The Heart-Shaped Emblor (The Ewlishash Series)
Mystery, secrets, and personal growth. These three words come to mind, when thinking of how to describe this book. The challenges Aislinn is forced to face, mixed with the personal growth and coming-of-age issues most of us deal with at 17, mix to make an interesting sci-fi story. Granted, she has to deal with college, ghosts, and freak-out worthy supernatural experiences, so that adds a bit of interest too...The book starts off with a big dose of realistic issues and, as with any teen girl, drama. Friend drama, boyfriend drama, and personal I-can-see-ghosts drama. Not necessarily unpleasant, especially for those of us who read a lot of Young Adult books, but was definitely more apparent than with other books I've read. You're pulled into the emotional roller-coaster that Aislinn is dealing with at the moment, as she finds out who she is, and faces personal secrets she wasn't entirely prepared for.
As a leading character, Aislinn was alright. She's honest, quirky, gives into peer-pressure some times, but tries to do the right thing...or at least, knows what the right thing is, and wants to do it. Surrounding her are quite a few characters, some who leave quite early in the story, and others who stick around. The most note-worthy character, Alexander, is one I enjoyed. He's mysterious, strong, and charming. Not a bad mix, for a leading man. Plus, he has a dimple...don't you just love guys with dimples?
Overall, I enjoyed this book. Alaina Ewing's writing is very smooth and fluid, and she quickly pulled me into the world she's created. I enjoyed her way of describing things, surroundings, emotions, and situations. There were things I would have changed, or didn't care for completely, but the overall entertainment value was there, and I'd be happy to read the sequel. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a good supernatural YA romance.
*I was given an eCopy of this book, from the author via Reading Addiction Book Tours, to read in exchange for an honest review.
Check out my blog post for this book! Includes an excerpt from the book! Check it out here!
