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Arelia LaRue #1
Bound
Sixteen-year-old Arelia LaRue lives in New Orleans where the music is loud, voodoo queens inhabit every street corner, and the ghosts are alive and well. Despite her surroundings, all she wants is to help her Grand-mere Bea pay the rent and save up for college.
When her best friend Sabrina convinces her to take a well-paying summer job at the infamous Darkwood plantation, owned by the wealthy LaPlante family, Arelia agrees.
However, at Darkwood strange things start to happen, and gorgeous Lucus LaPlante insists that he needs her help. Soon, the powers that Arelia has been denying all her life, come out to play and she discovers mysteries about herself that she could have never imagined.
When her best friend Sabrina convinces her to take a well-paying summer job at the infamous Darkwood plantation, owned by the wealthy LaPlante family, Arelia agrees.
However, at Darkwood strange things start to happen, and gorgeous Lucus LaPlante insists that he needs her help. Soon, the powers that Arelia has been denying all her life, come out to play and she discovers mysteries about herself that she could have never imagined.
153 pages, Nook
First published October 28, 2011
270 people are currently reading
6151 people want to read
About the author
Kira Saito
20 books414 followersKira is a magic junkie and loves writing paranormal romances with twists and soul.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 396 reviews
January 12, 2012
This cover is gorgeous, and the intriguing synopsis about voodoo had me excited to read it. Sadly, this wasn't for me. Even though the plot was mysterious, the characters were infuriating.
Let's start with Arelia, who has been hearing spirits her whole life. She's taken a summer job at a plantation which appears to be filled with spirits and strange happenings. Arelia comes off as very immature for the most part of the book. She would overreact to the smallest things, as well as believe everything her jealous best friend told her (which we will get to in a bit). But then when it comes to voodoo, despite having heard spirits her whole life, she refuses to believe any of it. I could not, for the life of me, understand this girl. She lets herself get backstabbed by her best friend, lied to, then simply forgives her. This best friend, Sabrina, I despised her. She is the definition of spoiled, and a complete bitch. I didn't get why they were even friends. As for Lucus, the love interest, he was an ok character, but never really gave off any sort of charm. All in all, the whole cast was a big disappointment to me. I didn't connect with any of them, nor did I understand their reactions to any of the events that happened in the book. They all seemed very stiff; unconvincing.
The plot started off really interesting with a good amount of mystery. I haven't read many books based on voodoo so it was different. I liked learning about the lore, but unfortunately there wasn't a lot of digging into it until the very end. I wish we had delved deeper into Arelia's abilities. As soon as the plot starts getting more complex, the book ends; it felt unfinished.
The book is not awful, it does have promise. With some editing it could even be pretty good. But as is, I couldn't get myself to enjoy it very much.
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For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads
Let's start with Arelia, who has been hearing spirits her whole life. She's taken a summer job at a plantation which appears to be filled with spirits and strange happenings. Arelia comes off as very immature for the most part of the book. She would overreact to the smallest things, as well as believe everything her jealous best friend told her (which we will get to in a bit). But then when it comes to voodoo, despite having heard spirits her whole life, she refuses to believe any of it. I could not, for the life of me, understand this girl. She lets herself get backstabbed by her best friend, lied to, then simply forgives her. This best friend, Sabrina, I despised her. She is the definition of spoiled, and a complete bitch. I didn't get why they were even friends. As for Lucus, the love interest, he was an ok character, but never really gave off any sort of charm. All in all, the whole cast was a big disappointment to me. I didn't connect with any of them, nor did I understand their reactions to any of the events that happened in the book. They all seemed very stiff; unconvincing.
The plot started off really interesting with a good amount of mystery. I haven't read many books based on voodoo so it was different. I liked learning about the lore, but unfortunately there wasn't a lot of digging into it until the very end. I wish we had delved deeper into Arelia's abilities. As soon as the plot starts getting more complex, the book ends; it felt unfinished.
The book is not awful, it does have promise. With some editing it could even be pretty good. But as is, I couldn't get myself to enjoy it very much.
--
For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads
October 17, 2015
Arelia LaRue and her best friend Sabrina take a job at the Darkwood Plantation for the summer. Arelia really needs the money as things have been tough for her and her Grandmere but Sabrina is along for the fun and to hopefully meet a rich man to marry. Arelia begins to learn about her heritage after meeting her great aunt who has worked at the plantation all her life, the LaRue's have a long history of being voodoo queens and Arelia's has always known there was something different about herself since she can speak to the spirits.
My biggest concern with this story was that it was just too predictable. When starting a new chapter or section of the plot I could already see where it was going. Ben going off to the swamp, who Lucas was, all of Sabrina's actions... my list could go on and on.
Also, I wasn't really too found of most of the characters. Sabrina was just downright annoying from the start but Arelia could also have her moments of being too judging and harsh which made her a bit unlikable too. Along with some typos and things in the story I just didn't find myself enjoying this one as much as I thought I would.
Overall, quick read about voodoo and ghosts in New Orleans. Not really one I'd recommend picking up though.
My biggest concern with this story was that it was just too predictable. When starting a new chapter or section of the plot I could already see where it was going. Ben going off to the swamp, who Lucas was, all of Sabrina's actions... my list could go on and on.
Also, I wasn't really too found of most of the characters. Sabrina was just downright annoying from the start but Arelia could also have her moments of being too judging and harsh which made her a bit unlikable too. Along with some typos and things in the story I just didn't find myself enjoying this one as much as I thought I would.
Overall, quick read about voodoo and ghosts in New Orleans. Not really one I'd recommend picking up though.
December 29, 2018
I absolutely loved this book. I read it in one day and i just had to buy the rest of the series. The author is extremely creative to be able to make up such a story and it must have taking months of research. There are a lot of grammatical issues but I can look past those because these books are just that amazing.
February 23, 2013
The first thing that cemented my interest in this novel was the way it was written. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but the end result is that I absolutely loved this story and I can’t wait to read the second and third books, which the author had also gifted me.
Apart from the flowing- and meticulous writing, the story itself was intriguing and full of interesting facts about hoodoo and voodoo. By the end of the story I understood that there is a difference between hoodoo and voodoo, and I now know why voodoo is shrouded in so much mystery. In this story we also get to know the different types of spirits and what they do. It was interesting to note that a voodoo queen should not view these spirits as gods, or they’ll never allow her to treat them as equals. Right from the start when Arelia and Sabrina arrive at Darkwood Plantation, the story takes on an eerie and sinister feel. The spirits communicating with Arelia at unexpected intervals, added to the suspense.
Everything in this book is unpredictable. I expected the atmosphere at Darkwood Plantation to send chills down my spine round every corner as the story progressed, but although there is a consistent sense of foreboding, the author keeps the reader riveted by painting this palatial home as an ordinary one; albeit one opulently decorated in rich colors, expensive furniture and chandeliers, and exquisite gardens that will take your breath away. The reader never really knows whether to be afraid or not. The beauty and ordinariness of the house is balanced by a family cemetery, slave quarters and an allegedly haunted swamp - where you can still hear the slaves of a hundred years ago, sing - situated on the same grounds as the plantation house.
A cast of characters varying in personalities also added a lot to the overall feel of the story. There is Lucus, who hides a terrifying secret; Sabrina, the spoiled and annoying rich friend of Ariela; Ben, the cute kid who crawls into your heart and who is ignored by his parents; the obnoxious Mr Dumpty who refers to himself as “a fat guy from New York” and who is every young girl’s worst nightmare; Ivan, the handsome waiter with a bad attitude; and so many more characters who will leave a lasting impression – good or bad – on the reader.
One of my favorite parts – proving again that nothing can be predicted in this story – was when Lucus offered Ariela something to eat in the middle of the night, and she challenged him to make fried Oreos. I was intrigued at this, as I’ve never heard of fried Oreos before, and Lucus’s reaction after he tasted it made for some side-splitting laughter. I recommend this book to all who is fascinated by Louisiana voodoo, its myths, and a story built on the historic slave trade. Although Bound does not build up to a climatic finale, it is filled with enough mystery to keep the reader absorbed till the last page has been devoured. At less than hundred pages it is a wonderful quick read.
Apart from the flowing- and meticulous writing, the story itself was intriguing and full of interesting facts about hoodoo and voodoo. By the end of the story I understood that there is a difference between hoodoo and voodoo, and I now know why voodoo is shrouded in so much mystery. In this story we also get to know the different types of spirits and what they do. It was interesting to note that a voodoo queen should not view these spirits as gods, or they’ll never allow her to treat them as equals. Right from the start when Arelia and Sabrina arrive at Darkwood Plantation, the story takes on an eerie and sinister feel. The spirits communicating with Arelia at unexpected intervals, added to the suspense.
