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43rd out of 1,981 books
—
2,051 voters
Illumine (Illumine #1)
by
Alivia Anders (Goodreads Author)
For the past five months Essallie Hanley has been trying to forget about the frightening murder of her boyfriend. Haunted by vivid nightmares and hallucinations of the event she does anything she can to pretend she's like every other normal girl in High School.
Only Essallie is far from normal. Able to conjure blue fire and a shimmering silhouette of wings from her body, s...more
Only Essallie is far from normal. Able to conjure blue fire and a shimmering silhouette of wings from her body, s...more
Paperback, First Edition, 150 pages
Published
January 7th 2012
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I loved the concept and overall storyline of this book. The story sucked me in and left me wanting more. I did find some paragraphs and dialog to be confusing/redundant, or like it just didnt quite flow right but I liked the story enough that it didn't stop me from reading.
I think its a good start to a potentially great series and I can't wait for book number two.
(Check out my full review at http://opinionatedmama.wordpress.com/... )
I think its a good start to a potentially great series and I can't wait for book number two.
(Check out my full review at http://opinionatedmama.wordpress.com/... )
Have not read anything yet with Demons in it but i really did love the story... I would refer all my book friends to read it weather they fans of the supernatural or not.It held my attention from the first page on. Loved that even though she was trying to be serious it was still funny, and when you think you know what is going to happen you better think twice lol. Great Job Alivia cant wait to read more from you!
Essallie is back at her family home in Maine, trying to forget a terrifying night that left her wondering if she is following in her mother's footsteps and headed for the sanatorium. The night in question is when a demon who was summoned to kill her, actually consumes her boyfriend in front on her. He tells her he will be back for her. Ok things like this don’t really happen, right? So why does she see him at different times? Is he really there or is it all her imagination?
But soon, everyone at...more
But soon, everyone at...more
I was pleasantly surprised that I really got into this book pretty fast. Read all of this book 1 in one day (I have the 2 in 1 book, but want to separate my reviews) I was not expecting the gore and horror of the first part, gave me a bit of nightmares, but that was really the only really gruesome part. If this was a movie, I would not have been able to watch that part, lol, my imagination was bad enough. I will never get that scene out of my mind of what Kayden did, Yuck. I can’t ever see him a...more
Illumine? What is Illumine? I NEED ILLUMINE!
Sometimes I really want to kick myself for all the books I hadn’t read these days. It wasn’t my fault, at least, but it hurts anyway.
I received Illumine by the author in exchange of my opinion. And I did what I always do every time I read a book recommended or gifted. I marked it as “to-be-read” but I didn’t read anything about it. I love to be surprised!
And I really was!!!
Illumine is a too much short-amazing book. I didn’t know what it was about; I ju...more
Sometimes I really want to kick myself for all the books I hadn’t read these days. It wasn’t my fault, at least, but it hurts anyway.
I received Illumine by the author in exchange of my opinion. And I did what I always do every time I read a book recommended or gifted. I marked it as “to-be-read” but I didn’t read anything about it. I love to be surprised!
And I really was!!!
Illumine is a too much short-amazing book. I didn’t know what it was about; I ju...more
2 likes · like · see review
Ever been to a party that changed your life forever, for Essallie going to a party did just that and opened her eyes to secrets she had know idea existed. Five months later after the tragicness she encountered, being sent to live with her brother should've been the one place her nightmares would not harm her, too bad reality isn't all too nice. Because that night is just the start to everything, finding out from a demon your a weapon and also more is one thing, but to find out that your boyfrien...more
Loved this book!
There's no tedious beginning, childish banter or teen drama like some YA fiction.
Essallie has a bad feeling about her new bf and quite rightly so....he wants to sacrifice her!
This awful event brings her into contact with the seemingly evil demon, Kayden. With the events of that fateful evening ingrained into her her life is turned upside down and she's now a social outcast at her new school. The few friends that approach her have their own secrets to hide however and their only r...more
There's no tedious beginning, childish banter or teen drama like some YA fiction.
Essallie has a bad feeling about her new bf and quite rightly so....he wants to sacrifice her!
