Fated

**This book will not be released until May 22, 2012**

Fated is filled with magick, mystery, and some gorgeous blue eyes. When Daire Lyons begins to see some horrifying images around the time of her 16th birthday, she is deemed crazy by doctors. With the threat of being placed in mental hospital, Daire's mother, Jennika, a 33-year-old Hollywood makeup artist, sends her away to live with her grandmother, Paloma. While in the rinky-dink town of Enchantment, Daire learns the truth about the death of her father, Django, falls for a boy with icy blue eyes whose twin brother is out to kill her, and assumes her role as a soul seeker, one who can travel between the worlds of the living an dead.

When I started this book, I dubbed it an OK read. It was a new interpretation of magic, but this time with animal spirits. That was all that it was. As I inched closer to the middle of the book, it started picking up. It was almost like Alyson Noel realized that her story needed a little oomph. There were components that I loved. Alyson Noël's language was vivid and created such a realistic story. I felt like I myself was a citizen of Enchantment. The plot was very original and the infusion of Native American and Latino culture was awesome. I just think that some aspects were things I had met before. In Beautiful Creatures by Kimi Garcia and Margaret Stole, a 16-year-old girl moves to a rinky-dink town and had dreams about a boy she has never met! This is almost exactly the same thing that occurs in Fated. Also, Daire can control animals, which seems vaguely familiar.

The point I'm trying to get across is that Fated is very confusing. If you don't pay attention to every little detail, you will surely be lost. Many a time I was confused about the end result. Was Daire just supposed to survive the Day of the Day and not be killed by a blue eyed, psychopathic sorcerer who is trying to conquer the world? As I reached the final sections, I realized the answer as yes.

There were parts that I found really well-written and enticing. In the beginning, it was a lot of detail, but that's just what happens when a new series is introduced. The **gasp** moments increased as the story progressed.

With an original plot and a well-known author the story will surely be a winner. For me, it evolved into something that I came to appreciate. There was an unknown piece that just didn't fully capture my attention, though. Hopefully, as the series progress, I will able to fully comprehend what an enticing story this is. So by now, you may be confused with what my opinion actually is. Well, I'll give it a 6 out of 10. Fair enough?

Special thanks to Jessica and Aleks at St. Martin's Press for sending me this copy!