Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy

There was a movie that came out a few years ago called The Invisible (view trailer) that I kept thinking about while reading AURACLE. The movie has a much stronger thriller/suspense storyline than this book, but they both have a protagonist who ends up outside their body desperately trying to get back in, a murder/attempted murder, and a surprisingly bittersweet romance with the one person who sees them.

The writing in AURACLE is transportive. Whether we’re hovering over a volcanic eruption with Anna during one of her ‘trips’, or we’re tiptoeing down her hallway trying desperately to avoid her violently drunk father, the words immerse readers in every magical or heartbreaking moment. And the characters are equally as vivid.

Rei really stole the book for me with his quiet strength, determination, and heart. He reminded me in a lot of ways like Sam from Maggie Stiefvator’s Shiver series. So often in YA we get idealized love interests that couldn’t possibly exist in reality, or we get guys who would be truly hazardous in real life. Rei is neither of those. And Anna, with her tragic and semi-abusive home life, still finds her moments of happiness. She and Rei have the strongest of friendships that trickles over into something more in such a softly beautiful way.

AURACLE is a lovely and bittersweet story. The supernatural element and the suspense plot involving the usurper of Anna’s body, while excellently told, are really secondary to the love story. It’s the characters that will draw you deeply into this book. I only wish it was the start of a series since I’m no where near ready for it to be over. I just adored this book.

Sexual Content:
Kissing. Mild sensuality