Review: Gifted

Gifted
by Annalise Hulse

Plot Summary:

What really happens when we die?

It wasn't a question that seventeen year old Evangeline Devine - Evie to her friends - had ever thought about much. There was no reason why she should - her life on the small island of Jersey with her family and best friend Seth was untouched by tragedy, idyllic even.

Until the day that Evie nearly dies herself. When Seth pulls her from the watery depths that nearly claim her life, Evie is no longer the carefree girl she was. For now she is the recipient of an unwelcome supernatural gift. Now the dead are all around and impossible to ignore.

But when someone close to her dies mysteriously, Evie is forced to embrace her new power, for she may be the only one that can prove that it was no accident. Someone is getting away with murder.

With only the spirit world for guidance, Evie sets out to uncover the truth and find the vital evidence she needs to get the case re-opened.Soon she finds herself torn between her feelings for best friend Seth, who she's begun to see in a whole new light since he saved her life, and the powerfully charismatic Piers Du Pont, who she finds herself inexplicably drawn to, even though he might just be the killer that she seeks. As events unfold, dark secrets are revealed, loyalties are tested to their limits and Evie discovers that the path that Fate has chosen for her is more terrifying than she ever could have imagined.

Life, should she survive, will never be the same again..........

Review:

The characters the author creates are incredibly vivid and relatable. I found myself tearing up over many poignant scenes and stories that Evie has to hear. I think this is because the author sets up the background and the lives of the characters so well, that their emotion comes through so strongly. I was very impressed by how much interest there was in the stories of the ghosts that passed on.

The mystery aspect of the novel was in some ways predictable, but in most ways surprising. I loved the building of tension over the two most suspicious characters - I was almost constantly switching back and forth over who I thought was guilty. The resolution of the mystery though was perfect and I could see it was really the obvious answer.

The romance in the novel was a little overstated at times for my taste, and felt a little contrived, especially with the way they two were kept apart. It’s a very sweet romance though, and the characters, as the author does so well, were extremely well-realized. This book sets up a bigger story-line that involves the main characters needing to use their powers to combat evil in some way, and I think this novel is a great set up for the rest of the series!

review copy kindly provided by the author

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