Review: The Diviners by Libba Bray

Title: The Diviners (The Diviners, #1) 

Author: Libba Bray 

Rating: 5 Stars 

The Diviners is, without a doubt, my favorite Libba Bray novel - and I've read all of them except for The Beauty Queens which I didn't get time to finish but which I fully intend to as I loved the few chapters I read of it. I am, truly, a self-proclaimed Libba Bray fan. I know her Gemma Doyle Trilogy had its flaws, but I thoroughly enjoyed it and I remember it changed my perspective of literature at that time quite drastically. The Diviners on the other hand, contains no flaws. Well, to be honest I think this 578 Page book should have been longer, but I'm glad there's a sequel. I don't want to say good-bye to these characters anytime soon. 

Evie O’Neill is not like other girls living during the booming industrial age of the Roaring 20s. For one, she’s loud, outspoken, and hilariously full of life, but Evie also contains a gift that few other possess – by merely touching an object, Evie can glean information about its owner while that object was on them. Thus, after a “scandalous” incident forces her to stay with her Uncle Will in New York City, Evie finds herself in the midst of a mystery - a murder mystery no less. While random victims seem to be murdered in a bizarre – and frankly speaking creepy – fashion in New York, we are also introduced to a slew of other characters and story lines beyond just than of Evie’s. Jericho, the soft-spoken and handsome young man who works at Uncle Will’s Museum of Creepy Crawlies American Folklore, Superstition, and the Occult; Theta, a beautiful show-star who dreams of making it big; Henry, a piano player with his own slew of secrets; Memphis, a handsome black poet who used to be able to cure with a touch; and many, many more. Nevertheless, even with an enormous cast, Libba Bray’s The Diviners manages to transport you back into America’s Roaring 20s and despite the freaky murders that occur left and right, you won’t want to leave.

I’ll be perfectly honest – I didn’t expect to not love this book. I went into The Diviners with high expectations and I came out of it with my mind blown, itching for the sequel despite the concrete ending and wanting to immediately flip to the beginning and experience this novel all over again. Yes, experience, for what Libba Bray creates is a portal into the realm of the past, full with the blitz, glamour, and utter joy of living in the Roaring 20s. Nevertheless, into this happy-go-lucky setting, she manages to throw in and create one of the most chilling mysteries I’ve ever read. It takes a lot to scare me while I read a book, but The Diviners sent my spine tingling with chills and had me constantly jumping in the middle of the street whenever I heard a whistle. It’s one of those books that assimilate itself into your life because you simply cannot let go of its pure awesomeness.

While the setting and fanatic murders of The Diviners itself make this novel stand out, what truly makes it a remarkable story is its characters. Evie is a gal that I just love. Not only is she fiercely headstrong, independent, and full of spunk, but she has her own share of flaws and can even be hard to like at times, but all this only serves to make her more real, more three-dimensional, and more understanding in my eyes. If I had to pick a book best friend, I’d pick Evie because believe me, this is a girl you want by your side. While Evie startles us with her outgoing nature though, it is Naughty John, the ghost killer in this novel, who truly takes our breath away – not with his dashing good looks, but with his tantalizing murder song, tell-tale whistle, and utter creep factor.

The Diviners is probably one of the few books I’ve read where the reader knows the killer from the beginning and is still utterly invested in the story. It seems as if it’s a storyline that is doomed to fail, but really, the reader is only kept frantically flipping the pages to see how Evie manages to use her power and sharp wit to uncover that this murderer isn’t even alive, but a ghost. It’s a wonderfully spun tale and the cast of other characters who accompany her on this mission are just as heart-warming, well-developed, and deep as Evie is.

