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The Halo Chronicles: The Guardian

by Carey Corp (Goodreads Author)

3.96 of 5 stars 3.96 · rating details · 453 ratings · 62 reviews

High school sophomore Alex Grabovski is cursed with a gift: the ability to see the goodness and evil in her fellow human beings in the form of halos-rings of light or darkness-that surround the body. Her goals in life are to keep moving, find her best friend, and to remain invisible. A new foster family and new school offer her a real chance at a normal life. But in order...more

ebook, 239 pages

Published May 18th 2011 by CareyCorp (first published May 17th 2011)

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Aug 22, 2012 Carrie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, series-the-halo-chronicles

Ok, I've never written a review, and since many I read are the same rehasing of the plot given in the book description I've decided I'm going to start posting my favorite quotes.

"In the middle of the light is the most exquisite boy I've ever seen. His face is both achingly perfect and terrifyingly severe."

"I am not that girl. My name's Alex. I spend my days trying to dodge the darkness and, if at all possible, stay one step ahead of it. The most I can hope for is to make it to my eighteenth birt...more

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Jul 06, 2011 Genie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: faves, kindle, series-hope-to-be-series, must-have

I'm speechless right now, words cannot describe the beauty of this book. I need to get myself together before I post a review.

~Update~
Ok this story was beyond amazing. I really dont want to give anything away so I wont say too much. What I can say though is Carey captured the emotions of teenage love & heartache perfectly. The end is so bittersweet but I'm giddy waiting for the next :-)

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Dec 06, 2012 Peggy(Le BookSquirrel Blogger) Warren rated it 5 of 5 stars

REVIEW 5 STARS

Alex has a special ability and that ability is to see whether people are good or bad..She is able to do that with the colors that come off them..a grey/black for bad and a white/gold/yellow for good.She has seen this her entire life.Alex has recently come to live with her new foster parents who do not know she has this ability.She gets into a tight spot one day and Gabriel saves her.Gabriel is a Seraph..a guardian angel..sent to do a duty and that duty is to protect Alex.Gabriel...more

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Jul 21, 2011 Kitty Bullard rated it 5 of 5 stars

"THE HALO CHRONICLES: THE GUARDIAN" BY CAREY CORP

This book was simply amazing. I am now seeking the rest of the series that I know this book must belong to. Carey Corp is a fantastic writer with the ability to write a story without worrying about taking chances with her characters. (By the way I couldn't help but picture Lucas Till as Gabriel, keep that in mind for a movie deal!) So many authors are afraid if they allow characters that their readers truly love to end up having an outcome that is...more

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Nov 23, 2012 Deena rated it 5 of 5 stars

i...i teared up a couple times reading this book. it was an amazingly written book, and the plot and everything was done great.
see, Alex, is a teen who can see the good and bad in people. she can see their halos. the brighter the halo, the better the person is. well Alex has been jumping form foster home to foster home until Kate and Steven take her. they are both wonderful people and Alex has anything she could ask for with them. but she plans on running away to find her best friend Derry. well...more

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Aug 24, 2012 Christina rated it 5 of 5 stars

GOSH DARN IT!!!!! THERE BETTER BE A 2ND BOOK!!!!!!!! PLLLZZZZ?? I AM UNSATISFIED WITH THE ENDING OF THIS BOOK!!!!!! This is a fast, packed, moving adventure. Alex's talents are really cool. at times i feel it would b a curse. buuttt i'm kinda torn whether its a gift or a curse. cuz of her gift she got Gabriel. and becuz of her curse she lost him to a gun. i hope there really is a sequel. like reallllyyyy badly. and i hope gabriel returns. and alex DOES NOT end up Derry. i mean hes really funny....more

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Nov 26, 2011 Ayla rated it 4 of 5 stars

Alrighty.... so this book is kind of hard to write a review for. I read it in the span of about seven hours, which is strange because it's only 200 pages or so. I found myself not wanting to finish it because I saw the rather dire ending coming, and I couldn't bear to suffer through that emotional turmoil.

Which leads me to my next point. These characters are SO RELATABLE. It's amazing how much time and effort was put into the character development, in Alex, especially. I feel like I watched her...more Alrighty.... so this book is kind of hard to write a review for. I read it in the span of about seven hours, which is strange because it's only 200 pages or so. I found myself not wanting to finish it because I saw the rather dire ending coming, and I couldn't bear to suffer through that emotional turmoil.

Which leads me to my next point. These characters are SO RELATABLE. It's amazing how much time and effort was put into the character development, in Alex, especially. I feel like I watched her grow and strengthen under Gabriel's supervision, and this aspect of the book was PERFECTLY executed. I was saddened by Derrick's situation and enraged by the antagonist's actions. I sympathized with the main characters and felt like I actually grew and strengthened right along side Alex. It's funny how, in the beginning, she thought she was independent and all, but only by depending on someone else (one of her greatest fears) she obtained real independence and became who she was meant to be; the true essence of herself.

