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Pretty in Black #1
Pretty In Black
On the day of her death, a seventeen year old cheerleader meets a vampire in the cemetery who saves her life.
Seventeen year old Eleanor Piper was supposed to die that day. She was sure of it. Only . . . she didn't. Somehow, she awakens in the cemetery at midnight where she awkwardly meets an unusual stranger . . . whom she ends up foolishly kissing a few bantering minutes later.
What begins as a fun and quirky romance eventually grows into burning devotion as he peels apart her layers, learning the heartbreaking truth behind why she sleeps in cemeteries at night instead of going home, and he reveals to her that he is an Evermore-Strix hybrid who could go dark at any second.
As they slowly begin to trust each other, and he finally trusts himself with her, he whisks her away to the World of Nevermore—a world of gothic castles, immortal knights, and a long history of angel-demon wars with the Nightly Shore Court on which a menagerie of bloodthirsty Strix monsters reign, determined to do anything in their power to take over Nevermore.
But just when Eleanor and Marcus feel like their dead hearts are beginning to heal, their haunting pasts— the nightmares which ultimately led them to each other—return and threaten to rip them apart.
Set in the southern Gothic town of Pine Hills, South Carolina, with the beautifully haunting backdrop of drooping Spanish moss and crumbling overgrown cemeteries, the world of reality and fantasy are about to collide, and Eleanor just might realize that the boundaries between life and death are closer than she ever imagined.
From this darkly romantic world of raven and crow shapeshifters inspired by Edgar Allan Poe and Greek-Roman mythology, emerges a different take on the classic vampire.
Seventeen year old Eleanor Piper was supposed to die that day. She was sure of it. Only . . . she didn't. Somehow, she awakens in the cemetery at midnight where she awkwardly meets an unusual stranger . . . whom she ends up foolishly kissing a few bantering minutes later.
What begins as a fun and quirky romance eventually grows into burning devotion as he peels apart her layers, learning the heartbreaking truth behind why she sleeps in cemeteries at night instead of going home, and he reveals to her that he is an Evermore-Strix hybrid who could go dark at any second.
As they slowly begin to trust each other, and he finally trusts himself with her, he whisks her away to the World of Nevermore—a world of gothic castles, immortal knights, and a long history of angel-demon wars with the Nightly Shore Court on which a menagerie of bloodthirsty Strix monsters reign, determined to do anything in their power to take over Nevermore.
But just when Eleanor and Marcus feel like their dead hearts are beginning to heal, their haunting pasts— the nightmares which ultimately led them to each other—return and threaten to rip them apart.
Set in the southern Gothic town of Pine Hills, South Carolina, with the beautifully haunting backdrop of drooping Spanish moss and crumbling overgrown cemeteries, the world of reality and fantasy are about to collide, and Eleanor just might realize that the boundaries between life and death are closer than she ever imagined.
From this darkly romantic world of raven and crow shapeshifters inspired by Edgar Allan Poe and Greek-Roman mythology, emerges a different take on the classic vampire.
Paperback
First published October 26, 2011
About the author
Rae Hachton
24 books243 followers
OFFICIAL AUTHOR WEBSITE
RAE HACHTON
Writes Dark Romanticism-sometimes with gears and clockwork. Has cemetery obsession. Believes in vampires, ghosts, and magic. If imaginary, she would be an automaton fairy. Corvidophile. Content.
"My Primary goal is to Scare you/Haunt you, but make you fall in love at the same time. I'm a Monster Lover who writes Dark Fantasy and Gritty Contemporary. I like dark, twisted fairytales and Scarily-Ever Afters."
☆ ALL OF THESE BOOKS ARE GETTING BRAND NEW BEGINNINGS! ☆
WROTE
The Pretty in Black Quartet
Vampire*Gargoyle*Dark Fantasy*
Pretty in Black
Black Satin
Raven in the Grave
Evermore
Standalones
New Adult Fantasy Frankie's Monster
YA Contemporary The Summer of Me You
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 106 reviews
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June 19, 2016Is this a twilight comedy? Like a parody????? I dnfed this like 8% in. Its not even worth 1 star.
One one the worst I have ever experienced.
Quote
"That was it, he’d said enough. I was definitely leaving for good this time. I leapt up. “You can take all your cheap flattery, and go use it on someone else because it’s not working on me. You think you can just follow me around and say lines of bullshit to get me to kiss you? I don’t think so. I don’t even know who you are, and right now I don’t want to know you. All I know is that you’ve got five seconds to get lost before I get extremely angry and kick your ass.”
Some of the worst lines I have ever read. Its cringe worthy. I will just laugh it off and pretend it did not happen
One one the worst I have ever experienced.
Quote
"That was it, he’d said enough. I was definitely leaving for good this time. I leapt up. “You can take all your cheap flattery, and go use it on someone else because it’s not working on me. You think you can just follow me around and say lines of bullshit to get me to kiss you? I don’t think so. I don’t even know who you are, and right now I don’t want to know you. All I know is that you’ve got five seconds to get lost before I get extremely angry and kick your ass.”
Some of the worst lines I have ever read. Its cringe worthy. I will just laugh it off and pretend it did not happen
October 23, 2011
I have been fortunate enough to read PIB before anyone else, so Im not gonna spoil it for anyone. Rae is a brilliant writer, her words like poetry , she brings culture and rock together. The story is very well put together. I adore the characters. You might think things pradictable in some books, not this one.
The format is gorgeous as is everything about Pretty In Black. One thing I did not like though, is I hate the sespense on waiting what will happen in the next book , I mean how can you leave me hagging like this Rae?
Look out for Black Satin.
The format is gorgeous as is everything about Pretty In Black. One thing I did not like though, is I hate the sespense on waiting what will happen in the next book , I mean how can you leave me hagging like this Rae?
Look out for Black Satin.
Read
January 16, 2013Hm.
I´m not even going to rate it. It´s below 0 stars, really.
I´ve read a lot of bad books that I´ve shelved as "worst books ever" but neither of them was worst than this one.
No words to describe it.
20. april 2013
If this book is a parody to Twilight by S. Meyer, than I guess it´s somewhat okay. If it´s not a parody ... we have a big problem.
I´m not even going to rate it. It´s below 0 stars, really.
I´ve read a lot of bad books that I´ve shelved as "worst books ever" but neither of them was worst than this one.
No words to describe it.
20. april 2013
If this book is a parody to Twilight by S. Meyer, than I guess it´s somewhat okay. If it´s not a parody ... we have a big problem.
January 26, 2015
This is originally posted on my blog:
http://bibliophilemystery.blogspot.com/
Pretty in Black got me hooked from the very moment I saw the cover and now, after finishing it in a single day, I can add that, in my opinion, the cover reflects the main character’s personality. That’s exactly how I picture Ellie’s life at the beginning.
Getting to know Ellie was hard: such a troubled soul with a horrible past. Her sister was murdered a year ago in their house. Nobody knew by whom or why and this somehow made the situation worse. Then her parents divorced soon after: her father left town for work and her mother married Nick, a violent man with half her age. Just like that, Ellie went from having a nice, loving home, to living in a trailer park with an alcoholic mother and an abusing stepfather.
We meet Ellie in a cemetery – a place where she spends a lot of time imagining her perfect death – on the verge of suicide. …And then ..he’s there.
“I thought he was the death angel here to collect me. He was too gorgeous to be human. He had long black hair, brooding eyes, and the richest ruby lips I’d ever seen.”
Having many secrets of his own, Marcus returned from the dead to save her. He’s also determined to “unbury her heart” and make her love him the way he loves her. But in order to be together forever….he has to kill her first…sort of.
One of the many things I love about Marcus is the way he’s expressing his feelings. He’s unlike any other male hero I’ve read about…I’m sure you’ve read a lot of young adult books in which “he” meets “her”, they try to stay away from each other, then finally, after 150 pages they finally realize they are soul-mates. Well…Marcus puts all his feelings out there from the beginning, and they only grow stronger as the story develops. Ellie is the one who’s a little bit astonished in the beginning, maybe a little skeptic.
“”What are we?”
He looked at me with passion in his eyes. “Well, I don’t know about you, but I’m in love.” His face was serious, but his eyes smiled.
My breath caught.
[…]I wanted to tell him I loved him, too, but it was lodged in my throat and wouldn’t come out in words. He smirked. “You’re not required to say anything, you know. But, if you feel the same, then just take my hand.” He turned his right palm up, and placed it near my left one. One heart beat. Two heart beats. Three heart beats.
[…]When he went to move his hand away, I stopped him by taking it into mine and entwining my fingers with his.”
Ellie discovers in Marcus a savior, a soul-mate, a person worth dying for. She’ll be ready to sacrifice everything to be together. Their love story made me cry sometimes, that’s how amazing it is! The book is written from Ellie’s Point of view, but we get some of Mark’s too.
Pretty in Black is such a fast paced, amazing story that you won’t put it down from the beginning to the end. The only thing I wish for right now is a sequel.
Happy Reading!
http://bibliophilemystery.blogspot.com/
Pretty in Black got me hooked from the very moment I saw the cover and now, after finishing it in a single day, I can add that, in my opinion, the cover reflects the main character’s personality. That’s exactly how I picture Ellie’s life at the beginning.
Getting to know Ellie was hard: such a troubled soul with a horrible past. Her sister was murdered a year ago in their house. Nobody knew by whom or why and this somehow made the situation worse. Then her parents divorced soon after: her father left town for work and her mother married Nick, a violent man with half her age. Just like that, Ellie went from having a nice, loving home, to living in a trailer park with an alcoholic mother and an abusing stepfather.
We meet Ellie in a cemetery – a place where she spends a lot of time imagining her perfect death – on the verge of suicide. …And then ..he’s there.
“I thought he was the death angel here to collect me. He was too gorgeous to be human. He had long black hair, brooding eyes, and the richest ruby lips I’d ever seen.”
Having many secrets of his own, Marcus returned from the dead to save her. He’s also determined to “unbury her heart” and make her love him the way he loves her. But in order to be together forever….he has to kill her first…sort of.
One of the many things I love about Marcus is the way he’s expressing his feelings. He’s unlike any other male hero I’ve read about…I’m sure you’ve read a lot of young adult books in which “he” meets “her”, they try to stay away from each other, then finally, after 150 pages they finally realize they are soul-mates. Well…Marcus puts all his feelings out there from the beginning, and they only grow stronger as the story develops. Ellie is the one who’s a little bit astonished in the beginning, maybe a little skeptic.
“”What are we?”
He looked at me with passion in his eyes. “Well, I don’t know about you, but I’m in love.” His face was serious, but his eyes smiled.
My breath caught.
[…]I wanted to tell him I loved him, too, but it was lodged in my throat and wouldn’t come out in words. He smirked. “You’re not required to say anything, you know. But, if you feel the same, then just take my hand.” He turned his right palm up, and placed it near my left one. One heart beat. Two heart beats. Three heart beats.
[…]When he went to move his hand away, I stopped him by taking it into mine and entwining my fingers with his.”
Ellie discovers in Marcus a savior, a soul-mate, a person worth dying for. She’ll be ready to sacrifice everything to be together. Their love story made me cry sometimes, that’s how amazing it is! The book is written from Ellie’s Point of view, but we get some of Mark’s too.
Pretty in Black is such a fast paced, amazing story that you won’t put it down from the beginning to the end. The only thing I wish for right now is a sequel.
Happy Reading!
January 24, 2012
As soon as I read the original book description for Pretty in Black I knew I had to read it.....
Some Things are Pretty. Some Things are Black. Love is both.
[Ellie Piper]
She wanted to die. He arose from the grave. He was sent to kill her. She was trained to kill those of his kind. But fate had other plans. He searched for 119 years to find her. & There's no way in hell he's letting her go. Dead or Alive. They're fated.
[Marcus Marble]
How far would you go to be with the one you love? Would you die for her? Would you kill for her? What if the only reason you're still alive is because of her? What if the reason you came back from the dead, was to be with her? But what if your job was to kill her, but you fell in love instead? And now you're being hunted by your own kind?
Destroy? Or be Destroyed?
That had me hooked!!! And I loved the cover!! Dark and mysterious!! Now onto the story.....
