Friday 24 February 2012

#61 Book Review: Smoulder

Smoulder
Release Date: January 5th 2012
Author: Brenna Yovanoff
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Australia
Source: Publisher for Review
Format: Paperback
Where to Buy: Amazon & The Book Depository
More Info: Goodreads

Summary from Goodreads:
Everything is made of steel, even the flowers. How can you love anything in a place like this?

Daphne is the half-demon, half-fallen angel daughter of Lucifer and Lilith. Life for her is an endless expanse of time, until her brother Obie is kidnapped - and Daphne realizes she may be partially responsible. Determined to find him, Daphne travels from her home in Pandemonium to the vast streets of Earth, where everything is colder and more terrifying. With the help of the human boy she believes was the last person to see her brother alive, Daphne glimpses into his dreams, discovering clues to Obie's whereabouts. As she delves deeper into her demonic powers, she must navigate the jealousies and alliances of the violent archangels who stand in her way. But she also discovers, unexpectedly, what it means to love and be human in a world where human is the hardest thing to be.

This second novel by rising star Brenna Yovanoff is a story of identity, discovery, and a troubled love between two people struggling to find their place both in our world and theirs.

My review:


Cover:
The girl's dress and the background is really interesting and looks great! There's also a fire in the background to give a smouldering effect! Although, I think I love the US cover more because it really looks different and unique. 
4 Forget-Me-Not flowers for the cover!
Story:


A demon girl. A human boy. Journey to find a brother and a saviour.


Daphe is a demon, she lives in Pandemonium and understands what life is like in the earth by watching television. Yep, she doesn't know much. But when her brother, Obie, tells her that he's leaving to earth, she can't stop him. When her mother suddenly tells her that her brother has gone missing, it's up to Daphne to find her, because she is the only one who can travel to earth. Daphne only carries with herself one clue that will help her find her brother and that is Truman, a human boy. When Daphne finally finds him, she finds out that Truman is broken and she needs to fix him. As they both journey to find Obie, Daphne discovers love, and what being a human means...

Smoulder is an eerie, dark and beautifully written novel. I was hooked from the very first page and although this is my first Yovanoff's novel (with her debut being The Replacement) I absolutely adore Smoulder (The Space Between, US). It's told from 2 perspectives, one from Daphne and one from Truman. This book ventures different thems of death, love, meaning of life, demons, and humans. The storyplot was very gorgeous and enthralling, as we explore the story of both Daphne and Truman. Smoulder also makes you see demons and archangels in different ways. The archangel in this book is not the 'good' ones and it makes it really enjoyable to read because even though many novels might have had the same theme as Smoulder, it is very different to what I've read so far about demons and archangels. I am so happy with the ending too because I almost though it was going to be a sad ending but it wasn't so HOORAY! 

Characters:
The characters are one of my favourite parts in the story. They are so well-written, it gives me twinges. And of course, I was able to connect with Daphne and Truman easily. Truman is such a 'broken' character in the beginning, just an empty shell who wishes nothing but to stop his pain. He's the kind of character who makes me think what life and death means.When Daphne finds him, she understands his pain and tries to make him 'live' again.  She slowly restores him and gradually falls in love with him as they spend more time together. Daphne is also very interesting character, because she has never been to the human world and the more time she spends living in earth, the more she finds herself becoming 'human' and have their desires. Besides these two characters, I also enjoyed reading about Obie, Lilith, and even Azrael, the archangel. 

Overall:
An eerie, dark and beautifully written novel, Smoulder explores different themes of life, love and death. It tells the story of Truman and Daphne, who will make your heart twinge and feel deep sadness for them. With a unique theme of demons and archangels, Smoulder is Brenna Yovanoff's second novel you don't want to miss!

5 Forget-Me-Not flowers for Smoulder!
Thank you Simon & Schuster Australia for the review copy!

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