Everything in this book is unpredictable. I expected the atmosphere at Darkwood Plantation to send chills down my spine round every corner as the story progressed, but although there is a consistent sense of foreboding, the author keeps the reader riveted by painting this palatial home as an ordinary one; albeit one opulently decorated in rich colors, expensive furniture and chandeliers, and exquisite gardens that will take your breath away. The reader never really knows whether to be afraid or not. The beauty and ordinariness of the house is balanced by a family cemetery, slave quarters and an allegedly haunted swamp - where you can still hear the slaves of a hundred years ago, sing - situated on the same grounds as the plantation house.
A cast of characters varying in personalities also added a lot to the overall feel of the story. There is Lucus, who hides a terrifying secret; Sabrina, the spoiled and annoying rich friend of Ariela; Ben, the cute kid who crawls into your heart and who is ignored by his parents; the obnoxious Mr Dumpty who refers to himself as “a fat guy from New York” and who is every young girl’s worst nightmare; Ivan, the handsome waiter with a bad attitude; and so many more characters who will leave a lasting impression – good or bad – on the reader.
One of my favorite parts – proving again that nothing can be predicted in this story – was when Lucus offered Ariela something to eat in the middle of the night, and she challenged him to make fried Oreos. I was intrigued at this, as I’ve never heard of fried Oreos before, and Lucus’s reaction after he tasted it made for some side-splitting laughter. I recommend this book to all who is fascinated by Louisiana voodoo, its myths, and a story built on the historic slave trade. Although Bound does not build up to a climatic finale, it is filled with enough mystery to keep the reader absorbed till the last page has been devoured. At less than hundred pages it is a wonderful quick read.
March 27, 2012
Nothing really happens in this! Seriously, the book takes place over a week or so and the most exciting part, when it seems something exciting/scary is actually happening, turns out to be a dream!
Arelia and her friend Sabrina go to work at Darkwood plantation as hostesses and arrive a few hours before the guests. No training seems to happen at any point, the girls don't seem to be even told what they're doing each day. I know the job was just a pretense to get Arelia there, both in the story and as a plot device, but such lack of details take me out of the story. I'm not saying we need pages of job description, but what they do have is so unrealistic.
Also, Arelia complains about doing much more of the work then her friend, which is true, but is seems most times when they are working Arelia ends up doing other things then working as well. First night she goes to find a lost boy, WITHOUT ALERTING ANYONE. Stupid! If you think a little boy might be lost in the woods where there are alligators and ghosts, it's fine to interrupt a conversation to let the people in charge know. Then she is given the rest of the night off, but is suppose to keep an eye on the boy. It seems like she basically falls asleep pretty shortly after that. Another time, she goes and sits with Lucus behind a tree where other guests can't see them. Not exactly working behaviour. Then she gets into a fight with her friend and has time to disappear and cry for awhile. I'm not saying getting upset isn't normal behaviour, but when you're on the job you can't be going off that much. It makes her complaints about Sabrina not working enough a bit hypocritical.
At one point her and Sabrina get into a big fight. I don't really care that they made up, but they make up so easily that it's annoying to the reader.
But yes, I still say nothing really happens. They show up, Arelia starts learning some voodoo, teenage drama happens, and they book just sort of ends.
Also annoying, it ends with her going to talk to Lucas and her telling him to put a shirt on since she can't concentrate, but she shows up to his room in her bra and panties with a night gown on. Not really the outfit to have a discussion in. I'm just saying if she expects him to get more dressed that she should have done the same.
So yes, I have complaints about the book, but I did sort of enjoy it. I like the setting and the story ideas is good, just not well executed. I've read other series before where I enjoy them but the earlier books are not that great (Sookie Stackhouse, for example.) Someone commented that in next book that Arelia does mature some, so I plan on reading it.
Arelia and her friend Sabrina go to work at Darkwood plantation as hostesses and arrive a few hours before the guests. No training seems to happen at any point, the girls don't seem to be even told what they're doing each day. I know the job was just a pretense to get Arelia there, both in the story and as a plot device, but such lack of details take me out of the story. I'm not saying we need pages of job description, but what they do have is so unrealistic.
Also, Arelia complains about doing much more of the work then her friend, which is true, but is seems most times when they are working Arelia ends up doing other things then working as well. First night she goes to find a lost boy, WITHOUT ALERTING ANYONE. Stupid! If you think a little boy might be lost in the woods where there are alligators and ghosts, it's fine to interrupt a conversation to let the people in charge know. Then she is given the rest of the night off, but is suppose to keep an eye on the boy. It seems like she basically falls asleep pretty shortly after that. Another time, she goes and sits with Lucus behind a tree where other guests can't see them. Not exactly working behaviour. Then she gets into a fight with her friend and has time to disappear and cry for awhile. I'm not saying getting upset isn't normal behaviour, but when you're on the job you can't be going off that much. It makes her complaints about Sabrina not working enough a bit hypocritical.
At one point her and Sabrina get into a big fight. I don't really care that they made up, but they make up so easily that it's annoying to the reader.
But yes, I still say nothing really happens. They show up, Arelia starts learning some voodoo, teenage drama happens, and they book just sort of ends.
Also annoying, it ends with her going to talk to Lucas and her telling him to put a shirt on since she can't concentrate, but she shows up to his room in her bra and panties with a night gown on. Not really the outfit to have a discussion in. I'm just saying if she expects him to get more dressed that she should have done the same.
So yes, I have complaints about the book, but I did sort of enjoy it. I like the setting and the story ideas is good, just not well executed. I've read other series before where I enjoy them but the earlier books are not that great (Sookie Stackhouse, for example.) Someone commented that in next book that Arelia does mature some, so I plan on reading it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 22, 2015
(Source: Downloaded for free from Amazon)
17-year-old Aralia LeRue lives in New Orleans. Raised by her grandmother, she has a part African-American background, and can hear and speak to spirits – which she thinks is normal-ish for New Orleans.
Arelia’s grand-mere’s landlord keeps putting the rent up, and Arelia’s best friend Sabrina has secured both herself and Aurelia summer jobs at the LePlant family Plantation, so Arelia is off to spend the summer working in an attempt to earn some much needed cash.
What Arelia gets when she reaches the Darkwood Plantation is a lot more than she bargained for though, when it turns out that the cook is actually her Grand-mere’s sister! All is revealed, and as it turns out her great-great aunt performed some ritual on Arelia when she was a baby, she was blessed by some spirit, and that is why she can communicate with spirits the way she can, not to mention that fact that she is the youngest in a long line of Voodoo Queens!
Arelia isn’t sure whether she should learn more about Voodoo or not, but she has plenty of other things to keep her occupied as her best friend starts throwing herself at Lucas – the youngest of the Le Plane family, while Lucas is showering his attention on Arelia. This causes big problems between Arelia and Sabrina.
Should Arelia learn more about Voodoo and her heritage? What is Lucas’ secret? Will Arelia and Sabrina’s friendship survive the summer?
This book was okay. It was well written and had some promising ideas and storyline, the only problem was that I just didn’t know where the story was going a lot of the time. Then, when the storyline was revealed it wasn’t something that I would have guessed at, but at the same time I wasn’t particularly surprised or amazed. It just fell a little flat for me, and by about half-way through I was unfortunately beginning to lose interest.
That being said, the book wasn’t bad, it just didn’t do it for me. What annoyed me about the book though was the non-end. The book finished, but the story didn’t. I thought this was a series, but it’s actually more like ‘Bound’ is the first half of the story, and ‘Punished’ is the second half. Unfortunately as much as I hate not knowing how a story ends, I’m not interested enough to buy and read the second book.
Overall, a well written YA book, with an interesting storyline, just missing something for me.
6 out of 10.
(Book Length: 3630 kindle locations)
17-year-old Aralia LeRue lives in New Orleans. Raised by her grandmother, she has a part African-American background, and can hear and speak to spirits – which she thinks is normal-ish for New Orleans.
Arelia’s grand-mere’s landlord keeps putting the rent up, and Arelia’s best friend Sabrina has secured both herself and Aurelia summer jobs at the LePlant family Plantation, so Arelia is off to spend the summer working in an attempt to earn some much needed cash.
What Arelia gets when she reaches the Darkwood Plantation is a lot more than she bargained for though, when it turns out that the cook is actually her Grand-mere’s sister! All is revealed, and as it turns out her great-great aunt performed some ritual on Arelia when she was a baby, she was blessed by some spirit, and that is why she can communicate with spirits the way she can, not to mention that fact that she is the youngest in a long line of Voodoo Queens!
Arelia isn’t sure whether she should learn more about Voodoo or not, but she has plenty of other things to keep her occupied as her best friend starts throwing herself at Lucas – the youngest of the Le Plane family, while Lucas is showering his attention on Arelia. This causes big problems between Arelia and Sabrina.
Should Arelia learn more about Voodoo and her heritage? What is Lucas’ secret? Will Arelia and Sabrina’s friendship survive the summer?
This book was okay. It was well written and had some promising ideas and storyline, the only problem was that I just didn’t know where the story was going a lot of the time. Then, when the storyline was revealed it wasn’t something that I would have guessed at, but at the same time I wasn’t particularly surprised or amazed. It just fell a little flat for me, and by about half-way through I was unfortunately beginning to lose interest.