Now, one thing of note. Or maybe two. These are the reasons this book got four stars instead of five.

I read this as an eBook, and maybe there is less editing or something that gets put into eBooks, but OH MY FREAKING GOD the spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors were horrendous. And when I say horrendous, I don't mean a few blips here and there, I mean every page was riddled with some of the most butchered words I've ever seen in a published book. And it's strange, because some of the words in there were ones I had to actually look up in a dictionary, yet simple words like "pantry" were often misspelled. The author misspelled "pantry" in one instance and instead put "panty". Aren't these the type of errors that should make any editor curl up in the fetal position and suck their thumb like a baby?

Also, one more thing. I HATED Steven's character. Hated it. Kate was so soft spoken, yet strong willed and beautiful on the inside, yet she was married to an overprotective and sometimes downright mean man. And he was supposed to be one of the good guys! Nope. That doesn't fly in my book.

Don't get me wrong. Despite these flaws, this book made my heart ache and kept me craving more until the bittersweet ending.

More reviews are coming soon, as I just ordered three books off Amazon and am awaiting their arrival. :D(less)

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Jun 19, 2011 Gerd rated it 2 of 5 stars

I have to admit that I could not finish reading “The Guardian Chronicles” for reasons which have not directly to do with the novel, but are of more personal nature.
First of I found out that I find eBooks terrible distracting to read and therefore better suited for short stories than for novels, secondly I have a strong personal dislike of reading first person present tense narration and last but not least, I finish very few books that centre around or deal with sexual abuse, there’s enough of th...more I have to admit that I could not finish reading “The Guardian Chronicles” for reasons which have not directly to do with the novel, but are of more personal nature.
First of I found out that I find eBooks terrible distracting to read and therefore better suited for short stories than for novels, secondly I have a strong personal dislike of reading first person present tense narration and last but not least, I finish very few books that centre around or deal with sexual abuse, there’s enough of that going on as is, and I find it especially in Paranormal Romance a highly disturbing trend.

Naturally there are parts to the story that I did enjoy, for example the side characters, mainly Alex’s friend Becke Finche, the typical token shy girl and Naomi whose-last-name-I-forgot who has some of the best scenes in the novel, like giving a quite fun Lolita impersonation:
“Out of the corner of my eye I see Naomi doing unnatural things to a lollipop. She makes a blatant show of it. Like a vulture sensing a change in the pack, she picks up on Gabriel’s estrangement and is preparing to swoop in to devour him.”

But here also lies just the same the crux of the story for me, I didn’t like the main character Alex much, or rather her resentful nature. She’s when we meet her at the beginning the typical outcast girl that has learned to like herself in her role of the loner and she is all is too willing to make herself part of a hypocritical, patriarchal society, accepting their judgment passed over Naomi, and adopting it. She does learn better towards the end, though, I believe.

I must say that the part about the auras was surprisingly entertaining handled and makes up the most interesting part of the story, while her relationship to her guardian Gabriel didn’t really click with me, even though I’m usually a sucker for teen romances. The at times highly frustrating vagueness of the narration that comes with a first person view made Alex to me emotionally just as unattainable as Gabriel is to her, she proclaims herself torn by Gabriel’s reluctance to commit to her, but I didn’t really feel it because in the space of a few simple sentences she then just closes up like a shell and marches on. And there’s a lot of that going on, a lot of telling, a lot of things we simply have to take as Alex points them out to us.

As such the whole story telling was an up and down for me, in some places it felt frustratingly vague, the whole novel takes place within a seven block radius in Everytown USA that never really took form for me, in others hitting the reader with huge info dumps, we learn at some point more about her foster mother’s mother than we ever learn of the Fosters (not really but it felt that way in this moment), and she isn’t even an important character in the story. There are times when she manages to convey a realistic sense of dread and helplessness, like the first time we meet Mr Creepy, a teacher with an unhealthy interest in his female pupils, while in others I couldn’t help but mentally draw lines to “twilight” in terms of (lack of) believability and too obvious staging, like her first meeting with Gabriel.
(Though I have to add that the scene makes a lot more sense here, and feels a lot less arbitrary than a similar occurence does in "twilight")

For me the story worked best in the more mundane, everyday parts, while it continually gave in when the paranormal aspects reared their head (mind, the fact that Alex can see other people’s aura counts in this instance to the mundane aspects of life). As an overall, I’m tempted to say that the story was too filled with teen-angst for my taste, but I’m afraid that would be hypocritical because actually I missed a lasting sense of conflict between Alex and Gabriel and what in the end really got to me was the episodic nature of the writing, like reading an continual intro to a much larger story.(less)