One of the most memorable side characters, who really is a main character on his own, is Memphis. While Memphis’ and Evie’s storylines don’t intermingle as much as we might like in this installment, his storyline perfectly sets us up for the direction this trilogy is taking. You see, Memphis is a young black man struggling to cope with the loss of his gift of healing – a gift which failed him when he most needed it to cure his mother. Thus, we are introduced to a second storyline in this tale, one of the diviners, a group of people who possess gifts, much like Memphis and Evie. In most cases, multiple storylines, narrators, and characters in general is a recipe for disaster, but yet again, Libba Bray pulls it off perfectly. Naughty John and his murders still remain to be our prime issue at hand, but the subtle manner in which Bray wove together the back stories of her characters and revealed to us the wondrous direction in which her trilogy was heading was all done with a talent that I must admit is unparalleled.

I could go on about The Diviners for hours if I really wanted, but I’ll let you discover the magic that this book contains for yourself. The Diviners is unlike anything you’ve ever read before. It’s original. It’s atmospheric. It's vivid and sparkling and jumps out from the pages. Its characters are thoughtful, deep, and full of their own human flaws. Its murder mystery is chilling and creepy. Its setting is beautiful beyond doubt. Its multiple perspectives are written flawlessly. Its plot is only thickening in this book and I can't wait to see where it goes. It is scary. It is funny. It is love. 

ARC Review: Rebel Heart by Moira Young

Title: Rebel Heart (Dust Lands, #2) 

Author: Moira Young 

Rating: 3.5 Stars

Release Date: October 30th, 2012

I think we're all aware, and familiar with, the concept of the second novel in a trilogy being the weakest link of the series.  Rebel Heart, however, for all its flaws, is actually a  much  stronger novel than  Blood Red Road ever was. If we think back to  Blood Red Road,  it was nothing more than an engaging, fast-paced, and page-flipping dystopian novel. Yet,  Rebel Heart,  despite its page-flipping action, is also a much slower, deeper, and intoxicating tale. Yes, there were moments when I felt like pulling my hair out and crying into my pillow. Yes, there were characters I wanted to shoot down and plot threads I wanted to burn.  Yet,  this book was perfect. I can't think of any other way this story could have gone and when you step back and really  think about this novel, disregarding your own conflicted emotions, you will come to see that Moira Young is an unbelievable author, for she lets her characters lead the story and that truly does make all the difference. 

Rebel Heart starts out with Saba, Lugh, Emmi, and Tommo on their way to a new, and better, life in the west. Saba, however, is tormented by dreams of Epona and she feels as if the spirits of the dead are walking with her. Thus, when she stumbles upon a small village with a woman who claims she can help, she takes her chances with the strange magic this woman claims to be able to control. Yet, before Saba can fully be cured, she receives a message – from Jack. Thus begins, yet again, a thrilling and tortuous journey to The Lost Cause, an inn in the north where Saba is set to meet Jack. Along the way however, Saba will be forced to confront her inner demons, her strained relationship with Lugh, and most dangerous of all, her own heart.

I think what prevented Rebel Heart from being a 5 Star read were just a few plot threads that went haywire. For one, I found that the beginning of the novel, with Saba’s grief and guilt over the death of Epona, was remarkably well-written, but it was solved rather strangely, not to mention abruptly. In addition to that, Lugh, Saba’s brother, seems to be the ultimate downfall of this novel. It is evident that Lugh has undergone a terrible experience during his time with the Tonton, but we are never told what actually happens to him. Instead, we can simply watch as his relationship with Saba wilts away and while these sibling dynamics were brilliant, Lugh’s angst, rudeness, and constant anger simply wasn’t. If anything, he became an extremely annoying character and I felt like smacking him every time he opened his mouth. Lugh never undergoes any type of character growth throughout this novel and ultimately, he winds up remaining a flat character which was rather disappointing.

