Review - Predestined by Abbi Glines

Title and Author: Predestined (Existence 02) by Abbi Glines

Publisher: Kindle

Publication Date: March 29th, 2012

Paperback/Hardcover: 382

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal

Summary:

You would think after helping save her boyfriend from an eternity in Hell that things would go back to normal. Well, as normal as life can be when you can see souls and your boyfriend is Death. But for Pagan Moore, things are just getting weirder.
The high school quarterback and reigning heartthrob, Leif Montgomery, is missing. While the town is in a frenzy of worry, Pagan is a nervous wreck for other reasons. Apparently good ‘ol Leif isn’t your average teenage boy. He isn’t even human. According to Death, Leif doesn’t have a soul. The quarterback may have skipped town but he’s still showing up in Pagan’s dreams... uninvited.
Dank has known from the beginning Leif wasn’t human. But he hadn’t worried about a simple soulless creature. Now, he realizes he made a grave mistake. Pagan’s soul has been marked since birth as a restitution, to a spirit so dark not even Death walks near it. Dank knows saving Pagan’s soul won’t be easy but Pagan is his. And he’s already proven he’ll defy Heaven to keep her. If Hell wants a piece of him too, then bring it on

Review:

Since I read Existence- the first book in the series - I couldn’t wait to read this book. Predestined did not disappoint me. This is a great story filled with suspense, paranormal elements and romance.

Predestined begins right after the events of Existence. Pagan and Dank are together and Leif is missing, which worries Pagan a lot especially because people seem to be forgetting all about it. It’s almost like he never existed.

Just when Pagan and Dank think all the danger is behind them, Pagan starts having dreams that are actually lost memories and hearing a voice tell her it’s almost time. Pagan’s soul might love Dank but it seems like a dark spirit has a claim over it. Will Dank be able to keep Pagan safe and with him or is this dark spirit impossible to control?

All those characters we came to know in Existence are back in this book and I think Pagan has definitely grown a bit. She’s stronger, more confident and self-reliant in this book. She has to make some difficult decisions but she does remain strong even though those decision lead to heartbreak for her. I already liked Pagan and thought she was a great main character but Predestined made me like her even more.

When it comes to Dank I don’t think I can like him more, really! In this book his protective and maybe even a little possessive (he hasn’t really learned how to deal with his jealously yet but I’m sure he’ll get there). He’s willing to do anything to keep Pagan safe and happy. He loves her and he’s not afraid to show it and it’s obvious that, by falling in love with Pagan, he has opened himself to feelings he had never experienced before. Those feelings make his job as Death a little more difficult to fulfill but he’s grateful for them and that only makes him an even better character. Dank really is swoon-worthy!

There are some steamy scenes between Dank and Pagan that are just great. I think they are a wonderful couple.

Now, Leif… I still I think he’s definitely a very complex character that’s battling several conflicting emotions. I really liked him in Existence and I still like him in this book and I couldn’t help but feel sorry for. I can’t wait for his story so I can learn a little bit more about him.

All the secondary characters like Gee brought a lot to this book as well.

The paranormal world Abbi Glines created in this book is very interesting and dark.  There’s a lot of suspense and a few twists I was not expecting in this book. It is well-written and the story was definitely able to keep me intrigued and entertained. 

The way this book ends has me wanting the next one to be published as soon as possible! I can’t wait to see what will happen between Pagan and Dank!

All in all this is a great Young Adult and paranormal book with interesting characters and an exciting plot. I think this book will definitely be able to please fans of the genre- There’s romance, friendship, suspense, mystery and more!

Rating: Somewhere Between Worth Your Time and Must Read (4 ½ Stars)

Goodreads 

Review - Existence by Abbi Glines

Title and Author: Existence by Abbi Glines

Publisher: Wild Child Publishing

Publication Date: December 12th, 2011

Paperback/Hardcover: 194

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal

Summary:

What happens when you're stalked by Death? You fall in love with him, of course.
Pagan Moore doesn't cheat Death, but instead, falls in love with him.