That being said, the book wasn’t bad, it just didn’t do it for me. What annoyed me about the book though was the non-end. The book finished, but the story didn’t. I thought this was a series, but it’s actually more like ‘Bound’ is the first half of the story, and ‘Punished’ is the second half. Unfortunately as much as I hate not knowing how a story ends, I’m not interested enough to buy and read the second book.
Overall, a well written YA book, with an interesting storyline, just missing something for me.
6 out of 10.
(Book Length: 3630 kindle locations)
January 7, 2013
I picked this up because it was free, and even though the cover was a bit off-putting for me (not my style), the synopsis sounded a bit interesting, so I gave it a go. And it went... quickly. I read it in just over a day, but since it's only 140 pages, that makes sense.
The problem with this book is that it was entertaining, but not very good. Good enough to read the next two, maybe... when I'm craving an easy read that requires no thinking. But it is predictable, and over the top, and the characters are ridiculous - all of them. And the story ended very abruptly with practically no conclusion - just a note that this isn't a trilogy and the next book is available. Being that I have to pay... eh...
Occasionally I come across a YA series that I read for shits and giggles. I have this thing where around January, my brain decides it doesn't want to work anymore because BLAH SNOW AND COLD EVERYWHERE, and I pick up something that looks interesting enough to hold my attention - it is almost always utterly uninspired and unoriginal. Sadly, this was the case here. I'm not going to say that the story was terrible, it had (has?) potential, but I'm relatively certain I could write what happens next because it is just that predictable. It's not the sort of thing I would want my daughter modeling her behavior after. A girl with self esteem issues (THAT'S new)who doesn't believe what is right in front of her own eyes, who overreacts to everything, draws baseless conclusions, and lies to herself about her own interests? And the nagging, obnoxious best friend who is clearly a sociopath - but who cares, because they've known each other a long time and their friendship is based on low-self-esteem girl not competing with overcompensating-because-daddy's-not-around girl.... Yeah, irritating characters. The love interest isn't anything new, either.
Now, watch... I'll go and find the other books today and finish the series by the weekend, because it's what I do. I read trashy shit sometimes. Some people watch disgusting reality television... I read silly books.
The problem with this book is that it was entertaining, but not very good. Good enough to read the next two, maybe... when I'm craving an easy read that requires no thinking. But it is predictable, and over the top, and the characters are ridiculous - all of them. And the story ended very abruptly with practically no conclusion - just a note that this isn't a trilogy and the next book is available. Being that I have to pay... eh...
Occasionally I come across a YA series that I read for shits and giggles. I have this thing where around January, my brain decides it doesn't want to work anymore because BLAH SNOW AND COLD EVERYWHERE, and I pick up something that looks interesting enough to hold my attention - it is almost always utterly uninspired and unoriginal. Sadly, this was the case here. I'm not going to say that the story was terrible, it had (has?) potential, but I'm relatively certain I could write what happens next because it is just that predictable. It's not the sort of thing I would want my daughter modeling her behavior after. A girl with self esteem issues (THAT'S new)who doesn't believe what is right in front of her own eyes, who overreacts to everything, draws baseless conclusions, and lies to herself about her own interests? And the nagging, obnoxious best friend who is clearly a sociopath - but who cares, because they've known each other a long time and their friendship is based on low-self-esteem girl not competing with overcompensating-because-daddy's-not-around girl.... Yeah, irritating characters. The love interest isn't anything new, either.
Now, watch... I'll go and find the other books today and finish the series by the weekend, because it's what I do. I read trashy shit sometimes. Some people watch disgusting reality television... I read silly books.
April 14, 2012
*May contain Spoilers!
This book made me angry sometimes! I mean the story would have been so much better if certain characters did not exist in the book.
Who should exist?
Arelia: Well of course, she could be such a good YA heroine if she wasn't such a easily tempered easily pushed around girl! Over the little things that Lucas ssaid she would Blow up on him. Well Shit, let him talk. But there were times when I was actually fond of her, like when she would take care of that little boy and she stood up to that bitch Sabrina. I literally clapped wheh she told her off.
Lucas: I actually liked this guy! Even though I wasn't happy with the chemistry between him and Arelia and even let her get stepped all over by her bitch freind he was an OK guy. He would try to make Arelia happy even though it was pretty twisted why he invited her to be at his house. I just wanted to see a kiss between these two people!
People that shouldn't exist:
Sabrina....Sabrina.....Sabrina....uhmmm Sabrina....what's that bitch's name o yeas Sabrina....and o yea Freaking SABRINA!
There has Never been a character thatI didn't want to exist...but she had made that exception. She just refused to see the wrong that she had caused and how she tried SO DAMN HARD for Lucas to like her was sickening to see. She was insensitive so when Arelia told her off I was like, "HELL YEA! Put Her in Her place Girl!" And Sabrina would get made at Arelia for when Lucas rather spend time with Arelia more! Yea, she didn't ask for it Stupid and obviously he likes her more and Of Course he is going to like Ariela, SHE'S REAL and refuses to go into his room in langerie after she just met him (Sabrina actually did that!) and have the idiocy to lie about having sex just to get her best freind Jealous(Yes Sabrina did that too.)
Yeaaa, I rest my case :D I pray the second book will be Amazing because im not giving up in this series just Yet.....
This book made me angry sometimes! I mean the story would have been so much better if certain characters did not exist in the book.
Who should exist?
Arelia: Well of course, she could be such a good YA heroine if she wasn't such a easily tempered easily pushed around girl! Over the little things that Lucas ssaid she would Blow up on him. Well Shit, let him talk. But there were times when I was actually fond of her, like when she would take care of that little boy and she stood up to that bitch Sabrina. I literally clapped wheh she told her off.
Lucas: I actually liked this guy! Even though I wasn't happy with the chemistry between him and Arelia and even let her get stepped all over by her bitch freind he was an OK guy. He would try to make Arelia happy even though it was pretty twisted why he invited her to be at his house. I just wanted to see a kiss between these two people!
People that shouldn't exist:
Sabrina....Sabrina.....Sabrina....uhmmm Sabrina....what's that bitch's name o yeas Sabrina....and o yea Freaking SABRINA!
There has Never been a character thatI didn't want to exist...but she had made that exception. She just refused to see the wrong that she had caused and how she tried SO DAMN HARD for Lucas to like her was sickening to see. She was insensitive so when Arelia told her off I was like, "HELL YEA! Put Her in Her place Girl!" And Sabrina would get made at Arelia for when Lucas rather spend time with Arelia more! Yea, she didn't ask for it Stupid and obviously he likes her more and Of Course he is going to like Ariela, SHE'S REAL and refuses to go into his room in langerie after she just met him (Sabrina actually did that!) and have the idiocy to lie about having sex just to get her best freind Jealous(Yes Sabrina did that too.)
Yeaaa, I rest my case :D I pray the second book will be Amazing because im not giving up in this series just Yet.....
January 24, 2012
I was once looking around Bound's Goodreads pages and found a lot of mixed reviews about this book. What I found on Goodreads made me want to read and decide for myself and well I did! The good reviews I agree with the bad ones not so much. I don't really get why they didn't like it at all.
This is something new for me, especially in the Young Adult Genre, I've only read about voodoo in a non-ya book just that one time last year but never read a book solely based on a protagonist who's gifted with the powers of voodoo.
I didn't know why, but I really connected with Arelia. I don't know if its her courage, wittiness or her will to stay away from people (especially hot boys who are off-limits) or the fact that she's bestfriends with a snob. Okay, fine! I admit, I couldn't stand Sabrina (Arelia's Bestfriend). It amuses me to actually find such a character like her in a book. She made me laugh a few times at how badly conceited she is. I know a lot of people hate this book for her especially. But for me, I found it amusing. You've gotta love these type of people. Haha. I blame my endless patience for this point. The plot had its predictable bits but aside from that it was flowing, not too complex and all together good.
Overall, Bound was an excellent read about a different aspect of paranormalcy with unique intriguing characters, a wonderful plot and juicy man-candy. Gimme more now! :D
This is something new for me, especially in the Young Adult Genre, I've only read about voodoo in a non-ya book just that one time last year but never read a book solely based on a protagonist who's gifted with the powers of voodoo.
I didn't know why, but I really connected with Arelia. I don't know if its her courage, wittiness or her will to stay away from people (especially hot boys who are off-limits) or the fact that she's bestfriends with a snob. Okay, fine! I admit, I couldn't stand Sabrina (Arelia's Bestfriend). It amuses me to actually find such a character like her in a book. She made me laugh a few times at how badly conceited she is. I know a lot of people hate this book for her especially. But for me, I found it amusing. You've gotta love these type of people. Haha. I blame my endless patience for this point. The plot had its predictable bits but aside from that it was flowing, not too complex and all together good.
