I can honestly say that when I picked up this book, the plot seemed a bit familiar, like I had read it a million times, but Sarah Rees Brennan has turned what should have been an uneventful and completely clichéd story into a novel that has a host of interesting characters and twisted at every turn.

                Unspoken follows Kami Glass, your normal high school student living in a small English town…she just happens to have a boy name Jared in her head, literally. Not only does Kami have a reputation of being a little on the outside in her village, Sorry-in-the-Vale, she also has had to live with the added burden of having an imaginary friend that only she can hear. It's hard but she has dealt with the stigma of being strange--until the Lynburns come back to town. After that, a telepathic connection to an imaginary boy isn't the only enchantment Kami has to deal with.

                Overall, I was pleased with this book. The characters were what drove it home for me. Kami was fascinating in the way she looked at the world around her. A detective to the core, she wants to get to the bottom of the mysteries that hide beneath the surface and doesn't let anyone keep her from her goals. I don't want to give too much away. Let's just say that once the shadowy Lynburns return to their hilltop mansion (or castle-whichever you prefer), Kami's life becomes a lot more--magical.

Some believe that the world is split into two; light and dark, good and evil. It would be simpler that way, but for Violet Eden, nothing is ever that simple. In Jessica Shirvington’s novel Embrace the reader is thrown into a world where secrets are revealed but the answers are never easy. Violet values, above all else, control, but when she turns seventeen, her careful grip on her world begins to collapse. People she thought she could trust betray her, and those who can’t be trusted become her strongest allies. Shirvington has created a world that is easy to fall into and get lost, full of danger and passion. Violet begins to realize that the lines between light and dark are never absolute and she must make a choice that could force her to relinquish the control she has fought so hard for. Shirvington’s characters are rich and Violet is a careful mixture of sassy and vulnerable. She’s not afraid to hurt, either with her fists or her words, but it definitely makes her seem more real. No story would be complete without a Prince Charming, although in Embrace, it’s hard to decide who that is. Violet not only has to choose to embrace her destiny, but she must learn to trust those around her, when every instinct she has is telling her to run. But who can she trust; her loyal, steady teacher, Lincoln or the mysterious, sensual companion Phoenix? In the end Violet must have faith in herself and make decisions that could shape not only her future but the future of humanity. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Violet is a fresh character with a no-bullshit attitude. The plot and lore are well thought out. I’m looking forward to the next installment of this series and recommend it to anyone wanting a little angelic intrigue.