I actually read Pretty in Black about a month ago and wasn't really sure how or what to write in my review. So I let it sit for a while and then reread it. And can I say that I enjoyed it so much more on the second read through. Don't get me wrong! I didn't not like it the first time around! I think I just felt that the story had lots of room for some expansion of details. It's quite a short read and It didn't take me long at all to finish it, but there were times when I thought that I needed more details about what and why something was happening! I'm really hoping that the second book will fill in those blanks for me.
The book centre's on Ellie Piper and Marcus Marble... Ellie is at an incredibly dark and low point in her life. She's had to deal with a whole lot of painful and crappy events!! Enter Marcus Marble!! Marcus has his own dark secrets.... These two fit well together. I felt that they complemented each other and Rae Hachton did a great job of capturing that.
Pretty in Black is written mostly from Ellie's point of view but near the end of the book we get a short snippet of things from Marcus's perspective and I really enjoyed reading his feelings and reactions!!
Overall Pretty in Black was an enjoyable read and my hope is that book two will be heavier on details to answer some of my questions!!
3.5/5
http://www.facebook.com/YABookAddict
Some Things are Pretty. Some Things are Black. Love is both.
[Ellie Piper]
She wanted to die. He arose from the grave. He was sent to kill her. She was trained to kill those of his kind. But fate had other plans. He searched for 119 years to find her. & There's no way in hell he's letting her go. Dead or Alive. They're fated.
[Marcus Marble]
How far would you go to be with the one you love? Would you die for her? Would you kill for her? What if the only reason you're still alive is because of her? What if the reason you came back from the dead, was to be with her? But what if your job was to kill her, but you fell in love instead? And now you're being hunted by your own kind?
Destroy? Or be Destroyed?
That had me hooked!!! And I loved the cover!! Dark and mysterious!! Now onto the story.....
I actually read Pretty in Black about a month ago and wasn't really sure how or what to write in my review. So I let it sit for a while and then reread it. And can I say that I enjoyed it so much more on the second read through. Don't get me wrong! I didn't not like it the first time around! I think I just felt that the story had lots of room for some expansion of details. It's quite a short read and It didn't take me long at all to finish it, but there were times when I thought that I needed more details about what and why something was happening! I'm really hoping that the second book will fill in those blanks for me.
The book centre's on Ellie Piper and Marcus Marble... Ellie is at an incredibly dark and low point in her life. She's had to deal with a whole lot of painful and crappy events!! Enter Marcus Marble!! Marcus has his own dark secrets.... These two fit well together. I felt that they complemented each other and Rae Hachton did a great job of capturing that.
Pretty in Black is written mostly from Ellie's point of view but near the end of the book we get a short snippet of things from Marcus's perspective and I really enjoyed reading his feelings and reactions!!
Overall Pretty in Black was an enjoyable read and my hope is that book two will be heavier on details to answer some of my questions!!
3.5/5
http://www.facebook.com/YABookAddict
February 11, 2012
I'll admit, when I first started this book it had a real "Buffy" feel to it. With the girl being an ex-cheerleader who'd was now facing some dark times in her life due to a family crisis, and then ending up being the chosen one and proving it by catching the knife being thrown at her head. And then especially when I found that her "mentor's" name was Giles. Crazy...
BUT...I will tell you, as I continued to read I fell into this story and found that it was nothing like Buffy and it certainly shined in it's own uniqueness.
Marcus Marble is a character that I HAVE to know. Hachton's unique take on a new breed of supernatural had me reading this book in one evening. I simply couldn't put it down. It was quick paced and had me engrossed the entire time.
The writing was haunting and I loved it. I can't wait for book two-Black Satin.
BUT...I will tell you, as I continued to read I fell into this story and found that it was nothing like Buffy and it certainly shined in it's own uniqueness.
Marcus Marble is a character that I HAVE to know. Hachton's unique take on a new breed of supernatural had me reading this book in one evening. I simply couldn't put it down. It was quick paced and had me engrossed the entire time.
The writing was haunting and I loved it. I can't wait for book two-Black Satin.
November 14, 2011
Very very good... I could not put it down!!
May 28, 2012
“I never really wanted to die. But I followed through anyway. The pain in my heart was excruciating, and death was beautiful.”
I started this book knowing next to nothing about it. The cover is what drew me in, I couldn’t have not read it. And then I signed up for the Black Satin tour with Supagurl Tours, which I have a stop in June. So then I had to read this book, to prepare for that one. That all worked out quite well!
This felt like it was a relatively short story, overall. But it is over 300 pages. I guess I enjoyed it so much that I just flew through it. Ellie Piper is a teenage girl whose sister has died. She is depressed and suicidal. Life has flipped since her sister’s death, and nothing quite seems worth it. So she decides suicide is the answer. And on that fateful night she meets Marcus.
Marcus has long black hair and brooding eyes. He is quiet and mysterious. He has secrets, big secrets. He stops Ellie from killing herself, now only if she knew!
“So I stayed. I kind of adored his smile. And I really loved his eyes.”
Sometimes it just takes a word to describe someone. Depressed. Cutter. Suicidal. And of course, you can’t encompass someone in that one word, but when you are the person in that spot… well, that’s all you see in yourself. You don’t see the vibrancy you once had, you don’t see the smile that people miss. All you really can see is the end, and you wonder how in the hell you can get there because you are just…done.
That was Ellie. I found her to be quite compelling. This was a girl who was vivacious and cheerful, in fact she was a cheerleader. Then her sister dies and life as she knows it ceases. I really liked her. And then she met Marcus and I thought, whoa, this guy is special. Seemingly the epitome of a vampire, except he’s not a vampire, he’s an Evermore. They are slightly different, but the story will explain that to you better than I could. But the two of them, to me, was like picturing the gothic prince and princess come to life. I just liked them.
There were a few things that rubbed me the wrong way about this story. Things that I felt have been done before. But those instances were short, and didn't really detract from the story.
What I did love about this story, and it made me jump to read Black Satin (the next book in the series) was this beautiful imagery and language that the author used. She was able to set up a scene with such dark beauty, you definitely felt like you were there. You could feel the desolation, the sadness… and then you could feel the hope and what could only certainly be young love. Some of the imagery was very dark, but it was beautiful. The beginning dealt with the issue of suicide, which can be a very touchy subject for some. But in this story it was handled beautifully.
You get a little bit of history on Marcus, and what is going on with him. There is a lot that is explained even more in book 2. All I can say is that this is shaping up to be a wonderful series, and I can’t wait to get on to book 3!
I started this book knowing next to nothing about it. The cover is what drew me in, I couldn’t have not read it. And then I signed up for the Black Satin tour with Supagurl Tours, which I have a stop in June. So then I had to read this book, to prepare for that one. That all worked out quite well!
This felt like it was a relatively short story, overall. But it is over 300 pages. I guess I enjoyed it so much that I just flew through it. Ellie Piper is a teenage girl whose sister has died. She is depressed and suicidal. Life has flipped since her sister’s death, and nothing quite seems worth it. So she decides suicide is the answer. And on that fateful night she meets Marcus.
Marcus has long black hair and brooding eyes. He is quiet and mysterious. He has secrets, big secrets. He stops Ellie from killing herself, now only if she knew!
“So I stayed. I kind of adored his smile. And I really loved his eyes.”
Sometimes it just takes a word to describe someone. Depressed. Cutter. Suicidal. And of course, you can’t encompass someone in that one word, but when you are the person in that spot… well, that’s all you see in yourself. You don’t see the vibrancy you once had, you don’t see the smile that people miss. All you really can see is the end, and you wonder how in the hell you can get there because you are just…done.
That was Ellie. I found her to be quite compelling. This was a girl who was vivacious and cheerful, in fact she was a cheerleader. Then her sister dies and life as she knows it ceases. I really liked her. And then she met Marcus and I thought, whoa, this guy is special. Seemingly the epitome of a vampire, except he’s not a vampire, he’s an Evermore. They are slightly different, but the story will explain that to you better than I could. But the two of them, to me, was like picturing the gothic prince and princess come to life. I just liked them.
There were a few things that rubbed me the wrong way about this story. Things that I felt have been done before. But those instances were short, and didn't really detract from the story.
What I did love about this story, and it made me jump to read Black Satin (the next book in the series) was this beautiful imagery and language that the author used. She was able to set up a scene with such dark beauty, you definitely felt like you were there. You could feel the desolation, the sadness… and then you could feel the hope and what could only certainly be young love. Some of the imagery was very dark, but it was beautiful. The beginning dealt with the issue of suicide, which can be a very touchy subject for some. But in this story it was handled beautifully.
You get a little bit of history on Marcus, and what is going on with him. There is a lot that is explained even more in book 2. All I can say is that this is shaping up to be a wonderful series, and I can’t wait to get on to book 3!
May 13, 2012
-For Itching For Books
There's sooo much I could say about Pretty In Black. I just have to compose my thoughts enough to make sense in doing so. I think 'dark' is the appropriate word that sums up everything about this book. It describes the emotions of the main characters, their surroundings, and the bittersweet love they have for each other.
I truly enjoyed the story because not only was it fast paced, and I mean extremely fast paced, I could also feel what they were feeling, see what they were seeing, and understood when they themselves found it difficult to comprehend. Pretty In Black is quite the experience, and I say that because you'll literally feel as if you're apart of the story. It was just that satisfying.
After reading the synopsis, which I usually shy away from because I fear for the expectations they leave me with, I wasn't sure if I was going to like Ellie. Her personality seemed gloomy and depressing, someone who made everyone else around her feel like crap, and that isn't the kind of friend I wished to have. But surprisingly, I liked the kind of person she turned out to be. Ellie was merely heartbroken; she had just lost her sister, tragically, I might add. Her parents had divorced. Her mother remarried the scum of the earth, and her father didn't seem like he cared at all. So, you could truly sympathizer with this broken seventeen year old in desperate need of love. Then came Marcus.
Their encounter was of course creepy, but entertaining. It seemed rushed but to the point. I love it. Marcus is this fearless and mysterious guy who wants nothing else in the world but Ellie. He's willing to risk it all for love, an emotion that not only screams hot but selfishness as well. The latter being that he's putting his dynasty and the girl he loves in danger. The truth about who he was came to light but only made Ellie fall deeper in love. This chick was more than ready to give up her life to be with him, not a lot of girls would be so open to death. You'd think she'd put up a lasting fight in regards to that small (major) detail, but I must commend her willpower all in the name of love.
Overall, Pretty In Black is an exceptional re-imaging of Poe's dark tales. There's absolutely nothing sugar coated about this story, everything is in your face and tastefully well written. What more could an avid reader of Gothic Romance ask for, when I'm given twice the darkness and twice the passion.
Source: itchingforbooks.blogspot.com
There's sooo much I could say about Pretty In Black. I just have to compose my thoughts enough to make sense in doing so. I think 'dark' is the appropriate word that sums up everything about this book. It describes the emotions of the main characters, their surroundings, and the bittersweet love they have for each other.
I truly enjoyed the story because not only was it fast paced, and I mean extremely fast paced, I could also feel what they were feeling, see what they were seeing, and understood when they themselves found it difficult to comprehend. Pretty In Black is quite the experience, and I say that because you'll literally feel as if you're apart of the story. It was just that satisfying.
After reading the synopsis, which I usually shy away from because I fear for the expectations they leave me with, I wasn't sure if I was going to like Ellie. Her personality seemed gloomy and depressing, someone who made everyone else around her feel like crap, and that isn't the kind of friend I wished to have. But surprisingly, I liked the kind of person she turned out to be. Ellie was merely heartbroken; she had just lost her sister, tragically, I might add. Her parents had divorced. Her mother remarried the scum of the earth, and her father didn't seem like he cared at all. So, you could truly sympathizer with this broken seventeen year old in desperate need of love. Then came Marcus.
Their encounter was of course creepy, but entertaining. It seemed rushed but to the point. I love it. Marcus is this fearless and mysterious guy who wants nothing else in the world but Ellie. He's willing to risk it all for love, an emotion that not only screams hot but selfishness as well. The latter being that he's putting his dynasty and the girl he loves in danger. The truth about who he was came to light but only made Ellie fall deeper in love. This chick was more than ready to give up her life to be with him, not a lot of girls would be so open to death. You'd think she'd put up a lasting fight in regards to that small (major) detail, but I must commend her willpower all in the name of love.
