*This title will be released on September 14, 2010*
Book Description
If you had to choose between Heaven and Hell, which would it be?
Are you sure about that...?
Frannie Cavanaugh is a good Catholic girl with a bit of a wicked streak. She has spent years keeping everyone at a distance---even her closest friends---and it seems as if her senior year is going to be more of the same . . . until Luc Cain enrolls in her class. No one knows where he came from, but Frannie can’t seem to stay away from him.
What she doesn’t know is that Luc is on a mission. He’s been sent from Hell itself to claim Frannie’s soul. It should be easy---all he has to do is get her to sin, and Luc is as tempting as they come. Frannie doesn’t stand a chance. But he has to work fast, because if the infernals are after her, the celestials can’t be far behind. And sure enough, it’s not long before the angel Gabriel shows up, willing to do anything to keep Luc from getting what he came for. It isn’t long before they find themselves fighting for more than just Frannie’s soul.
But if Luc fails, there will be Hell to pay . . . for all of them.
Review
Book 1 in The Personal Demons Series
What’s not to love in a story about a girl torn between two guys: the angel who would give up his wings to save her, and the demon is bound to damn her? Both are fighting against their natures as the demon begins to wonder what the sweetest sin is after all, and the angel comes dangerously close to falling himself. PERSONAL DEMONS is wickedly romantic, divinely compelling, and devilishly good.
If there’s a Hell on Earth, it’s high school. And if there’s anyone distinctly qualified to make that statement, it would be me. – First line from PERSONAL DEMONS.
The world of angels and demons in PERSONAL DEMONS adds some interesting new facets to the traditional mythology, including the goal of angels and demons to ‘tag’ souls for Heaven or Hell after which they can begin to coerce a human’s will. My favorite addition, however, is that demons can actually smell sin:
The bell rings as I make my way out the door into the now bustling halls, and the scents of the sea of teenage humanity hit me in waves. There’s the tangy citrus of fear, the bitter garlic of hate, the anise of envy, and ginger—lust. Lots of potential. - PERSONAL DEMONS
It adds a sensory experience to the story and gives another layer of enjoyment to the demons in the midst of sin. Add that to the excellent writing which resonates perfectly with the age of the protagonists without coming across as juvenile in any way, and we get a story that delivers on almost every level.
The almost being Frannie’s two girlfriends who were pretty over the top catty in that stereotypical boy crazy way, specifically Taylor. As well as the slut patrol who seemed to be made up of every single girl at Haden High school all of whom practically went into heat whenever Luc and Gabe showed up. It was a little over the top for me.
Overall, If you liked Hush, Hush and Fallen, you are going to love PERSONAL DEMONS. It blends first love, first lust, and war for one girl’s soul all into one excellent paranormal YA debut. The next book in the Personal Demons series is called Original Sin and will be released in July 2011. It’s too bad it’s not available to pre-order yet.
Sexual Content: Kissing. References to sex. A few scenes of mild sensuality.
My Rating (out of 5):Excellent - Loved it! Buy it now & pre-order the sequel.
Click HERE to read an excerpt from PERSONAL DEMONS
Product Details
Reading level: Young Adult *Disclosure: I received this book courtesy of Tor Teen
Disagree with my review? Contact me with your review for this or any other book I’ve reviewed and I might use it for 2nd Opinion Review.
Glad you enjoyed the book more than I did. You're right about the over the top cattiness and boy crazy behavior. Unfortunately, that (along with other factors) turned me off from the story, but it's interesting to read another perspective on the book. Thanks for the review!
ReplyDeleteMarg - The cattiness was very heavy handed, but I still had a lot of fun with this book. Sorry it wasn't for you.
ReplyDeleteWow this sounds too awesome! Really want to get my hands on it now!
ReplyDeleteShera - It should be on a bookstore shelf near you as of today!
ReplyDeletehmm..I was thinking of picking up this book but you have compared it to Hush Hush and Fallen, I disliked both of those books, I found them extremely boring. Now I'm not too sure if I will read Personal Demons, what to do!
ReplyDeleteRebs - I compared it to Hush Hush and Fallen because of the fallen angle thing, but the stories are quite different. Check out the excerpt if you're unsure.
ReplyDelete