A beautiful book in the tradition of modern Southern gothic (Vampire Lestat, Beautiful Creatures) in a setting of crumbling mansions, generational wealth and otherworldly secrets, juxtaposed with the lush greenery and darkness of nature. As a YA romance, the story follows beautiful, intelligent teens with one foot in the supernatural world. Despite the relatively quick pace—in keeping with the trends of today's Young Adult romance genre—the author manages to maintain a sense of grandeur and poetic prose. While the lead characters are physically beautiful, they face tribulations and carry insecurities. Magic is used well in the context of the plot, and I liked that despite the female lead's wealth and perceived perfection, she had quite an isolated and somewhat harrowing life in the early stages of the novel, dealing with dark gothic tropes. YA books love a soulmate: here, the connection is a lot healthier than in many novels. The story feels expertly plotted, so the reader is never bored and surprised by well-constructed twists. Overall, an entertaining read.