Overall, Pretty In Black is an exceptional re-imaging of Poe's dark tales. There's absolutely nothing sugar coated about this story, everything is in your face and tastefully well written. What more could an avid reader of Gothic Romance ask for, when I'm given twice the darkness and twice the passion.
Source: itchingforbooks.blogspot.com
October 12, 2012
4.5 Stars
'Pretty in Black' is the first book in an amazing paranormal romance series. It tells the story of Ellie Piper, a teenage girl devastated by the recent death of her sister, and Marcus Marble, a gorgeous yet mysterious guy she meets in a graveyard. Ellie and Marcus soon fall deeply in love, and everything in Ellie's world is turned completely upside down when she learns that Marcus isn't exactly alive - or human. She is soon introduced to the world of Evermores and learns that she is descended from a line of Hunters who kill Evermores - and she is the next in line. Will she risk everything, including her life, to be with the one she loves?
This is a hauntingly beautiful novel and a promising start to an exciting new series. I loved the dark and Gothic feel of everything in the story - from the characters and the setting to the plot and the history of the Evermores. Ellie is a complicated character to grows a lot in this story alone. She is at rock bottom after the murder of her sister and is at the point of taking her own life. Yet underneath it all she has real strength and courage, and above all a huge capacity for love. She is a great heroine for the series - one that is easy to like and root for. The aspect of the Evermores and that whole concept is amazingly detailed with complete different species, worlds, and rules. The depth and layers that the author put into it makes it completely enchanting and I wanted to read more about it. The plot was fast paced and the book very well-written - which made it impossible for me to put down. The romance between Ellie and Marcus was the perfect blend of hopeless romance and steamy intimacy. I definitely will be reading the rest of this series, and I can't wait to see where the story goes from here! Very highly recommended!!
Disclosure: I received a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
'Pretty in Black' is the first book in an amazing paranormal romance series. It tells the story of Ellie Piper, a teenage girl devastated by the recent death of her sister, and Marcus Marble, a gorgeous yet mysterious guy she meets in a graveyard. Ellie and Marcus soon fall deeply in love, and everything in Ellie's world is turned completely upside down when she learns that Marcus isn't exactly alive - or human. She is soon introduced to the world of Evermores and learns that she is descended from a line of Hunters who kill Evermores - and she is the next in line. Will she risk everything, including her life, to be with the one she loves?
This is a hauntingly beautiful novel and a promising start to an exciting new series. I loved the dark and Gothic feel of everything in the story - from the characters and the setting to the plot and the history of the Evermores. Ellie is a complicated character to grows a lot in this story alone. She is at rock bottom after the murder of her sister and is at the point of taking her own life. Yet underneath it all she has real strength and courage, and above all a huge capacity for love. She is a great heroine for the series - one that is easy to like and root for. The aspect of the Evermores and that whole concept is amazingly detailed with complete different species, worlds, and rules. The depth and layers that the author put into it makes it completely enchanting and I wanted to read more about it. The plot was fast paced and the book very well-written - which made it impossible for me to put down. The romance between Ellie and Marcus was the perfect blend of hopeless romance and steamy intimacy. I definitely will be reading the rest of this series, and I can't wait to see where the story goes from here! Very highly recommended!!
Disclosure: I received a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
December 18, 2012
Ellie Piper was a girl like everybody else. She had great notes at school, a best friend, a boyfriend, and even a beautiful happy family. She even was the leader of the cheerleaders, and for this she was envied by many girls. She had a perfect life. Then, suddenly something has changed.
„I didn’t feel like myself anymore. The girl who used to be a cheerleader, I no longer knew who she was. The new me dressed different, spoke different, had different interests than the old me.”
Once with the death of her sister Darcy, killed by a murderer yet unknown, her parents’s divorce, and the moment she found out that her boyfriend cheated on her right when she was living a nightmare because of her sister’s death, her life turned from pink, to grey. Actually, even black.
„After my sister’s death, I thought I’d die, too. So, Declan decided since I couldn’t spend time with him, since I was “too busy grieving when I should get the hell over it already,” that now would be the ideal time to bail-out and cheat on me, which he did, and left me alone to cry. Two weeks before school started back, he told me he was sorry, he just didn’t know how to deal. I never forgave him.”
She gets to spend her time in the cemeteries and anywhere she can escape from the nightmare that her home turned out to be.Her dad moved to New York to have a better job, and her mother… her mother is like she wouldn’t exist, only worst than this. And like this wouldn’t be enough, she got stucked with a step father that seeks to make her life an inferno.
Spending her days wherever she can, her life is filling with more bitterness. She wishes she was asleep, like forever. Now, all she wants to do is to end with this life.
„I had an absent father and an irresponsible mother. I felt like disappearing at times because I couldn’t deal with my relationships with guys or any of the emotions I experienced. I didn’t care about my school work anymore like I used to. I just wanted this whole high school thing to be over and done with.”
Death doesn’t freaks her out, actually it’s quite contrary, she considers it the only solution. So being in the cemetery and having a blade, everything becomes clear like a mirror. She knows what she has to do…
“Death isn’t so bad— It’s the only thing that keeps me alive.”
…she thought she was dead, but death couldn’t be so kind, isn’t it? Like sleep without dreaming, but still awake with the consciousness. She gets ready to embrace her end, seeing the angel of death coming to collect her, something else couldn’t be, he was too beautiful to be human. Long, black hair, brooding eyes and the richest ruby lips she has ever seen. Then, Ellie realises her heart is still beating.
It’s not a dream, she is alive and everything is real.
And that angel of death is real too, only that he came not to take her into the deep darkness of death, but to bring her to the light. He is the one that wakes her up from the dream she thought it would have been the last one.
The mistery is floating in the air near the stranger with brooding eyes, and after many acid replies between them(more from Ellie than from the stranger), she finds out that his name is Marcus Marble, he is a totally freak, and… that’s it. Together, they look like the mice and the cat. Marcus seems to want Ellie, and she rejects him again and again, and again, until when this possibility is fading away.
<< He turned me around to face him. “I want to hear you say it.” My breath was short. “I don’t want you to kiss me, again.” “I think you mean everything but the ‘don’t’ part.” I shoved him. “Go away.” He inched back and leaned against the brick wall. I stared at him. He stared back. “You’re still here with me, Ellie.” “So?” “If you don’t leave right now, I’m going to kiss you again and you’re going to end up kissing me back.” >>
After many meetings with Marcus, more or less randomly, because he seems to be following her everywhere, Ellie gets to know him better and falls in love with him. Even though she doesn’t know much about him, she feels he is the one by the way she feels around him and by the way being with him changes her. Their love makes her feel more alive than ever.
„To be alive is to be able to feel.
It’s love unified with the possibility of death, but knowing that’s the only way to truly be alive.”
Only that next, faith is stubborning to show them how cruel she can be… Until the end, there is a long road, Ellie fiind out she is The Chosen, the one who must kill the ones from the Corvidae origin, the ones who come back to life, some monsters without any compunction. And when she discovers Marcus’s true nature, and that she is supposed to kill him, her life changes again… radically.
In the end, will their love survive?
My opinion:
I LOVED, I LOVE and I will always LOVE this book. It’s original, stunning, and the story and the characters are simply fabulous, they will totally conquer you. I was simply trapped in their web, from the very first page, leaving me torn apart, sighing for more, and more, and more. The main charachters are so charming, and I’m not exagerating. At all. :D And above all, they seem real. And not just them, even the secondary charachters are like this, all of them being very well built.
Ellie was marqued by her sister’s death and she’s suffering not only because of her, but also because of the life she once had. A perfect life. She’s changed radically since then, she talks, she dresses, and she feels different. She doesn’t feels entire anymore. And then Marcus appears, „the white raven”, and makes her feel complete again, alive. I love the hole story around him, with the Corvidae Dynasty, the Society, and the role he has it in it. You’ll see what I’m talking about when you’ll read the book, I guarantee you’ll like that. :D
Well, I think Pretty in Black it’s the first book I would reread again and again without feeling sorry about that. Maybe it’s because I fiind myself in it and in Ellie’s charachter. And the gothic style of the book, so dark, it’s wonderful, more than interesting. Especially the atmosphere designed, wich fits very well with the book cover and the story. I know, I praised this book like it’s the only one I’ve read, but I could not help myself, so much I loved it. I fully recommend it to everyone, but first, open your minds and make some time for it, so you can read it without interruption, and you’ll enter Ellie’s and Marcus’s world like you’d really be there.
Happy reading!!! :D
„I didn’t feel like myself anymore. The girl who used to be a cheerleader, I no longer knew who she was. The new me dressed different, spoke different, had different interests than the old me.”
Once with the death of her sister Darcy, killed by a murderer yet unknown, her parents’s divorce, and the moment she found out that her boyfriend cheated on her right when she was living a nightmare because of her sister’s death, her life turned from pink, to grey. Actually, even black.
„After my sister’s death, I thought I’d die, too. So, Declan decided since I couldn’t spend time with him, since I was “too busy grieving when I should get the hell over it already,” that now would be the ideal time to bail-out and cheat on me, which he did, and left me alone to cry. Two weeks before school started back, he told me he was sorry, he just didn’t know how to deal. I never forgave him.”
She gets to spend her time in the cemeteries and anywhere she can escape from the nightmare that her home turned out to be.Her dad moved to New York to have a better job, and her mother… her mother is like she wouldn’t exist, only worst than this. And like this wouldn’t be enough, she got stucked with a step father that seeks to make her life an inferno.
Spending her days wherever she can, her life is filling with more bitterness. She wishes she was asleep, like forever. Now, all she wants to do is to end with this life.
„I had an absent father and an irresponsible mother. I felt like disappearing at times because I couldn’t deal with my relationships with guys or any of the emotions I experienced. I didn’t care about my school work anymore like I used to. I just wanted this whole high school thing to be over and done with.”
Death doesn’t freaks her out, actually it’s quite contrary, she considers it the only solution. So being in the cemetery and having a blade, everything becomes clear like a mirror. She knows what she has to do…
“Death isn’t so bad— It’s the only thing that keeps me alive.”
…she thought she was dead, but death couldn’t be so kind, isn’t it? Like sleep without dreaming, but still awake with the consciousness. She gets ready to embrace her end, seeing the angel of death coming to collect her, something else couldn’t be, he was too beautiful to be human. Long, black hair, brooding eyes and the richest ruby lips she has ever seen. Then, Ellie realises her heart is still beating.
It’s not a dream, she is alive and everything is real.
And that angel of death is real too, only that he came not to take her into the deep darkness of death, but to bring her to the light. He is the one that wakes her up from the dream she thought it would have been the last one.
The mistery is floating in the air near the stranger with brooding eyes, and after many acid replies between them(more from Ellie than from the stranger), she finds out that his name is Marcus Marble, he is a totally freak, and… that’s it. Together, they look like the mice and the cat. Marcus seems to want Ellie, and she rejects him again and again, and again, until when this possibility is fading away.
<< He turned me around to face him. “I want to hear you say it.” My breath was short. “I don’t want you to kiss me, again.” “I think you mean everything but the ‘don’t’ part.” I shoved him. “Go away.” He inched back and leaned against the brick wall. I stared at him. He stared back. “You’re still here with me, Ellie.” “So?” “If you don’t leave right now, I’m going to kiss you again and you’re going to end up kissing me back.” >>
After many meetings with Marcus, more or less randomly, because he seems to be following her everywhere, Ellie gets to know him better and falls in love with him. Even though she doesn’t know much about him, she feels he is the one by the way she feels around him and by the way being with him changes her. Their love makes her feel more alive than ever.
„To be alive is to be able to feel.
It’s love unified with the possibility of death, but knowing that’s the only way to truly be alive.”
Only that next, faith is stubborning to show them how cruel she can be… Until the end, there is a long road, Ellie fiind out she is The Chosen, the one who must kill the ones from the Corvidae origin, the ones who come back to life, some monsters without any compunction. And when she discovers Marcus’s true nature, and that she is supposed to kill him, her life changes again… radically.
In the end, will their love survive?