Overall, Bound was an excellent read about a different aspect of paranormalcy with unique intriguing characters, a wonderful plot and juicy man-candy. Gimme more now! :D
October 24, 2016
The synopsis of this book had me very interested. Voodoo queens? Spirits? Old plantations?
Heck yeah, I was excited.
Sadly, this book wasn't for me.
Let's begin with Arelia. Her name is beautiful. Frickin' fantastic. Arelia LaRue. There are so many books with absolutely horribly-named characters. This was not one of them. However, I could not like her as a character. She was way too judgmental. I am not exaggerating at all when I say she was horribly judgmental. I have genuinely never seen anyone with such clear cut stereotypes. It physically pained me to read it. She was constantly putting down rich folk. It was just horribly exasperating.
That leads into my next point. Everyone was too exaggerated. They were so stereotypical. No one was real. Mr. Dumpty was the very definition of sleazy. The Dumptys were horrible parents. Poor Ben. Arelia was the very definition of hypocritical and rash. Sabrina was literally a dumb blonde rich girl. I genuinely could not fathom the characters. It was painful to read.
The storyline definitely has potential, and I may be tempted to continue this series. I just could not stand the characters, which definitely sways me from reading this book.
And I'm out.
Heck yeah, I was excited.
Sadly, this book wasn't for me.
Let's begin with Arelia. Her name is beautiful. Frickin' fantastic. Arelia LaRue. There are so many books with absolutely horribly-named characters. This was not one of them. However, I could not like her as a character. She was way too judgmental. I am not exaggerating at all when I say she was horribly judgmental. I have genuinely never seen anyone with such clear cut stereotypes. It physically pained me to read it. She was constantly putting down rich folk. It was just horribly exasperating.
That leads into my next point. Everyone was too exaggerated. They were so stereotypical. No one was real. Mr. Dumpty was the very definition of sleazy. The Dumptys were horrible parents. Poor Ben. Arelia was the very definition of hypocritical and rash. Sabrina was literally a dumb blonde rich girl. I genuinely could not fathom the characters. It was painful to read.
The storyline definitely has potential, and I may be tempted to continue this series. I just could not stand the characters, which definitely sways me from reading this book.
And I'm out.
February 1, 2012
Eh, it was okay but nothing special. The characters didn't capture me and Sabrina was so annoying that I almost stopped reading the book. Arelia was annoying and always running away from everything. Ivan was confusing and I could never get a clear picture of Lucas.
The ending sucked, it was like she suddenly decided to stop writing, it felt totally out of left field and not an ending to a book. I understand that she was intending it to be a cliff hanger, but NOTHING happens in this book so I can't understand what kind of cliff hanger she was hoping to create. I'll read the second book because voodoo is fascinating but it will definitely not be something I will be dying to get my hands on.
The ending sucked, it was like she suddenly decided to stop writing, it felt totally out of left field and not an ending to a book. I understand that she was intending it to be a cliff hanger, but NOTHING happens in this book so I can't understand what kind of cliff hanger she was hoping to create. I'll read the second book because voodoo is fascinating but it will definitely not be something I will be dying to get my hands on.
January 5, 2015
I mean, it wasn't horrible. There were general grammar mistakes here and there, which is to be expected from a free ebook. The mythology was fairly well put-together, and even though the book ended really suddenly and some of the characters bugged me overall it wasn't bad.
But did the love interest have to be named "Lucus" instead of Lucas? Even my autocorrect wants to fix that one. Lucus sounds like mucus. And that's all I could think of when his name was mentioned (which was frequently).
But did the love interest have to be named "Lucus" instead of Lucas? Even my autocorrect wants to fix that one. Lucus sounds like mucus. And that's all I could think of when his name was mentioned (which was frequently).
May 13, 2016
This book had so much going for it at the start. I loved the idea of voodoo hoodoo and would liked to have learnt a lot more about it. The story was set on an old plantation opened to the public for the first time. The story line was good but the author just seems to rush it too much and tried to make it dramatic but didn't pull it off. As this appears to be Kira's first book i would consider reading more of her books. I would like to think that she will grow as an author with her books.
May 21, 2019
Angsty teen works at creepy mansion where her boss is a mega heartthrob who’s been around for...a long time...and she’s a hoodoovoodoo Queen or something. Oh and her sometimes best friend also works there and has plans to seduce the boss. That’s it. They tromp around and stuff. She trusts the guy, she doesn’t, she does; she hates her friend, she doesn’t she does. There’s no climactic point. Just. Drivel.
Conclusion: There was a girl, who had a job.
Rating: 1.0
Conclusion: There was a girl, who had a job.
Rating: 1.0
May 31, 2018
Voodoo or hoodoo
3 Star Kindle Free Read
This is my first time reading author Kira Saito. She did an excellent job keeping me interested. I can't wait to read the explosive conclusion.
3 Star Kindle Free Read
This is my first time reading author Kira Saito. She did an excellent job keeping me interested. I can't wait to read the explosive conclusion.
December 5, 2020
I really enjoyed this book and can't wait to read the next book to see what happens.
November 3, 2012
Sort of conflicted as how to rate this book. It dragged by until about 20% and picked up, but I have the same reservations with the book as other readers. I give it 3 stars because I'm interested in how this story turns out, so something about it pulled me in enough to want to read the sequel. Lots of potential and like the Voodoo. Confused because at the end it says "No this is not a trilogy," but there are 3 books listed on Amazon...? Anyhoo, I'll be reading the sequel. Hope some of the plot-line issues get worked out.
LIKES:
1) Cover art
2) Well edited as far as grammar
3) Louisiana themed/Voodoo, which isn't overdone...yet. I think there could've been a whole lot more done with this book.
4) I really liked the aspect of the relationship of Sabrina and Arelia because it showed how Sabrina is basically fictive kin for Arelia. Southern slaves built family around fictive kin, and tying that into the story and building the same type of relationship for Arelia (especially because she's descended from African slaves) made an impression on me. I don't know if this was intentional, but I liked the relationship idea, just not the execution.
DISLIKES:
1) I hate Sabrina. I see the author's intention with the relationship between her and Arelia, I just think it should be more clear so that other readers aren't so put off by it.
2)Arelia and Sabrina are brought up by the same woman (Grand-mere Bea)and spent their childhood side-by-side. I definitely see how Arelia feels obligated to the relationship, as southern family ties are usually taken seriously, and I know because I'm live down here. However, it doesn't mean that Arelia has to take her crap, because that's not how we do things. We keep family close, but don't necessarily let them bulldoze us over. We're notorious about bringing in non-blood related folks for family, and Arelia mentions several times that they are basically sisters, not just "friends" that she can cast aside so easily. This should've been more stressed so that readers can see how Arelia is stuck with her like family, but geez, put her in her place from time to time! I don't like how Arelia keeps trying to appease Sabrina. Punch her in the face and then make-up over dinner. This relationships makes a little more sense because they're still in grade school, but Arelia should state she can't wait to get rid of the B once she goes off to college.
3) I like Louis' take on their relationship, saying that Arelia doesn't want to be an underdog so she is friends with Sabrina, but this should be evermore present throughout the book if this is the case.
4) Not enough character development for Ivan and Ms. Mae. Too cliched character development for other characters.
5) Not enough at stake. Arelia apparently has a choice whether or not she wants to be a Voodoo queen and her choice doesn't affect her in any way. If she doesn't do voodoo, she still gets to stay and make money--if she does voodoo, she might get into some shit and die, so it really doesn't make sense as to why she would do it. It only affects Louis. Louis is the only person in the book with anything at stake, and Arelia decides to do Voodoo before she finds out about Louis, so that doesn't work either. If she was conflicted, then fell in love with Louis, and then made the decision--that would make a little more sense, but then why would she choose that route, because when she does her voodoo on him, he'll be gone forever--so, no...nothing at stake for Arelia.
6) I don't understand why Arelia got so mad at Louis when the truth came out about who he really was. The anger she displayed didn't match well with her personality and it basically wasn't realistic. Of course he wants her to use her powers to set him free, and there's nothing wrong with that and she had no firm platform for being pissed off.
7) So I think we can all agree that we figured out Louis is an old soul way before being told. Too cliched in the way this information comes out.
8) Not enough Voodoo or Arelia. Too much Sabrina and Louis and perverted Mr. Dumpty.
9) Hate the name "Dumpty"
10) What the freakin freak was up with the ending? The book just stopped. No cliffhanger, no resolution, nada. That was a major turnoff.
LIKES:
1) Cover art
2) Well edited as far as grammar
3) Louisiana themed/Voodoo, which isn't overdone...yet. I think there could've been a whole lot more done with this book.
4) I really liked the aspect of the relationship of Sabrina and Arelia because it showed how Sabrina is basically fictive kin for Arelia. Southern slaves built family around fictive kin, and tying that into the story and building the same type of relationship for Arelia (especially because she's descended from African slaves) made an impression on me. I don't know if this was intentional, but I liked the relationship idea, just not the execution.
DISLIKES:
1) I hate Sabrina. I see the author's intention with the relationship between her and Arelia, I just think it should be more clear so that other readers aren't so put off by it.
