"I recommend this novel to any reader with the patience to wait for a fantastic story with a great twist on a "nowadays" common supernatural creature." — Miss Remmers
From Amazon.com...
"Grace Divine, daughter of the local pastor, always knew something terrible happened the night Daniel Kalbi disappeared--the night she found her brother Jude collapsed on the porch, covered in his own blood--but she has no idea what a truly monstrous secret that night held.
The memories her family has tried to bury resurface when Daniel returns, three years later, and enrolls in Grace and Jude's high school. Despite promising Jude she'll stay away, Grace cannot deny her attraction to Daniel's shocking artistic abilities, his way of getting her to look at the world from new angles, and the strange, hungry glint in his eyes.
The closer Grace gets to Daniel, the more she jeopardizes her life, as her actions stir resentment in Jude and drive him to embrace the ancient evil Daniel unleashed that horrific night. Grace must discover the truth behind the boy's dark secret... and the cure that can save the ones she loves. But she may have to lay down the ultimate sacrifice to do it--her soul."
Why I read this: The cover is stunning and the author was amazing! She even signed this book to "The BVHS 9th Graders!"
Plot: In the beginning the plot was very slow, so much so that I just couldn't get into it. Weeks went by without me even opening the book. Finally, today, I decided I just had to finish. I had heard wonderful things about this book and I HAD to know what it was about. From the synopsis above I knew there was something supernatural about one of the characters, but it took until about page 200 for this supernatural aspect to really grab me; after that I couldn't put this book down.
Despain's different take on this supernatural creature was very captivating (once it got to the supernatural aspect). I have never read such a take on this creature before — it was extremely refreshing and unique.
Characters/Tone: I had to group characters and tone together this time because it seemed they were so connected. The characters of this novel, specifically the Divines, really got under my skin. Immediately after discovering that Divine was the last name of the family, the father's profession as a pastor, and the protagonist's name Grace, I detected a seriously pious tone. The tone of the novel and the actions/habits of this family seemed to be so "holier-than-thou" that it really turned me off from the novel. I felt almost suffocated with all the reminders of religion, holiness, and the "perfect" family.
Towards, once again, page 200 I did recognize the connection between the tone and characters to the plot but by then I had struggled through it so much that the extreme amount of piety had become only a sliver under my skin rather than a gaping wound in my flesh.
That said, I did really love the Heaven, Hell, Angel triangle and I see why this sort of tone and characters were necessary.
Cover: This cover is absolutely GORGEOUS! It's what really drove me to pick up this novel — before I had even read the premise!
Random Thoughts: The end of this novel was fantastically fast-paced and captivating, I couldn't put it down; I just wish the first 180 pages were also like this. I have put this book on my classroom shelves and I have no doubt many girls will pick it up due to the stunning cover, but I'm not sure I can expect them to wait that long for it to pick up speed.
Final Thoughts: I'm glad I continued reading because it was worth it in the end. The reviews I've read have all been stellar and I wanted to know why; I get it now, but I'm still disappointed. Maybe it is the tone or the piety that still irks me, I'm not sure. But, like I said, I am happy I'm finished and I recommend this novel to any reader with the patience to wait for a fantastic story with a great twist on a "nowadays" common supernatural creature. I am very excited for "The Lost Saint"'s release on December 28th.
Originality: 9/10
Ending: 10/10
Characters: 8/10
Plot: 7/10
My reaction/enjoyment: 7/10
Theme: 8/10
Imagery: 9/10
Setting: 5/5
Voice: 5/5
Style: 5/5
Tone: 0/5
Cover: 10/10
Overall: 83/100 B
To the FTC, with love: Received at BEA 2010