My opinion:
I LOVED, I LOVE and I will always LOVE this book. It’s original, stunning, and the story and the characters are simply fabulous, they will totally conquer you. I was simply trapped in their web, from the very first page, leaving me torn apart, sighing for more, and more, and more. The main charachters are so charming, and I’m not exagerating. At all. :D And above all, they seem real. And not just them, even the secondary charachters are like this, all of them being very well built.
Ellie was marqued by her sister’s death and she’s suffering not only because of her, but also because of the life she once had. A perfect life. She’s changed radically since then, she talks, she dresses, and she feels different. She doesn’t feels entire anymore. And then Marcus appears, „the white raven”, and makes her feel complete again, alive. I love the hole story around him, with the Corvidae Dynasty, the Society, and the role he has it in it. You’ll see what I’m talking about when you’ll read the book, I guarantee you’ll like that. :D
Well, I think Pretty in Black it’s the first book I would reread again and again without feeling sorry about that. Maybe it’s because I fiind myself in it and in Ellie’s charachter. And the gothic style of the book, so dark, it’s wonderful, more than interesting. Especially the atmosphere designed, wich fits very well with the book cover and the story. I know, I praised this book like it’s the only one I’ve read, but I could not help myself, so much I loved it. I fully recommend it to everyone, but first, open your minds and make some time for it, so you can read it without interruption, and you’ll enter Ellie’s and Marcus’s world like you’d really be there.
Happy reading!!! :D
Shelved as 'dnf'
March 7, 2017DNF @ 23%
May 23, 2012
This book is fast paced and dark. The first half starts off from Ellie's POV. She is depressed and doesn't want to live. Her sister was murdered, her parents are divorced, and she has left behind her popular happy life for one of loneliness. She has pushed all of her friends away and her old life is just a shadow. The second part of the book is from Marcus's POV. It skips over a lot, but it is nice to see things from his perspective too. We get to know him much better too.
Ellie is attracted to this mystery boy Marcus. She really starts off with a spunky attitude towards him that I really like. I wish we had gotten to know her a little better though. The story moves so quickly that I feel like it skips over so much. I wish we had gotten to know her history a bit. We know she was a cheerleader, and really good at it, we know that her dad left and she now lives in a scummy trailer with her mom and her boyfriend, and she had pretty crappy friends, but we don't get to know much more about all of that. Then all of the sudden she is approached by some weird person telling her she is a chosen one and it is her job to kill the "monsters". There is nothing really explaining how or why she is a chosen one or the background of them at all.
Oh, then the insta love thing. I know that a lot of books have it, and occasionally I am okay with it. This time, not really so much, only because there is no real explanation. Marcus has been waiting for 119 years to find love, and Ellie is this chosen one who is supposed to be his enemy, but somehow they just almost instantly fall in love. Well, Marcus is instantly in love, Ellie fights it for a tiny bit. There is no specific reason stated that they should have some special bond, or nothing that happened that bound them to each other. Maybe Ellie is just so torn apart about everything and there is finally someone who cares so she attaches herself to him, but the whole absolutely in love with each other, will do anything to be together thing seems a bit too much to me.
I do like Marcus. I think he is a great character. There is a lot of depth to him actually. I know that this book doesn't touch too much on it, but you get glimpses and you want to know more. He does come across as a bit of a stalker, but I suppose when you have been waiting for love for that long and you find it, you don't want to let it slip away. He is quite charming though and I can see how it was easy for Ellie to fall for him. I just still think it was a bit too fast.
Overall this was a dark and tragic romance. I mean Marcus being dead and all, and forbidden to be with a human, especially Ellie since they are supposed to kill each other. Even with the fast pace, and unbelievable insta love, I really did like the characters. I thought that the way they felt and their emotions were written very well. I liked getting the story from both of them, though Marcus's was very short and jumped forward through a lot of it. It feels like there was a lot packed into this one book. I read it in one sitting. The way it ended leaves you wanting more. I am looking forward to where the story goes from here. I can't say that I loved this book because it felt rushed to me, but I did really enjoy it.
Ellie is attracted to this mystery boy Marcus. She really starts off with a spunky attitude towards him that I really like. I wish we had gotten to know her a little better though. The story moves so quickly that I feel like it skips over so much. I wish we had gotten to know her history a bit. We know she was a cheerleader, and really good at it, we know that her dad left and she now lives in a scummy trailer with her mom and her boyfriend, and she had pretty crappy friends, but we don't get to know much more about all of that. Then all of the sudden she is approached by some weird person telling her she is a chosen one and it is her job to kill the "monsters". There is nothing really explaining how or why she is a chosen one or the background of them at all.
Oh, then the insta love thing. I know that a lot of books have it, and occasionally I am okay with it. This time, not really so much, only because there is no real explanation. Marcus has been waiting for 119 years to find love, and Ellie is this chosen one who is supposed to be his enemy, but somehow they just almost instantly fall in love. Well, Marcus is instantly in love, Ellie fights it for a tiny bit. There is no specific reason stated that they should have some special bond, or nothing that happened that bound them to each other. Maybe Ellie is just so torn apart about everything and there is finally someone who cares so she attaches herself to him, but the whole absolutely in love with each other, will do anything to be together thing seems a bit too much to me.
I do like Marcus. I think he is a great character. There is a lot of depth to him actually. I know that this book doesn't touch too much on it, but you get glimpses and you want to know more. He does come across as a bit of a stalker, but I suppose when you have been waiting for love for that long and you find it, you don't want to let it slip away. He is quite charming though and I can see how it was easy for Ellie to fall for him. I just still think it was a bit too fast.
Overall this was a dark and tragic romance. I mean Marcus being dead and all, and forbidden to be with a human, especially Ellie since they are supposed to kill each other. Even with the fast pace, and unbelievable insta love, I really did like the characters. I thought that the way they felt and their emotions were written very well. I liked getting the story from both of them, though Marcus's was very short and jumped forward through a lot of it. It feels like there was a lot packed into this one book. I read it in one sitting. The way it ended leaves you wanting more. I am looking forward to where the story goes from here. I can't say that I loved this book because it felt rushed to me, but I did really enjoy it.
May 3, 2012
"Some Things are Pretty. Some Things are Black. Love is both."
Ellie Piper had wished to die, not to meet the charming and enigmatic Marcus Marble. But now they are in love and Ellie has found a reason to live. Only if their love wasn't forbidden. Ellie was born to kill Evermores like Marcus and Marcus will break every rule if he lets Ellie live. But that won't stop them from a love that was fated. How far would they go before they realize that their love is going to destroy them. This is only the beginning...
Pretty in Black is a pretty original and intriguing novel. The atmosphere was dark and mysterious, just like I love it. Most of the times, the scenes were beautifully descriptive, poetic and captivating.
Lines like these won over my heart:
“His eyes glistened. I'd never seen eyes that bright or that green. His were emblazoned by a dark symphony. When he blinked, his lashes spread below his bottom lid like satin spider legs, a million wishes to be made upon them, in exchange for these nightmares.”
I loved the opening scene in the cemetery, it's totally my favorite. The cover is absolutely gorgeous. Ellie's troubled past and dark personality totally intrigued me. The way her past life changed to the present Ellie, the reasons and all, were very interesting. Marcus Marble was an amazing male lead. He wasn't one of those to back down and wasn't afraid of his feelings. The concept of Evermores was an interesting one and original, as well.
There were times, I thought the book felt a bit flat. Like in Ellie's scenes without Marcus at her high school, with Giles and some of Marcus's scenes with other Evermores. Not that they were boring or badly-written, they were just not very detailed and the sentences ended almost abruptly and thus making those scenes seem unrealistic to me. Rae Hachton's writing is beautiful but it's inconsistent like in scenes I mentioned above.
My Favorite Line:
“You Just scared me half to death," I said.
"You should be thrilled you're halfway there.”
Pretty in Black is the first novel in a gothic romance series. The second installment Black Satin would be published in May 2012. The third book, Raven in the Grave would be published in 2013 and the last book, Evermore in 2014.
I won't be rating this book since no rating seems justifiable. I've already mentioned my thoughts and this tug-of-war of rating is killing me so I left it as it is.
“Ellie, would you frolic in the land of forever with me?”
November 25, 2012
Check this review out at our blog!
4.5 Stars!!
Pretty Dark and gloomy cover, right? I do admit it, I judge books by their covers. It's the cover that attracts me to a book, and makes me read its summary to see if its something I might like. This book would normally be one I wouldn't look at (its cover is just too dark and not very appealing), but it was recommended to me by a friend, so I had to give it a chance. Luckily enough, the summary snagged my interest, and I decided to read it, and I'm glad I did.
Pretty in Black is a beautiful gothic love story. The main character is Ellie, a girl who has recently faced many hardships, including the murder of her sister, the divorce of her parents, and her boyfriend cheating on her. She is pretty depressed and wants to die. However, in comes Marcus Marble (I love his name), with whom Ellie is immediately attracted too. You can see where this is going, right? Well it may be a more typical romance, but the paranormal side is quite fascinating. Hachton puts a unique twist on vampires, creating an original paranormal story, which can be hard to find in today's market.
Marcus Marble, how his name and its alliteration just rolls off your tongue. It is definitely catchy. He is quite the mysterious guy at first, showing up at a cemetery, and being seemingly everywhere Ellie is (not that that isn't weird at all). And of course, he is gorgeous, but what male love interest isn't? The atypical love story that you might think of (after reading the summary) is this: boy meets girl, they are helplessly in love but try to stay away from each other, but eventually realize they are soul mates. That was what I was thinking too, but was for the most part, proved wrong. Marcus knows that his love for Ellie is dangerous, but he pursues her anyway, and his feelings only get stronger as the story continues, Marcus is very honest about his feelings and that is very refreshing. It is only Ellie who is hesitant at first, understandably so, after all she did meet him, a random stranger, in a graveyard, and suddenly he is everywhere she is.
My favorite part (besides the paranormal part), is the writing. Not only does the writing enhance the story, but it really sets the mood, leaving you with an impression of this dark and sweet story of two people in love. It also made the book fast paced, and I was very surprised how little time this took me. It's 312 pages are deceiving, but enjoyably so, I didn't put this book down and just sped through it. I am very excited to read the sequel. What a cliffhanger at the end. All in all I would recommend this to anyone who has a taste for dark romance, or anyone else who is looking for a lovely book you're able to fly through.
M @YA Novelties
4.5 Stars!!
Pretty Dark and gloomy cover, right? I do admit it, I judge books by their covers. It's the cover that attracts me to a book, and makes me read its summary to see if its something I might like. This book would normally be one I wouldn't look at (its cover is just too dark and not very appealing), but it was recommended to me by a friend, so I had to give it a chance. Luckily enough, the summary snagged my interest, and I decided to read it, and I'm glad I did.
Pretty in Black is a beautiful gothic love story. The main character is Ellie, a girl who has recently faced many hardships, including the murder of her sister, the divorce of her parents, and her boyfriend cheating on her. She is pretty depressed and wants to die. However, in comes Marcus Marble (I love his name), with whom Ellie is immediately attracted too. You can see where this is going, right? Well it may be a more typical romance, but the paranormal side is quite fascinating. Hachton puts a unique twist on vampires, creating an original paranormal story, which can be hard to find in today's market.
Marcus Marble, how his name and its alliteration just rolls off your tongue. It is definitely catchy. He is quite the mysterious guy at first, showing up at a cemetery, and being seemingly everywhere Ellie is (not that that isn't weird at all). And of course, he is gorgeous, but what male love interest isn't? The atypical love story that you might think of (after reading the summary) is this: boy meets girl, they are helplessly in love but try to stay away from each other, but eventually realize they are soul mates. That was what I was thinking too, but was for the most part, proved wrong. Marcus knows that his love for Ellie is dangerous, but he pursues her anyway, and his feelings only get stronger as the story continues, Marcus is very honest about his feelings and that is very refreshing. It is only Ellie who is hesitant at first, understandably so, after all she did meet him, a random stranger, in a graveyard, and suddenly he is everywhere she is.
My favorite part (besides the paranormal part), is the writing. Not only does the writing enhance the story, but it really sets the mood, leaving you with an impression of this dark and sweet story of two people in love. It also made the book fast paced, and I was very surprised how little time this took me. It's 312 pages are deceiving, but enjoyably so, I didn't put this book down and just sped through it. I am very excited to read the sequel. What a cliffhanger at the end. All in all I would recommend this to anyone who has a taste for dark romance, or anyone else who is looking for a lovely book you're able to fly through.