2)Arelia and Sabrina are brought up by the same woman (Grand-mere Bea)and spent their childhood side-by-side. I definitely see how Arelia feels obligated to the relationship, as southern family ties are usually taken seriously, and I know because I'm live down here. However, it doesn't mean that Arelia has to take her crap, because that's not how we do things. We keep family close, but don't necessarily let them bulldoze us over. We're notorious about bringing in non-blood related folks for family, and Arelia mentions several times that they are basically sisters, not just "friends" that she can cast aside so easily. This should've been more stressed so that readers can see how Arelia is stuck with her like family, but geez, put her in her place from time to time! I don't like how Arelia keeps trying to appease Sabrina. Punch her in the face and then make-up over dinner. This relationships makes a little more sense because they're still in grade school, but Arelia should state she can't wait to get rid of the B once she goes off to college.
3) I like Louis' take on their relationship, saying that Arelia doesn't want to be an underdog so she is friends with Sabrina, but this should be evermore present throughout the book if this is the case.
4) Not enough character development for Ivan and Ms. Mae. Too cliched character development for other characters.
5) Not enough at stake. Arelia apparently has a choice whether or not she wants to be a Voodoo queen and her choice doesn't affect her in any way. If she doesn't do voodoo, she still gets to stay and make money--if she does voodoo, she might get into some shit and die, so it really doesn't make sense as to why she would do it. It only affects Louis. Louis is the only person in the book with anything at stake, and Arelia decides to do Voodoo before she finds out about Louis, so that doesn't work either. If she was conflicted, then fell in love with Louis, and then made the decision--that would make a little more sense, but then why would she choose that route, because when she does her voodoo on him, he'll be gone forever--so, no...nothing at stake for Arelia.
6) I don't understand why Arelia got so mad at Louis when the truth came out about who he really was. The anger she displayed didn't match well with her personality and it basically wasn't realistic. Of course he wants her to use her powers to set him free, and there's nothing wrong with that and she had no firm platform for being pissed off.
7) So I think we can all agree that we figured out Louis is an old soul way before being told. Too cliched in the way this information comes out.
8) Not enough Voodoo or Arelia. Too much Sabrina and Louis and perverted Mr. Dumpty.
9) Hate the name "Dumpty"
10) What the freakin freak was up with the ending? The book just stopped. No cliffhanger, no resolution, nada. That was a major turnoff.
January 12, 2015
INFURIATING AND RIPPING-HAIR-OUT-OF-SCALP-WORTHY.
Warning:Contains serious ranting.
I want to start with the positives that kept me reading right till the end of the novel. Firstly, the cover is gorgeous, there was an intriguing synopsis and it was a freebie- free books? Hooray!!
I like the setting and the story ideas is good, just not well executed.
I finished reading and the 3 star rating I initially had in mind eventually dwindled to one star. This was from the book not having any climax, any action, or a resolution, hence it warrants an unfortunate one star rating.
I know all the time it takes for an author to write a book and in that regard, it is commendable.
Onto The Not-So-Commendable Elements Of This Book
Sadly this read wasn't for me.
The protagonist is a girl called Arelia, who has been hearing spirits her whole life. She takes a summer job at a plantation which appears to be filled with spirits. All is good, certainly great potential.
That is until situations cause her to overreact to the smallest things and her maturity resembled a twelve year old girl.
The plot started off really interesting with a good amount of mystery. I haven't read many books based on voodoo so it was different. I liked learning about the lore, but unfortunately not much was revealed until the end but then it raised the question; what the heck did I read for the past 2 hours? The book ends and it felt very unfinished.
The book takes place over a week or so and the most exciting part, when it seems something exciting/scary is actually happening, turns out to be a dream! Wow, way to be anti-climactic. I almost gave up on the book right then and there.
Arelia and her friend Sabrina go to work at Darkwood plantation as hostesses. No training seems to happen at any point and the girls aren't even told what they're doing each day. This aspect was so unrealistic and it needed more validity and depth by the author.
First night she goes to find a lost boy, without alerting ANYONE!! Just general knowledge to report an event as soon as it happens, particularly regarding children. The way the protagonist handled it was impulsive and unwise.
Lucus wasn't swoon worthy at all. The romance didn't make sense to me and felt forced, almost like Lucus and Arelia were thrown at each other. Even the way he spoke in his "heartwarming" speech made me roll my eyes and sigh aloud.
“But then I saw you,” he continued speaking, ignoring my little outburst.
“I got to know you, and you made me feel alive again. You pulled me out of my ghost like existence. The misery I’ve been living with for over a hundred and sixty years..I was scared that you would reject me. That you would leave, and my world would once again be cloaked in wretchedness.”
And Sabrina was self driven, conceited, jealous, vain and literally throwing herself to guys.
Sure, she made me laugh at first but she became pretty annoying as the story progressed and I don't know why Arelia forgave her so easily. Sabrina's character actually killed the story for me and despite the initial drama, her character just angered me and made the book a terrible story to fall into.
Sorry, 0.4/5 stars :(
Warning:Contains serious ranting.
I want to start with the positives that kept me reading right till the end of the novel. Firstly, the cover is gorgeous, there was an intriguing synopsis and it was a freebie- free books? Hooray!!
I like the setting and the story ideas is good, just not well executed.
I finished reading and the 3 star rating I initially had in mind eventually dwindled to one star. This was from the book not having any climax, any action, or a resolution, hence it warrants an unfortunate one star rating.
I know all the time it takes for an author to write a book and in that regard, it is commendable.
Onto The Not-So-Commendable Elements Of This Book
Sadly this read wasn't for me.
The protagonist is a girl called Arelia, who has been hearing spirits her whole life. She takes a summer job at a plantation which appears to be filled with spirits. All is good, certainly great potential.
That is until situations cause her to overreact to the smallest things and her maturity resembled a twelve year old girl.
The plot started off really interesting with a good amount of mystery. I haven't read many books based on voodoo so it was different. I liked learning about the lore, but unfortunately not much was revealed until the end but then it raised the question; what the heck did I read for the past 2 hours? The book ends and it felt very unfinished.
The book takes place over a week or so and the most exciting part, when it seems something exciting/scary is actually happening, turns out to be a dream! Wow, way to be anti-climactic. I almost gave up on the book right then and there.
Arelia and her friend Sabrina go to work at Darkwood plantation as hostesses. No training seems to happen at any point and the girls aren't even told what they're doing each day. This aspect was so unrealistic and it needed more validity and depth by the author.
First night she goes to find a lost boy, without alerting ANYONE!! Just general knowledge to report an event as soon as it happens, particularly regarding children. The way the protagonist handled it was impulsive and unwise.
Lucus wasn't swoon worthy at all. The romance didn't make sense to me and felt forced, almost like Lucus and Arelia were thrown at each other. Even the way he spoke in his "heartwarming" speech made me roll my eyes and sigh aloud.
“But then I saw you,” he continued speaking, ignoring my little outburst.
“I got to know you, and you made me feel alive again. You pulled me out of my ghost like existence. The misery I’ve been living with for over a hundred and sixty years..I was scared that you would reject me. That you would leave, and my world would once again be cloaked in wretchedness.”
And Sabrina was self driven, conceited, jealous, vain and literally throwing herself to guys.
Sure, she made me laugh at first but she became pretty annoying as the story progressed and I don't know why Arelia forgave her so easily. Sabrina's character actually killed the story for me and despite the initial drama, her character just angered me and made the book a terrible story to fall into.
Sorry, 0.4/5 stars :(
April 28, 2015
Oh, I love books about New Orleans, especially if they somehow incorporate voodoo and history into them.
So I hoped to really enjoy "Bound," the first novella of Kira Saito's Arelia LaRue series -- it has voodoo, ghosts, snakes, a gorgeous old plantation and lots of atmosphere. Sadly, it also has a massively unattractive heroine, no real ending and some major writing flaws that badly need to be addressed.
Against the wishes of her grandmother, Arelia LaRue takes a job at Darkwood Plantation with her best friend Sabrina (who is every rich blonde slut cliche crammed into in one character). Within an hour of arriving, Arelia discovers that the Darkwood cook is her great-aunt, that she has special voodoo powers granted by the loa Erzulie, and even gets a visit from said loa.
She also encounters Lucus, the handsome and charming scion of the family. Arelia immediately hates him because he's rich (seriously, that's the main reason), but for some reason he's very interested in her. And as she learns more about Darkwood, it becomes clear that an ancient power still holds the place.
I really had high hopes for this novella. Kira Saito loads the novella up with haunting Southern atmosphere and a truckload of voodoo stuff, ranging from appearances by the loa to a gris-gris-making class. Honestly, there's a lot of potential here, and I was disappointed when the rest of the novel didn't stack up.
One of the biggest problems is pacing -- Saito rockets through the story at light speed, pelting Arelia with massive revelations about her powers, family and history in a very short time. There are no quiet moments where the characters can breathe, no foreshadowing before they learn anything. Saito really needs to learn how to stretch out her story, learn to develop the characters and setting more.
