Book Review(s): The Dark Divine & The Way He Lived

I realized that that I read a LOT of good books in 2009, so as a sort of resolution/goal I want to tell you about some of them. (I hate making "official" New Year's Resolutions- it is the best way for me NOT to do something.) FYI- I really suck at reviewing books so in lots of cases I'll just tell you what I liked about them and possibly link to a review I thought was good.

I'm a lucky girl. I have talented friends who also have talented friends. The first two books I want to review are two authors that are friends of Kim's. She actually gave me both of these books (one for my birthday and one for Christmas) and I'm super-grateful for them since I'm always on the lookout for good, new authors.

Both books fall into the category of "Young Adult" fiction, but please don't think that they are like the Babysitters Club or something- YA books can give some awesome, thought-provoking and incredible stories (and most of the time they are cleaner than "Adult" books).

To kick things off, I want to talk about The Dark Divine, by Bree Despain. Wow, where to start? I read some reviews that describe it as a "paranormal romance" so I guess that describes it well (although I think that sounds kinda awful... like some crazy bodice-ripper romance genre).

As for the story, here is part of the "official" synopsis:

"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. "

I really liked Grace's character- she is a strong lead female, without being obnoxiously "strong". She "walks the walk" by not passively sitting back and waiting for things to happen to her and she actively seeks answers to the mysteries.

I especially like how the relationship between her and Daniel is believable (unlike another "paranormal romance" YA novel I have read- ahem - Twilight). Because Daniel and Jude were childhood friends, and she always had a crush on him, their re-attraction makes sense. I also like how she doesn't just jump headlong into the romance- it freaks her out and it takes her a while to embrace it.

I read this book in a couple of hours (it is a quick read and I'm fast)- it was one of those you don't want to put down because it draws you in and along (but in a good way- not in a gimmicky "I'm going to make every chapter ending a cliffhanger" kind of way). I particularly loved the dialogue- it felt real and flowed naturally.

My only real beef was that the ending felt a little abrupt. After the wrenching, climactic final conflict, it seemed to wrap up pretty quickly without answering some questions, or skimming over others. But mostly it just left me excited for the sequel that I hope is coming since it is lined up so awesomely!

You can read a better review than my meager efforts here. Also, you can go to Bree's website and read the first chapter of the book. I remember linking from Kims blog (?) a while ago and thinking- dang- this'll be good!

Book 2 is The Way he Lived by Emily Wing Smith. This was one of those rare books that have you thinking about it and it's characters long after you are done reading it. I like that. The more I think and reflect on it, the more facets I discover.

Here is the lowdown on the plot from Amazon (I'm really nervous about "spoilers" so I think it is easier to just give you the "official" stuff):

"When sixteen-year-old Joel Espen dies of thirst on a Boy Scout hiking trip, it shakes the small town of Haven, Utah to its socially conformist foundation. And the six teens who were closest to Joel start to view their community--and themselves--in a new light.

Told from six heartbreaking perspectives on love, loss, and faith, this is the poignant story of how the life--and death--of one teen can have a profound effect on the lives of many. "

As you can read- the book is told, first person, from the perspective of 6 characters and they share their thoughts on grief and their idea of who Joel was. Most of them are changed by his death in some way. It was very interesting to read a book from so many unique perspecives on a single person whom the reader never meets. I wish I could say more, but it feels like it would give too much away :)

Another thing I found very compelling is how each character has their own unique writing style that very much reflects their personality. Much kudos to the author for pulling that off!

My only beef with this book was that the 6 different characters felt so uneven. Some (Claire, Tabatha, Lissa, Miles) felt like full fleshed-out people that were very believable in their grief, thoughts and transformations. Others (Adlen, Norah), , felt la little "2-D" to mee and left me wanting them to be a little more "real".

I highly recommend this one. It is a well-written, thought-provoking read that will stick with you (in a good way!). I couldn't quickly find any reviews I liked to link to, but I did find the trailer for the book (it is something all the cool authors are doing these days- making video trailers for books with cool music and images...). Enjoy!