Happy October, readers!
As promised on my very first post (which, by the way, I’ve had a WONDERFUL time with all of you since then) here’s my review of Jessica Shirvington’s YA novel, Embrace:
What better way to celebrate the month of October but with the sinister romance of an angel?
Violet Eden, a seventeen-year-old lover of coffee (so I immediately loved her), is about to learn who—or what—she really is. Dealing with her overwhelming crush on heart-throbbing Lincoln, the last thing Violet is expecting is for him to be the one who’s lied about her existence, let alone leave her long enough to depend on her natural enemy. She’s part angel, but she’s also more powerful than her trainer could have possibly imagined. With no explanation, Violet is suddenly submerged in the continuous war of some of the most ancient beings, and she will have to make the most important decisions of her life: including whether or not to plunge off of a cliff in order to fully transition into a Grigori, a part-human, part-angel warrior.
My only complaint wouldn’t necessarily be a complaint at all, because this aspect is sometimes necessary within YA series: Since Embrace is the first novel, there is A LOT of dialogue simply explaining the rules of the worlds and realms of angels. Therefore, I felt like I was sitting in on a lot of conversations rather than action or having explanation mixed into action. However, I still enjoyed the adventure, and number 2 of this series, Entice, just came out last month. (It’s only a matter of time before I pick that one up and continue reading!)
If you are a YA reader, and you really like angels, reward September’s hard work with this novel! You’ll be sure to love it!
~SAT
Shannon A. Thompson 
I am a huge fan of YA fantasy, though at the moment it is incredibly hard to find one that doesn’t have a romance somewhere at its heart. Not that i dislike romance, but i suppose these things come around in trends. Have you heard of Candace Knoebel? Her debut YA Urban Fantasy novel came out last month, i have interviewed her on my blog. The book is called Born in Flames and is about a girl called Aurora who discovers that she descends from a race of dragons from another realm. If you like that sort of stuff, perhaps you could check it out?
Great posts by the way, i had a look at your blog through curtsy because you crossed over on to mine and i’m addicted to the way you write about books. Keep up the good work :0)
Dan,
I immediately went to your page, and thoroughly read your interview with Candace Knoebel. On your entry, you’ll see that I’m very grateful for your suggestion and comment! Her debut novel looks uniquely fantastic!
Can’t wait to check it out,
~SAT
I thought this was a pretty solid paranormal romance, but I didn´t find it outstanding in any way. If these are the types of books someone likes, I think it´s a great choice. It´s well-written and there’s some great romance. But I don’t think it’s going to convert anyone to loving the genre. I actually laughed at some of the magic….
I agree, Briana!
I was hoping for something more enticing at many parts, but, then again, I tried to keep the YA perspective when it came to the language and explanations. I was, however, very surprised at some of the sexual content, considering the age range it is marketed towards, but, then again, it’s definitely not the first YA novel that pushes that boundary.
“Embrace” reminded me of “Hush, Hush” in many ways.
~SAT
LOL It’s funny how certain characteristics endear us to a character..for me it’s if the main character is an artist or loves coffee as well ;>
You read ‘Embrace’ then, right? The protagonist, Violet Eden, is both of those!
~SAT