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Jennifer Snyder
Pub Feb 18, 2013
In Death I could finally see the importance of Life…
After being forced to become a Reaper Council member and being torn away from the one she loves, Rowan Harper must learn to accept her altered Fate as well as her death and move on. A task easier said than done, especially when witnessing those you love suffer in the wake of your death.
When an unlikely alli provides information that could change everything, Rowan sets out on a journey through Purgatory with her beloved by her side and a nonchalant Tracker to learn the true meaning of the word sacrifice. Another task which seems easier said than done, especially with the threat of Purgatory’s ability to corrupt your soul the longer you’re in its grip looming above their heads.
WARNING: THIS REVIEW HAS SPOILERS IF YOU HAVE NOT READ BOOK 1 AND 2 OF THE REAPER NOVELLAS.
Ro’s take on this Journey:
This novella is one of the most terrifying journey's into the unknown that you will ever take. This is the story of Rowan, her tragic death before her time, and her travels into the afterlife to get answers. This is an out of body experience that will definitely be a nightmarish dream of what lays beyond our time on earth. I, for one, have always wondered what lies on the other side of death, a realm that is unknown to the living, that no one dares to think about. As I read this novella, I found myself asking many times...If I too was presented with the choice, would I dare to venture beyond, not knowing what I may encounter in the tunnels of the unknown? What if I couldn't find my way back? I think the reader will be contemplating the same questions of themselves. The scenes will haunt you when Rowan visits her Dad after her passing, only to watch what has become of him, helpless, not being able to do anything to help him. She tries to communicate, but to no avail.
This novella will tear at your heart, and rip your soul out, over and over again. The eerie silence of purgatory will be deafening. I felt like I was in the fog of purgatory, viewing the endless stone stairway beside Rowan and Jet, (her reaper). I was scared and panicking with them, afraid of where it would take me. As I journeyed through the passages of what felt like hell, it was as if the dirt walls were closing in and enveloping me also. Val, the tracker, is helping Rowan and Jet through the doors to Salenes, (Rowan's mother's) past. She is going to try to help Rowan find her mother, and tells her, "Things are not what they seem."
Jet is a hauntingly sad character that will clutch at your heart. He has his own agenda, though he doesn't consciously realize it. Jet has mesmerizingly, beautiful sapphire eyes. He is a 17 year old boy, who has passed before his time. He goes with Rowan on her journey. Rowan describes her feelings for Jet as, " love at first sight." You will feel the love that has linked these two young teenagers together for eternity.
This novella will not disappoint! The prose were beautiful. I was swept away by the visualization of each and every new development that came to pass. I was mesmerized by Ms. Snyder's style of writing. I look forward to reading the first two novellas in the series, and reading much more of this wonderful author. This novella will stay with me for a long time to come. I give this hauntingly tragic novella 5 out of 5 gut wrenching, soul searching stars.
Come Along For the Ride...
The Way Ria Sees It
Okay, so typically novellas aren’t my thing. I love connecting with the characters and building my own relationships with them. When you read a novella, it’s usually too short, and you don’t have that traditional world/character building that you typically find in a traditional novel. WELL.HOLD.THE.PHONE.
LIKE.
NOW.
Rowan and Jet are so amazing together, my heart goes out to them, like you wouldn’t believe. I felt like I was standing next to Rowan and I felt what she felt. This little gem made me laugh, it made me cry, it made me reflect, it made me hopeful, but most importantly it made me love. Brilliant all around!! I highly, highly recommend this series. It's definitely not your typical novella...I’m very excited that I had the opportunity to read this gem! :) Round of applause...Three cheers...Happy dance...Hip hip hazah! I am looking forward to reading more from Jennifer Snyder. I will be following her work closely, as I CANNOT WAIT to see what she does next! You definitely should too!!
My Fav’s
Rowan
Pretty obvious, I know...Lol. Okay, so Rowan has to face her destiny, well technically, it was someone else's. Now she has to find a way to correct what happens to her. It's not for her, but for her family. She is totally on my Fav’s, because she was willing to sacrifice everything for what was right...That takes courage! I don’t know that I would have had the same strength!
Jet
Well Duh, this guy is hot!! He was wronged, and he still had the capacity to love unconditionally, and we all know it's forever. He too is faced with a really tough decision, and the choice he makes melts my heart. I couldn’t help but cry. He has a way of tugging on your soul. I hope to read much, much more about him in the future.
My Rating
4.25 Sapphire Blue, Jet filled Stars...I highly, highly, highly, recommend this read!! I know you too will fall in love.
Excerpt:
Sadness swallowed me, erasing the emptiness I’d felt earlier. I touched my fingertip to the edge of the glass and focused all of my energy into moving the dust beneath. I felt the coldness of the glass finally meet with my fingertip and glanced to my dad, taking in his sobbing frame as I concentrated harder on moving the dust particles beneath my finger. As I lifted my finger away to be sure I’d succeeded in making an imprint at all within the dust, I felt the familiar tugging of my soul and noticed the first few tendrils of blackness snake around my ankles.
Dread filled me.
Blackness swirled around me like a dense fog, making me lose my concentration before I could do anything more with my message. Dread turned into panic and panic turned into frustration quickly as I took one last glance at my father. I watched as he tipped back the bottle he’d held in his hand and stared at the old picture of my mother and me.
I wouldn’t get the chance to console him with my dust-written message today.
The blackness swirled around my hips moving upward, slowly encasing my shoulders in its thick fog as it formed my cloak. The tugging grew stronger with each second that passed, until I could feel the summoning of the ruling humming through my soul. It was a sensation not to be ignored, although I had tried to before. It left me feeling as though my soul were a rubber band stretched too tight, to the point of snapping, and if I didn’t close my eyes right then and release myself from my unwillingness to go, then I surly would have ripped my soul in half.
This tugging was nothing new. I knew exactly what was about to happen—I was being called to another Reaper Ruling.
Jennifer Snyder lives in North Carolina were she spends most of her time writing young adult fiction, reading, and struggling to stay on top of housework. She is an instant coffee lover with an obsession for spiral bound notebooks and smooth writing pens. Jennifer lives with her husband and two children, who endure listening to songs that spur inspiration on repeat and tolerate her love for all paranormal, teenage-targeted TV shows.
Thank you for bringing the Blogtour to us. I'll make sure to add Jennifer's book to my TBR list.
ReplyDeleteI did not read Ria's review since I did not read any of the books. She did give it a 5+ stars rating, that's got me very curious :)
Sometimes it's good to step out of HEARTS & FLOWERS mode and read something with a little more of an edge.
Thanks for the post Ria !
Thank You for your comments Mikki. I have to go back and read the first two also. I never read them, but this could have been a stand alone. Hope you enjoy it.
DeleteThanks, Ro@ABookishEscape
I have both of these in this series on my wishlist. I soo want them. I have to catch up on some major reading. Great review. Thanks for sharing the excerpt too.
ReplyDeleteJenea @ Books Live Forever
They are really great! you'll zip right through them and you'll be glad you did :)
DeleteThanks for the giveaway!!! I'm really looking forward to reading BOTH books!!
ReplyDeletecc_clubbs [at] yahoo [dot] com
Good Luck!!! I'm sure you will enjoy this book. ENJOY!!!
DeleteRo@ABookishEscape
Love your cast picks!What a hunky Jet! ;) Thank you ladies!
ReplyDelete