it low. 2 out of 5 stars11. Ending: I really liked the ending. I feel like the book could be a stand alone in a series. The novel completes itself, but leaves enough room for another adventure can begin in the next one. There is no big cliff hanger, but it makes me curious how Brennen will move on with her life as she now knows it. I want to learn more about her, but I still think that the ending could have packed a bigger punch. 4 out of 5 stars12. The Writing: The author has a creative flair for storytelling and I found myself enjoying the story deeply, because I did not need to agitate myself over grammar failures. Any book that does not have me nick picking over my pet peeves is a properly edited piece of work; however, I did not find her writing overly original. This author has yet to find her own voice. 3 out of 5 stars13. The Artwork: Very magnificent! The cover of this book suits the story beautifully! The girl on the cover fits Brennen and her love of the ocean in all of its wonder. The birds are a morbid touch to say the least, but very creative. 5 out of 5 stars14. Genre: A Paranormal romance fits the book, but I would also say that it is a thriller or suspenseful. It contains those elements as well. It is also a troubled romance with the topic of angels in it. It is also a self-discovery novel, because the main character learns something about herself that she never knew before. Basically, this novel does not fit in a nice little box. It has a mix of everything for everyone to enjoy. 5 out of 5 stars15. Title: My Soul To Keep is an attention catching title, because I know that the more famous series Soul Screamers has the same title for one of those books in the series. To tell you all the truth, at first, I thought that I was reading a Soul Screamers book, but when I found out that I was not, I was not disappointed at all. This author took a title already out there and made it her own. 4 out of 5 starsOverall, I give this novel a 3.5 out of 5 stars, because it is better than your average angel book. It has unique elements and characters that you will love to hate and hate to love. I will be reading the next book in the series.