Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Review: Auracle by Gina Rosati

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Auracle
Gina Rosati
Release date: August 7th 2012
by Roaring Brook Press

 

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.

*A copy was provided by Macmillan for review purposes*

Utterly original and refreshing, Auracle is a breath of fresh air with its addicting premise full of riveting turns. This was even more so in my case where I hadn’t read the synopsis in ages and, therefore, had no idea what I was getting into, causing me to be shocked by the actual premise itself. It absolutely thrilled me.

Since I’m hoping you all get the same exciting experience of going in blind I won’t bring up the primary plot line, but work my way around it. What I can safely tell you, is it involves astral projection – which is fascinating in of itself. I was highly satisfied by the way the world building was brought up in this novel. We not only get great detail in how Anna goes about projecting and leaving her body, but the space – or dimension – she roams when she’s ethereal is solidly created with the inclusion of thought-provoking theoretical physics as part of the explanations. As a very skeptical and science minded person, I appreciate that Rosati didn’t leave it exclusively magical. As the plot progresses, we get even deeper into the stretches of Anna’s abilities, leaving me completely immersed in this story.

Anna’s witty and sharp narration is undemanding and strikingly easy to enjoy. The addition of a strong dysfunctional family dynamic is great for character building and to give an extra layer of depth to the story. With an alcoholic father, Anna is walking on eggshells in her home – using her astral projection as a way of escape. The side characters have a lot to offer to the story as well, with maybe the exception of Seth which, for having such a substantial part, is scarcely developed. The villain – Taylor – regardless of falling victim to the short skirts and rich attitude mean girl stereotype, plays her part particularly well in this story, especially towards the ending where she gets veritably crafty. Then there is Rei…

Surrounding a unique, fast-paced, page turning plot is a largely romantic substory. Rei is your very sweet, – albeit very perfect – love interest that didn’t quite make my heart flutter, but he enchanted me with his charisma and sincere nature. We get a budding romance that is both meaningful and sweet. Those who get enamoured by “boy next door” love stories will adore it!

Auracle brings something new and exciting to the overly crowded YA paranormal genre. Its suspense, humor, and dramatics dispenses an irresistible entertainment value that will undoubtedly keep you up until the early hours!

4 Hot Espressos
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Giselle

Canadian blogger, wife, mother, coffee lover, and sarcastic at heart! She has had a love for all things bookish since before Amazon and eReaders existed *le gasp*. You can also find her organizing tours and other fun things at Xpresso Book Tours.

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34 Responses to “Review: Auracle by Gina Rosati”

  2. Nick

    I wasn’t sure whether I wanted to read this book or not, but your review has convinced me that I should. 🙂
    The premise is very intriguing and since you mentioned that it is quite refreshing and unique, I will definitely check it out. Yay for a witty heroine.
    Great review, Giselle! 🙂

  3. Amy

    This one has been on my TBR list forever!! I can’t wait until it comes out. (Of course then I have to find time to fit it in) It sounds so good!! Awesome review chicky!!!

  5. Philip Tucker

    I think this is the first astral projection novel I’ve heard of. And now you’ve got me curious as to the science behind Rosati’s explanations… and what a cover!

  6. Kayleigh @ K-Books

    Great review!
    I am really excited for this one. I have it on pre-order and I can’t wait for it. It’s a dystopian kinda book right? That’s what I heard and I love dystopians with paranormal twists so I am really looking forward to it and your review has made me even more excited for it =)

  12. Danny

    I admit, I am usually not the “boy next door” fan. But, the rest sounds great and I do love unique and .. I do love humor! :))

  14. Millie

    Great review! I just finished reading this book last night and really enjoyed it, too. I’m glad to see that others are loving it! I loved how this was about astral projection because I’ve never read a book like this 😀

  15. Mel - Thedailyprophecy.

    First of all, I really wanted to read this book, because of it’s gorgeous cover (such a bad reason, but hey, it works most of the time :p) The idea of astrally project fascinated me and I like to hear that Anna is witty and sharp. This one is on my list: I can’t wait 😀 Thanks ^^

  16. Camille Picott

    Ooh, this sounds really good! I’ve always been fascinated by astral projection, but I’ve never come across a YA book that tackles the topic. I’ll definitely be checking this on out. Thanks, Giselle!

  17. Aneeqah

    Yay!! I was on the fence about whether I should buy this one or not, but now I’m definitely going to be pre-ordering it! I love how the astral projection is actually explained. Lots of times things are just there and never explained. I’m definitely excited to read about that! And all the characters sound wonderful as well. =)

    Fabulous review Giselle! <3

  19. Sam

    Great review, Giselle! I can’t for the life of me remember what this book is about, but I guess I’ll keep it that way and hope to be just as impressed with what I meet. 🙂 Rei sounds quite lovely and I really adore that name! I’m looking forward to giving this a shot soon. 🙂

  20. A Canadian Girl

    Lol, I wasn’t interested in this one because of the astral projection angle. But since you mentioned how well done it was and gave the book 4 espressos, I may have to change my mind, Giselle, and give it a look. Great review!

  23. Meg K.

    I’ve been hearing all sorts of great things about AURACLE, so I’m glad to see that you enjoyed it as well! The characters sound really good… especially Rei. *sneaky look*

    Great review, Giselle!

  24. Alexa

    I’m already fascinated by the fact that it’s about astral projection. It sounds so interesting! And I love boy-next-door love stories 😉

  25. Vegan YA Nerds

    You had me at “Utterly original and refreshing” – that’s all I need to know when looking a new book. I also really like the sound of Anna and the cover is just gorgeous!

  26. J.J. Bonds

    The premise for Auracle sounds really interesting! It’s definitely unique. I can’t think of a single other book with astral projection. You’ve piqued my curiosity. I’m not usually one for the boy next door, but witty and sharp? I’ll take that in my protag every time!

  28. Rachel

    This story sounds wonderful Giselle. As I said on GR I love the “boy-next-door” love stories. Plus, the plot sounds very original and interesting. Great review Giselle. 🙂

  29. kay - Infinite Shelf

    Oh, I’m so happy you enjoyed this one! I haven’t heard a lot about this one yet, but I’m really excited about it. Astral projection is something I haven’t read in YA, so far!

  30. Candace

    I’m so happy to hear this is a winner! It definitely sounds interesting! And I like that there’s some scientific explanation, though often it goes over my head. Cant wait for it!

  31. Rebecca

    This certainly sounds interesting and refreshing which is always nice because sometimes paranormal can get a bit repetitive… Glad to hear this stands out from the crowd! Whilst I’m not anxious to get my hands on a copy, I’d love to read this once it releases. A boy next door love story? *swoon* Great reivew! 🙂

  33. Sarah (saz101)

    Giselle… wow… I think you have ‘DRIVE SARAH NUTS WITH WANTING/NEEDING BOOK NOW NOW NOW’ Superpowers O___O

    But… how you’ve described this is NOTHING like how I expected… and I kind of LOVE that. I’m loving how you described Anna’s home life, and her using her gift to escape… and the boy next door? LOVE.