Review: Til Death by Kate Evangelista
Til Death (Fractured Souls #1)
by: Kate Evangelista
Publication Date: March 4, 2014
Publisher: Entangled: Teen
Genre: Paranormal
Age Group: Young Adult
Source: e-ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Page Count: 320 pages
Order Links: Amazon | B&N
My Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Sixteen-year old Selena Fallon is a dreamer. Not a day-dreamer, but an I-see-the-future kind of dreamer. Normally this is not a problem as she has gotten pretty good at keeping her weird card hidden from everyone in her small town. Except from her best friend Kyle and her grandparents, of course. But when Selena dreams of her own rather bloody death, things get a little too freaky even for her.
Enter Dillan Sloan. Selena has seen the new guy in a different dream, and he is even more droolworthy in person. Beyond the piercing blue eyes and tousled dark hair, there is something else that draws her to him. Something…electric. Unfortunately, Dillan makes it more than clear that he does not feel the same. They just met, so why would he act like he hates her?
When Dillan and Selena are forced together one weekend to work on a school project, Selena prepares to be ignored as usual. But when she stumbles across a few undead in the backyard, Dillan comes to her rescue and reveals a whole lot more. Not only is he part of a society that hunts otherworldly creatures…she is too. And she is being targeted by a force bigger and darker than anything she ever imagined. Despite her death dream, Selena is not going to give up easy, especially when she discovers that Dillan might not actually hate her after all.
Enter Dillan Sloan. Selena has seen the new guy in a different dream, and he is even more droolworthy in person. Beyond the piercing blue eyes and tousled dark hair, there is something else that draws her to him. Something…electric. Unfortunately, Dillan makes it more than clear that he does not feel the same. They just met, so why would he act like he hates her?
When Dillan and Selena are forced together one weekend to work on a school project, Selena prepares to be ignored as usual. But when she stumbles across a few undead in the backyard, Dillan comes to her rescue and reveals a whole lot more. Not only is he part of a society that hunts otherworldly creatures…she is too. And she is being targeted by a force bigger and darker than anything she ever imagined. Despite her death dream, Selena is not going to give up easy, especially when she discovers that Dillan might not actually hate her after all.
I've heard nothing but great things about Kate Evangelista's paranormal books, so when I saw the review opportunity arise for this one, I thought I'd give it a go! I did enjoy this one, though it is a bit of a slower read. Being the first book in the series, there Evangelista does a lot of world building and explaining the idea of the Illumenari, which was critical to the development of the series. By the end I was completely engrossed and anxious to find out what will happen next! It is definitely a bit of a cliffhanger, so beware! I was left wanting more, which is always a plus!
I did have a few issues with the characters in the novel, primarily Dillan. He is angry and bitter over being demoted and having to go live with his uncle and do mundane things such as attending school. However, when he first interacts with Selena, there is definitely something unexplainable (and electric!) between the two. I didn't really understand why Dillan disliked Selena so much in the beginning though and that bothered me a bit. I'm all for animosity between the main characters because it makes their relationship more intense, but I just didn't see the reasoning behind it here. However, Dillan can't seem to shake the draw to Selena, and after being forced to work on a group project, he realizes she's more than meets the eye- he just can't figure out how exactly. I did end up liking Dillan as the book progressed. He is haunted by his past and I was very intrigued by how that would all play out. The ending was insane and it really makes you wonder about Rainer Sloan, his uncle, and where his allegiances truly lie.
I liked Selena's character overall. She's always been different, having visions of the future. Only a select few know she has them, including her best friends Penny and Kyle. Selena is definitely tough and I liked at the first sign of danger she doesn't wimp out. She takes up for herself and refuses to be left behind for her own safety. Too much has been kept from her regarding who she is and what she can do and she is insistent that she be told the truth instead of walking around blind. She doesn't understand why Dillan has so much animosity towards her, but she can't deny the electric charge she feels when she accidentally touches him. Even though I liked Dillan more towards the end, I did have a hard time connecting with them and their relationship.
Kyle was a great character and I loved the twist Evangelista added for him. I never expected his storyline to go where it did and I have to say it worked. All I will say is that the Kyle you think you know- ends up having a more serious side!
I did find myself enjoying this one, despite the slower pace and a few character issues. I think Evangelista did a good job of introducing us to the world she has created as well as providing us a good foundation that she will expand upon in the upcoming books. I am looking forward to seeing how Dillan and Selena will deal with that ending!
4 comments
I've only read one book by Evangelista but I really enjoyed it, so I'm hoping to get to this one someday. Glad you enjoyed, even if you had some issues. I'm curious about this one, but I think I want to go back and read some of her others first =D
ReplyDeleteGreat Review Jess! I have this one for review as well, so I'm glad I'll know to be expecting, a slower pace, lots of world building, some plot twists, and a cliffhanger. I wonder why Dillan has so much animosity toward Selena. You have me totally curious now. Did the author ever answer that question? Thanks for sharing such a thoughtful opinion :)
ReplyDeleteLindy@ A Bookish Escape
I love this cover! When I first saw this one, I thought it was a second in a series for some reason so didn't really bother with it. But I am so curious about it! I am all for slower paced world building if it's crucial to the story, but it tends to grate because I am not patient LOL
ReplyDeleteGreat review hon!
This one sounds kind of interesting, even though Dillan's dislike does seem weird. Books that leave you wanting more are always great!
ReplyDeleteLeave me some comment love! And I will get around to commenting back!
My blog is an award-free blog, however, as I just do not have the time to follow-up.