Also, too much celebrity name-dropping and labels. There are a few continuity issues -- at one point Arelia makes a promise to matchmake a couple of loa... but unless I missed something, she never did. I don't think it's safe to break that sort of promise to a loa.
However, the biggest problem is Arelia herself. She is AWFUL. She comes across as a paranoid, gullible, bipolar mess. It's hard to see why a guy as nice and pleasant as Lucus is attracted to her, because she's constantly sneering at him and telling him what a horrible, worthless person he is because... he's rich. In one fun scene, she actually throws lumps of mud at him.
The other characters are a spotty bunch. Sabrina is a vile character which has no real purpose except to be vile, and most of the guests are forgettable. But Lucus is rather charming, Ms. Mae is intriguingly ambiguous, and the neglected "poor little rich boy" Ben is rather sweet.
Kira Saito has an intriguing premise and loads of atmosphere, but the nasty main character and too-fast writing need to be fixed before it can count as "good."
So I hoped to really enjoy "Bound," the first novella of Kira Saito's Arelia LaRue series -- it has voodoo, ghosts, snakes, a gorgeous old plantation and lots of atmosphere. Sadly, it also has a massively unattractive heroine, no real ending and some major writing flaws that badly need to be addressed.
Against the wishes of her grandmother, Arelia LaRue takes a job at Darkwood Plantation with her best friend Sabrina (who is every rich blonde slut cliche crammed into in one character). Within an hour of arriving, Arelia discovers that the Darkwood cook is her great-aunt, that she has special voodoo powers granted by the loa Erzulie, and even gets a visit from said loa.
She also encounters Lucus, the handsome and charming scion of the family. Arelia immediately hates him because he's rich (seriously, that's the main reason), but for some reason he's very interested in her. And as she learns more about Darkwood, it becomes clear that an ancient power still holds the place.
I really had high hopes for this novella. Kira Saito loads the novella up with haunting Southern atmosphere and a truckload of voodoo stuff, ranging from appearances by the loa to a gris-gris-making class. Honestly, there's a lot of potential here, and I was disappointed when the rest of the novel didn't stack up.
One of the biggest problems is pacing -- Saito rockets through the story at light speed, pelting Arelia with massive revelations about her powers, family and history in a very short time. There are no quiet moments where the characters can breathe, no foreshadowing before they learn anything. Saito really needs to learn how to stretch out her story, learn to develop the characters and setting more.
Also, too much celebrity name-dropping and labels. There are a few continuity issues -- at one point Arelia makes a promise to matchmake a couple of loa... but unless I missed something, she never did. I don't think it's safe to break that sort of promise to a loa.
However, the biggest problem is Arelia herself. She is AWFUL. She comes across as a paranoid, gullible, bipolar mess. It's hard to see why a guy as nice and pleasant as Lucus is attracted to her, because she's constantly sneering at him and telling him what a horrible, worthless person he is because... he's rich. In one fun scene, she actually throws lumps of mud at him.
The other characters are a spotty bunch. Sabrina is a vile character which has no real purpose except to be vile, and most of the guests are forgettable. But Lucus is rather charming, Ms. Mae is intriguingly ambiguous, and the neglected "poor little rich boy" Ben is rather sweet.
Kira Saito has an intriguing premise and loads of atmosphere, but the nasty main character and too-fast writing need to be fixed before it can count as "good."
November 20, 2012
(cross-posted from The Caffeinated Diva reads blog)
The good...
I really enjoyed this book, despite the mixed reviews on Amazon. The voodoo mythology behind the story is fresh and unique, a twist on the witchy theme. It had a very real flavor to it, a lot of attention paid to incorporating true voodoo beliefs. Much of the story centers around Arelia and her dealings with the spirits, the ceremonial aspects of asking for and receiving favors very well done. Some of these spirits were clearly of the higher level, while many were simply the spirits of those who have passed.
The various relationships within the story were also dynamic and interesting, even those that were rather unhealthy. The friendship between Sabrina and Arelia, although it annoyed me, was very real. It took a lot for me to harbor anything but negative feelings for Sabrina! Lucas and Arelia were an interesting couple, blowing hot ad cold throughout this first book. The Dumptys, although minor characters, added to the story as well. The parents wre awful, but their son Ben was adorable and the mother in me wanted to take him home and take care of him.
One of the things that I liked about Arelia's character was the very thing that I have seen denounced in many reviews of this book and series. Her mercurial mood swings throughout this book. From moment to moment, she either believed or didn't believe in voodoo and her abilities. From moment to moment, she blew hot and cold. In my opinion, this worked. She was brought up to respect, but not embrace voodoo. She came to the plantation and was suddenly immersed in a world she really didn't understand. It was a lot for her to handle. She blew hot and cold with just about everyone for most of the book, but that, too, worked for me. She knew her grandmother was keeping secrets, Mae wanted things from her, James was constantly in her face, Sabrina was arrogant and dismissive, and she was fighting an attraction to Lucas. Any one of these things is explanation enough. For me, the mood swings supported her struggle to accept voodoo and to find herself.
The bad...
My only issue was in editing errors. There were quite a few of them. That can be distracting, but in this case, it was less so for me. The story was strong enough that it was easier to get past those things. The other thing was the conclusion. I didn't like where it ended. Even knowing there was a next book, it was a bit awkwardly placed.
Diva notes
Aside from the novel itself, the cover is gorgeous. Dark and mysterious, it fit the storyline and the location. Will I read more of Arelia? Absolutely!
The good...
I really enjoyed this book, despite the mixed reviews on Amazon. The voodoo mythology behind the story is fresh and unique, a twist on the witchy theme. It had a very real flavor to it, a lot of attention paid to incorporating true voodoo beliefs. Much of the story centers around Arelia and her dealings with the spirits, the ceremonial aspects of asking for and receiving favors very well done. Some of these spirits were clearly of the higher level, while many were simply the spirits of those who have passed.
The various relationships within the story were also dynamic and interesting, even those that were rather unhealthy. The friendship between Sabrina and Arelia, although it annoyed me, was very real. It took a lot for me to harbor anything but negative feelings for Sabrina! Lucas and Arelia were an interesting couple, blowing hot ad cold throughout this first book. The Dumptys, although minor characters, added to the story as well. The parents wre awful, but their son Ben was adorable and the mother in me wanted to take him home and take care of him.
One of the things that I liked about Arelia's character was the very thing that I have seen denounced in many reviews of this book and series. Her mercurial mood swings throughout this book. From moment to moment, she either believed or didn't believe in voodoo and her abilities. From moment to moment, she blew hot and cold. In my opinion, this worked. She was brought up to respect, but not embrace voodoo. She came to the plantation and was suddenly immersed in a world she really didn't understand. It was a lot for her to handle. She blew hot and cold with just about everyone for most of the book, but that, too, worked for me. She knew her grandmother was keeping secrets, Mae wanted things from her, James was constantly in her face, Sabrina was arrogant and dismissive, and she was fighting an attraction to Lucas. Any one of these things is explanation enough. For me, the mood swings supported her struggle to accept voodoo and to find herself.
The bad...
My only issue was in editing errors. There were quite a few of them. That can be distracting, but in this case, it was less so for me. The story was strong enough that it was easier to get past those things. The other thing was the conclusion. I didn't like where it ended. Even knowing there was a next book, it was a bit awkwardly placed.
Diva notes
Aside from the novel itself, the cover is gorgeous. Dark and mysterious, it fit the storyline and the location. Will I read more of Arelia? Absolutely!
March 11, 2012
As soon as I received this book to my kindle and started reading I was hooked. The writing is so rich and absorbing that it was difficult to put it down even for a few minutes!
Firstly the main character, Arelia, is someone I can relate to. From a poor background she and her Gran-mere have had to work hard just to keep a roof over their heads. Everything in Arelia's life is about survival so its no surprise when she decides to take the job offer of summer work at the Darkwood Estate.
Her best friend, Sabrina, comes from the other side of the fence, the rich side. While Arelia is very proud and would never accept any monetary help from Sabrina, her best friend still shows her kindness in different ways. Yes, Sabrina is spoiled beyond belief. Her work ethic is nonexistent and she has only one wish. To meet and eventually marry the heir to the Darkwood estate. The only problem is that Lucas, gorgeous and mysterious as he is only has eyes for Arelia. But why?
The characters in this story are brilliant and well developed. Ivan, the most annoying waiter, the irritating guests such as the Dumpty's, and Ms Mae and her secrets. All of them pop out of the book with such life that you feel like you're really in the house experiencing it all first hand.
And I can't not mention the food! I'm from England. I've never been to New Orleans. I have no idea what a pain perdu, buttermilk drop, shrimp gumbo, or any of the other delicious sounding foods are. I had to google them just to see pictures. The mentions of the food made even my mouth water!
