The Forever Girl

After seeing the first chapter of The Forever Girl on the author's blog, I was hooked! With the book's release, I immediately ordered the eBook and I couldn't put it down!

Rebecca Hamilton has created a whole new take on the vampire (and other critter) genre. Her mythos is intricate and completely original in my experience, but remains easily accessible. As the reader discovers this new world alongside Sophie (the protagonist), they are skillfully eased into the experience. Layer upon layer, the world is built for us as we are lead deeper into its labyrinthine paths.

And I don't use the term "labyrinthine" lightly! The story features twists and surprises that leave you reeling. Even some of the twists have twists!

The characters have depth show more and complexities that make them interesting without making them broken marionettes with a single string to emote through. Meanwhile, the romantic subplot manages to propel the story without dominating every second of the reader's attention. This was key for my own enjoyment. Supernatural romances aren't my normal cup of tea, but this one was done so well that I was able to cheer for the romance along with the rest of the characters' struggles.

A unique world, high speed twists, characters with believable motivations, and an over-arching story that I can't wait to read more of! What's not to like? show less

*Received e-book through the Early Reviewers program from LibraryThing for an honest review
**also posted on Amazon.com under Leanne and Goodreads under leannessf

The Forever Girl: Sophia’s Journey is told by the point-of-view of Sophia Parsons, a 22 year-old Wiccan, who is under persecution from the religious Mrs. Franklin and her new convert, Sophia’s own mother. As she struggles with the townspeople’s stares and gossip, she suffers from a constant hissing in her ears that won’t go away even with the spells she casts. If that wasn’t enough, she finds herself the object of interest of a strange group when her friend, Ivory, takes her out for a fun night clubbing, and ends up being chased by a fanged attacker. Sophia is thrust show more into the supernatural world of elementals and shifters and she must figure out her unique role in it before getting killed.

Hamilton succeeds in entering the already crowded market of young adult paranormal romances/urban fantasy with her own unique story. I admired the plucky, yet vulnerable Sophia and her efforts to understand her family history, while contending with her introduction to the supernatural/elemental world. In addition, I was captivated by her involvement with the mysterious and at times, hilarious, Charles and both their efforts to resist the other. I enjoyed how their dialogue and actions rang true to their characters, much unlike other romances that can feel rushed and inauthentic. I also thought the supporting character, Ivory, was well flushed-out and Hamilton cleverly unfolds her role in Sophia’s journey to the surprise of the reader.

Overall, I was stunned by how good The Forever Girl was – it was an entertaining, fast read with unexpected plot twists. Although the ending felt a little rushed and abrupt, I am definitely looking forward to reading the next book in the series. I would highly recommend this book to teen and young adult fans of paranormal romances such as the Twilight series by Meyer and the Hex Hall series by Hawkins. show less

It's not common to find genre fiction as lyrical as The Forever Girl. The novel is heavy with symbolism. There is one element in particular that seems to be a metaphor for the main character's freedom (I'd love to say more, but I don't want to spoil things for those who haven't read this wonderful book). There is a part later in the book where the author explores some backstory of one character in particular, and she does it in a most interesting way. The Forever Girl does, in a sense, read very much like a dark fairy tale.

I also enjoy the characters in the book. There are no stereotypes to be found. I particularly enjoyed the MC's interaction with her mother, a deeply misguided character who nevertheless is fun. Also of note is the show more setting which seems to take on a life of its own. The setting is sort of Lovecraftian in regard to how the dark forces are on the surface. The setting isn't just a normal place with dark recesses; it's a dark place unto itself.

I'd also like to mention the final chapter, which is one of the finest I've read in quite awhile. Everything is tied up nicely, and there's a feeling of completeness, along with the deep regret that I'm saying goodbye to characters and to a story world I very much enjoyed.
I look forward to reading more from Rebecca Hamilton. show less

ETERNALLY TALENTED

‘The Forever Girl’ should come with a warning, “This book will transform you into an Urban Fantasy fan”. After reading the Twilight books, I decided that I am not a fan of romance between humans and creatures of the night. I like my vampires full of bite and without compassion.

What makes ‘The Forever Girl’ by Rebecca Hamilton a cut about the average urban fantasy is the writing. She has a talent for weaving words. “I tilted my chin closer to his face, the distance between our lips shrinking to nothing more than a breath.” That is a neat phrase. Throw in intriguing plot twists and you have a good read no matter your genre taste.

Sophia Parsons has a lot on her mind. She’s a practicing Wiccan and a cult show more in Belle Meadow wants her out of the community, vilifying her at every opportunity. Then there is the hissing noise and voices in her head that won’t go away. She discovers one of her relatives in the sixteen hundreds was slaughtered as a true witch which sets her on a path to discover how this heritage is impacting her modern day life.

Her search takes her one night to Club Flesh, encouraged by her friend, Ivory, who tells her a friend there possesses an antique book which may help. There she meets Charles—a mysterious and seductive man—and is later chased by strange creatures through the forrest and almost killed. She learns that these are the Cruor, vampire types, who’ve existed secretly for thousands of years.
As the romance between Charles and Sophia grows—and trust me, it is page-turning—it is clear that Sophia’s past and present are going to collide in a dangerous way.
Hamilton explains that ‘The Forever Girl’ grew from the characters who took over the story. She says, “As I explored the mythology of this world more and more, the trilogy soon turned into a series.”