Those qualms aside, I loved Rebel Heart. Moira Young’s conscious decision to make this a slower and more brooding novel was definitely the right choice as we are able to see some of the after-effects that the events in Blood Red Road have wrought upon Saba. Furthermore, we are privy to a whole new side of Saba, which only goes to further give her more depth than she already had. While Rebel Heart had its fair share of incredible action, I feel as if it was Saba more than the plot that drove this novel forward. Yet, I thoroughly enjoyed the crew of new characters we got to meet as well as the turn in relationships that we were able to witness with some of the older characters. It is hard to imagine just how firmly these fictional beings worm their way into your heart, but they really make a home there, immersing you, the reader, even more fully into this tale. In addition, there were plenty of jaw-dropping plot twists, unexpected reactions, and betrayals to keep this plot moving wonderfully, so fans of Blood Red Road will not be disappointed on that front either.

Now that I have discussed my issues with this tale, as well as the change of pace, new characters, and the heart-pounding plot line, it’s time to turn our attention to the one aspect of this book I am sure everyone is eagerly waiting to hear more about – the romance. I know there are rumors floating around of a love triangle in this novel, but there isn't one! Yes, we  do have another guy creep into Saba's thoughts, but this only happens during the last quarter of the novel. Furthermore, I hardly see this as a love triangle. In my opinion, a love triangle is a situation where the MC is torn between two guys, but Saba is  not torn. Saba loves Jack, end of story. Does she make some terrible decisions in this book? Yes, she does. Is she conflicted over another man? Yes, she is, but not in a romantic sense. I may just be in extreme denial, but from my perspective, what occurs with the other man in this novel is a combination of many things and  love is not one of them. So, while there isn't a love triangle in this, there is another prominent male figure during the last 25% of this novel which definitely makes this difficult to read and worrisome for the sequel.

In all honesty though, I wouldn’t worry. Moira Young, more than just being a wonderful author, has proved with Rebel Heart that she knows what she’s doing. I found her characters and their reactions to every situation to be spot-on and while I didn’t particularly like the direction the last quarter of this novel headed and while I am worried beyond anything for the sequel, that doesn’t mean I don’t see the necessity and truth behind it. I think many authors would have steered away from the path that Young took, but I’m glad she took the more difficult – and frankly speaking, controversial – route. Yet, I must reiterate this, that when you step back and look at this novel without allowing your emotions to distort your perception of it, you can see that everything is just perfect. Yes, even the romance because although Jack and Saba aren’t together for the large majority of this novel, they always remain in each others thoughts and their love only grows stronger with their separation.

Overall, Rebel Heart is a novel I wound up enjoying much more than its predecessor, despite the fact that my rating for this is slightly lower than that for Blood Red Road. While I doubt I’ll be re-reading this installment as much as I will Blood Red Road, there’s no doubt about which book is the stronger one and it is refreshing to see such an original take on this plot line. I will warn you though that plenty of plate-smashing is there in the future of this story and once you finish this, you will spend a countless number of sleepless nights waiting for – and worrying about – the sequel, but it is so worth it. Rebel Heart is yet another wonderful installment from Moira Young and has made me a much bigger fan of hers than I ever was before. I doubt everyone will love this novel like I have, but I truly believe that if you look into the heart of Rebel Heart, you will only find something to love.

Adult Mini Reviews: Silver, Tempting the Best Man, and On Dublin Street

I feel as if these mini-reviews are becoming a regular feature on my blog and I hope you all are loving them just as much as I enjoy writing them. For this week's edition, I chose to review some adult novels I've been reading lately. I don't read too many of them, but I wound up enjoyed all of these a lot, so I'd definitely recommend them all! (A nice change from my snarky/DNF mini-reviews, right?)

