ARC Review: Til Death by Kate Evangelista

I am so glad to kick off this tour for fellow Filipino, author Kate Evangelista!

Please give me a moment to compose myself before I start screaming. What a cliffhanger. Cliffhanger!

Title: Til Death (Fractured Souls #1) by Kate Evangelista
Release Date: March 4th 2014
Published by: Entangled Teen
Source: Publisher (for blog tour)
Buy: Amazon | Book Depository

Summary:

Sixteen-year old Selena Fallon is a dreamer. Not a day-dreamer, but an I-see-the-future kind of dreamer. Normally this is not a problem as she has gotten pretty good at keeping her weird card hidden from everyone in her small town. Except from her best friend Kyle and her grandparents, of course. But when Selena dreams of her own rather bloody death, things get a little too freaky even for her.

Enter Dillan Sloan. Selena has seen the new guy in a different dream, and he is even more droolworthy in person. Beyond the piercing blue eyes and tousled dark hair, there is something else that draws her to him. Something…electric. Unfortunately, Dillan makes it more than clear that he does not feel the same. They just met, so why would he act like he hates her?

When Dillan and Selena are forced together one weekend to work on a school project, Selena prepares to be ignored as usual. But when she stumbles across a few undead in the backyard, Dillan comes to her rescue and reveals a whole lot more. Not only is he part of a society that hunts otherworldly creatures…she is too. And she is being targeted by a force bigger and darker than anything she ever imagined. Despite her death dream, Selena is not going to give up easy, especially when she discovers that Dillan might not actually hate her after all.

Selena has been having visions of the future, getting a glimpse of what was to happen through her dreams. It wasn't supposed to be a big deal, but when creatures started to target her, something must be done. If only she wasn't busy keeping her ability a secret and keeping a clear mind for the new boy in town. Dillan Sloan gets on Selena's nerves, and she hates how he easily pushes her buttons. But Dillan's got secrets of his own to keep, and Newcastle, the place he was exiled to, seems to be much more than it seems and it seems to be connected to Selena. The question is, how and why?

It was exhausting to read this book, and I mean that in a good way. Emotions keep on shifting a lot and if you lose focus, you will find yourself lost and confused. Selena and Dillian are both strong characters, and sparks literally fly whenever their paths cross. Selena's feisty in her own way and I like how she reacts towards Dillian. It's both amusing and very funny at times. Dillian is a certified bad boy. It doesn't help that his mood shifts ever so often, and that unstable, dark vibe draws a lot of attention to him and his past as much as it does to Selena and the story behind her ability.

It's interesting how Kate crafted Newcastle, and how it became such a perfect place for the supernatural and the bizarre to thrive in. It's such a crazy place! It seemed surreal at times, but it's quite a location for such a story to happen. I like how everything is not what it seems, what the surface looks like is an entirely different thing once you delved deeper. Also, I like how every person in Selena's life is tied to each other. It's not a surprise, but what was surprising is how each character, with their own secrets to keep, really are. The contrasts of their personalities once their secrets are out is quite a thing to read. Nothing and no one is what they seem in Newcastle.

The pacing however, is a bit slow, and it took time for me to figure things out. You might need a bit of extra patience, because things will get clearer as you get deeper in the story, this I promise you. Hold on tight! Kate masterfully held all the answers to the questions and secrets surrounding Selena that piled up throughout the story and unleashed it all towards the end, which gave it such an impact and a memorable finish. I loved how Kate was able to inject the creep, the mystery vibe and the thrilling sequences in the right parts. I found myself breathless a few times as well. Talk about breath taking scenes! It's like it's possible to feel the electricity between Selena and Dillian physically when I read of their clashes and encounters. They're so entertaining to read of especially when they bicker. They have the love-hate relationship down to a tee! Secondary characters like Kyle, Penny, Ranier, Grams and Gramps were inserted in such a way that made the story a bit more lively. They will all make you wonder how they all fit in Selena's life and what role do they have in it.

Also, can I please have Sebastian as my friend?

Overall, Til Death is quite an absorbing start to the series. I'm not surprised that the pacing is a bit slow, as this is the first book, but it's enough to feed the readers quite a tantalizing opener for what looks like a promising series! What an intriguing opener, Kate! It's something new and enjoyable. I liked this book and I will definitely be on the look out for the sequel!

What a way to end the first book. Katarina will be proud!

Content (plot, story flow, character):

Kate is evil! She just had to cut the story off just when it was getting to the juicy part. My biggest problem really was the pacing of the story, since I felt like it wasn't moving forward for quite the majority of the book, but the tension between Selena and Dillan more than made up for it! I expect a lot more BOOM and earth shattering moments in Book 2. When do we get it? :)

Shining: Worthy of a Goddess' Love!

Book Cover:
The cover made so much sense when you read the book!

GIVEAWAY TIME!!!

Signed copy of Til Death courtesy of Kate Evangelista

PH only

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Also, if you're in Manila this March, you can catch Kate at National Bookstore this March 15th for the book launch of Til Death! I hope to see you there!