This awful event brings her into contact with the seemingly evil demon, Kayden. With the events of that fateful evening ingrained into her her life is turned upside down and she's now a social outcast at her new school. The few friends that approach her have their own secrets to hide however and their only r...more
Illumine is one of those book with a common yet very interesting story line. Essallie is being haunted by memories of her boyfriend's murder, and trying hard to forget about it. Soon Kayden, the demon murdered her boyfriend entered into her life and made it more complected.
Essallie can conjure blue fire and a shimmering silhouette of wings from her body, and she is desperately seeking for many answers, but the biggest question is can she trust the demon who was actually summoned to slaughter he...more
Essallie can conjure blue fire and a shimmering silhouette of wings from her body, and she is desperately seeking for many answers, but the biggest question is can she trust the demon who was actually summoned to slaughter he...more
1 like · like · see review
I was given this book in return for an honest review. Essie is a senior in high school. At a party she is attacked by her boyfriend, Chase,and best friend, Cassie, who try to trade her to the demon Kaden for immortality. Something goes wrong and Chase is killed and Essie gets away. 5 months later, still dealing with hallucinations from the attack, Kayden pops back into Essies life. Essie finds that she is special and throughout the book you will find numerous supernatural beings. Succubi,fairies...more
I received this book free from Alivia in exchange of a honest review.
I really , really enjoyed this book. When I first saw it, I knew it will be a gret read. And I also knew that I will fall in love with the Kayden. And I did.
“Illumine” is a very easy read. Without many description that can get you bored and a special style-writing , Alivia Anders knows how to captivate her readers. I like the plot very much because it was full of surprises. There was always something that made me turn out the...more
I really , really enjoyed this book. When I first saw it, I knew it will be a gret read. And I also knew that I will fall in love with the Kayden. And I did.
“Illumine” is a very easy read. Without many description that can get you bored and a special style-writing , Alivia Anders knows how to captivate her readers. I like the plot very much because it was full of surprises. There was always something that made me turn out the...more
'I have received this book from the author in return of an honest review.'
Just to begin, I have to say that I truly did enjoy this book and almost had to pry it from my own fingers at times to get anything else done. When I first began reading Illumine the thought that it was going to be very similar to some other YA books I've read crossed my mind. Oh boy was I wrong. A change of events happens when the main character, Essellie, seemingly meets her fate....at the near beginning of the book no l...more
Just to begin, I have to say that I truly did enjoy this book and almost had to pry it from my own fingers at times to get anything else done. When I first began reading Illumine the thought that it was going to be very similar to some other YA books I've read crossed my mind. Oh boy was I wrong. A change of events happens when the main character, Essellie, seemingly meets her fate....at the near beginning of the book no l...more
I received this book free from Alivia in exchange of a honest review.
When I first started Illumine I was taken aback by the graphic detail in the first chapter.I put it down for a day then picked in back up and read it in one sitting.I loved it! The way Alivia writes detailed descriptions of the scenes brings the story to life.It flows well and captivates your imagination.
Essallie attends a high school party and is betrayed by her boyfriend and best friend in a horrific way.They try to sacrifice...more
When I first started Illumine I was taken aback by the graphic detail in the first chapter.I put it down for a day then picked in back up and read it in one sitting.I loved it! The way Alivia writes detailed descriptions of the scenes brings the story to life.It flows well and captivates your imagination.
Essallie attends a high school party and is betrayed by her boyfriend and best friend in a horrific way.They try to sacrifice...more
I received this book from the author for an honest review.
After an incredible and horrific start I had no idea where this book was taking me! The characters introduced seemed like your average New York City teens getting up to a bit of mischief as they party hardy on the weekends! Then in a flash of devilry, we find a demonic sacrifice gone bad with the main character Essallie, being the star attraction that not only surprised her but the Demon too!
Mystery abounds in this book as you follow Ess...more
After an incredible and horrific start I had no idea where this book was taking me! The characters introduced seemed like your average New York City teens getting up to a bit of mischief as they party hardy on the weekends! Then in a flash of devilry, we find a demonic sacrifice gone bad with the main character Essallie, being the star attraction that not only surprised her but the Demon too!