Seventeen year old Pagan Moore has seen souls her entire life. Once she realized the strangers she often saw walking through walls were not visible to anyone else, she started ignoring them. If she didn't let them know she could see them, then they left her alone. Until she stepped out of her car the first day of school and saw an incredibly sexy guy lounging on a picnic table, watching her with an amused smirk on his face. Problem is, she knows he's dead.
Not only does he not go away when she ignores him, but he does something none of the others have ever done. He speaks. Pagan is fascinated by the soul. What she doesn't realize is that her appointed time to die is drawing near and the wickedly beautiful soul she is falling in love with is not a soul at all.

He is Death and he's about to break all the rules.

Review:

First of all, the cover of Existence immediately caught my attention. I think it’s perfect for the book!  The blurb for the book also seemed very interesting and the story did not disappoint me!

Pagan Moore is your normal teenager in high school, working to get good grades. The only difference between Pagan and the others is that, ever since she can remember, she has able to see souls walking around. She does her best to ignore them but that’s not always easy, especially when she sees a boy, sitting casually against the picnic table. Pagan is the only one who can see him and she is sure he is a soul. He’s different, though. The other souls were never able to talk to her but this boy certainly is. He fascinates her and she just can’t seem to stay away from him.

Pagan knows Dank is different from the other souls she sees but she could never have guessed just how different he truly is…

The characters in this book are great. Pagan is very interesting and it’s easy to like her. She finds herself involved in a love triangle and, even though, I’m not always a fan of those, this is really good.

Leif, the boy Pagan starts dating is actually very likeable and sweet. I guess I was always waiting for him to turn into a jerk, for some reason, but he didn’t. He was always very sweet. I think Pagan’s feelings for him are more along the lines of friendship than love, though.

Now, Dank… Well, Dank is something else. He’s dark and mysterious and the chemistry between Pagan and him is intense. He tries to keep his distance and protect her but can’t seem to truly stay away. 

I think Abbi Glines did a great job developing a relationship full of mystery, passion and several twists between the main characters.

I enjoyed the fact that despite Pagan’s ability everything else in her life was very normal. She has great friends and it’s a good student.

All in all I really enjoyed this book. It is well-written, the characters are interesting and the idea of falling in love with death is definitely intriguing and thrilling. Plus, there’s enough romance, mystery, twists and turns and actions to keep me interested and entertained.

There’s a little cliffhanger at the end that left me anxious to read the next book. I can’t wait to find out what will happen!

If you’re a Young Adult and Paranormal fan I think you’ll definitely enjoy this book. 

Rating: Somewhere Between Worth Your Time and Must Read (4 ½   Stars)

Goodreads 

Character Inteview - Dank from Existence by Abbi Glines

As promised here's my interview with Dank from Existence by Abbi Glines. I hope you like it!

1 - So, Dank thanks for agreeing to talk to me today. I think it would be great if we could start this interview with you telling us something we might not know about you.

I hate country music.

2 - Can you describe yourself in 5 words?

Scary, dark, brooding, demanding and loyal

3 - The first time you saw Pagan at the picnic table outside school, what did you think of her?

Although her appearance was appealing she didn’t look all that different than other girls her age. I couldn’t figure out what all the fuss was about her. I need to stop here because to answer further will give away something in Predestined. 

4 - What about Leif? What are your feelings towards him?

I don’t trust him. I underestimated him.

5 - You ended up falling for Pagan. What is it about her that fascinates you the most?

She’s unique. She isn’t scared of me or what I do. She’s honest and she accepts people for who they are. She admits when she is wrong. Those aren’t common qualities in most of the females I’ve spent time with.

6 - You play the guitar and sing in a band. Am I right in assuming you also write your own songs? What inspires you to write them?

Yes, I write my own songs. I began writing songs to deal with emotions I didn’t understand. When you are always there for the most traumatic event in every persons  life then there are feelings that stir inside you. I needed a way to express those feelings. Music is my way.

7 - What are your favorite bands? Are there any songs that make you think of Pagan and your relationship with her?

Favorite Bands: Muse, Coldplay, Eels, Creed, She Wants Revenge. 

Song that reminds me of Pagan: Your Guardian Angel by Red Jumpsuit Apparatus & I Will Follow You Into the Dark by Death Cab for Cutie

8 – Your job entails a lot of responsibilities and I can only imagine how emotive and possibly exhausting it must be. How do you deal with it?