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Apr 22, 2012 Sarah rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I thought this book was the best book I have ever read. I saw some reviews saying they saw the ending coming, but for some reason I didn't. I don't want to give too much away. The characters were really relateable. There are some swear words, but only a few. This book might be inapropiate for some people, but I thought it was fine. I was really sad when I finshed the book. I was up for another 30 minutes thinking about the ending. Again, I was really surprised, and I can't wait for the next book...more

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Jun 03, 2011 Sandra rated it 3 of 5 stars

I don't actively search self-published works. I'm trying to get over that prejudice and I actually have a couple self-published books in the queue. If it lands my lap, I'll read it. Still, I heard some buzz about this book and actually bought it for my Nook for $2.99. I heard it was really, really good so I thought, "Yes, I'll give this one a try!"

So here's what happened: when I started the book I was rolling my eyes a bit. The sanguine language of yet another angsty, paranormal YA novel. But th...more

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Oct 03, 2011 Stace rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: angels, ebook, ya

I picked this up after it showed up in my Goodreads recommendations. Although I've been on a bit of an "angel" kick I've had really bad luck finding good stories involving them (I can't expect Nalini Singh to write a book a month...but it would be nice). The book cruised along fairly well but about halfway through I just knew I was not going to like how it ended. I ended up more interested in the Jonah/Becke relationship than I did Alexia & Gabriel's. And I hated Derry from the second he sho...more

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Aug 07, 2011 Carol Oates rated it 4 of 5 stars

Although this story was typical enough with the new girl trying not to fall for the hot supernatural guy, the delivery of the story was very original. I finished this a few days ago and wanted to think about what to say. I enjoyed reading and will certainly keep reading the chronicles. The characters were all well developed with good reasons for their behavior. One of my favorite characters was, the still very childlike, Derry. I hope to see more of him in the next part of the story.

Why did I t...more

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Mar 08, 2013 Eatonlm rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: owned

This completely captivated from the very first sentence. I have never felt so desolate and utterly alone as I did reading Alexia’s character. She was so heart breaking I almost couldn’t stand it.

I’m not going to give you a whole plot of the book. The gist of it is Alexia is special. She can see good and evil in people. Some people are so evil that they make her sick, physically. Gabriel protects her. He tells her from the beginning that he is only there temporarily. He can only stay until his j...more

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Mar 24, 2012 Ripple rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: teens young adults

Evil dwells all around us, but not all have the eyes to see it for what it truly is. Alexia, however, has the special gift or perhaps curse to do so. She can see the halos around people, good and bad. But evil has always had a thing for her, as it seems to chase her where ever she goes. Yet, it is that very same evil that summons the gorgeous boy from Los Angeles to her aid. Strange and awkward at first, Gabriel seems to have eyes only for our Alexia, unceasingly shielding her from evil. But, re...more

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Jan 17, 2012 Brittney Fischer rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Aug 06, 2011 Erin Danzer rated it 5 of 5 stars

If I could give this book 10 STARS, I would without a second thought. THE HALO CHRONICLES: THE GUARDIAN was everything I expected it to be - engaging, funny, sweet, romantic, intriguing, a little scary at times and heart wrenching. In each moment of experience emotion from the characters, I felt it, too. Beautifully written, I was swept away with the opening line and carried through a sleepless night to finish in the early hours of the morning (on 2 hours of sleep). In the hours I was forced to...more

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Nov 28, 2011 Tempest rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: gave-3-5-stars, readandratedindiebooks, reapersangelsetc

While the actual heart of the story seems to take a long time coming, the interactions between the main character Alex and those around her was more than enough to keep me interested. Carey Corp does a great job creating this mythology around angels and the difference between good and bad. I really enjoyed reading, (so much so that I put it on my iPhone and brought it around with me so I could read every second I got). She builds strong, fleshed out characters, each with their own definitive per...more

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Aug 29, 2012 Nina rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: beautiful-love-story, favorite, gut-and-heart-wrenching, hot-heroes, sweet-and-enchanting, urban-fantasy, 2012-challenge-fantasyparanormal, a-3-stars, american-setting, angels, hot-men-i-wish-were-real, ordinary-world, paranormal-romance, psychic-or-mental-abilities, romance-at-high-dose, stand-alone, supernaturals-or-paranormals, young-adult

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Dec 26, 2012 Rhia Hankle rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, cover-love, beautiful-gents, pulls-at-the-heartstrings, angels, 5-stars, kindle

Words are not enough to describle my love for this book. Simply amazing. You have Alex, a foster child that has been moved in with a couple that is actually really nice. But Alex isn’t normal. She can see halos, a shadow that surrounds someone’s whole body that shows their mood based on it’s color. (By this point I was sold).