Mystery abounds in this book as you follow Ess...more
I received this book free from Alivia in exchange of a honest review.
I really , really enjoyed this book. When I first saw it, I knew it will be a gret read. And I also knew that I will fall in love with the Kayden. And I did. :D
“Illumine” is a very easy read. Without many description that can get you bored and a special style-writing , Alivia Anders knows how to captivate her readers. I like the plot very much because it was full of surprises. There was always something that made me turn out th...more
I really , really enjoyed this book. When I first saw it, I knew it will be a gret read. And I also knew that I will fall in love with the Kayden. And I did. :D
“Illumine” is a very easy read. Without many description that can get you bored and a special style-writing , Alivia Anders knows how to captivate her readers. I like the plot very much because it was full of surprises. There was always something that made me turn out th...more
Illumine by Olivia Anders
I need a Thesaurus for my reviews these days, saying this is a fresh take was nice the first, oh, 50 times. But now it gets boring. But the truth of the matter is it is a fresh take. It is a tragic one where the author has the strength of character and belief in her story to make some very dicey choices. The mother, mostly in reference is not such a nice woman. Jilted, hurt etc but still not nice. The brother is an amazing character all on his own. His tolerance and his...more
I need a Thesaurus for my reviews these days, saying this is a fresh take was nice the first, oh, 50 times. But now it gets boring. But the truth of the matter is it is a fresh take. It is a tragic one where the author has the strength of character and belief in her story to make some very dicey choices. The mother, mostly in reference is not such a nice woman. Jilted, hurt etc but still not nice. The brother is an amazing character all on his own. His tolerance and his...more
Worthy of development - 3.6 stars
Plot: 3/5 stars
I have, once again, stepped out of my comfort zone and read something I don't normally read. I have read and enjoyed YA before but only a select few: Harry Potter and Twilight, for example. I actually really enjoyed the plot but deducted two stars from this portion of the review for the following reasons: First, I felt like the plot was a sapling compared to what it could be. I saw so much potential in it that I ached for further development and,...more
Plot: 3/5 stars
I have, once again, stepped out of my comfort zone and read something I don't normally read. I have read and enjoyed YA before but only a select few: Harry Potter and Twilight, for example. I actually really enjoyed the plot but deducted two stars from this portion of the review for the following reasons: First, I felt like the plot was a sapling compared to what it could be. I saw so much potential in it that I ached for further development and,...more
This book was a quick read full of multi-dimensional characters (well, most of them) that I really enjoyed. I liked the way the story unfolded and that the people around Essie weren’t easy to figure out. Oh, and the dialogue. If you follow my reviews, you know that the dialogue can make or break a book for me.
I lept back and swore. “How the hell did you catch up to me?”
The delighted expression in his eyes melted as his shoulders slumped. “Really? Any question in the world you can ask a demon and...more
I lept back and swore. “How the hell did you catch up to me?”
The delighted expression in his eyes melted as his shoulders slumped. “Really? Any question in the world you can ask a demon and...more
This is a book I only recently came across because the author Alivia Anders added me as a friend on Facebook, after seeing the book was only 77p on Amazon for Kindle and liking what I read in the blurb, I decided to go ahead and give it a go.
Illumine follows teenager Essallie Hanley as she tries to overcome the horrors of watching her boyfriend murdered in front of her by a demon.
Ever since then something hasn't been quite right, she's been able to conjure blue flames at will. Which she knows is...more
Illumine follows teenager Essallie Hanley as she tries to overcome the horrors of watching her boyfriend murdered in front of her by a demon.
Ever since then something hasn't been quite right, she's been able to conjure blue flames at will. Which she knows is...more
Illumine by Alivia Anders is a fast-paced, exciting read that left me begging for more. Illumine is the story of Essallie Hanley, often called Essie, who moves back to her hometown after a weird night, during which she watches her boyfriend die. But for Essie, who has had a rather unusual childhood, running from her problems doesn't work, and she's forced to face the weird and paranormal occurrences that come at her in full speed.