M @YA Novelties
April 15, 2012
I received this book as an eArc.Thank you,Rae!
I really enjoied this book…to be onest,I didn’t expect to like it so much!Ok,at the first glace,”Pretty in Black” seemed to be an intresting book,with a amaging cover.Just this.But “Pretty in Black” is more than that.”Pretty in Black” is an amazing book!
Very good written,this book hooked me from the first page til the last.I don’t know why,but I love Rae write style!It gave me a feeling…like I could read and read and read without getting tired.
“Pretty in black” hooked me because Rae doesn’t want us to know a lot of things about the characters from the start.Onestly,I stiil don’t know much about the characters.Hihi,I think this is one of the best thing about “Pretty in Black”.
The story is very beautiful and fresh.I really liked this this with Evermores,Nevermores,Immortal and other things.But the love story is Wow!I mean,this is one of the most beautiful and amazing and awesome story that I ever read.OMG,I love it!It’s so romantic,and mysterious and..the atmosphere is amazing!
I liked,also,the characters.I liked Marcus very much,because he is mysterious but..lovely.Lol JAlso,Ellie is an amazing character.And she has a life story..that I don’t want to have it.It’s horrible.But even she wanted to give up,she is strong and she doesn’t.Like!
One thing I don’t like: Ellie belived too easy in Marcus.And I don’t know why they felt in love with each other,even if they doesn’t know each other very good. And sometimes,I felt like some parts are copied from “Twilight”..rarely,though.
I didn’t like that I read “Pretty in black” too fast.Lol.After I entered the story,I was so steeped in it that I didn’t feel when I finished it.I wanted to read and read and read untill I’ll get tired.I am happy that “Black in satin” is out. J
That’s it…now,I will describe you a little the story.
Ellie’s life is horrible.Her sister was murdered.Her parents are divorced and her mother is married again with a guy who is a drunk.She lives with her mother and her stepfather in a trailer ,in park.She wants to die.She even suicid in the graveyard.But she wakes up.And she meets Marcus…a mystirious guy,very beautiful.He keeps to meet Ellie,”randomly”.Ellie doesn’t know what’s going on.She tries not to fall in love with Marcus…but she feels a deeply conaction with him..and se falls in love with him.Marcus the same.They are a strange pair..but a beautiful pair.But when Ellie finds out what is Marcus,the things doesn’t are like they seems to be.And their relationship is very ,very dangerous!
You can find out the rest reading the book!
This book was amazing!You have to read it because the story is very beautiful!I can’t wait to read “Black in Satin”.
I really enjoied this book…to be onest,I didn’t expect to like it so much!Ok,at the first glace,”Pretty in Black” seemed to be an intresting book,with a amaging cover.Just this.But “Pretty in Black” is more than that.”Pretty in Black” is an amazing book!
Very good written,this book hooked me from the first page til the last.I don’t know why,but I love Rae write style!It gave me a feeling…like I could read and read and read without getting tired.
“Pretty in black” hooked me because Rae doesn’t want us to know a lot of things about the characters from the start.Onestly,I stiil don’t know much about the characters.Hihi,I think this is one of the best thing about “Pretty in Black”.
The story is very beautiful and fresh.I really liked this this with Evermores,Nevermores,Immortal and other things.But the love story is Wow!I mean,this is one of the most beautiful and amazing and awesome story that I ever read.OMG,I love it!It’s so romantic,and mysterious and..the atmosphere is amazing!
I liked,also,the characters.I liked Marcus very much,because he is mysterious but..lovely.Lol JAlso,Ellie is an amazing character.And she has a life story..that I don’t want to have it.It’s horrible.But even she wanted to give up,she is strong and she doesn’t.Like!
One thing I don’t like: Ellie belived too easy in Marcus.And I don’t know why they felt in love with each other,even if they doesn’t know each other very good. And sometimes,I felt like some parts are copied from “Twilight”..rarely,though.
I didn’t like that I read “Pretty in black” too fast.Lol.After I entered the story,I was so steeped in it that I didn’t feel when I finished it.I wanted to read and read and read untill I’ll get tired.I am happy that “Black in satin” is out. J
That’s it…now,I will describe you a little the story.
Ellie’s life is horrible.Her sister was murdered.Her parents are divorced and her mother is married again with a guy who is a drunk.She lives with her mother and her stepfather in a trailer ,in park.She wants to die.She even suicid in the graveyard.But she wakes up.And she meets Marcus…a mystirious guy,very beautiful.He keeps to meet Ellie,”randomly”.Ellie doesn’t know what’s going on.She tries not to fall in love with Marcus…but she feels a deeply conaction with him..and se falls in love with him.Marcus the same.They are a strange pair..but a beautiful pair.But when Ellie finds out what is Marcus,the things doesn’t are like they seems to be.And their relationship is very ,very dangerous!
You can find out the rest reading the book!
This book was amazing!You have to read it because the story is very beautiful!I can’t wait to read “Black in Satin”.
May 21, 2012
MICHELLE'S REVIEW:
RATING : 4 INTRIGUING STARS!!
“I ran the blade across both my wrists, and collapsed onto the ground. I felt the fire, the ache, the sting. My pulse pounded, my life poured out of me. My vision grew dark. I waited for the darkness.”
Ellie Piper wanted to die. She didn’t ....not yet.....
This is a hauntingly beautiful story, which I found quite original, but, at the same time I have many questions.
At times this book flows beautifully and at other times it was maybe too fast, I wasn’t catching my breath, I needed more information. The potential is for an amazing series of books.
I adore Marcus Marble. He is a beautiful character that wears his heart on his sleeve. He loves Ellie. She is his enemy. Oh what a conundrum this makes for the people who care for him. And can he kiss!
The first part of the story belongs to Ellie, the second part Marcus owns. We learn a lot of answers to this mysterious guy who comes out of the blue and falls for Ellie, appearing instantly in love. But...he has watched her.
Ellie has a difficult life. Her sister Darcy , raped and murdered. Her parents break up. Her mother turns to Nick and substance abuse.
In some ways I felt like part two of this book, maybe should have been told first...maybe, well some of it.
I found Marcus and Ellie’s communication/dialogue at first to be quite staccato in the opening chapters. Which was a little odd but it also worked.
I really enjoyed this gothic read, it was so beautifully poetic in parts and sometimes spontaneous...if I am making sense. It is quite an unusual feeling I had when reading it. The story is gorgeous but sometimes the dots weren’t joined properly. Yet at the same time I give it 4 stars as I really loved Marcus and want to know more.
I loved the Black Gothic Castle and the visual I got from Marcus’s Nevermore.
Marcus is an Evermore a guardian of the dead , guides dying to otherworld, the afterlife and a destroyer of evil. I am still a wee bit fuzzy on that.
Ellie is a Chosen One, a Corvidae Hunter, I just don’t think she fully understands what being with Marcus means. I am a little fuzzy myself on a couple things.
I absolutely loved how birds are used with Evermores. Marcus is a white raven, Michael a black raven. Emilie is a Jay. Lesser Class females are magpies. This I found beautiful in my mind.
There is of course the troublemaker, the one that does not want Marcus to have a HEA - Happy Ever After and that is Jillian. She is in charge of the Red Society. I think I need to understand more some of the people that make up the parts of this world where everybody is dead, but..........
I am looking forward to Black Satin. This is a very intriguing series for me.
RATING : 4 INTRIGUING STARS!!
“I ran the blade across both my wrists, and collapsed onto the ground. I felt the fire, the ache, the sting. My pulse pounded, my life poured out of me. My vision grew dark. I waited for the darkness.”
Ellie Piper wanted to die. She didn’t ....not yet.....
This is a hauntingly beautiful story, which I found quite original, but, at the same time I have many questions.
At times this book flows beautifully and at other times it was maybe too fast, I wasn’t catching my breath, I needed more information. The potential is for an amazing series of books.
I adore Marcus Marble. He is a beautiful character that wears his heart on his sleeve. He loves Ellie. She is his enemy. Oh what a conundrum this makes for the people who care for him. And can he kiss!
The first part of the story belongs to Ellie, the second part Marcus owns. We learn a lot of answers to this mysterious guy who comes out of the blue and falls for Ellie, appearing instantly in love. But...he has watched her.
Ellie has a difficult life. Her sister Darcy , raped and murdered. Her parents break up. Her mother turns to Nick and substance abuse.
In some ways I felt like part two of this book, maybe should have been told first...maybe, well some of it.
I found Marcus and Ellie’s communication/dialogue at first to be quite staccato in the opening chapters. Which was a little odd but it also worked.
I really enjoyed this gothic read, it was so beautifully poetic in parts and sometimes spontaneous...if I am making sense. It is quite an unusual feeling I had when reading it. The story is gorgeous but sometimes the dots weren’t joined properly. Yet at the same time I give it 4 stars as I really loved Marcus and want to know more.
I loved the Black Gothic Castle and the visual I got from Marcus’s Nevermore.
Marcus is an Evermore a guardian of the dead , guides dying to otherworld, the afterlife and a destroyer of evil. I am still a wee bit fuzzy on that.
Ellie is a Chosen One, a Corvidae Hunter, I just don’t think she fully understands what being with Marcus means. I am a little fuzzy myself on a couple things.
I absolutely loved how birds are used with Evermores. Marcus is a white raven, Michael a black raven. Emilie is a Jay. Lesser Class females are magpies. This I found beautiful in my mind.
There is of course the troublemaker, the one that does not want Marcus to have a HEA - Happy Ever After and that is Jillian. She is in charge of the Red Society. I think I need to understand more some of the people that make up the parts of this world where everybody is dead, but..........
I am looking forward to Black Satin. This is a very intriguing series for me.
May 8, 2013
La Pretty in Black prima data am fost atrasa de coperta, cam acesta este efectul pe care il are asupra mea o coperta simpla dar frumoasa. Al doilea lucru a fost descrierea care , chiar prin faptul ca nu dezvaluie foarte multe, te face sa iti pui o suta de intrebari si sa vrei sa citesti imediat cartea.
Daca doriti sa cititi un roman cu o poveste de dragoste superba, dar in acelasi timp si intunecata/gotica, plina de secrete si durere, aceasta este cartea pe care o cautati.
Cand spun durere nu ma refer la durere fizica, desi la un moment dat o intalnim si pe aceasta, ci ma gandesc la o durerea sufleteasca pe care personajul nostru principal, Ellie, o simte.O durere ce-o chinuie atat de profund, incat fata si-a indepartat toti prietenii, a renuntat la statutul de fata populara, se imbraca in negru si isi petrece majoritatea timpului in cimitir.
Ciudat loc sa iti petreci timpul nu-i asa? Numai ca acesta nu este un simplu cimitir, este locul unde sora ei este ingropata si unde Ellie alege, intr-un final, sa isi ia propria viata, pentru a scapa de durerea si de traiul mizerabil pe care il duce dupa ce ea a murit, dar si locul unde cunoaste dragostea adevarata.
„ Nu mi-am dorit niciodata cu adevarat sa mor. Dar am mers pana la capat, oricum. Durerea din sufletul meu era ingrozitoare, iar moartea era frumoasa.”
In momentul in care Ellie alege sa isi ia viata langa ea apare Marcus, baiatul cu parul negru si cei mai frumosi ochii pe care i-a vazut vreodata.
„ Ochii lui sclipeau. Nu mai vazusem niciodata ochi atat de luminosi sau atat de verzi. Ai lui erau accentuati de o armonie intunecata.”
Marcus Marble nu este deloc ceea ce pare. Este mort, dar asta este cel mai nesemnificativ dintre secretele lui. Cea mai mare dorinta a lui este sa o castige pe Ellie, sa o faca a lui, dar nu este atat de usor pe cat pare…. Trebuie sa se intragosteasca de el, iar apoi sa moara pentru ca ei sa fie impreuna.
„Tocmai m-ai speriat pe jumatate moarta, am spus.”
„Ar trebui sa fii fericita ca a fost doar pe jumatate”
Printre replici picante, plimbari prin cimitir – Da! In cimitir, ce nu am spus ca povestea este super intunecata dar si romantica in acelasi timp?!?- si sarutari furate, Ellie ajunge sa se indragosteasca de misteriosul Marcus, fara sa isi dea seama de pericolul la care se expune.
