Destiny Binds

by Tammy Blackwell

[jnikkir]

4.5 stars, and going on my "Favorites" shelf for sure.

I went into this book with high expectations based on the many stellar reviews, and I wasn't disappointed.

1. Scout as the narrator. Honestly, I thought this was the strongest point of the book. She has to be one of the best narrating voices I've read this year - fun, funny, strong, and likeable from the get-go. The first chapter or so had me thinking that her narration voice would wane over time (it just started out way too good), and when it didn't, I was very pleasantly surprised.

2. The plot. Incredibly tight and well-developed. I see where other reviewers are coming from when they say it starts out a little slow but picks up as you near the end... but I thought the entire book was very well paced overall. The first third of the book doesn't drag even though not a lot happens - mostly thanks to Scout's narration and commentary, which is always quick and interesting. The book was obviously building up to something, and I thought the initial "slowness" was actually well-balanced by events later in the book, rather than being just a slow start.

3. The ending. EVERYONE is mentioning the ending, and if you've read many reviews you probably kind of know what happens. I didn't read any specific spoilers before I read the book, but from people's reactions, I knew what was coming; so even when it did end up happening, I wasn't surprised or overly-emotional, because I had braced myself for it. That being said, I did find myself actually crying -- not at the event, but at the characters' reactions to it (one very young character's reaction in particular...). GAH. I think it's a mark of good character development and storytelling where, even when you know what's coming and think you're prepared, the author is still able to grab your heart and shatter it into a million pieces.


The ONE thing I thought was a little bit odd, and slightly pulled me out of what was otherwise a very engaging story, was the fact that Scout so quickly accepted that suddenly her world was filled with supernatural creatures. Maybe it was supposed to be a testament to her ability to roll with it, see things for what they were and not try to deny what was happening (which is definitely a big part of her character); but come on. Suddenly you discover the existence of a mythical creature, and you're not even going to try and rationalize or deny it? Not even for a minute? *shrug* It's a small complaint, and definitely not something that stopped me from loving the book, but still something I think could've been dealt with a little bit better.

Destiny Binds is a GREAT start to a series that I'm really looking forward to finishing. Thank God that the, and I'd recommend it to anyone who's a fan of YA paranormal romance. This is definitely one of the good ones.