The characters in Anders story conflicted me a multiple points.
...more
The characters in Anders story conflicted me a multiple points.
...more
Essie goes to a party that her boyfriend, Chase is hosting. She was unaware that he had plans to offer her soul to a demon, named Kayden. Kayden consumes Chase’s entire body and leaves her to the horror of what has happened, he was unable to take her soul into him. Essie has powers she is completely unaware of as she moves away to start anew. She just wants to be accepted at school and not treated as an outcast but rumors have flown that are making that hard for her to accomplish. The demon foll...more
The self-publishing movement when it comes to books is gaining prominence over the last five years. Ever since its introduction with companies like Lulu and iUniverse, it has grown to a more reliable option for publishers who wanted more freedom with their writing. I myself have self-published my "Faith Saves All" Series because of the sensitive material most traditional publishers seem to shy away from even though I am now being opted for traditional since I'm writing books publishing houses re...more
Overall: For me this book started out with a bang. We get to witness Essallie go through a very traumatizing experience when a demon kills her boyfriend. She tries to move on but then the demon shows up in her new life - and won't leave her alone. Once the demon loses all trace of the scariness and evilness - I began to lose interest in this book and it drifted into becoming just another paranormal romance novel. I had very high hopes for this book after reading the first couple chapters. I thou...more
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This story definitely wastes no time getting started. From the beginning it is very fast paced.
You can't help but feel sorry for Essie. She is betrayed and doesn't know how she should feel about the events that just took place. The graphic nature of the scenes in this book, could prove to be a little much for some, but I personally thought it proved to add to the actual vividness of the story.
Kayden was by far my favorite character. I mean seriously, he w...more
This story definitely wastes no time getting started. From the beginning it is very fast paced.
You can't help but feel sorry for Essie. She is betrayed and doesn't know how she should feel about the events that just took place. The graphic nature of the scenes in this book, could prove to be a little much for some, but I personally thought it proved to add to the actual vividness of the story.
Kayden was by far my favorite character. I mean seriously, he w...more
I feel like I'm the only one who didn't like this book...
Illumine started out borderline crazy, with Essie being pulled into a world of demons and rituals, turned against by her best friend and boyfriend to witnessing a gruesome death.
It was exciting.
Obviously traumatised and confused was the next step in the story for Essie, with her blue flames happening and the demon from her nightmares suddenly stalking her...
Our heroine continued to push Kayden away relentlessly, repetitively.
It was bori...more
Illumine started out borderline crazy, with Essie being pulled into a world of demons and rituals, turned against by her best friend and boyfriend to witnessing a gruesome death.
It was exciting.
Obviously traumatised and confused was the next step in the story for Essie, with her blue flames happening and the demon from her nightmares suddenly stalking her...
Our heroine continued to push Kayden away relentlessly, repetitively.
It was bori...more
I want to like this book more than I did. There were several grammar mistakes, wrongful uses of words, and punctuation mistakes that were hard to overlook. But I pushed passed that because the premise was compelling. I wanted to find out what would cause a girl to be able to shoot fire from her hands and wings to sprout from her back, like the description promises. There was a lot of smart dialog tossed back and forth but it was filler banter and the same argument again and again. The fantasy wo...more
I received this book from the author to give an honest review.
I truly enjoyed reading this book, with the demons and Nephilim and the mystery behind the characters I was truly impressed. This is a fast-paced story that will leave you turning the pages and wanting more.
The story behind Essallie and what she is had me wanting to read more. I do have some questions on some of the other characters such as Leo and Abigail I hope that in the next book it becomes clearer as what their part is.
Now Kayd...more
I truly enjoyed reading this book, with the demons and Nephilim and the mystery behind the characters I was truly impressed. This is a fast-paced story that will leave you turning the pages and wanting more.
The story behind Essallie and what she is had me wanting to read more. I do have some questions on some of the other characters such as Leo and Abigail I hope that in the next book it becomes clearer as what their part is.
Now Kayd...more
I picked this up as a freebie on Amazon earlier this year and recently got around to reading it.
