This cover makes me long for the warm July sun. Picture me now lounging on a chair the salty breeze blowing my hair as I sit with my Kindle in one hand and a cold beverage in the other...ahhhh! I digress. Take a look at the synopsis and my review below and tell me this book doesn't sound like a cold drink of water on a hot summer day! Fantabulous!
Synopsis:
Once you’ve been touched by darkness, it never leaves you…
Abandoned by her parents as an infant; seventeen year old Hannah spent her childhood wading through countless foster families until being adopted by the Whitmans three years ago.
Unfortunately, Atlanta’s high society wasn’t quite ready for Hannah…or the strange events that plague her.
Chilling visions of murder, unexplained hallucinations, and a dark, mysterious guy who haunts her nightmares all culminate to set in motion a journey of self-discovery that will challenge everything she’s ever believed; not to mention her sanity.
Sent to live at The House of Lorelei on Bald Head Island, NC for ‘kids like her’, Hannah quickly realizes things are not what they seem. Her fellow ‘disturbed’ teens are actually the descendents of mythical Sea Gods and Goddesses. And so is she.
But when Finn, the ghost from her dreams, appears in the flesh; her nightmares become reality and her dark visions begin coming true. Inexplicably drawn to him, she can’t deny the dangerous hold he has on her heart. The deadly secrets he harbors will ultimately test her courage and push the boundaries of her love.
She must decide if she is ready to embrace the ancient legend she is prophesized to be a part of. The fate of all the descendents will forever depend upon it.
Abandoned by her parents as an infant; seventeen year old Hannah spent her childhood wading through countless foster families until being adopted by the Whitmans three years ago.
Unfortunately, Atlanta’s high society wasn’t quite ready for Hannah…or the strange events that plague her.
Chilling visions of murder, unexplained hallucinations, and a dark, mysterious guy who haunts her nightmares all culminate to set in motion a journey of self-discovery that will challenge everything she’s ever believed; not to mention her sanity.
Sent to live at The House of Lorelei on Bald Head Island, NC for ‘kids like her’, Hannah quickly realizes things are not what they seem. Her fellow ‘disturbed’ teens are actually the descendents of mythical Sea Gods and Goddesses. And so is she.
But when Finn, the ghost from her dreams, appears in the flesh; her nightmares become reality and her dark visions begin coming true. Inexplicably drawn to him, she can’t deny the dangerous hold he has on her heart. The deadly secrets he harbors will ultimately test her courage and push the boundaries of her love.
She must decide if she is ready to embrace the ancient legend she is prophesized to be a part of. The fate of all the descendents will forever depend upon it.
My Gushing Review:
I LOVE, LOVE, will you marry me and raise little Nemo fishies with me LOVE this book! From the very beginning it was well executed as we see a mysterious couple drop off their young baby girl at a police station. 17 years later we meet Hannah whom we immediately recognize has lived a terrible childhood. While her new life would seem perfect now that she has been adopted into a high society family you can feel the lack of true love they provide her as evidenced by their quick approval to send her off to a boarding school for "special" kids. However, this school is exactly where Hannah belongs and she quickly finds acceptance into a family of friends while starting to unlock the mysteries of her true self. The House of Lorelei (anyone else a Gilmore Girls fan?) is a school for the descendants of sea gods and goddess and as Hannah starts to unravel the pain and dreams of her past she finds that they are tied to her future and some deadly secrets and a destiny that she may or may not be able to handle.
I loved:
Characters: fabulously written Hannah is brave and vulnerable with a strong will to overcome her past. Her roommates create a picture of true friendship. Finn, possibly my ultimate new crush, is mysterious and sweet and sexy and scary all at the same time. The romance factor is alive and well here.
Setting: the details of the school, the sea, the island are all wonderful. Kristen had me smelling pina coladas and singing Jimmy Buffett songs in my head.
"Paranormal" factor: the world Forsaken creates is mesmerizing. I wanted to dive right into the ocean with these characters. I have not read many books on merpeople or sea creatures and I hear it is very hard to find a good one. Forsaken brings to light a world of sea gods and goddess that I can't wait to delve deeper into. Very much like Harry Potter or Percy Jackson you are seeing a normal person come into incredible power.
Didn't love:
Um, that it ended! Perfectly written the climactic struggle and ending resolve in just the right way. I was left satisfied that there is so much more to come but not overwhelmed by a crazy cliffhanger.
All in all this book is a gem. Truly entertaining and also kudos for being a true YA book. It is clean and smut free enough for me to recommend to the teens I know without question.
Swoon worthy crush- Um, yes! I adore "Dangerous happens to be my specialty" Finn and you will too!Places to find Kristen
Thanks Michele! You rock!:)
ReplyDeleteI'd say my favorite under sea creatures (Besides Nemo and Dori) will be wales. I find them completely fascinating and kind of misunderstood.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the giveaway and congrats on your first post!! You did great!! ;)
Twitter: @mecharodriguezo
Do mermen count? :)
ReplyDeletedeedee [at] grifmail [dot] com