Review: Til Death (Fractured Souls #1) by Kate Evangelista

Til Death

Author: Kate Evangelista

Series: Fractured Souls

Publisher: Entangled Teen

Amazon

Release date: 4^th March 2014

Synopsis. (Goodreads)

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

Review: 3 ½ out of 5 stars

Til Death by Kate Evangelista is the first book in the Fractured Souls series and I have to admit I was initially drawn to the beautiful cover; I’m pleased to say it was also an enjoyable start to the series which has left me keen to read the next installment.

Told in alternating POV’s between Sixteen-year old Selena Fallon and a gorgeous boy she has dreamed about, 17-year old Dillan Sloan we get great insight into both of their thoughts and reactions. Selena is a Dreamer and able to see the future, her grandparents and closest friends are apparently the only ones aware of her special ability until former Guardian, Dillan arrives with his gruff and moody demeanour and knowing more about Selena than what he is initially willing to share.

Selena is a great character who was easy to relate to and like, she is not kick-butt badass but loyal and knows enough about what she can do to respond if the need arises; Dillan on the other hand took a while for me to warm to, he was broody, mean and showed a lot of hostility towards Selena initially but the strange electrical current between them certainly had me intrigued and there was definitely no insta-love, a lot of animosity when they first met but their attraction was obvious so I was curious to see where their relationship would go.

The plot is interesting; we get a great balance of paranormal, romance and mystery that keeps you guessing plus a secret society that has me wanting to know more. The author did a wonderful job with the secondary characters and the fascinating world-building with her explanation of the paranormal hierarchy and the Illumenari but being the first book in the series there are still many questions I am anxious to get answered.

Til Death has a lot of YA clichés - the absence of parents, a young girl who has no idea what she is, a romantic interest who supposedly despises her and everyone around the MC knowing what is going on except her plus a mysterious secret society. Despite this, I was still invested in Kate Evangelista’s amazing story-telling and detailed writing.

The book ends on a cliff-hanger, a big one at that so the wait until book two, After Death (anticipated 3^rd March 2015) will be painful.

Overall, I really enjoyed Til Death, the pacing I did find at times was slow and the characters, especially Dillan needed a little refining but otherwise I really enjoyed the world Kate Evangelista has crafted.

About the author: When Kate Evangelista was told she had a knack for writing stories, she did the next best thing: entered medical school. After realizing she wasn't going to be the next Doogie Howser, M.D., Kate wandered into the Literature department of her university and never looked back. Today, she is in possession of a piece of paper that says to the world she owns a Literature degree. To make matters worse, she took Master's courses in creative writing. In the end, she realized to be a writer, none of what she had mattered. What really mattered? Writing. Plain and simple, honest to God, sitting in front of her computer, writing. Today she lives in the Philippines and writes full time.