„ Ellie, vrei sa petreci cu mine pe taramul etern? ”
Atunci cand vietiile celor doi sunt puse in pericol, Marcus are de facut o alegere dificila, care ne aduce un cu totul alt final fata de cel asteptat, unul care a reusit sa ma lase cu gura cascata, cu o multime de intrebari si cu dorinta de a pune mana pe volumul doi cat mai repede … Despre ce final este vorba? Pai asta trebuie sa aflati voi.
Lectura placuta!
Daca doriti sa cititi un roman cu o poveste de dragoste superba, dar in acelasi timp si intunecata/gotica, plina de secrete si durere, aceasta este cartea pe care o cautati.
Cand spun durere nu ma refer la durere fizica, desi la un moment dat o intalnim si pe aceasta, ci ma gandesc la o durerea sufleteasca pe care personajul nostru principal, Ellie, o simte.O durere ce-o chinuie atat de profund, incat fata si-a indepartat toti prietenii, a renuntat la statutul de fata populara, se imbraca in negru si isi petrece majoritatea timpului in cimitir.
Ciudat loc sa iti petreci timpul nu-i asa? Numai ca acesta nu este un simplu cimitir, este locul unde sora ei este ingropata si unde Ellie alege, intr-un final, sa isi ia propria viata, pentru a scapa de durerea si de traiul mizerabil pe care il duce dupa ce ea a murit, dar si locul unde cunoaste dragostea adevarata.
„ Nu mi-am dorit niciodata cu adevarat sa mor. Dar am mers pana la capat, oricum. Durerea din sufletul meu era ingrozitoare, iar moartea era frumoasa.”
In momentul in care Ellie alege sa isi ia viata langa ea apare Marcus, baiatul cu parul negru si cei mai frumosi ochii pe care i-a vazut vreodata.
„ Ochii lui sclipeau. Nu mai vazusem niciodata ochi atat de luminosi sau atat de verzi. Ai lui erau accentuati de o armonie intunecata.”
Marcus Marble nu este deloc ceea ce pare. Este mort, dar asta este cel mai nesemnificativ dintre secretele lui. Cea mai mare dorinta a lui este sa o castige pe Ellie, sa o faca a lui, dar nu este atat de usor pe cat pare…. Trebuie sa se intragosteasca de el, iar apoi sa moara pentru ca ei sa fie impreuna.
„Tocmai m-ai speriat pe jumatate moarta, am spus.”
„Ar trebui sa fii fericita ca a fost doar pe jumatate”
Printre replici picante, plimbari prin cimitir – Da! In cimitir, ce nu am spus ca povestea este super intunecata dar si romantica in acelasi timp?!?- si sarutari furate, Ellie ajunge sa se indragosteasca de misteriosul Marcus, fara sa isi dea seama de pericolul la care se expune.
„ Ellie, vrei sa petreci cu mine pe taramul etern? ”
Atunci cand vietiile celor doi sunt puse in pericol, Marcus are de facut o alegere dificila, care ne aduce un cu totul alt final fata de cel asteptat, unul care a reusit sa ma lase cu gura cascata, cu o multime de intrebari si cu dorinta de a pune mana pe volumul doi cat mai repede … Despre ce final este vorba? Pai asta trebuie sa aflati voi.
Lectura placuta!
July 29, 2012
This review can also be found on my blog.
I really liked the plot and the idea of this book. It was different and something I haven’t come across before, although it had some not-so-original elements to it, it was still new and fresh. It’s a bit gothic, mysterious, dark, edgy and it was all kinds of black and pretty. Also, it has a whole fantasy world to spice up the romance. I felt like the writing was a bit chaotic at times, but the author said on her blog that it’s just her style – on the contrary to say everything by explaining things, the readers have to figure these things out by themselves. It’s like a hidden message you have to decode on your own. Not sure how I feel about this, but it definitely gives room to my own imagination and thoughts.
“I never really wanted to die. But I followed through anyway. The pain in my heart was excruciating, and death was beautiful.”
As for the characters, I think Ellie was okay. She was lost. Well, not literally, but emotionally. Her sister had recently been murdered, her boyfriend had cheated on her, her Mother didn’t want to talk about her sister’s death and just didn’t act like her Mom at all, she lives in a trailer park, her Dad left them and now she's living with her Mom and her stepfather. She’s broken and wants to die. Elle feels like there’s nothing left for her and one day she goes to a graveyard and dreams about dieing. She thinks she did. But did she or was it actually a dream? Suddenly she hears a voice. A stranger’s voice. The moment she opens her eyes is the moment Marcus Marble comes to her life.
Marcus is a mysterious handsome guy who pops up in Ellie’s life in the most unexpected ways and I think he is absolutely fantastic! I loved every single second of the scenes he was in. He helps Ellie deal with her issues and gives her hope for a better life, a better future. They fall in love. It's beautiful. It's black. However, maybe they’re not destined to love each other since there are some things you can’t change even if you wanted to.
I like the world Rae Hachton has created and it’s nice to see that originality still exists in YA fiction. It was a good read and I enjoyed it a lot. I’d love to read the sequel in the near future and I’m glad that there’ll be at least two more books to come after the second one. Also, I think the covers are all stunning. It was a great start to a series. I’ve already read some thoughts on the second book and it seems like the second one is even better. Do I recommend? Yes, I do.
I really liked the plot and the idea of this book. It was different and something I haven’t come across before, although it had some not-so-original elements to it, it was still new and fresh. It’s a bit gothic, mysterious, dark, edgy and it was all kinds of black and pretty. Also, it has a whole fantasy world to spice up the romance. I felt like the writing was a bit chaotic at times, but the author said on her blog that it’s just her style – on the contrary to say everything by explaining things, the readers have to figure these things out by themselves. It’s like a hidden message you have to decode on your own. Not sure how I feel about this, but it definitely gives room to my own imagination and thoughts.
“I never really wanted to die. But I followed through anyway. The pain in my heart was excruciating, and death was beautiful.”
As for the characters, I think Ellie was okay. She was lost. Well, not literally, but emotionally. Her sister had recently been murdered, her boyfriend had cheated on her, her Mother didn’t want to talk about her sister’s death and just didn’t act like her Mom at all, she lives in a trailer park, her Dad left them and now she's living with her Mom and her stepfather. She’s broken and wants to die. Elle feels like there’s nothing left for her and one day she goes to a graveyard and dreams about dieing. She thinks she did. But did she or was it actually a dream? Suddenly she hears a voice. A stranger’s voice. The moment she opens her eyes is the moment Marcus Marble comes to her life.
Marcus is a mysterious handsome guy who pops up in Ellie’s life in the most unexpected ways and I think he is absolutely fantastic! I loved every single second of the scenes he was in. He helps Ellie deal with her issues and gives her hope for a better life, a better future. They fall in love. It's beautiful. It's black. However, maybe they’re not destined to love each other since there are some things you can’t change even if you wanted to.
I like the world Rae Hachton has created and it’s nice to see that originality still exists in YA fiction. It was a good read and I enjoyed it a lot. I’d love to read the sequel in the near future and I’m glad that there’ll be at least two more books to come after the second one. Also, I think the covers are all stunning. It was a great start to a series. I’ve already read some thoughts on the second book and it seems like the second one is even better. Do I recommend? Yes, I do.
December 16, 2012
Interview with Rae Hachton
I finished Pretty in Black a while ago and it was a surprisingly fast reading. I was so into this book that I’ve read it just a couple of hours and I found it unique. Pretty in Black is dark and mostly revolves around death. As a matter of fact the story itself starts with the near death of the main character, Ellie, which tries to commit suicide, but is resurrected by Marcus.
First the writing style was so different, as the entire book is, but the writing was different and alluring and at times poetic. While reading Pretty in Black I couldn’t help by imagining this dark world, Ellie’s world. I am pretty sure that there were sunny days, but I couldn’t help but to place it in a gothic environment, foggy and dangerous because those were Ellie’s feelings. I would be interested in re-reading the book mostly because some of the descriptions were so realistic, especially Marcus’ place.
The love story. I don’t want to see this as an instant love thing, because it wasn’t. Marcus knew Ellie before they met and after that there certainly was an evolution in their relationship. I loved how Marcus was devoted and protective, a little bit violent, but I guess that is was in his nature. Oh in case you didn’t realize it by know, Marcus was not human, he was an Evermore, pretty much dead for a while.
Ellie, an ex-cheerleader was now the opposite of what she was because of certain events in her life: her sister was dead and she partially blamed herself, her father left home and her mother was not the loving woman she once was while they were living in a trailer park. I pretty much understand where the depression she felt was coming from, therefore she felt more comfortable in dark places like cemeteries then around people. In fact she met Marcus in a cemetery and this is the first story I’ve read in which the main characters start their love story in such an environment.
Marcus was pretty much of a mystery for me as he was for Ellie. The entire book I needed to know more about his background and THANK YOU, RAE we got it. The last part of the book was entirely of Marcus’ POV and I loved to be in his head and memories. We got to see a little more of his history, a part of his life as a human and I enjoyed the magical world of this book.
I would love to know more, I still have questions about so many things. I want to know what happened to Ellie after she received her happy ending without Marcus.
I finished Pretty in Black a while ago and it was a surprisingly fast reading. I was so into this book that I’ve read it just a couple of hours and I found it unique. Pretty in Black is dark and mostly revolves around death. As a matter of fact the story itself starts with the near death of the main character, Ellie, which tries to commit suicide, but is resurrected by Marcus.
First the writing style was so different, as the entire book is, but the writing was different and alluring and at times poetic. While reading Pretty in Black I couldn’t help by imagining this dark world, Ellie’s world. I am pretty sure that there were sunny days, but I couldn’t help but to place it in a gothic environment, foggy and dangerous because those were Ellie’s feelings. I would be interested in re-reading the book mostly because some of the descriptions were so realistic, especially Marcus’ place.
The love story. I don’t want to see this as an instant love thing, because it wasn’t. Marcus knew Ellie before they met and after that there certainly was an evolution in their relationship. I loved how Marcus was devoted and protective, a little bit violent, but I guess that is was in his nature. Oh in case you didn’t realize it by know, Marcus was not human, he was an Evermore, pretty much dead for a while.
Ellie, an ex-cheerleader was now the opposite of what she was because of certain events in her life: her sister was dead and she partially blamed herself, her father left home and her mother was not the loving woman she once was while they were living in a trailer park. I pretty much understand where the depression she felt was coming from, therefore she felt more comfortable in dark places like cemeteries then around people. In fact she met Marcus in a cemetery and this is the first story I’ve read in which the main characters start their love story in such an environment.
Marcus was pretty much of a mystery for me as he was for Ellie. The entire book I needed to know more about his background and THANK YOU, RAE we got it. The last part of the book was entirely of Marcus’ POV and I loved to be in his head and memories. We got to see a little more of his history, a part of his life as a human and I enjoyed the magical world of this book.
I would love to know more, I still have questions about so many things. I want to know what happened to Ellie after she received her happy ending without Marcus.
May 27, 2012
Pretty In Black is a dark young adult book but that is not it. It is emotional, it is raw, it is deep and most of all, it is bittersweet. Ellie likes to spend time in cemetery ever since her life turned upside down, from being the captain of the cheerleading squad and having a family to living in a trailer with a mother who doesn't care and a stepfather who brings her down overnight.
The book starts with Ellie trying to cut her wrists and succeeding when she succumbs to the darkness enveloping her. But then someone tells her to wake up. Her first and a very intriguing encounter with Marcus Marble leaves her feeling relaxed, confused and somewhat annoyed. Ellie has abandoned her previous life the day her sister was raped and then murdered. High school and day-to-day life just became trivial and meaningless. Nobody cared. Not until Marcus.
The cover is a perfect combination of pink and black and it defines Ellie in more ways than one. Ellis has a genuine feminine side but she has lost sight of who she really wants to be and that's when the blackness seeped in and made itself a part of her. Of Ellie.
Ellie has a couple of strange encounter with Giles who tells her that she is the chosen one. And somehow Ellie believes whatever he says. Then she spots a white raven looking at her. But ravens are black. That has Ellie intrigued. And then her so-called BFF, Madison, wants her to rejoin the cheerleading squad and her cheating boyfriend, Declan is being Declan and trying to convince her that he is sorry he cheated.
