Review: Fated by Alyson Noel

Title: Fated

Author: Alyson Noel

Publisher: St. Martins Griffin

Rating: 3/5 stars

 

Synopsis: 

Strange things are happening to Daire Santos. Crows mock her, glowing people stalk her, time stops without warning, and a beautiful boy with unearthly blue eyes haunts all her dreams. Fearing for her daughter’s sanity, Daire’s mother sends her to live with the grandmother she’s never met. A woman who recognizes the visions for what they truly are—the call to her destiny as a Soul Seeker—one who can navigate the worlds between the living and dead.

There on the dusty plains of Enchantment, New Mexico, Daire sets out to harness her mystical powers. But it’s when she meets Dace, the boy from her dreams, that her whole world is shaken to its core. Now Daire is forced to discover if Dace is the one guy she's meant to be with...or if he’s allied with the enemy she's destined to destroy.

(From Goodreads)

My thoughts:

This book is the first book in the Soul Seekers series by Alyson Noel. Having read Alyson's Immortals series, I had expected to love this series too. However, I did not, and I will tell you why.

The storyline caught my attention, and I really wanted to read it. I started off not getting into the book at all, which is very unlike me. It had a slow beginning, a slow middle, and it was about three quarters through when I started to feel a small connection with the book.
Character wise, they all seemed a bit predictable and boring. Daire was an OK character, and Dace and Cade were the typical good and bad brothers who are both interested in Daire. I felt sorry for Daire's Mum Jennika, for Daire calls her by her first name, and doesn't acknowledge her as "Mum", despite living with her all her life. I don't know why, but that felt weird for me. I did, however, like Daire's Grandmother Paloma. I found her very likable, and strong. In this sort of situation I can understand why Daire calls her Grandmother by her first name, as she was only sent to her Grandmother's house, and has not known she existed until then. I didn't feel too much of a connection with Dace and Daire. It felt like it was forced, if I'm honest.
I feel like the spirit guide and soul seeker business wasn't quite explained properly, and that's probably one reason why I felt lost. I felt there were missing parts in the story. At one point she runs away, the next you find it's gone two or so weeks later, and I felt like a chapter had been cut out of my book. (I even looked back to make sure!).
On a plus side, I liked the format of the book. The chapters are fairly short, so you feel like you're reading a lot. I would say I also liked the ending. It does make me want to read the next book to see what happens next.
The cover to this edition that I read is gorgeous. It is very pretty and detailed, and I love how the crows are flying nearby. I love how all the dark and light lilac colours mingle together.
Overall, I'm going to give this three stars because I felt that it was lacking in certain areas. I really do hope when I read the next book in the series that the characters develop more, have better connections, and that I understand what is going on straight away.
If you pick this book up, I really hope you enjoy it more than me. If you are into paranormal romances, then give it a try.

Happy reading =)