I did enjoy this book, as a self published work I was impressed as it held a depth of plot and charachter with only minor SPAG [Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar].
The first section is quite gory and a little terrifying to read, I did think that unpleasantness may continue through the book, but it didn't. Essalie was a feminine lead that wasn't too wussy [recently been deluged with them] and didn't fee...more
I did enjoy this book, as a self published work I was impressed as it held a depth of plot and charachter with only minor SPAG [Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar].
The first section is quite gory and a little terrifying to read, I did think that unpleasantness may continue through the book, but it didn't. Essalie was a feminine lead that wasn't too wussy [recently been deluged with them] and didn't fee...more
Essallie Hanley is trying to forget the sight of when her boyfriend was murdered. Now suffering from nightmares and hallucinations, she just trying to pretend to be a normal girl. But she is far from normal. She can conjure blue fire from her hands and a silhouette of wings from her body.When she returns home to Maine, she is struggling with her humanity. And Kayden, the demon who was summoned to kill her, now following her around. Unable to touch her and wanting to why, he joins Essallie in fin...more
First off, I’m super impressed with this book. Written By Alivia Anders, who published the book herself. Kudos for that kind of dedication and believing in your work. It paid off.
Anyway! I really liked Essallie Hanley, the main character in this book. She is really witty, sarcastic as hell, and funny. Did I mention, she’s also very strong and independent? No? Well, I should have. For a teenager, she’s been through a lot, having seen her boyfriend brutally murdered in front of her. By a demon no...more
Anyway! I really liked Essallie Hanley, the main character in this book. She is really witty, sarcastic as hell, and funny. Did I mention, she’s also very strong and independent? No? Well, I should have. For a teenager, she’s been through a lot, having seen her boyfriend brutally murdered in front of her. By a demon no...more
Illumine was a little hard to get into at first. The beginning was somewhat wordy and choppy and there were a few name-drops and I kind of was like, "Ugh, please don't make this sound like a Blue Bloods novel." But I got past the prologue, and immediately, I was immersed in Essallie's world.
It was amazing. It was perfect YA fiction. Really. PERFECT YA FICTION. It reminded me a little of Lauren Kate's novel "Fallen." But only in the way that it flowed really well, not because they're both about h...more
It was amazing. It was perfect YA fiction. Really. PERFECT YA FICTION. It reminded me a little of Lauren Kate's novel "Fallen." But only in the way that it flowed really well, not because they're both about h...more
3 likes · like · see review
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Young Adult Ficti...: Illumine (Book One of The Illumine Series) | 4 | 105 | Aug 19, 2012 07:32am | |
| Fantasy and YA Ad...: Giveaway: Four Signed Copies of Illumine! | 5 | 19 | Aug 19, 2012 07:31am | |
| Bookworm Bitches : Illumine by Alivia Anders | 4 | 52 | Aug 19, 2012 07:31am | |
| Advanced Review R...: Giveaway: Four Signed Copies of Illumine | 7 | 32 | Aug 19, 2012 07:30am | |
| My YA Obsession: Giveaway: Four Signed Copies Of Illumine! | 3 | 62 | Aug 19, 2012 07:30am |
Alivia Anders was thirteen when she fell headfirst into the world of internet fanfic and RPG-forum board sites that showed her the 'back door' into the world of writing. Four years and many hours spent glued to a computer screen later she found her true calling in writing.
Alivia currently lives with her family in her hometown of Coopersburg, PA. She frequently admits that if she wasn't so intolera...more
More about Alivia Anders...
Alivia currently lives with her family in her hometown of Coopersburg, PA. She frequently admits that if she wasn't so intolera...more
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1 trivia question
More quizzes & trivia...
“How'd you sleep?"
"Like an angel."
"Oh, the irony.”
—
8 people liked it
"Like an angel."
"Oh, the irony.”
“I don't have to be dating them to feed on them, honey. Flesh is flesh." She examined her nails with minimal interest. "I'm trying to reform myself and not kill the humans I fall in love with. It makes for a much better relationship down the road.”
—
6 people liked it
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Aug 27, 2012 02:33pm