Title: Silver 
Author: Rhiannon Held
Rating: 3.5 Stars 

Andrew Dare is a werewolf. He’s the enforcer for the Roanoke pack, and responsible for capturing or killing any Were intruders in Roanoke’s territory. But the lone Were he’s tracking doesn’t smell or act like anyone he’s ever encountered. And when he catches her, it doesn’t get any better. She’s beautiful, she’s crazy, and someone has tortured her by injecting silver into her veins. She says her name is Silver, and that she’s lost her wild self and can’t shift any more. The packs in North America have a live-and-let-live attitude, and try not to overlap with each other. But Silver represents a terrible threat to every Were on the continent.  Andrew and Silver will join forces to track down this menace while discovering their own power and their passion for each other 

Silver is an adult urban fantasy novel like no other. First and foremost, it tackles one of the most unique ideas I've come across in my reading of werewolf lore and I just loved the manner in which this was executed. It was told mostly as a murder mystery, but it contained heavy character development as well, switching between the perspectives of Andrew and Silver. In all honesty, it is them who drive this novel forward, with their scarring pasts and struggles to make a better future for themselves and their romance is very subtle and truly beautiful to see play out. 

While I truly enjoyed reading Silver, with its plot twists and dark tale, I did think it could have benefited from a little more emphasis on the world-building. It isn't shabby in the least, but I would have liked a few more details. Furthermore, I found that some scenes, while definitely contributing to some of the character qualities that Andrew and Silver possessed, could have been cut out entirely. In my opinion, they didn't do much for the novel and made it a little chunkier than it could have been. Lastly, and most probably my biggest qualm, was the unrealistic situation when it came to the villain. I found it a little hard to believe that the villain was so preoccupied with a beautiful woman that he didn't hear his prisoner break free of his chains on the floor below and make a racket while crawling up the stairs towards him...you see what I mean? 

Yet, overall, Silver was an excellent tale. As a character, Silver can often come across as insane due to her situation, but the ultimate way in which this was dealt with and the fact that Andrew was able to see her inner strength despite that just made me fall in love with the romance - and this book - even more. If you're looking for an unique take on werewolf lore or are just another fan of Adult Urban Fantasy with a tinge of murder mystery and a hint of romance, this is just the book for you! :)

Title: Tempting the Best Man (Gamble Brothers, #1)
Author: J. Lynn 
Rating: 3 Stars 

Madison Daniels has worshipped her brother's best friend since they were kids. Everyone thinks she and Chase Gamble would make the perfect couple, but there are two major flaws in their logic. 1) Chase has sworn off relationships of any kind, and 2) after blurring the line between friends and lovers for one night four years ago, they can't stop bickering. Forced together for her brother's wedding getaway, Chase and Madison decide to call a truce for the happy couple. Except all bets are off when they're forced to shack up in a tacky 70’s honeymoon suite and survive a multitude of "accidents" as the family tries to prove their "spark" can be used than for more than fighting. That is, if they don't strangle each other first…

Temping the Best Man is not a novel I would have normally picked up off the shelves, but it was exactly what I needed at the time - mindless entertainment. Not only was it a ton of fun to read with the cute banter between Madison and Chase, it was also a very sweet and steamy romance. I reserve books like this for those times when I just need a quick get-away or escape and this story worked out beautifully.

Nevertheless, that being said, there were quite a few qualms I noticed when I finally stepped back from the romantic euphoria that surrounds this story. For one, the ending never directly addresses many of the misunderstandings that occurred during the last couple of chapters in this novel and felt like an ultimate cop-out in that sense. Furthermore, I never understood, until just before the ending, why Maddie constantly told Chase he wasn't like his father because to me, he definitely seemed like it. You see, Chase's father more-or-less slept with other women during his marriage to Chase's mother and by being a playboy, Chase never shrugged off that image either. Yet, Maddie always insisted that Chase wasn't like his father and it was difficult to see this until the ending.

Ultimately though, I read this book for a purpose and that purpose was fulfilled wonderfully. I had a lot of fun reading this and wound up sitting up for a considerable amount of time, flipping the pages of this one rather frantically. If you're a fan of romance, I am confident you'll adore this novel much more than I did. It's a definite comfort read and the ideal book to get you out of a reading slump and back into reading more serious pieces of fiction!

