Review Detail

I had no idea what I was getting myself into again. See, my issue is that I usually accept a book from my wife blindly. She has good taste, and she understands me better then anyone else. So why should I question her when she hands me a book to read? Before I go much further, let me start by saying that yes, Spellbound is a book worth purchasing and reading, especially if you are into any kind of young adult paranormal teen romance. The readers of Twilight would love the romance plot in this title

The writing and vocabulary is not earth shattering. But a tightly woven tale is established throughout the book. Spellbound is not a book that will have the read looking in the dictionary every five minutes. But it is not childish enough to bore the reader to death either. It hovers at a nice place in between. A rather perfect place actually. The vocabulary is more then respectable enough to properly convey the emotion and meaning of the characters, action, and imagery with a very smooth flow. Spellbound is a nice sit-on-the-comfy-couch-curled-up-with-a-blanket-and-cup-of-coffee-on-a-rainy-day-to-enjoy-some-chill-time kind of book.

I do have to mention though, that I felt the dialog was a bit lacking. The conversation between the characters felt bland. Not bland as in boring and uninformative. But bland as in I could not develop any personality difference between Brenden and Emma. The two very much seemed exactly the same person. The tone I heard in my head while reading the conversations between these two characters felt the same as if they were the same person. I didn’t feel like this with other characters such as Ashley or Angilique. Anthony had a bit of the same personality blur with his dialogue but the detailed nuances of his temper and attitude as described in the text gave Anthony his own image, albeit not a good one. I found myself hating Anthony and, by the end of the book, wishing him dead.

I have to make a note about the characters. Emma, the primary damsel in distress, is absolutely adorable. She is the character that has had the devastating life that everyone should want to save. You can’t help but feel sorry for Emma and intrigued by how strong willed and emotionally stable she is. Brenden, the shining knight, is the ever loving bad ass every girl wants. His outward actions make him appear as a heartless player but eventually he softens and the reader can see the gentleness behind him. The antagonists are the type of characters the reader will be thrilled to hate. As I mentioned, by the end of the book, I wished Anthony dead. The author picked the right little quirks and adjectives to explain these people in Spellbound in such a perfectly personality intertwined tale.

Now again, I mentioned I had no idea what I was getting myself into with this book. I don’t mind romance subplots. I mean, I do like some chick flicks. But having the entire plot based around a doomed and raging romance is not my cup of tea. With that, I have to be fair. I kept swaying back and fourth with Spellbound. The beginning of the book left me wanting to read more like a day time soap opera. By the middle of the book enough of the paranormal dash was mixed in that I forgot about the deep romance plot behind the book. I also spent some time wondering if there would be a sequel, and thinking that there should be because events are slow to unfold through the first half of the book. Then the romance thickens in the second half and the plot evolves quickly. I don’t think this book needs a sequel. Maybe a spin off for Angelique, but we don’t need to know anymore about Anthony (hint hint, Cara Lynn Shultz). The conclusion of the book deserves good praise and a final fight though.

Ultimately, I like a little more careless action in a book. Whether it is wizards facing off, ticked off kids in the hallway, or what have you, I like my action. A little action and violence really can emphasize the passion between characters. But I think Cara played it perfectly. The perfect pinch of distasteful womanizing abuse was thrown in to really make the antagonists stand out. The romance was a little thick for my taste. I know my wife will love this book (hint hint, Mandie). And, even though romances aren’t my thing, I will happily recommend Spellbound to anyone.