ARC Review: Fated by Alyson Noel

by Carmen Shaw 7:42 PM 5 comments

Lately strange things have been happening to Daire Santos. Animals follow her, crows mock her, and glowing people appear out of nowhere. Worried that Daire is having a nervous breakdown, her mother packs her off to stay in the dusty plains of Enchantment, New Mexico with a grandmother she’s never met.

There she crosses paths with Dace, a gorgeous guy with unearthly blue eyes who she’s encountered before...but only in her dreams. And she’ll get to know her grandmother—a woman who recognizes Daire’s bizarre episodes for what they are. A call to her true destiny as a Soul Seeker, one who can navigate between the worlds of the living and the dead. Her grandmother immediately begins teaching her to harness her powers—but it’s an art that must be mastered quickly. Because Dace’s brother is an evil shape-shifter who’s out to steal her powers. Now Daire must embrace her fate as a Soul Seeker and find out if Dace is one guy she’s meant to be with...or if he’s allied with the enemy she’s destined to destroy.

Overall Thoughts:

I was so disappointed once I finished this book! I thought I was going to absolutely love it and I didn't... 

Fated is about 16 year old Daire Santos who is a Soul Seeker. For most of her life, Daire has known that she was different from everyone else. Not because she's only had one parent (Her mother, whom she calls "Jennika"), not because she's never really had a place to call home because her mom is a traveling Hollywood makeup artist, but because she sees things regular people don't. When it becomes too much, her mother sends her to live in Enchantment, New Mexico with her grandmother. At first Daire wonders how in the world her grandmother could possibly understand her when she's never even met the woman. In fact, the last time she was ever seen was at her son's (Daire's father, Django) funerall, before Daire was even born. 

Once there, Daire comes to realize that her grandmother, Paloma, is the only one who could ever truly understand what she's going through. And Daire finally meets the guy she's been dreaming about all of her life, literally. The dark-haired guy's name is Dace. And while Dace is the purest thing in the world, his twin brother, Cade, is the complete opposite... 

What I liked about this book:
Let me just say that I absolutely adore Alyson Noel, which is the main reason why I was so excited to read this book! I also think the cover is so enticing, and goes well with the story. That's about it. 

What I disliked about this book:
This book was so confusing, which was really annoying. Even after having read it, I still couldn't tell you what a Soul Seeker really is! You know how some books keep you in the dark for most of it, but they reveal everything at the end? There was no big reveal in this book! 

Also, the love interest between Daire and Dace wasn't authentic at all. I didn't know why they liked each other, other than the fact that they were like... pretty. But most of all, I was just disappointed. I was expecting this to be 5 stars easily. I couldn't really stay engaged because I didn't understand or believe it. 

Verdict:
It wasn't bad at all, I was just expecting it to be a lot better. I probably will read the next one, just out of curiousity and maybe it'll be better than this one.

3 TARGETS!