I’m not human, that helps. And then like I mentioned earlier... my music.

9 – Some random questions to end our interview:

Blondes or Brunettes? Brunettes

Blue or Green? Green

Sing or Dance? Sing

Summer or Winter? Summer

Day or Night? Day

Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions, Dank! :)

Interview with Abbi Glines

Abbi Glines was kind enough to answer a few of my questions.

Dank, the character from Existence, also accepted to be interviewed! I'll post the interview with him tomorrow. For now check out Abbi's answers to a few of my questions:

1 – What inspired you to write Existence?

AG: I normally write contemporary romances but I’d always wanted to try my hand at a paranormal romance. After thinking over it for a few weeks and deciding against most ideas because I felt as if they’d been done too many times already, the idea of personifying death just came to me.

2 – If you could write Existence all over again, would you change anything?

AG: Hmmm... probably not. When it was first released I probably would have said the name Dank but I’ve changed my mind on that. His name is Dank for a reason =)

3 – Which of your characters did you enjoy writing about the most? Which one was the hardest to write? 

AG: In the Existence Trilogy- I enjoy writing Gee the most. And Dank is the hardest to write. In all my other books I enjoy writing Cage York (from Because of Low and his upcoming book While It Lasts). The hardest character from my other books would have to be Ashton Grey (from The Vincent Boys). Writing about a girl in love with two boys isn’t easy.

4 – Can you let us know 3 facts about yourself?

1. I’m obsessed with Disney World. Literally. We go there every year at least once.

2. I’m loud and I say what I am thinking. This is a very bad habit.

3. I talk out loud to my characters while writing... and yes they talk back ;) 

Thank you, Abbi!

You can find Abbi Glines at:

Official Website

Facebook

Twitter

Author Weekend - Abbi Glines

This weekend on the blog is all about Abbi Glines!

I'll post reviews, a interview with Abbi and one with Dank from Existence, plus a giveaway!

Author's Profile:

"Abbi Glines can be found hanging out with rockstars, taking out her yacht on weekends for a party cruise, sky diving, or surfing in Maui. Okay maybe she needs to keep her imagination focused on her writing only. In the real world, Abbi can be found hauling kids (several who seem to show up that don’t belong to her) to all their social events, hiding under the covers with her MacBook in hopes her husband won’t catch her watching Buffy on Netflix again, and sneaking off to Barnes and Noble to spend hours lost in the yummy goodness of books. Her debut novel, BREATHE, can be found in digital format at Barnes and Noble and Amazon. Existence, a YA paranormal, was released December 13, 2011 by Wild Child Publishing. She also released a YA contemporary romance, The Vincent Boys this Fall. In February she released her first New Adult contemporary  Because of Low. And she is editing the second book in the Existence Trilogy. This June she will release the second book on The Vincent Boys series - The Vincent Brothers. If you want to find her then check Twitter first because she has a severe addiction to tweeting @abbiglines.   Facebook and Google +  are some of her other stomping grounds. She also blogs regularly but rarely about anything life changing. She also really enjoys talking about herself in third person." 

Abbi Glines Books:

Title and Author: Breathe

Publisher: Wild Child Publishing

Publication Date: May 17th, 2011

Paperback/Hardcover: 

Genre: Young Adult

Sadie White's summer job isn't going to be on the beach life-guarding or working at rental booths like most kids her age. With her single mother's increasing pregnancy and refusal to work, Sadie has to take over her mother's job as a domestic servant for one of the wealthy summer families on a nearby island.
When the family arrives at their summer getaway, Sadie is surprised to learn that the owner of the house is Jax Stone, one of the hottest teen rockers in the world. If Sadie hadn't spent her life raising her mother and taking care of the house she might have been normal enough to be excited about working for a rock star.
Even though Sadie isn't impressed by Jax's fame, he is drawn to her. Everything about Sadie fascinates Jax but he fights his attraction. Relationship's never work in his world and as badly as he wants Sadie, he believes she deserves more. By the end of the summer, Jax discovers he can't breathe without Sadie

Title and Author: The Vincent Boys

Publisher: Kindle

Publication Date: October 12th, 2011

Paperback/Hardcover: 174

Genre: Young Adult

Being the good girl isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Ashton Gray has grown weary of playing the part to please her parents, and to be worthy of the town’s prince charming, Sawyer Vincent. Maybe That’s why she’s found herself spending time with Sawyer’s cousin, Beau, while he’s away for the summer camping with his family. Beau is nothing like her perfect boyfriend. He’s the sexiest guy she’s ever seen, dangerous in ways she’s only day dreamed about, and the one guy she should stay away from.