It was a wise move by this first time author to follow her characters. The fantasy world is rich, the characters fascinating, and Hamilton’s skill very capable of holding a reader’s interest through many more books of Sophia’s journey.

Visit http://anadventureinreading.blogspot.com.au/ for more reviews & author interviews. show less

I read this after reading the novella that covers the life of another character in this book and I am hooked now! I loved the novella Her Sweetest Downfall and when reading this book I am happy that I was able to refer to the knowledge I learned in the novella to kind of clear a few things up. I thought the storyline of this book was interesting and I found myself becoming connected to characters pretty quickly. These characters, even though they are in a completely imaginary world, were pretty realistic and their reactions to situations were believable. They didn't seem forced or too out there. I will definitely continue reading this series and look forward to what happens in the future for these characters.

As Sophia battles voices in her head, her overbearing mother, and the whole town blaming her for numerous tragedies, she finds comfort in her Wiccan beliefs. Author, Rebecca Hamilton, submerges the reader in a smartly written paranormal urban fantasy with an historical twist. Her characters jump off the page as the plot progresses with the goings-on of sinister antagonists and cliff-hangers on most every page. Throw in a gorgeous love interest with a protective instinct, and you might as well buy stock in take-out and send your family to the in-laws. You won't be able to put it down. One of the most enjoyable parts of this novel is that Ms. Hamilton gets her history right. She takes the reader through several centuries of setting, show more events and dialog and she is spot on in her portrayal of live in each period. Whether you are a history buff, into the paranormal or fortunate enough to be both, The Forever Girl will surely satisfy your interests. That is, if you can stand the grief you will feel when the story ends and you have to wait for the sequel. show less

Since I was gifted this e-book by the author herself and it is her birthday, I wanted to say a couple of things about her book. She is a special author and this is a special book. I liked it a lot, though I never thought I would. I had committed to reading it, but I wasn't sure that it was for me. Urban paranormal romance? I had tried everything in this genre before. Charlaine Harris. Stephanie Meyers. It was all kind of trash to me. Poorly written drivel. So, with "The Forever Girl" I just didn't think I was going to enjoy it. However, as it turns out, I was happily proven wrong by "The Forever Girl" by Rebecca Hamilton.

Here is the synopsis of this novel as provided by the author (I wan to be careful not to give more of the plot away show more than the author is willing)

"Sophia Parsons’ family has skeletons, but they aren’t in their graves...

Solving the mystery of an ancestor’s hanging might silence the clashing whispers in Sophia's mind, but the cult in her town and the supernaturals who secretly reside there are determined to silence her first.

As Sophia unknowingly crosses the line into an elemental world full of vampire-like creatures, shapeshifters, and supernatural grim reapers, she meets Charles, a man who becomes both lover and ally.

But can she trust him?

It’s not until someone nearly kills Sophia that she realizes the only way to unveil the source of her family's curse: abandon her faith or abandon her humanity. If she wants to survive, she must accept who she is, perform dark magic, and fight to the death for her freedom. "

So let me break down why I liked "The Forever Girl"

-Characters: Rebecca Hamilton understands her character deeply. This is the thing that will make it or break it for me with an author. Books are about people or at least quasi-people with human motivations. Ms. Hamilton gets the motivation just right. Many people completely blow first-person characterization. Not Ms. Hamilton. She has chosen the right character through which to tell this story. She seems to know her main character, Sofia, inside and out. The chemistry between Sofia and Charles is fantastic and they seem to be real. This is the main thing I look for in novels. If I don't care about anybody, I will put it down quick. I wanted them to get together and that is a hard thing for me to admit. I'm a guy! Most women would think that Charles is hot. Sorry ladies, but Sophia has go it goin' on!

-The History: I really get bored with flashbacks. Stories should be going forward and if they flashback too much, I am completely out of the story. It takes a deliberate author to make sure that I do not get bored by the history they try to portray. Ms. Hamilton has this completely under control, like she knew I was going to be bored if she wasn't careful. Her history in this book is so interesting, I couldn't put it down. Her story has a very detailed and captivating "why" as to the reason that everything in the story is occurring and I cared about it. In the end, that's all that matters. I cared about it.

-The Creatures: No one has to agree with me (and I would prefer that people didn't always agree with me), but the vampire genre, at least the vampire books that everyone keeps churning out, have become exhausting and boring. I tire of them. It was one of the reasons that I wasn't sure about "The Forever Girl." I was wrong again, because Ms. Hamilton has given the paranormal/romance/fantasy a shot in the arm...one that it desperately needed. The creatures in this novel are not your typical vampires and werewolves. There is a pretty deep mythology surrounding them. I was amazed.

-The Theme: One of the themes that found its way into this novel was that of acceptance and the evils of too much moral righteousness. There is nothing wrong with morality. However, there is something wrong with morality used as a baseball bat to club the life out of people. This book addresses this and I have to commend the writer on this theme.

This book was a joy to read! As a guy, I don't believe that I enjoyed it this much. It was wholly believable to me, though it was a paranormal fantasy. Would I recommend this book? Without any reservation, I would tell anyone ( of the rated R type of mentality, because there are some scenes that are only for those people. this is definitely not Young Adult fiction or for those squeamish of a sex scene) to download this book or pick up the hard copy from Amazon. It is so good, you will read it one sitting. I kid you not! show less