Ellie finds comfort in only those moments when she is with Marcus who is a tortured soul, he is a monster but he is genuine and he knows what he is capable of. But he is not strong when it comes to Ellie. He wants to be with her at any cost. And Ellie feels the same way.
But it is not simple as that.
Pretty In Black left me wanting more of Ellie's and Marcus' story. I have questions about Ellie's life and what Marcus did in the end. I want to know what is real and what is not real in the world Rae has created. In other words, I really liked Nevermore and what Ellie and Marcus and capable of and why is their love really forbidden. The writing style is very engrossing and the words are beautiful. The words has a poetical touch to them embedded in the story. I definitely look forward to reading Black Satin, the second book in Pretty In Black series.
The book starts with Ellie trying to cut her wrists and succeeding when she succumbs to the darkness enveloping her. But then someone tells her to wake up. Her first and a very intriguing encounter with Marcus Marble leaves her feeling relaxed, confused and somewhat annoyed. Ellie has abandoned her previous life the day her sister was raped and then murdered. High school and day-to-day life just became trivial and meaningless. Nobody cared. Not until Marcus.
The cover is a perfect combination of pink and black and it defines Ellie in more ways than one. Ellis has a genuine feminine side but she has lost sight of who she really wants to be and that's when the blackness seeped in and made itself a part of her. Of Ellie.
Ellie has a couple of strange encounter with Giles who tells her that she is the chosen one. And somehow Ellie believes whatever he says. Then she spots a white raven looking at her. But ravens are black. That has Ellie intrigued. And then her so-called BFF, Madison, wants her to rejoin the cheerleading squad and her cheating boyfriend, Declan is being Declan and trying to convince her that he is sorry he cheated.
Ellie finds comfort in only those moments when she is with Marcus who is a tortured soul, he is a monster but he is genuine and he knows what he is capable of. But he is not strong when it comes to Ellie. He wants to be with her at any cost. And Ellie feels the same way.
But it is not simple as that.
Pretty In Black left me wanting more of Ellie's and Marcus' story. I have questions about Ellie's life and what Marcus did in the end. I want to know what is real and what is not real in the world Rae has created. In other words, I really liked Nevermore and what Ellie and Marcus and capable of and why is their love really forbidden. The writing style is very engrossing and the words are beautiful. The words has a poetical touch to them embedded in the story. I definitely look forward to reading Black Satin, the second book in Pretty In Black series.
May 11, 2012
Ellie is still mourning her sister's death, she was murdered and violated. She doesn't want to live anymore, her parents have divorced, her mother has moved on to a boyfriend who is very wrong and they now live in a trailer park. Everything has gone down the drain, she even quit cheer leading and no longer speaks to her ex boyfriend or ex best friend. There's nothing left for her. Laying down in the cemetery enjoying the atmosphere in comes Marcus Marble. At first he startles her so she is torn between having him stay and having him leave. Either way she is definitely intrigued by him.
Of course the cuteness factor wins over (as it does almost all the time), and he stays. They talk and talk and their relationship starts to grow more daily. There is something off about Marcus though but of course Ellie doesn't care because she's falling for him and he's fallen for her. She's since left her mother and is living at a friends house while working at a movie theater and semi going to school.
Ellie and Marcus shouldn't be together because of who they are but there is an amazingly strong bond between them that nothing can keep them apart. Eventually they will be together.
The first part of the book is told through Ellie's point of view. Which is a great idea as we get to see the story through different eyes. I wouldn't have minded seeing it back and forth at the same time though, that's always great the whole he said she said scenario. The overall story was good and the concept is interesting but I think it could have been developed a little more as if the characters need a little more depth to them. Their romance was very whirlwind like, very quick but substantial to the both of them. The back story and history comes more from the second part of the book.
The second part of the story was told through Marcus's point of view, and I wish there was more of Marcus. His story was fascinating. I wanted more details about who is the Society, more about him being a white crow. There are just so many more interesting facts that were told through Marcus, as Ellie's side was pure love story. Hope the next book has more of his story in it and more background information. Overall good book.
Of course the cuteness factor wins over (as it does almost all the time), and he stays. They talk and talk and their relationship starts to grow more daily. There is something off about Marcus though but of course Ellie doesn't care because she's falling for him and he's fallen for her. She's since left her mother and is living at a friends house while working at a movie theater and semi going to school.
Ellie and Marcus shouldn't be together because of who they are but there is an amazingly strong bond between them that nothing can keep them apart. Eventually they will be together.
The first part of the book is told through Ellie's point of view. Which is a great idea as we get to see the story through different eyes. I wouldn't have minded seeing it back and forth at the same time though, that's always great the whole he said she said scenario. The overall story was good and the concept is interesting but I think it could have been developed a little more as if the characters need a little more depth to them. Their romance was very whirlwind like, very quick but substantial to the both of them. The back story and history comes more from the second part of the book.
The second part of the story was told through Marcus's point of view, and I wish there was more of Marcus. His story was fascinating. I wanted more details about who is the Society, more about him being a white crow. There are just so many more interesting facts that were told through Marcus, as Ellie's side was pure love story. Hope the next book has more of his story in it and more background information. Overall good book.
May 21, 2012
Title: Pretty In Black
Author: Rae Hachton
Publisher: Teen Pulse
Number of Pages: 312
Date of Release: October 26th, 2011
Summary From Goodreads:
Some Things are Pretty. Some Things are Black. Love is both.
[Ellie Piper]
She wanted to die. He arose from the grave. He was sent to kill her. She was trained to kill those of his kind. But fate had other plans. He searched for 119 years to find her. & There's no way in hell he's letting her go. Dead or Alive. They're fated.
[Marcus Marble]
How far would you go to be with the one you love? Would you die for her? Would you kill for her? What if the only reason you're still alive is because of her? What if the reason you came back from the dead, was to be with her? But what if your job was to kill her, but you fell in love instead? And now you're being hunted by your own kind?
Destroy? Or be Destroyed?
Review: I’m not usually one for switching point of views, but it worked in this novel. The depth and mystery in Pretty in Black instantly drew me in. Rae Hachton’s dark debut left me wanting more.
Ellie, instantly grabbed my attention. I don’t normally share much about myself on here. But at one point in my life about four years ago, I was in a very dark place. To say Ellie’s thoughts and mine were similar is to put it lightly. Which is why I was able to relate to the character so much.
Marcus caught me kind of off guard. I wasn’t expecting him at all. When he did enter the scene I was kept guessing on whether to trust him or not. I really liked how he is a key piece in the novels puzzle but we don’t learn the details until the end.
This novel is a tale of self discovery in both Ellie and Marcus’s characters. I honestly believe that every teenager; male, female, 14 or 19. Will be able to relate to the novel which is why I really liked it. I do want to mention, that something to me felt lacking. There were moments I wanted to be more explored, that were not. In the end with that explosive finale, I was okay with that though. Especially since there is a book two which you can bet I will be reading!! Expect that review soon as well.
Author: Rae Hachton
Publisher: Teen Pulse
Number of Pages: 312
Date of Release: October 26th, 2011
Summary From Goodreads:
Some Things are Pretty. Some Things are Black. Love is both.
[Ellie Piper]
She wanted to die. He arose from the grave. He was sent to kill her. She was trained to kill those of his kind. But fate had other plans. He searched for 119 years to find her. & There's no way in hell he's letting her go. Dead or Alive. They're fated.
[Marcus Marble]
How far would you go to be with the one you love? Would you die for her? Would you kill for her? What if the only reason you're still alive is because of her? What if the reason you came back from the dead, was to be with her? But what if your job was to kill her, but you fell in love instead? And now you're being hunted by your own kind?
Destroy? Or be Destroyed?
Review: I’m not usually one for switching point of views, but it worked in this novel. The depth and mystery in Pretty in Black instantly drew me in. Rae Hachton’s dark debut left me wanting more.
Ellie, instantly grabbed my attention. I don’t normally share much about myself on here. But at one point in my life about four years ago, I was in a very dark place. To say Ellie’s thoughts and mine were similar is to put it lightly. Which is why I was able to relate to the character so much.
Marcus caught me kind of off guard. I wasn’t expecting him at all. When he did enter the scene I was kept guessing on whether to trust him or not. I really liked how he is a key piece in the novels puzzle but we don’t learn the details until the end.
This novel is a tale of self discovery in both Ellie and Marcus’s characters. I honestly believe that every teenager; male, female, 14 or 19. Will be able to relate to the novel which is why I really liked it. I do want to mention, that something to me felt lacking. There were moments I wanted to be more explored, that were not. In the end with that explosive finale, I was okay with that though. Especially since there is a book two which you can bet I will be reading!! Expect that review soon as well.
November 7, 2019
Pretty in Black by Rae Hachton is a paranormal love story about the relationship between Ellie Piper and Marcus Marble. The first section of the story is told from Ellie’s point of view. Ellie has recently lost her sister. She was murdered and it remains unsolved. Her sister’s death has seriously affected the previously perky, straight-A cheerleader, causing her to distance herself from her best friend, her boyfriend, and everyone else at school. She’s dressing in black and hanging out in cemeteries, wishing to die. The Ellie meets Marcus Marble in the cemetery. Marcus is cool, dark, brooding, musically talented and determined to snap Ellie out of her suicidal thoughts.
Ellie isn’t a normal girl. She is told by a mysterious man that she is the chosen one. We don’t find out in book one exactly what she is chosen for, that part of the story takes second place to the other issues in Ellie’s life – her mother’s lack of concern, her abusive stepdad, her cheating ex, her best friend that wasn’t there for her when she needed her most, and the mysteriousness that is Marcus. I did read the synopsis for the next book, and it seems we get a more details on what Ellie is chosen for.
Marcus is the paranormal aspect to the book. He is an evermore – a paranormal creature that I haven’t ever read about in other stories – so unique and new. Refreshing. I really enjoyed the descriptions in the book about the graveyards Ellie hangs out in as well as Marcus’s castle in the sky. I don’t want to tell you too much as anymore, and I’d be giving too much away. Pretty in Black is fast paced and enjoyable though there are a few parts that are confusing (hoping they are cleared up in the second book). The picture that Ms. Hachton paints with her words is very vivid and detailed, dark and gothic. Readers of paranormal young adult looking for a fresh and new story, without the requisite love triangle will enjoy this book.
Ellie isn’t a normal girl. She is told by a mysterious man that she is the chosen one. We don’t find out in book one exactly what she is chosen for, that part of the story takes second place to the other issues in Ellie’s life – her mother’s lack of concern, her abusive stepdad, her cheating ex, her best friend that wasn’t there for her when she needed her most, and the mysteriousness that is Marcus. I did read the synopsis for the next book, and it seems we get a more details on what Ellie is chosen for.
Marcus is the paranormal aspect to the book. He is an evermore – a paranormal creature that I haven’t ever read about in other stories – so unique and new. Refreshing. I really enjoyed the descriptions in the book about the graveyards Ellie hangs out in as well as Marcus’s castle in the sky. I don’t want to tell you too much as anymore, and I’d be giving too much away. Pretty in Black is fast paced and enjoyable though there are a few parts that are confusing (hoping they are cleared up in the second book). The picture that Ms. Hachton paints with her words is very vivid and detailed, dark and gothic. Readers of paranormal young adult looking for a fresh and new story, without the requisite love triangle will enjoy this book.
May 19, 2013
From the moment i started reading this book i wanted to know more about Ellie and Marcus.Even if its not the kind of book i usually like to read,i liked how Rae described everything.It was a little strange,but at the same time i thought it was beautiful.
Everything Rae wrote was beautiful.Every word made the story more interesting and usually that's all i need and i will know if i should stop reading or not.I didn't.
Even if there was a moment when i thought something was missing-i don't really know what-i loved Marcus attitude and how he tried to be there for Ellie.
For me this book was about true love story.Yes,it was gothic love-but beautiful.
After everything that happened in Ellie's life-her parent's divorce,Darcy's death and the fact that her boyfriend cheated on her-everything changed when she met Marcus.
I can't exactly explain why i liked Marcus.He was charming -that i have to admit.But i always thought that there was something strange about him,and i was right.
