Book Blurb:
How do you live with yourself when you decide who dies?
Ava Parks would have killed for an iPod for her sixteenth birthday. Anything would have been better than coming into her birthright of being a seeker for the Grim Reaper, an arrangement made by her fallen angel ancestor in exchange for his re-admittance to heaven. And she isn’t just any seeker—she finds souls that have the potential for becoming angels and sentences them to death. A year and two souls into her role as a seeker with her conscience overflowing with guilt, Ava comes up with a plan to thwart the system. When it goes awry, she is forced to submit the name of a classmate, Cole Fowler, an ornery, rough around the edges guy who always seems to come to her rescue, whether she likes it or not. Her feelings for Cole prompt her to intervene, and she saves him from death, upsetting the Grim Reaper’s agenda.
While Ava schemes to find a way to save Cole, she learns he has some secrets of his own. She lets him believe he is protecting her, and not the other way around, until a final showdown with the Grim Reaper forces Ava to make choices Cole may never forgive.
My Review:
4.5 Out Of 5 Stars
Genre: Angels, Mystery, Romance, Supernatural, Teen--
Ava has hated her life for the last year, ever since the truth was revealed that she is a Seeker for the Grim Reaper. Her job is to spot the most pure of souls and pass the name along to the middle man, Xavier, who will let the Reaper know. The chosen souls are then killed to become Angels, or maybe not... Ava hates that she is the tool used to ruin a good person's life, but she can't say no. When she is given her next assignment, she has only 2 weeks to locate a pure soul. Ava tries to put it off, but when she finally searches, the last person she expects happens to be the purest.
I loved Cole. He was the perfect example of the prickly cocky jerk who just so happens to be insightful and concerned. I just wanted Ava to thrown herself at him, but that was not this story.
I was surprised by how many twists the book had, I was kept on my toes the entire time I was reading. Be it real danger from Cole past to the supernatural danger from the Reapers, both Ava and Cole were in constant danger. This was the perfect blend of world building paranormal, mystery and a dollop of romance that was forbidden in so many ways.
This book was an entirely new approach to the Grim Reaper idea, where Seekers need to find potential angels aka pure auras for the grims to grab. And maybe those souls become angles…or maybe not, nothing was for sure except a sudden death for those “chosen”. Everything I have encountered in the past make grim reapers out to be the bringer of death, which was true here too, but they were also savers if needed, and they worked for something (someone??) else anyway. Also, there was a sort of despair over being an Angel, it was not the happy idea itself because it meant death, which was so different too from past stories I have read. The big take home message here is leave preconceived notions at the door because the author makes her own world and rules, which was perfect.
I found myself immersed in the story almost from the start because Ava was such a realistic character and her emotions were palpable. I felt right along with her, be it her fear, anger, desire or even a smidge of hope thrown in. I do have to say, things were rough for Ava, nothing was ever easy, and she had to fight on a constant basis for what she felt was right. The girl needed a hug more than anything because her primary state of being was fear. The future still does not look so happy with how the next book was set up, so don’t expect a wrapped up happily ever after, this is the first in a paranormal series.
Overall this was a really fast engaging read that was equal parts plot and character development. I can’t wait to see where the author will take the series next.
I received this title in return for my honest review.
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