The scenery of the Darkwood Estate is described exquisitely and was such an excellent backdrop for this amazing book. Arelia has a mysterious past that she has little knowledge of. Spirits talk to her as though they've known her for years, yet she doesn't understand why they come to her. Lucas singles her out and pays great attention to her. But he has a mysterious past too. And only Arelia has the ability to discover the truth and help him.
What I liked most was the fact that the author had clearly done a huge amount of research about Voodoo, the Spirits and the history that comes with it, especially that of the slave trade.
All in all, I loved Bound. I'm now reading Punished (Book 2) and I can't wait to find out what happens next! And Lucas? He can have my heart any day!! This is a must read for anyone who loves Paranormal Romance.
Firstly the main character, Arelia, is someone I can relate to. From a poor background she and her Gran-mere have had to work hard just to keep a roof over their heads. Everything in Arelia's life is about survival so its no surprise when she decides to take the job offer of summer work at the Darkwood Estate.
Her best friend, Sabrina, comes from the other side of the fence, the rich side. While Arelia is very proud and would never accept any monetary help from Sabrina, her best friend still shows her kindness in different ways. Yes, Sabrina is spoiled beyond belief. Her work ethic is nonexistent and she has only one wish. To meet and eventually marry the heir to the Darkwood estate. The only problem is that Lucas, gorgeous and mysterious as he is only has eyes for Arelia. But why?
The characters in this story are brilliant and well developed. Ivan, the most annoying waiter, the irritating guests such as the Dumpty's, and Ms Mae and her secrets. All of them pop out of the book with such life that you feel like you're really in the house experiencing it all first hand.
And I can't not mention the food! I'm from England. I've never been to New Orleans. I have no idea what a pain perdu, buttermilk drop, shrimp gumbo, or any of the other delicious sounding foods are. I had to google them just to see pictures. The mentions of the food made even my mouth water!
The scenery of the Darkwood Estate is described exquisitely and was such an excellent backdrop for this amazing book. Arelia has a mysterious past that she has little knowledge of. Spirits talk to her as though they've known her for years, yet she doesn't understand why they come to her. Lucas singles her out and pays great attention to her. But he has a mysterious past too. And only Arelia has the ability to discover the truth and help him.
What I liked most was the fact that the author had clearly done a huge amount of research about Voodoo, the Spirits and the history that comes with it, especially that of the slave trade.
All in all, I loved Bound. I'm now reading Punished (Book 2) and I can't wait to find out what happens next! And Lucas? He can have my heart any day!! This is a must read for anyone who loves Paranormal Romance.
December 21, 2012
I normally do not focus or point out typos in any book because I completely understand the edit process, digital formatting and how things can just slip through the cracks despite all the effort. However, I had to share this one because it made me laugh in a good way. It didn't determine my rating or enjoyment of the story, I just thought it was awesome.
The best typo quote! "...even if it meant staying outside in the horrible heat all day and getting bitten by misquotes."
Despite the typo, Bound still feels like it is in the first drafts based on content development. Although, the reader gets a clear picture of the estate and the characters, a few issues remain. Unfortunately, none of the characters are very likable. Arelia has moments, but her redundant rants and huge chip on the shoulder gets old and demonstrates a lack of growth. We are supposed to believe she is chosen for a reason we cannot yet see. In time, the reader should be provided with a glimpse of change. This should arrive near the end if we are to be drawn towards the second book in the series. I found myself disliking Arelia even more and losing faith in her so called strength. Although excuses are given for her close friendship with Sabrina, this girl is absolutely unappealing as a side-kick. She's downright mean and if this is friendship, Arelia needs more than magic, she needs therapy. A doormat often does not inspire sympathy, but rather pity. She talks a good game through her angry outbursts, but has no apparent resilience or backbone. The history of Darkwood is the meat of the plot, but yet it is told through surface and tour-guided stories. This is the place where the story can really take a deeper turn and provide dimension and meaning. It was frustrating to skim along with such a rich opportunity presented. Lasty, the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory reference was odd and basing the guests on similar characters was insultingly obvious. Instead of being clever thematically, it just raised an eyebrow in lameness. I apologize for being so direct, but sometimes these techniques can be a hit or miss. In this case, a total miss for me.
The best typo quote! "...even if it meant staying outside in the horrible heat all day and getting bitten by misquotes."
Despite the typo, Bound still feels like it is in the first drafts based on content development. Although, the reader gets a clear picture of the estate and the characters, a few issues remain. Unfortunately, none of the characters are very likable. Arelia has moments, but her redundant rants and huge chip on the shoulder gets old and demonstrates a lack of growth. We are supposed to believe she is chosen for a reason we cannot yet see. In time, the reader should be provided with a glimpse of change. This should arrive near the end if we are to be drawn towards the second book in the series. I found myself disliking Arelia even more and losing faith in her so called strength. Although excuses are given for her close friendship with Sabrina, this girl is absolutely unappealing as a side-kick. She's downright mean and if this is friendship, Arelia needs more than magic, she needs therapy. A doormat often does not inspire sympathy, but rather pity. She talks a good game through her angry outbursts, but has no apparent resilience or backbone. The history of Darkwood is the meat of the plot, but yet it is told through surface and tour-guided stories. This is the place where the story can really take a deeper turn and provide dimension and meaning. It was frustrating to skim along with such a rich opportunity presented. Lasty, the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory reference was odd and basing the guests on similar characters was insultingly obvious. Instead of being clever thematically, it just raised an eyebrow in lameness. I apologize for being so direct, but sometimes these techniques can be a hit or miss. In this case, a total miss for me.
February 25, 2016
Mossy bayous and sumptuous, dark musty plantations abound. New Orleans is a wonderful, mysterious, magical setting for this short piece. I loved the relationship between the two girls. It brought to mind the Disney version of the Princess and the Frog, though Sabrina wasn’t anywhere near as obnoxious as the blonde-haired girl in the movie (though every inch as vain and superficial), but she still had the ultra-rich upbringing and Arelia was very close to Tiana with being raised by only one family relation and from a poor upbringing, barely scraping by and having to work several jobs to support herself. And just like the Disney cartoon, Voodoo magic abounds, but rather than talking animals, this story has talking spirits (which felt just as corny). Once Arelia decides to accept her Voodoo queen heritage, the story devolves into feeling like a basic magic-girl origin story with the usual long info-dump explanation of history, rules, and powers, with the usual self-discovery as an evitable Chosen One type. And cue handsome dark guy who is magnetically drawn to the heroine, who seems to be perfect in every way. Once of the more interesting characters was Ivan, who I sorely wish had been given more to do within these pages (and the tourists were wonderful, too, though I really wondered why they were in Hawaiian Aloha shirts considering this was set in Louisiana and they were supposed to be from New York.)
In all, I thought it was a fun read, especially for the interaction between Arelia and her best friend Sabrina and the mysterious ivy-covered plantation, but even with ending on a cliffhanger, I’m just not tempted to continue with the series. (Technically it wasn’t even a cliffhanger to leave us on the edge of our seat for a next book. It felt like the particular plotline of the story wasn’t even halfway done yet, making it feel more like a serial or a part 1 rather than a full book. Normally, I wouldn’t fault a book for ending on a cliffhanger, but when done the way that it was done in this book, it feels like I didn’t get a full book for my money, even though this was marketed as being a full novel).
In all, I thought it was a fun read, especially for the interaction between Arelia and her best friend Sabrina and the mysterious ivy-covered plantation, but even with ending on a cliffhanger, I’m just not tempted to continue with the series. (Technically it wasn’t even a cliffhanger to leave us on the edge of our seat for a next book. It felt like the particular plotline of the story wasn’t even halfway done yet, making it feel more like a serial or a part 1 rather than a full book. Normally, I wouldn’t fault a book for ending on a cliffhanger, but when done the way that it was done in this book, it feels like I didn’t get a full book for my money, even though this was marketed as being a full novel).
February 22, 2019
Where was the plot? This can't have been more than the first quarter of a book, because absolutely nothing happened. Yes, they went to some weird plantation , but other than that, this was just a collection of random everyday occurrences.
Props for having a protagonist of colour—that's not something I see often enough—but other than that, Arelia was nothing memorable. She was self-centered, dramatic and quick to jump to (wrong) conclusions. And holy fuck, don't even get me started on Sabrina. How she had friends is entirely beyond me.
The writing style was very messy. Brand names dropped everywhere (and not just by Sabrina), characters monologuing for half a page in every other conversation, and the story generally being very dialogue-driven are just a few things. It somehow reminded me of my own writing style, and in this case, that's not a good comparison.
The concept was decent enough, but probably wouldn't have suffered from actually containing some plot. The love interest got on my nerves pretty quickly—and I couldn't take him seriously with the name Lucus. It made me think of mucus. Also, LaPlante? Lucus the Plant? Just pretend he's actually named Mucus, and his name is more or less The Slime Plant.
The book can more or less be summed up as Arelia doubting her powers, Sabrina drooling over The Slime Plant and some annoying New Yorkers being drunk and neglecting their son. That's it. Also, with our dear Slimy Boy , we also have a classic case of . But he's hot, so then it's okay (/sarcasm).