Beau never envied Sawyer his loving parents, his big nice home, or his position as quarterback. He loves him like a brother. Which is why he's tried everything in his power to keep his distance from Sawyer’s girlfriend. Even if he has loved her since the age of five, Ashton is Sawyer’s girl, so therefore she’s off limits. But when Sawyer leaves for the summer, Ashton, the one girl Beau would move Heaven and Earth for, decides she wants to get into trouble. Stabbing the one person who’s always accepted him and stood by him in the back, is the cost of finally holding Ashton Gray in his arms. Is she worth losing his cousin over?.... Hell Yeah.

Title and Author: Existence

Publisher: Wild Child Publishing

Publication Date: December 13th, 2011

Paperback/Hardcover: 194

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal

What happens when you're stalked by Death? You fall in love with him, of course.
Pagan Moore doesn't cheat Death, but instead, falls in love with him.
Seventeen year old Pagan Moore has seen souls her entire life. Once she realized the strangers she often saw walking through walls were not visible to anyone else, she started ignoring them. If she didn't let them know she could see them, then they left her alone. Until she stepped out of her car the first day of school and saw an incredibly sexy guy lounging on a picnic table, watching her with an amused smirk on his face. Problem is, she knows he's dead.
Not only does he not go away when she ignores him, but he does something none of the others have ever done. He speaks. Pagan is fascinated by the soul. What she doesn't realize is that her appointed time to die is drawing near and the wickedly beautiful soul she is falling in love with is not a soul at all.
He is Death and he's about to break all the rules.

Title and Author: Because of Low

Publisher: Kindle Edition

Publication Date: February 7th, 2012

Paperback/Hardcover: 194

Genre: Young Adult

Marcus Hardy had hoped to enjoy a year away at college while he put the summer he’d rather forget behind him. But instead, he’s jerked right back to the coastal town of Sea Breeze, Alabama due to a family crisis. His dear ol' dad found himself a girlfriend only a few years older than Marcus. So now his sister needs help dealing with their mother who is mentally falling apart. The only bright spot to returning is the fascinating red head who sleeps over several times a week. The problem is she's sleeping in bed with his new roommate, Cage Watson.

Willow “Low” Foster needs a place to live. Running to Cage’s apartment every time her sister kicks her out isn’t exactly a long term solution. Juggling her courses at the local community college and a part time job doesn’t produce excess income. But Cage has a new roommate and suddenly sleeping over at her best friend’s apartment isn’t such a bad thing. Not when she gets to see those sexy green eyes of Marcus Hardy’s twinkle when he smiles at her like he wants her there.
Even though Cage seems a little territorial where Low is concerned, Marcus finds time to spend with Low without upsetting his roommate. Cage may use his small college baseball star persona to sleep with every hot female in his path but he’s still under the disillusion that when he’s through sowing his wild oats, he’s going to marry Low. Marcus intends to change that assumption for both Cage and Low. Until his carefully laid plans come crashing down with a revelation he never expected. He’ll have to choose between Low or his family. Because once the truth comes out.... there’s no other choice.

