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

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Til Death
Fractured Souls #1
By: Kate Evangelista
Published: March 4, 2014
By: Entangled Teen
Source:  Publisher

GR's 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.

My Thoughts:

I was so excited to get the opportunity to read Til Death, by Kate Evangelista!  I had heard how amazing her writing was, so when I got offered the opportunity to review this book, I took it.  Unfortunately, I have very mixed feelings about this story.

On the negative side, the pacing of this story was very slow.  It really dragged for me, and I found myself taking a lot of "reading breaks." I do not DNF books, so I was determined to get through this story, and I'm glad that I did!  The pacing finally picked up at around 60%, and then I was all in.

I loved the characters.  Selena was a great main character.  She was mysterious, loyal to her friends and family, and her power of having visions of the future fascinated me.  I loved her best friends Kyle and Penny.  They were great secondary characters, and some of my favorite parts of the story centered around the three of them having conversation.  Bowen was the hot, ex-boyfriend stalker.  I found him a little pushy and annoying, but at the same time felt sorry for him, when I realized the reason behind why he did what he did to end him in the "ex" column. 

Dillan played a very significant role in this story.  He was part of the Illumenari, a secret and closed group that have supernatural power, and use it to protect humanity.  Unfortunately, he had been demoted, and cast aside, when he failed to do his duty.  He was forced to leave his previous home in Turkey, and move to Wyoming with his Uncle Rainer.  For obvious reasons, Dillan was filled with anger, and had a sarcastic edge to him.

When Selena and Dillan meet, they feel a strong connection and pull to one another, and whenever the touch, they literally get a strong electric shock.  Dillan is not too happy about this connection, and shows it by constantly being rude to Selena.  She doesn't understand why he acts the way he does, and therein grows a push-pull, love-hate, type of relationship between the two.  Dillan is assigned to investigate the fact that tons of dogs are missing and being murdered daily.  Selena keeps having visions of her own death, and her visions are never wrong.  As creepy, and unexplained events unfold, Selena and Dillan are pushed together, as they encounter danger at ever turn.  

The plot of the story was pretty predictable, except for the ending.  We encounter various types of supernatural creatures throughout the story, and I found them interesting.  However, I guessed who the "bad" guys were and what was going on fairly soon in the story.  There was a little romance, but the story focused more on the mystery of what Selena was, and the things happening in her small town.  I think this story is best suited for young teens, around 13-15 years of age.  The ending was awesome, and completely took me by surprise.  It was the perfect set-up for the next story in the series, and let us know that Dylan and Selena's trouble's are far from over!

My Rating:

I give Til Death, by Kate Evangelista, 3 Mysterious Stars!  The pacing of the story was a bit slow for me, but then things picked up, and I wanted to know what would happen next!  I enjoyed the characters and learning about the Illumenari, and other supernatural entities.

My Favorite Quote:

"Dillan didn't just kiss.  He slow danced.  We moved in sync.  I wanted to lose myself in him.  In his touch."  (eARC, Loc. 2988)

~Selena

Purchase At:

Amazon | Barnes and Noble |Kobo

Book Casting & Teasers:

Courtesy of Ms. Evangelista's Pinterest

Selena Fallon

Penny Collins

Bowen Gage

Dillan Sloane

Kyle Hilliard

About Kate Evangelista:

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.

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