The way Ellie and Marcus met reminded me of how easy you can meet someone and then you find out that he/she is not who you thought.I admit that i liked how they acted when they were together.It was love.Dangerous love.Beautiful Love.
When i read the first chapter i never knew what to expect.It was about Ellie and Marcus-or i should say about Marcus trying to enter in Ellie's life.Yeah,those moments were funny and i liked them.
Well,Ellie's life is not a good one and i think those moments with Marcus were exactly what she needed.But in a way their love story is sad and beautiful.
Reading this made me think about all the time i read the book description and the fact that i always wanted to know what it was about.Now i know.And i'm glad.
Rae Hachton's story will haunt your soul and show you not always things are how they are supposed to be.Sometimes they are better and sometimes they are worse.But somehow love can change everything.
Everything Rae wrote was beautiful.Every word made the story more interesting and usually that's all i need and i will know if i should stop reading or not.I didn't.
Even if there was a moment when i thought something was missing-i don't really know what-i loved Marcus attitude and how he tried to be there for Ellie.
For me this book was about true love story.Yes,it was gothic love-but beautiful.
After everything that happened in Ellie's life-her parent's divorce,Darcy's death and the fact that her boyfriend cheated on her-everything changed when she met Marcus.
I can't exactly explain why i liked Marcus.He was charming -that i have to admit.But i always thought that there was something strange about him,and i was right.
The way Ellie and Marcus met reminded me of how easy you can meet someone and then you find out that he/she is not who you thought.I admit that i liked how they acted when they were together.It was love.Dangerous love.Beautiful Love.
When i read the first chapter i never knew what to expect.It was about Ellie and Marcus-or i should say about Marcus trying to enter in Ellie's life.Yeah,those moments were funny and i liked them.
Well,Ellie's life is not a good one and i think those moments with Marcus were exactly what she needed.But in a way their love story is sad and beautiful.
Reading this made me think about all the time i read the book description and the fact that i always wanted to know what it was about.Now i know.And i'm glad.
Rae Hachton's story will haunt your soul and show you not always things are how they are supposed to be.Sometimes they are better and sometimes they are worse.But somehow love can change everything.
May 31, 2012
Pretty in Black was a very interesting read. It was a "dark" romance. Ellie Piper has lost her sister, her father is gone, and her mother has married a creep and moved her into a trailer park. Ellie likes to hang out in cemeteries, she's depressed, and she cuts. Then she meets Marcus Marble, and her whole life changes. She tries to stay away from Marcus, but finds herself compelled to be with him. He is mysterious, charming, attractive, and has his own dark side. Ellie struggles to keep focused on school, but keeps finding herself pulled to the woods, to the cemetery, drawn to be with Marcus, but Marcus is not what he seems, Marcus isn't even alive. Ellie must make difficult choices, not only regarding Marcus, but also her destiny.
I typically don't read a lot of Gothic romance, so this was different experience, and I have to say I enjoyed the story very much . Marcus Marble was very swoon worthy and mysterious. The first part of the book is told from Ellie's point of view, and the second part is told from Marcus' point of view, and gives you more of a history of where he has come from, which was very interesting. Ellie was a very complex character, though very depressed and grief ridden, she was also desperate to love and to be loved. The romance between Marcus and Ellie was dark, yet endearing. It will be interesting to see where the next book in the series, Black Satin, takes Ellie and Marcus. I am anxious to find out what is in store for them. If you enjoy dark Gothic romance, coupled with the element of fantasy, then you will enjoy Pretty in Black. Additionally, the book also addresses real life issues such as death, tragedy, grief, and depression, but at the same time, incorporates romance and gives you a hot guy to swoon over, so that you aren't consumed by the issues the character faces.
I typically don't read a lot of Gothic romance, so this was different experience, and I have to say I enjoyed the story very much . Marcus Marble was very swoon worthy and mysterious. The first part of the book is told from Ellie's point of view, and the second part is told from Marcus' point of view, and gives you more of a history of where he has come from, which was very interesting. Ellie was a very complex character, though very depressed and grief ridden, she was also desperate to love and to be loved. The romance between Marcus and Ellie was dark, yet endearing. It will be interesting to see where the next book in the series, Black Satin, takes Ellie and Marcus. I am anxious to find out what is in store for them. If you enjoy dark Gothic romance, coupled with the element of fantasy, then you will enjoy Pretty in Black. Additionally, the book also addresses real life issues such as death, tragedy, grief, and depression, but at the same time, incorporates romance and gives you a hot guy to swoon over, so that you aren't consumed by the issues the character faces.
April 24, 2012
I initally accepted this book as part as a Blog Tour. I admit, I fell for the pretty cover. This is definitely one case where I should not have judged a book by its cover. Well, okay, I also judged it by its synopsis, so I don't feel too bad now. I mean, it's a pretty interesting synopsis: death, mystery, forbidden love, suspense. These are all great elements I look for when deciding on a book to read.
Unfortunately, I only made it to page 21 in Pretty in Black before trying to decide whether I should laugh or cry because it is. just. that. bad.
To be completely honest, I am shocked that this is not a self-pub, as it has all of the cringe-worthy qualities of the stereotype: run-on and fragment sentences, poor grammar, typos, one-dimensional characters, stilted dialogue, a corny plot, and - should I go on? I guess to be completely fair, there are probably traditionally published books that have the aforementioned issues, but... I haven't run into one lately. Maybe I'm spoiled by my recent run-ins with wonderful self-pubs (like Entangled and Whisper Walker) as well as fabulous trad-pubs (like Cinder and Born Wicked), but I find that I have little patience for crap books.
I won't write any commentary on the first 21 pages, as I think my summary above covers it. I don't recommend this book to anyone. Since writing this review I have withdrawn from the Blog Tour.
For more YA/MG reviewsm visit BlookGirl - YA Book Review Blog!
Unfortunately, I only made it to page 21 in Pretty in Black before trying to decide whether I should laugh or cry because it is. just. that. bad.
To be completely honest, I am shocked that this is not a self-pub, as it has all of the cringe-worthy qualities of the stereotype: run-on and fragment sentences, poor grammar, typos, one-dimensional characters, stilted dialogue, a corny plot, and - should I go on? I guess to be completely fair, there are probably traditionally published books that have the aforementioned issues, but... I haven't run into one lately. Maybe I'm spoiled by my recent run-ins with wonderful self-pubs (like Entangled and Whisper Walker) as well as fabulous trad-pubs (like Cinder and Born Wicked), but I find that I have little patience for crap books.
I won't write any commentary on the first 21 pages, as I think my summary above covers it. I don't recommend this book to anyone. Since writing this review I have withdrawn from the Blog Tour.
For more YA/MG reviewsm visit BlookGirl - YA Book Review Blog!
May 18, 2012
Originally Reviewed at: Mother/Gamer/Writer
Rating: 4out of 5 Controllers
Review Source: Blog Tour
Reviewer: Heather
Pretty in Black is about a young woman named Ellie who has lost her sister, her perfect life, and she is seeking death. Marcus Marble saves her in more ways than she knew she needed saving. But he has a secret, many secrets, that he’s keeping from her.
To further the story, Ellie is also a Corvidae hunter, and her purpose is to hunt down the Evermore. She is warned that if she fails, or allows one to live, that she too would be hunted down. Can she come to terms with this crazy notion? Will she run when Marcus uncovers his great secrets?
I would have enjoyed more action, more of the Evermore and Corvidae story. I think it’s why I wasn’t overly thrilled after I finished reading. It’s entirely possible that there will be more in the future, and I would gladly read it. Instead we got more of the love story between Ellie and Marcus, which was very well written. I enjoyed the dark twists, the forbidden love, as well as the poetic edge that was taken.
I was also a bit confused by the ending when the author switched the point-of-view. It took me a few pages to realize this, but once it registered in my brain all was well again. I’m hoping that there is more to this story, and that this really only the beginning.
Rating: 4out of 5 Controllers
Review Source: Blog Tour
Reviewer: Heather
Pretty in Black is about a young woman named Ellie who has lost her sister, her perfect life, and she is seeking death. Marcus Marble saves her in more ways than she knew she needed saving. But he has a secret, many secrets, that he’s keeping from her.
To further the story, Ellie is also a Corvidae hunter, and her purpose is to hunt down the Evermore. She is warned that if she fails, or allows one to live, that she too would be hunted down. Can she come to terms with this crazy notion? Will she run when Marcus uncovers his great secrets?
I would have enjoyed more action, more of the Evermore and Corvidae story. I think it’s why I wasn’t overly thrilled after I finished reading. It’s entirely possible that there will be more in the future, and I would gladly read it. Instead we got more of the love story between Ellie and Marcus, which was very well written. I enjoyed the dark twists, the forbidden love, as well as the poetic edge that was taken.
I was also a bit confused by the ending when the author switched the point-of-view. It took me a few pages to realize this, but once it registered in my brain all was well again. I’m hoping that there is more to this story, and that this really only the beginning.
October 25, 2012
I was drawn to this book from this line alone. Some Things are Pretty. Some Things are Black. Love is both. That had me staying up late into the night to finish this book. And I am so glad I did.
We meet Ellie at the beginning who has decided to end her life. Even though it’s a graphic scene the author does some creative writing to introduce us to the love interest Marcus. He asks Ellie for a kiss and dance. I was a little confused weather this was a dream or not but Rae writes so well that it didn’t even bother me.
I really liked Ellie even though she was dark and loves cemeteries but with the death of her sister and the upheaval of her life you understand why she acts the way she does. My only issue with her is I wish she would have realized her feelings for Marcus sooner. Marcus is just swoon worthy. He holds nothing back when it comes to his feelings for Ellie which I found refreshing in a YA book. I really loved the new Paranormal aspect in this book. Marcus is something new in a genre filled with vampires, werewolves, angels, etc. Don’t get me wrong I love all those beings but it’s nice to have new ones.
If your looking for a fresh new take on the paranormal pick up Pretty in Black. It has become one of my best reads of 2012. 5/5 Bats
We meet Ellie at the beginning who has decided to end her life. Even though it’s a graphic scene the author does some creative writing to introduce us to the love interest Marcus. He asks Ellie for a kiss and dance. I was a little confused weather this was a dream or not but Rae writes so well that it didn’t even bother me.
I really liked Ellie even though she was dark and loves cemeteries but with the death of her sister and the upheaval of her life you understand why she acts the way she does. My only issue with her is I wish she would have realized her feelings for Marcus sooner. Marcus is just swoon worthy. He holds nothing back when it comes to his feelings for Ellie which I found refreshing in a YA book. I really loved the new Paranormal aspect in this book. Marcus is something new in a genre filled with vampires, werewolves, angels, etc. Don’t get me wrong I love all those beings but it’s nice to have new ones.
If your looking for a fresh new take on the paranormal pick up Pretty in Black. It has become one of my best reads of 2012. 5/5 Bats
November 17, 2011
I liked this book - I'd say it is in the strong 4-4.5 stars range. I was confused, just as Ellie was, sometimes throughout the book. I would have loved to learn more throughout the book, but I think it will all come as this is the first in a series. I really really like Marcus - he is dark and beautiful and matches Ellie well. Ellie is dark and troubled, but her past helps make her real and once it is explained she makes more sense.
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This is a take on the star-crossed lovers’ storyline - but this is told in a way that I have not seen recently. Ellie wants to die, she even tries to take her own life. Marcus rises from the dead to find her - In a mix of scenery and cemeteries, these two finally find each other - each supposed to kill the other, but when they fall in love, who is to say what will happen. It seems nothing is too much to ask for to be together.
This book is the first in a series, and I'm truly looking forward to the next book to find out what choices are made and what each is willing to risk to be with the other...
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Enjoy!!
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This is a take on the star-crossed lovers’ storyline - but this is told in a way that I have not seen recently. Ellie wants to die, she even tries to take her own life. Marcus rises from the dead to find her - In a mix of scenery and cemeteries, these two finally find each other - each supposed to kill the other, but when they fall in love, who is to say what will happen. It seems nothing is too much to ask for to be together.
This book is the first in a series, and I'm truly looking forward to the next book to find out what choices are made and what each is willing to risk to be with the other...
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Enjoy!!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 106 reviews