Mar 16, 2012

Embrace By: Jessica Shirvington

Add To Goodreads
Embrace
Author: Jessica Shirvington
Pages: 369
Rating: 3/5
Violet Eden is dreading her seventeenth birthday dinner. After all, it’s hard to get too excited about the day that marks the anniversary of your mother’s death. The one bright spot is that Lincoln will be there. Sexy, mature and aloof, he is Violet’s idea of perfection. But why does he seem so reluctant to be anything more than a friend?After he gives her the world’s most incredible kiss – and then abandons her on her front doorstep – Violet is determined to get some answers. But nothing could have prepared her for Lincoln’s explanation: he is Grigori – part angel and part human – and Violet is his eternal partner.Without warning, Violet’s world is turned upside down. She never believed in God, let alone angels. But there’s no denying the strange changes in her body … and her feelings for Lincoln. Suddenly, she can’t stand to be around him. Luckily, Phoenix, an exiled angel, has come into her life. He’s intense and enigmatic, but at least he never lied to her.As Violet gets caught up in an ancient battle between dark and light, she must choose her path. The wrong choice could cost not only her life, but her eternity…
   Embrace is the first instalment in THE VIOLET EDEN CHAPTERS by author Jessica Shirvington (I always have to reread that name over to make sure I spelled it right!) Embrace was actually first released in Australia and only recently has been released internationally. In Australia, the third book in the series (EMBLAZE)  has already been released, and in February the second book (ENTICED) was released in Germany and the UK.......it sucks being left behind *cries in corner* 

   I'll start off by saying that Embrace was a really hard book too rate. I wasn't sure how I could put my feelings toward the book into an actual rating - if you get what I mean. Hopefully after reading my review, you'll understand why.

What I Loved...

   Jessica Shirvington did a wonderful job at making, ahem, certain scenes very vivid (yeah you know what I'm talking about). She was able to write them in a way that was steamy and (in my case) blush worthy, without going to far- a balance that is perfect for a YA book. 

   Shirvington's spin on Angels was also interesting. I've read many "angel" books, some great, some not so great. But EMBRACE had a uniqueness to it. I loved the idea of Grigori partners- a pair of Grigori that  are destined to work together, but must never become romantically involved. It added a conflict between Violet and Lincoln that left me wondering how/if it will ever be solved.

What I Didn't Like...

   Oh boy, well, there were quite a few problemos I had with Embrace. For one, the pace of the book was just unrealistically fast. From the beginning I felt I was on this roller-coaster going 50 pages a minute! Before we even have a chance to get to know Violet she starts finding out her destiny, and is kissing boys (and yes, boys meaning plural) and, and, ughhhh.  The whole book felt like a timing disaster. Don't get me wrong, I like a nice paced book, but by the end of Embrace I felt I had just finished reading two or three books!

   The main character, Violet, has me going back and forth. Midway through the book I was convinced I didn't like her. She was rude, selfish, stupid, impulsive- there was nothing that made her likeable to me. But by the end of the book my opinion kind of changed. Once we find out Violet has been emotionally influenced since, practically, the day she met Phoenix, it seems that Violet was very shocked at her behaviour and had many regrets.  Now, I feel like Violet is a complete stranger to me because we're not really sure on her actual feelings towards  the people and situations around her. I'll be looking forward to seeing if my opinion on dear old Violet changes in Enticed once we "meet" her officially....fingers crossed.  

   This love triangle was really confusing and typical for me. We have Lincoln, Violet's "best friend-hope-to-be-more-someday" that is sweet, and kind. And then we have Phoenix (yup, like the bird) that is the bad-boy with a sexy edge. What made this love triangle so weird for me was the absolute indecisiveness from Violet. One minute she's kissing one guy,kissing the other, having SEX with one (this is the point were I started to hate Violet),  and then making out with the other. I mean, in every  love triangle we see the main character become attached to both "males" but this was just too much. And I think it was so apparent because of the fast pace the book had. That being said, although I usually root for the bad boy, I am definitely Team Lincoln.....for now ;) 

The Cover...

   I actually really like the cover for Embrace. What really stands out are the almost invisible wings on Violet. It does a really nice job of showing that Violet is in fact an angel, but of course when you read the books, you learn that in Shivington's world- angels do not have wings. It's a simple way of immediately showing readers what the book is about. The added falling black feathers were also a very nice touch.

Favourite Quotes...

Kissing you is.. I tried so had for so long to deny myself. I tried to do tho right thing. But ever since we kissed on your birthday I knew once i started I'd never be able.. even through we can't..”  -Lincoln


"You told me once to tell you...when I wanted it most."
He knew exactly what I was talking about. "You told me once never to do that to you again."
"I've changed my mind." -Violet and Phoenix 

Overall...

   Overall Embrace was an 'okay' book for me. There were some great parts in the book that I loved (especially Shirvington's take on Angel mythology) but there were also a lot of things that I hope change in the upcoming books. With all the mix reviews out there I think this is definitely a book worth trying either way. What do you guys think about EMBRACE? Agree or disagree with my concerns? Let me know your thoughts on the book in the comments. and if you haven't already, check out the book trailer for Embrace below. Keep Reading!


Your YA Bookworm,
Caitlin <3

1 comment:



  1. الرائد افضل شركة عزل خزانات بالرياض شركة عزل خزانات بالرياض اتصل بنا الان



    شركة شحن من الرياض الى مصر شركات شحن من الرياض لمصر


    عزل خزانات بالمدينة المنورة تنظيف خزانات بالمدينة المنورة



    شركة شحن من الرياض الى مصر اسرع شركة شحن لمصر


    ReplyDelete

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...