Title: On Dublin Street
Author: Samantha Young
Rating: 4 Stars

Four years ago, Jocelyn Butler left her tragic past behind in the States and started over in Edinburgh. Burying the grief, ignoring her demons, and forging ahead without any real attachments has worked well for her so far but when Joss moves into a fantastic apartment on Dublin Street, her carefully guarded world is shaken to its core by her new roommate's sexy older brother. Braden Carmichael is a man who always gets what he wants. And what he wants is Jocelyn in his bed. Knowing how skittish Joss is concerning any kind of relationship, Braden proposes a sexual arrangement that should satisfy the intense attraction between them without it developing into anything 'more'. An intrigued Jocelyn agrees, completely unprepared for the Scotsman and his single-minded determination to strip the stubborn young woman bare... to the very soul.

I think the first thing I need to point out about this novel is that the synopsis is utterly misleading. Very misleading. You see, more than a simple, steamy romance, On Dublin Street is really a story of grief and its impact on a young girl. In fact, for much of this story, there is no romance and the romance which eventually emerges in this tale is one that only furthers the character development. 

I am not a huge fan of mindless romance novels, but On Dublin Street really made me appreciate and ponder over the walls people put up and why they put them up. Furthermore, I've never understood the whole friends-with-benefits situation, but it actually makes sense in this novel! So many cliches which I thought I hated and could never come to terms with were all shown in such a positive light where they worked for this story. It's important to point out that doesn't happen with every tale, but situations like seeing a therapist or exploring the stages of grief or even cliched occurrences like jealousy and what-not were actually necessary and only  strengthened  this tale, making me love it all the more.

Overall, the romance in this novel is beautifully written and slow-to-burn, the characters contain an immense amount of depth and personality, the friendships are tight and the bonds that this novel contains are ones for life. I loved the amount of growth that Joss went through in this book and she's a character who surprisingly made her way into my heart. In addition, this is one romance I'll be re-reading again and again, simply because it has an addictive quality to it not to mention Braden is an addictive drug himself. Thus, if you want a really good romance with character development and depth in it as well, I couldn't recommend anything better than On Dublin Street. It won't disappoint, that's for sure! ;)

Review: The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

Title: The Raven Boys (The Raven Cycle, #1)

Author: Maggie Stiefvater 

Rating: 4 Stars 

A little over a month ago, I finished my first Stiefvater novel, The Scorpio Races and ever since, The Raven Boys has, quite unexpectedly really, become one of my most anticipated books of the year. While The Raven Boys most certainly did not disappoint, I found myself to be strangely disappointed. Yet, this, by no means, means that The Raven Boys is a bad book - quite the contrary in fact. It's an atmospheric tale whose crazy story will suck you in, whose characters will become your friends, and whose complex character relationships you can only marvel at. Yet, I couldn't give it the 5 Stars it most probably deserves simply because I've come to expect something more from Maggie Stiefvater. While all the necessary components of an excellent novel were present in this novel, complete with Stiefvater's signature writing style, the pure love and passion that bled through the pages of The Scorpio Races was simply...gone. Thus, while my overall feel for this novel remains to be one of awe, there is most certainly an undercurrent of severe disappointment as something was just...missing.

Every year on the night of St. Mark's Eve, Blue and her psychic mother wait in an old graveyard for the spirits of the dead to arrive. Although Blue, devoid of any psychic abilities herself, never sees any spirits, this year, she quite unexpectedly does. Gansey, the boy whose spirit Blue sees, is a raven boy, or a student of an elite private school of, in Blue's opinion, snobs. Yet, the fact that Blue can see him means one of two things - Gansey is either Blue's true love or Blue has killed him. Blue, however, has never been destined for true love - ever since she was young, she has been told that if she kisses her true love, he will die. Gansey, on the other hand, has made it his life's mission to uncover the resting place of the Welsh King, Glendower, for the person who wakes him will be granted any wish. As fate would have it though, their paths do unexpectedly cross and what happens then can only be described as a journey like no other. 

