Tuesday, August 10, 2010

The Eternal Ones Review (Young Adult Fiction)

Haven is a 17 year old girl stuck in a small southern town in Tennessee.  She stands out as a different girl by the time she is 9 years old.  Even earlier than that, her father noted that she talked of an earlier life and insisted upon finding Ethan, her true love.

All this weirdness does nothing for Haven's social life, besides endearing her to a couple of other fringe characters.  With the nudge of a grandmother insisting she's possessed, a preacher man who concurs, and Haven's increasing visions of her former life, she sets out to find Ethan and solve the mystery that surrounds her own death.

She finds herself in New York City with a young man who is accused of a crime similar to Ethan's alleged crime in a previous life, meeting people from a secret society who claim to be in place to help others who have been reincarnated.  Haven finds it more and more difficult to decide who she can trust and what is truth.  Slowly, she discovers that she has entangled herself in a much larger web than she was prepared to embark.

When I say slowly, I really mean that Haven might be a little dense, although she is quite likeable.  I think I would have really liked to get to know Ethan, had I been given a chance, but his character never fully developed for me.  The sweet romance didn't fall into place, either.  The climax was weird and seemed thrown together for good measure.  I thought the story was enjoyable.  I liked the ending quite a bit.  It was the creepy stuff (this was the climax) that didn't seem to fit.

I read the book as an ARC so I look forward to seeing the finished product.  Overall, I would recommend.

4 stars.

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