Auracle ARC Tour: Review

Auracle

Author: Gina Rosati

Genre: YA Paranormal/Fantasy

Release Date: August 7, 2012

Description:

16 year old Anna Rogan has a secret she's only shared with her best friend, Rei; she can astrally project out of her body, allowing her spirit to explore the world and the far reaches of the universe.

When there's a fatal accident and her classmate Taylor takes over Anna's body, what was an exhilarating distraction from her repressive home life threatens to become a permanent state. Faced with a future trapped in another dimension, Anna turns to Rei for help. Now the two of them must find a way to get Anna back into her body and stop Taylor from accusing an innocent friend of murder. Together Anna and Rei form a plan but it doesn't take into account the deeper feelings that are beginning to grow between them.  

Review:

Auracle is a refreshing young adult paranormal/fantasy novel that brings a fresh voice and interesting new topics to the genre. The book focuses on the main character, Anna, who has been able to astrally project for as long as she can remember. While outside of her body, she is able to visit places that most people can only fantasize about - watching a supernova in outer space or experiencing a volcano eruption up close. One day, while watching a meeting between two classmates, Anna witnesses an accident that leaves her classmate Taylor dead. When Anna tries to return to her body, she is horrified to find that Taylor's spirit has taken up residence and she is not willing to let go. Anna must find a way to force Taylor out of her body for good and to figure out a way to get herself back in.

This is one of the most unique books I've read in the YA paranormal genre. I haven't read many books that deal with ESP or other phenomenon, especially not one that focuses on astral projection. The idea is new and exciting, and it made the book a great page-turner for me. I liked the way the characters were portrayed - especially Anna. She was sarcastic and rude at times, but fiercely loyal to her friends. That made her very likeable to me and it was easy to root for her throughout her trials. I also liked the romance that slowly develops between Anna and Rei, her best friend and neighbor. It was sweet and portrayed an innocent first love in a realistic way. 

Overall, I thought that the book was very well written with an addicting plot and a great flow that made it almost impossible to stop reading once I started. I found it very original and unique, which is hard to find in the YA genre these days. I highly recommend this book to fans of YA paranormal fiction and I will definitely be reading more of Gina's work in the future.