The Raven Boys is one of those books, much like The Scorpio Races or The Lost Girl was, that you can't anticipate in the least. Although its synopsis seems to revolve around the romantic aspect of this novel, in reality, it is a very small portion of this book and is merely there to add an air of mystery to the plot, taking a well-deserved back seat to the real action in this novel. Actually, The Raven Boys is the story of, well, the raven boys. Gansey, Adam, Ronan, and Noah are the four raven boys we are introduced to in this novel and all four of them, despite their differences, make their way into your heart. More than anything else in this novel, it was their bromance, their continued support of one another, and the directions their friendship took as the story progressed that made this novel as remarkable as it really was. Once again, Stiefvater proves her writing prowess by creating such three-dimensional characters that I still cannot claim to know even one of them completely. 

In addition to the raven boys themselves though, Blue was a protagonist I immediately fell in love with. She's sensible, she's spunky, she's intelligent, and even though the novel is split equally between her perspectives as well as those of Gansey and even, at times, Adam, her presence as the sole girl amongst the boys was keenly felt and only increased the beauty of this tale and realistic quality of the friendships. Nevertheless, the characters aside, what makes The Raven Boys so compelling is the journey itself. While it does take awhile for the reader to become caught up in the search for Glendower, we can feel the excitement radiating from the characters themselves and cannot help but become thoroughly invested in this unique plot line as well. Stiefvater always does her research and she couldn't have picked a more interested legend to explore - truly, the manner in which this tale unfolds is spectacular. 

Yet, all that being said, I did feel as if Stiefvater's presence in this novel was strangely missing. I felt her passion, her love, and her writing fervor so vividly through the pages of The Scorpio Races, but that wasn't the case with this novel and as such, I was left feeling strangely bereft. It's a tough emotion to explain and I know that I am probably one of the few readers to experience this, but it definitely did take away from some of my experience with this story. Either than that though, I think what truly put me off from giving this novel 5 Stars was the ending. I never lower the ratings of novels because of cliffhanger endings and that still stands true. The Raven Boys didn't end on a cliffhanger, but it was an extremely confusing ending. I closed this book with a frown on my face, only to re-read the last five chapters, still have a frown on my face, and re-read the last five again, only to continue to be nonplussed. Needless to say, cliffhangers irritate me, but feeling confused at the end of a novel? It just throws me off and leaves me feeling icky and unwell. 

Overall though, The Raven Boys is a novel I would heartily recommend. Its plot threads tie together beautifully, its character relationships are complex to an unexplored degree, its lore will grab you in from the beginning, and its plot twists will leave you gaping and frantically flipping back to re-read all those red herrings you missed. Stiefvater's novels really are an experience of their own, with their atmospheric setting and her beautiful writing managing to transport you practically everywhere, so really, I wouldn't miss it for the world. 

ARC Review: Sanctum by Sarah Fine

Title: Sanctum (Guards of the Shadowlands, #1) 

Author: Sarah Fine 

Rating: 4 Stars 

Release Date: October 16th, 2012 

Sanctum is one of those books where you think you know what you're getting into when you start it, but it manages to surprise you at every turn. You see, I had this craazy idea that Sanctum was a paranormal/fantasy story of sorts about this girl who went into a mysterious land to rescue her best friend; I suppose that, from the surface, that is exactly was this book is. Yet, it's also so much more multi-layered, deep, and provocative than I ever imagined a paranormal/fantasy novel to be. It's a story about death, about loss, about grief, and about depression so acute you don't want to live anymore. It's a story about strength, about forgiveness, about getting back up when you think you can't stand up again. It is, at its very core, a story about holding on, about seeing that light at the end of the tunnel and, of course, about hope. 

