Review Detail

Brendan and Emma are drawn to each other, yet Brendan seems to be running hot and cold with her. Then Emma has strange dreams of herself in different (past) lives, always ending in her death. Could Brendan and her dreams be connected? You betcha.

I really liked the plot in this one. It was quite swoonworthy - a true soulmate that you keep finding generation after generation, only to lose soon after they’re found? Lots of potential there. The characters were the real treat for me, though. I especially liked Emma, she was strong and kind. She’d had a shitty past few years and still managed to have a fairly happy outlook. She was able to blow off the bullies in her new ultra-rich private school while also befriending the “weird” social outcast who happens to be a gothtastic witch. A few of the characters leaned toward the cliché (i.e., the almost unworldly handsome reformed bad boy, the Louboutin wearing rich spoiled girl, the gay best friend), but I was able to look past those.

The dialogue was snappy, though I disliked Emma’s tendency to say snarky things to herself. Say it loud and proud sister. The behavior of a few of the characters gave me pause. I wondered why Emma was so obsessed with Brendan so soon. She had just barely met him, yet she was totally destroyed when he turned a cold shoulder on her. That went beyond a simple crush. Although, I guess it could be argued that they were soulmates so she was drawn to him. Then there was the student who clearly had an anger issue and simply went off the deep end. I found his level of anger very hard to believe.

I also liked the story within the story, aka how Emma and Brendan got screwed and ended up with a curse. It was fun to read the old-timey stuff as it related to the characters today. And what would a book about soulmates be without a little swoon? A boring-ass book, that’s what. Luckily, there was lots of swoon to be had. It was sweet and new-relationshipy, and though it got more intense as the book progressed, it was never taken too far or made too graphic. The novel’s final climax was a nail biter, with lots of action. I was surprised at how the final action came about, it wasn’t what I was expecting.

I’m a big fan of the cover – I like it’s simplicity and the font suits the story so well. The girl running and the shattered streetlight all fit perfectly. For some reason the long blond hair says “Little House on the Prairie” to me, but other than that, I think it’s perfect.