Upcoming Books:

Title and Author: Predestined

Publisher: Wild Child Publishing

Publication Date: April 4th, 2012

Paperback/Hardcover: 

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal

You would think after helping save her boyfriend from an eternity in Hell that things would go back to normal. Well, as normal as life can be when you can see souls and your boyfriend is Death. But for Pagan Moore, things are just getting weirder. 
The high school quarterback and reigning heartthrob, Leif Montgomery, is missing. While the town is in a frenzy of worry, Pagan is a nervous wreck for other reasons. Apparently good ‘ol Leif isn’t your average teenage boy. He isn’t even human. According to Death, Leif doesn’t have a soul. The quarterback may have skipped town but he’s still showing up in Pagan’s dreams... uninvited. 
Dank has known from the beginning Leif wasn’t human. But he hadn’t worried about a simple soulless creature. Now, he realizes he made a grave mistake. Pagan’s soul has been marked since birth as a restitution, to a spirit so dark not even Death walks near it. Dank knows saving Pagan’s soul won’t be easy but Pagan is his. And he’s already proven he’ll defy Heaven to keep her. If Hell wants a piece of him too, then bring it on.

 


Title and Author: While It Lasts

Publisher: Kindle Edition

Publication Date: July 31st, 2012

Paperback/Hardcover: 

Genre: Young Adult  

Maybe driving home after a few (or more) shots of tequila had been a bad idea, but hell, he did it all the time. The cops had to have been freaking bored to have pulled him over. He wasn’t even swerving! That’s Cage York’s story and he’s sticking to it.
Unfortunately, his baseball coach isn’t buying it. Cage has a free ride to the local junior college for baseball -- or he did, until he’d gotten a DUI. Now, Cage has to decide: does he drop out and give up his dream of getting noticed by a college in the SEC, and possibly making it into the Major Leagues -- or does he give in to his coach’s demands and spend his summer bailing hay?
Eva Brooks planned out her life step by step when she was eight years old. Not once over the years had she lost sight of her goals. Josh Beasley, her next door neighbor, had been the center of those goals. He’d been her first boyfriend at seven, her first kiss at ten, her first date at fifteen, and her first tragedy at eighteen. The moment she’d received the phone call from Josh’s mother saying he’d been killed along with four other soldiers just north of Baghdad, Eva’s carefully planned life imploded in the worst way possible.
Cage isn’t real happy with his closet-sized bedroom in the back of a foul smelling barn, or his daily interactions with cows, but he knows that if he doesn’t make his coach happy then he can kiss his scholarship goodbye. Only a sick and twisted man would decide his punishment was to be working on a farm all summer. No hot babes in bikinis waiting to meet a Southern boy to make her vacation complete. Just him and the damned cows.
Oh -- and an uptight, snarky brunette with the biggest blue eyes he’s every seen. But she doesn’t count, because as hard as he’s tried to charm her out of her panties - he’s pretty sure she’d rather see him hung from the rafters than let him get a taste of her pretty little lips.

Title and Author: The Vincent Brothers

Publisher: Kindle Edition

Publication Date: Julne 5th, 2012

Paperback/Hardcover: 

Genre: Young Adult 

He may have given her up without a fight, but Sawyer Vincent is far from over losing the girl he’s loved all of his life. Instead of giving up his best friend and the girl he thought he’d spend forever with, he gave Ashton and his brother Beau his blessing. However, adjusting to seeing Ashton wrapped up in Beau’s arms isn’t easy. Complicating everything even more, Ashton’s cousin Lana is in town for the summer. Sweet, kind, soft-spoken Lana, who gets under his skin. Just being near her makes him forget all about Ashton and his broken heart. Lana is everything he wanted Ashton to be except she isn’t Ashton. She lacks the backbone to stand up for herself and confidence that Ashton wears like a crown.
Lana McDaniel has lived her life in her cousin's shadow. While Lana struggled with her grades no matter how hard she tried, her mother praised Ashton's intelligence. She hadn’t been blessed with Ashton’s blond hair and flawless skin, but that didn't keep her mother from lamenting her naturally red hair and freckles. But none of that would have mattered if Ashton hadn’t always had Sawyer Vincent wrapped around her finger -- the only boy Lana wanted. Once Ashton let Sawyer go, Lana had been so sure that he’d move on. Determined to make Sawyer finally see her, she'd talked her mother into letting her spend the summer with Ashton. But Sawyer is still in love with Ashton, and Lana isn’t going to be anyone's rebound girl. No matter how yummy Sawyer Vincent’s kisses taste.

You can find Abbi Glines at:

Official Website

Facebook

Twitter