Delaney Maxwell didn't want to cross the barely frozen Maine lake, but her best friend Decker insisted. It turned out to be a mistake. By the time Delaney was pulled back out of the frigid water, she'd been under for eleven minutes. This incident left a mark, however: Delaney began to feel drawn to people who were dying. When she meets Troy Varga, a boy who also has this ability, she attempts to figure out what it means. Why does she have this power? Can she prevent the deaths of those to whom she's drawn? And perhaps most importantly, is she foreseeing death or causing it? When she realizes that Troy may not have intentions as pure as her own, she's forced further from her regular life, and with each step, it becomes even harder to return to normal.
I devoured this book. I will admit that it was shorter than the ones I usually read, but that was because each page was packed with important events, actions, and decisions. The main character was seventeen years old, and I really enjoyed the author's portrayal of that age. I thought it was very realistic, which I appreciated, since so many authors portray characters in situations that are realistic for their age, but not with the corresponding realistic mindset. Delaney made decisions, but they were made with proper reasoning, not on impulse. When she made mistakes, she addressed them in the best way she could think of. This was a welcome reprieve from all the characters in other stories who seem to act entirely unthinkingly and immaturely, with no regard for consequences, even given their ages. I enjoy a book so much more when I can relate to the character and all their decisions, whether or not we experience similar circumstances, which may be part of why I enjoyed this novel so much.
One thing that I found frustrating about this story is that Delaney's ability was never truly explained. We did learn about whether this power was simply detecting death or causing it; however, not much else was explained. I was curious about how she received the power, and why, and how far it extends, etc. There were so many questions left open, which I never enjoy (although unfortunately sometimes have to deal with). This book is the first in a series, which I didn't realize at first, since the ending seemed to wrap up every major problem. Hopefully more about her ability will be explained in the second novel.
At the end of Delaney's story, there was a short chapter from her best friend Decker's point of view, of the eleven minutes that Delaney was underwater. I thought that this was a fun idea for a bonus chapter, because although it didn't really add anything to the plot, it did give an interesting look into the workings of Decker's mind. I don't usually enjoy books that alternate between different characters' points of view, but I really did appreciate this (probably because it wasn't relevant to the plot). It also makes me appreciate the author more, because it feels like they care about their characters and readers enough to give something more than what is usually expected.
This book had quite a lot to live up to in my mind, just after reading the summary on the back cover, but I have to say that it succeeded. I finished it within a day, and would definitely read the next in the series. I was impressed by more than the plot, though - I also really enjoyed the author, and look forward to reading other books by her in the future. I give this novel a rating of four stars, and would recommend it to readers who enjoy love triangles, supernatural powers, and intense situations.
No comments:
Post a Comment