While being harrassed by a group of guys, she is saved by somone whose halo is so bright she can’t even see clearly and even passes out. After a few embarrassing moments she...more

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Feb 01, 2012 Rachel rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: cliche-cute-books, awful-endings, made-me-freaking-cry, good-books, romantic-little-things, on-my-beloved-kindle, angel-demon, paranormal, angels-and-demons-oh-my

Honestly this book was a little too vague for my liking. It's a great book for those who love a depressing ending. Unfortunately I am not one of those people, I prefer happy endings.
Alex is a very distinct character, she grew up as a foster child with a special gift she's still trying to figure out. Gabe is very, very, very confusing. One minute he's all over Alex's face with his mouth, and the next he can hardly stand to look at her. Towards the end his feelings become more straightforward, bu...more

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Jan 21, 2012 Mattie rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book was very sweet and had some good romance, but I really do wish the ending was a bit different... I loved Gabriel and Alex together as well as Jonah and Becke. The two couples were sweet and fun to read about. I could easily have feelings for all the characters, not all good but hey.

So altogether I liked the book quite a lot. As I said, the ending was pretty disappointing, but it's not like I hate the book because of it.

Recommend to a friend: Maybe
Read again: Perhaps later.

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Dec 30, 2011 Amy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: average-ya-novel

This book left me with a sense of confusion. Reading the book, it felt like everything was building up to a huge event that didn't really occur. I honestly felt a little bored reading this and was left with the feeling of 'was that it?' by the end. Whilst the writing was good, the characters felt somewhat shallow, although they did have good moments.

Ultimately, it was an average YA novel which probably needed to be at least 50 pages longer to make sense.

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Jun 22, 2011 Macy Beckett rated it 5 of 5 stars

What I enjoyed most about this book was Carey's ability to capture the magic and pain of that epic First Love. I can easily understand why The Guardian was selected as a Golden Heart finalist. Now, without spoiling anything, I will admit I wished for a different ending, but I have to trust that Carey will make it up to me in book 2. Can't wait to read it!

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Jan 05, 2012 Megan rated it 5 of 5 stars

You know what I loved about this book. The main character, Alex, wasn't one of those girls who didn't know what she wanted. Although she didn't really know what her gift was when it came to love she knew what she wanted. She didn't push Gabriel away and she doesn't cause unnecessary drama.
I already can't wait for the next book to come out.

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Aug 16, 2012 Angie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-40-book-challenge

OMG!!!!I loved this book. I started out slow with it only because I would start reading and get interrupted with some annoying thing like the dryer buzzing, or the phone ringing......but once I was able to actually sit and read for several minuets without any interruptions I did not want to stop. I have this book on my Kindle and I carried it everywhere with me. Every second I got I was reading it this past week. The characters are amazing. I loved the suspense throughout the story, the relation...more

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Jun 13, 2011 Colleen McGlashen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: angels, supernatural

I really enjoyed this book. What I appreciate the most is that the author allowed the angel in the book, to be an angel. She didn't turn him into a blood sucking vampire or a werewolf or some other ridiculous thing. I really enjoyed the charactes and the story line and I hope there will be a sequel to this story.

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Aug 10, 2012 Ceri rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: teen, angels-and-demons

I enjoyed Gabriel and Alex right up until the end. I really wasn't sure what her gift was for , Gabriel was protecting her from the darkness but it was really about how they came to love each other. I am more of a happy ending kind of person. This is love and loss.

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Nov 13, 2011 Marisa Cleveland rated it 5 of 5 stars

Read this on the recommendation of a friend. Loved it. Wish the sequel was already available. Carey excellently caught the emotion of first love and the realistic views of most every teenager I've ever known, worked with, and was.

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Jan 03, 2012 Helen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

There are not enought great words in any kind of vocabulary that can describe just how awesome this book is! As soon as I finished the first chapter, I immediately knew that this book was going to be one of my all time favorites, and I tell you now, it did not disappoint! I'm so in love with Gabriel, he's the epitome of what every boyfriend should be, but I'm so proud of Alex, and am totally in love with her character as well... I simply could not put this put down. It was so heartbreakingly bea...more

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Jan 17, 2012 Melissa Maxwell rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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About Carey Corp

I started writing YA for my fifteen-year-old neighbor, who was struggling to find books as compelling as her favorite series.

The DOON Series (YA),co-written w/Lorie Langdon, based on the premise of the musical Brigadoon with permission from the Alan Jay Lerner Estate and the Frederick Loewe Foundation. Doon coming Aug. 20, 2013 from BLINK, a new YA imprint of Zondervan/Harper Collins.

*Please con...more

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“In the middle of the light is the most exquisite boy I’ve ever seen. His face is both achingly perfect and terrifyingly severe".” — 2 people liked it

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