Without Slime Man, I might have liked things a little better, but not much. Anyway, I don't have a lot of hope for the rest of the series, so I'm leaving things here. Goodbye, Slime Infested Friend. I hope I never see you again.
Props for having a protagonist of colour—that's not something I see often enough—but other than that, Arelia was nothing memorable. She was self-centered, dramatic and quick to jump to (wrong) conclusions. And holy fuck, don't even get me started on Sabrina. How she had friends is entirely beyond me.
The writing style was very messy. Brand names dropped everywhere (and not just by Sabrina), characters monologuing for half a page in every other conversation, and the story generally being very dialogue-driven are just a few things. It somehow reminded me of my own writing style, and in this case, that's not a good comparison.
The concept was decent enough, but probably wouldn't have suffered from actually containing some plot. The love interest got on my nerves pretty quickly—and I couldn't take him seriously with the name Lucus. It made me think of mucus. Also, LaPlante? Lucus the Plant? Just pretend he's actually named Mucus, and his name is more or less The Slime Plant.
The book can more or less be summed up as Arelia doubting her powers, Sabrina drooling over The Slime Plant and some annoying New Yorkers being drunk and neglecting their son. That's it. Also, with our dear Slimy Boy , we also have a classic case of . But he's hot, so then it's okay (/sarcasm).
Without Slime Man, I might have liked things a little better, but not much. Anyway, I don't have a lot of hope for the rest of the series, so I'm leaving things here. Goodbye, Slime Infested Friend. I hope I never see you again.
December 19, 2012
I was going back and forth between 3 and 4 stars for this book. I eventually settled on the three mainly based on the characters...they just weren't all that likeable.
****May Contain Spoilers****
So we meet Arelia as she is packing for a summer job at Darkwood Plantation with her "friend" Sabrina , who is just awful. At Darkwood, Arelia meets a long lost relative who convinces her to explore her voodoo queen powers; meanwhile, Sabrina is busy throwing herself at the rich and gorgeous Lucas LaPlante. Oh, Lucas is also cursed and believes Arelia is the only one who can help him. There's also Ivan who seems to know more about everything than he lets on. He seems to hate Arelia most of the time but then refers to her as "too good & fragile"....so, not sure what he's all about.
Based on that it doesn't sound too bad, but for the most part I just couldn't get into it because I was too busy how Arelia and Sabrina could be friends. They don't have similar interests, and evenArelia says something along the lines of " I think our friendship works because I don't compete with her. Maybe its just me, but that doesn't sound like a friendship. Then, they finally have a huge fight and Arelia just forgives her like nothing happened.
Despite wanting to run away, she decides to stay and help despite the fact that she doesn't completely trust her aunt or Lucas, and the angry spirit that doesn't want her to break the curse.
Overall, it wasn't bad, despite the irritating parts.
****May Contain Spoilers****
So we meet Arelia as she is packing for a summer job at Darkwood Plantation with her "friend" Sabrina , who is just awful. At Darkwood, Arelia meets a long lost relative who convinces her to explore her voodoo queen powers; meanwhile, Sabrina is busy throwing herself at the rich and gorgeous Lucas LaPlante. Oh, Lucas is also cursed and believes Arelia is the only one who can help him. There's also Ivan who seems to know more about everything than he lets on. He seems to hate Arelia most of the time but then refers to her as "too good & fragile"....so, not sure what he's all about.
Based on that it doesn't sound too bad, but for the most part I just couldn't get into it because I was too busy how Arelia and Sabrina could be friends. They don't have similar interests, and evenArelia says something along the lines of " I think our friendship works because I don't compete with her. Maybe its just me, but that doesn't sound like a friendship. Then, they finally have a huge fight and Arelia just forgives her like nothing happened.
Despite wanting to run away, she decides to stay and help despite the fact that she doesn't completely trust her aunt or Lucas, and the angry spirit that doesn't want her to break the curse.
Overall, it wasn't bad, despite the irritating parts.
March 15, 2013
What the heck? I don't understand how Bound could be so horrible. I mean the plot seemed good when I read it, but the overall story? I've read better paranormal books. Voodoo, haunting spirits, and mystery are all interesting themes but why did the story disappoint me so badly? See, I kinda hated everyone. The characters weren't likable, you couldn't really relate to them. Arelia was the humble, hard-worker beauty with the snotty best friend, the rough past, and the deadly secret. But she still managed to be rash, illogical and a sad excuse for a heroine. Lucus wasn't swoon worthy at all. He was just a poorly depicted hottie. And Sabrina was just a brat. Sure, she made me laugh at first but she became pretty annoying as the story progressed. The story didn't really explore Arelia's power yet, and the romance? It didn't make sense to me. It's like Lucus and Arelia were just thrown at each other and they had no choice but to play the role of a complicated romance. And that ending! What was that about? It just stopped. Like nothing happened. I. Feel. Like. An. Idiot. Well, I guess the next book needs a plot. Damn. I'm really disappointed. Pretty sure I'm not gonna read the sequel.
January 23, 2014
I must not have been paying attention to what page I was on but all of a sudden, I was done. Just as the story was getting decent, it stops. The story-line in general has a ton of potential but much of this first installment, not even a complete book really, feels wasted. I liked it. It wasn't terrible. But it could've been a lot better.
I didn't even really like Arelia. Sometimes she was cool but most of the time she was a biotch. And why be friends with Sabrina? At all?? Ivan was interesting. Bae and Mae were interesting. Henri was sweet. Lucus was confusing and a major plot point but it was over shadowed so much by 16 year olds whining. I think we needed a pet cat or something to round it out. Or a bird or snake or something.
I suspect the other installments also randomly end like this one did. Once the author and publisher stop worrying about making money, they need to combine them. We want books, not parts. I'd rather pay $7.99 for a complete book than get a free portion and not want to read the rest of the series.
This was a free Nook book.
Feel free to spoil me away for the other parts of the series. Mainly about Ivan.
I didn't even really like Arelia. Sometimes she was cool but most of the time she was a biotch. And why be friends with Sabrina? At all?? Ivan was interesting. Bae and Mae were interesting. Henri was sweet. Lucus was confusing and a major plot point but it was over shadowed so much by 16 year olds whining. I think we needed a pet cat or something to round it out. Or a bird or snake or something.
I suspect the other installments also randomly end like this one did. Once the author and publisher stop worrying about making money, they need to combine them. We want books, not parts. I'd rather pay $7.99 for a complete book than get a free portion and not want to read the rest of the series.
This was a free Nook book.
Feel free to spoil me away for the other parts of the series. Mainly about Ivan.
October 14, 2013
This book read more to me like a rough draft. The idea is interesting, but I think everything needs development. I did like Lucus and think is the only character that was fully develop in the story. I wouldn't mind the cliffhanger, if a little bit more had happened on this part of the story, but this book only covers about a week of Arelia's life. The end felt rushed and like it was a cliffhanger because the author ran out of ideas of how or where to keep going with the story and needed more time. The whole Voodoo word is an interesting concept, but instead of making you feel scared or interested on the paranormal, it makes you feel like voodoo is silly. I am annoyed that I will need to get another book to find out anything about this story. Because honestly nothing happens on this book. This was a free Kindle finding and I am glad I did not pay to read it. It has potential but definitely needs much more work.
August 29, 2015
I was going back and forth between one and two stars for this, but I had to go with one. It sounded like an interesting story, even the beginning wasn't that bad, but once I kept going it just started bothering me more and more.
The characters in this were so annoying. Arelia, the main character, was so frustrating. She was extremely judgmental for seemingly no reason. She was constantly jumping to conclusions about anything and everything except what actually mattered. And the other characters were just as bad, if not worse. Sabrina, her best friend was absolutely infuriating. Ugh, I really don't know how to describe my issues with their friendship.
I'm sure there are people that would enjoy this much more than I did, but I just couldn't enjoy it.
The characters in this were so annoying. Arelia, the main character, was so frustrating. She was extremely judgmental for seemingly no reason. She was constantly jumping to conclusions about anything and everything except what actually mattered. And the other characters were just as bad, if not worse. Sabrina, her best friend was absolutely infuriating. Ugh, I really don't know how to describe my issues with their friendship.
I'm sure there are people that would enjoy this much more than I did, but I just couldn't enjoy it.
December 24, 2012
this book was ok. If you want to read this book,look at our comments first. it's just that I had to reread this book to understand what was going on,it was kinda confusing. The only dramatht happened in this story was when sabrina "the slut" got all jealous when lucus paid more attention to aerial. I was like aerial how could you forgive sabrina who let a guy come btw ur friendship like that,and she's such a hypocrite.One minute she's like "im in love with Lucus" and the next she's having sex with someone else. I don't get how aerial and sabrina are bff's. Sabrina's a slut and aerial's not but I wish she and Lucus add "something" to their relationship. Is that too much to ask?!
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