ARC Review: Radiance by Alyson Noel

Again, Louisse, I can't thank you enough for giving me the ARC. You know I love you, right? ^^

Title: Radiance
Author: Alyson Noel
Pages: 192

Summary:

Riley Bloom left her sister, Ever, in the world of the living and crossed the bridge into the afterlife—a place called Here, where time is always Now. Riley and her dog, Buttercup, have been reunited with her parents and are just settling into a nice, relaxing death when she's summoned before The Council. They let her in on a secret—the afterlife isn't just an eternity of leisure; Riley has to work. She's been assigned a job, Soul Catcher, and a teacher, Bodhi, a curious boy she can't quite figure out.

Riley, Bodhi, and Buttercup return to earth for her first assignment, a Radiant Boy who's been haunting a castle in England for centuries. Many Soul Catchers have tried to get him to cross the bridge and failed. But he's never met Riley...

What happens after we die?

The premise, to me, was attractive and intriguing. I have to admit that if there are references in this book about the Evermore series, I am not aware of it since I haven't read any of Alyson Noel's other works. But this book held my interest enough to make me decide to read the Evermore series. Now that I know the story behind Riley's death, I wanted to know how Ever is coping with her loss.

Riley died at the young age of twelve, and has "crossed over". She was stuck in Here and Now.

The concept was very interesting. What if everything was exactly the same thing on the other side? You have the same house, you live in the same neighborhood, you're still, well, you. What do you do?

Riley's attempt to continue her life on the other side is a very nice read. I got the vibe that she's a spoiled kid, a brat. Riley thinks it was unfair that her life was cut short, but when it came for her to know what she is to do in the afterlife, Riley had a pretty big dose of reality given to her. Through her own eyes, she found out how she was when she was alive.

Her persistence was a very handy tool when she was assigned the job of being a "soul catcher", a fact that her guide, Bodhi, the dorky guy slash almost pro skater boy slash Zac Efron of the dead, doesn't like. Despite her obvious flaws when she was living, Riley was able to understand more of her life when she was dead.

I was going to give this book three butterflies, because despite the attractive plot, I couldn't connect much with the story. The writing is okay, but it felt like something was lacking. However, the ending redeemed it for me, so I am rating this 4. I like the realization that Riley came to. Yes, she's dead, but that doesn't mean she can't do anything anymore. She can guide souls to the other side. She has a purpose. Those in the earth plane, the living, might not see her anymore, might forget her eventually, but she still has something to "live" for.

This has a potential to be a good series. There was a sneak peek for the 2nd book, and I hope Radiance picks up the pace and entice the readers more. The last two pages sure is a cliff hanger.

Rating:


Shining: Worthy of a Goddess' Love!

Book Cover:

I very much like the book cover! You can see the bridge, and a lovely field spread out before Riley and Buttercup. It has a very ethereal feel to it, which is, of course, what most people thinks Heaven is like. Very appropriate cover to convey the "radiance" message. Great job, book cover designer!

Yes - The Goddess Approves!