On her first day of school, the last thing Lela expects is to become best friends with Nadia, the most popular girl around. Yet, that is exactly what happens and Nadia's friendship transforms Lela from a hopeless case who has been to one-too-many-foster-homes to a girl with a future. When Nadia unexpectedly kills herself though, entering the Suicide Gates, a place Lela almost went to a few years back, Lela knows she has to rescue her best friend - it's the least she can do after all that Nadia did for her. Thus, quite by accident, Lela finds herself at the Suicide Gates and at the mercy of its Captain of the Guard, Malachi. While the Suicide Gates are a dangerous place, with Malachi, Lela may just have a chance to find her friend...and fall in love too. 

Sanctum is a whirlwind journey of adventure, mystery, and dark pasts. Lela is a narrator who took awhile to grow on me, but before long, I was thoroughly invested in her tale. She's stubborn, strong-willed, and has had an extremely painful past, but through it all, she keeps persevering, thus becoming one of the most admirable characters I've come across in literature. Furthermore, the sheer force of her friendship and her conviction that she can rescue her friend is utterly heart-warming, making you wish you had someone like Lela at your back too. Yet, despite all her incredible traits, Lela is a three-dimensional character chock-full of flaws as well and her journey to live past her prior torture and grow into a more trusting individual was remarkably well-written. While her past has shaped who she is in the present, the eventual person she becomes by the end of this story is so different and truly an inspirational figure for those who have suffered at the hands of tormentors or even those who have ever contemplated suicide themselves, like Lela once did. 

In all honesty, Sanctum is a very dark tale. It's set in a world where those who have taken their lives are set to roam in the land within the Suicide Gates until they are ready to go before the Judge and enter the Countryside, or Heaven. While Fine's alternate take on the Heaven/Hell scheme is unique and well-built (although I do have to admit that the world-building took a liiiitle while to kick-off), it never becomes preachy or even mentions God at all. In reality, the world she has created is simply a character of its own which emphasizes the devastating repercussions of suicide and that, contrary to popular belief, suicide is not an escape. I was quite surprised by some of the darker turns this novel took, but ultimately, I am in awe of them. Fine explores the horror of this situation both from the side of the person left behind, helpless and lost about what to do, and the person who committed the act themselves. It's a delicate balance she strikes and this can only be seen during the last few chapters of this novel, but I'm glad it was present and I'm also glad it was only there for a short duration of time - it was long enough to make an impact, but not long enough to turn this tale into a dark and brooding story. 

I must apologize - I've made you all terrified to pick this up because now you all think it's a gritty story, yes? Well, it isn't. While Sanctum explores some very dark themes for sure and Fine allows us to understand suicide like never before, the dialogue in this novel is sharp and witty, the character relationships and vivid and lively, and Lela's voice is simply so much fun to read. In addition, if you needed more persuasion to pick up this novel, the romance is simply to die for. Malachi is a tortured soul himself, although of a completely different degree than Lela, but instead of this making him an irritatingly stereotypical bad-boy, Malachi is utterly decent, sweet, and one of the kindest people you will meet. Yes, he's deadly with his weapons and can probably kill you before you blink, but only if you get on his bad side. Although I do think that Malachi and Lela's romance moved a little quickly, I still found the pace to be perfect considering their situations. Furthermore, I love that Malachi and Lela, despite being attracted to each other physically, were in love only with who the other person was inside. It was a beautifully written romance that truly struck a cord within me and while I know other readers will find things to pick at, I loved it. 

Sanctum truly is one of the most unexpected debuts I've read this year. I hadn't heard of it until very recently and although my expectations for this novel were turned upside down, it was in the best possible way imaginable. I love the world Fine has created, the manner in which it serves as an analogy to the themes in this novel, and the characters in this tale were phenomenal. It wasn't one of those it-blew-me-away stories - I doubt anything could be considering I read The Lost Girl and The Scorpio Races recently - but it was a novel I was thoroughly invested in and came away loving. Would I recommend Sanctum? Hell, yeah! (No pun intended, of course!) ;)

An enormous thank you to Amazon Children's Publishing Group for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.