Reviewed by Berls on
My Initial Reaction... This was not my favorite book in the series, though still a pretty good read. The teenage angst was a little too strong; for the first time in the series Kaylee has become the whiny teenager I dread in Young Adult novels.
The Narration...
Amanda Ronconi continues to earn her place as my favorite narrator. She makes each character unique and embodies their personalities! As always she does a fantastic job with Kaylee, but I have to say I really loved the way she presented Sabine. She just feels exactly like the person Vincent describes through Ronconi's narration.
The Characters...
I've grown to love Kaylee throughout the series and it's a good thing! She got on my last nerve in My Soul to Steal. I understand that Nash has hurt her and betrayed her trust, but either she wants him or she doesn't. Rather than accepting that, she has transformed into the child who doesn't want their favorite toy, but doesn't want anyone else to have it either. I know the strong Kaylee I've grown to love is there somewhere, she just needs to climb out from her insecurity!
Oh Nash, you poor boy. Nash is trying desperately to earn back Kaylee's trust, but he also needs support - support she's not willing/able to give him. He's lost his friends to Frost and he's all alone until Sabine enters the stage. He may want friendship only from her, but she has very different ideas and isn't afraid to claim what she wants. Having read the Reaper Novella before this was really helpful for understanding why this rekindled "friendship" is so complicated - you'll definitely want to read it first.
And then there's Tod. After having read Reaper even his minor appearances are so much more meaningful. You know him now and what's important to him; you know what motivates him. So to see him having so much trouble with Nash seems very telling.
The Story...
This book picks up in the spring semester, after Nash has spent several weeks undergoing a painful detox from Frost. Kaylee feels very betrayed and hasn't seen him much during his recovery, but the stakes are about to change. Nash and Kaylee are trying to work out their relationship, but to make matters worse Nash's ex-girlfriend Sabine has come back into his life and she is staking a claim! Kaylee doesn't know what to do; does she stake her claim, despite her major issues with Nash? Or does she trust Nash to keep Sabine back?
Meanwhile, some deeply disturbing events are unfolding at the school. It's as if everyone's gone crazy - but Kaylee knows in her gut that there's a supernatural reason for the problem. And when she finds out Nash's ex is also a Mora (aka A Nightmare) she can't help but point the finger and stir things up.
Concluding Sentiments...
The storyline in this book was less interesting than in the other books - too much of the story is dominated by a petty rivalry for Nash, who is at his bottom and hardly seems worth fighting for. The petty teenage angst also gets annoying. It does have some unexpected twists that keep the story fun, and it ended on a note that makes me interested in seeing how the story will continue to develop. I'm invested in the characters and look forward to the next, hopefully lest angsty, book in the series.
Reading updates
- Started reading
- 1 January, 2013: Finished reading
- 1 January, 2013: Reviewed