Bound (Arelia LaRue, #1)

an interesting tale set in Louisiana on plantation with voodoo lore, spirits, & ghosts.

I thought the story was really interesting, but I found Sabrina almost too annoying to read. I know she was supposed to be shallow and horrible (that was kind of her role in the story), she is just so over the top. I don't understand why anyone would be her friend.....

and this one did kind of end abruptly. I would have liked just the smallest conclusion, just to have an idea of what book 2 might be about (and if I was going to continue with the series).

Originally Reviewed at: Mother/Gamer/Writer
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Controllers
Review Source: Book Tour
Reviewer: Heather

Bound, an Arelia LaRue Novel #1, introduces us to Arelia LaRue a young woman from Louisiana that has been blessed with a special gift: Arelia was blessed by a powerful spirit and is powerful enough to become a Voodoo Queen. A gift she feels is a curse, one that she has spent most of her life running from.

After being abandoned by both of her parents, Arelia is being raised by her grandmother. While it has been a life filled with love and laughter, with her best friend and grandmother at her side, Arelia's life has been anything but easy. When an occasional pizza is a luxury, you know there is little time for boys, fashion, show more or fun.

Arelia finds herself employed for the summer, along with her best friend Sabrina, at the haunted Darkwood plantation. What she will make in a summer will help her grandmother pay the rent and feed them. But when they arrive she quickly meets one of the famed LaPlante men, and though Sabrina quickly claims him as her own, he takes a deep interest in Arelia. However, all she can think of is doing the task at hand until she realizes her family's history is deeply entwined at the plantation.

Will she embrace the path before her and become what she was blessed to be? Does Arelia discover the meaning behind the hauntings? You'll have to read it to find out!

Overall, this book was entertaining with a captivating story of a young woman who could be just about anyone in the world. She has troubles, but she is surrounded by a few people that care deeply for her. Her only concern is making enough money for herself and grandmother to survive on, getting good grades, and hopefully getting into college. Many young women should be able to identify with Arelia very easily.

There is much conflict in the story, but there are no loose ends. The author did a wonderful job of weaving the stories in with some actual history too. Most particularly is when Arelia hears the spirits of the former slaves singing. The paranormal edge is icing on the cake with the spirits, ghosts, and talks of evil demons.

I love the way the book ended, though I'd point out that this book is marked as #1 for a reason. Saito leaves it wide open, a massive cliff hanger. Personally I love books like this, as long as they're continued that is! There were also some very minor errors in the book, but it didn't affect the story or its readability. I'd recommend this book to young women aged 15-20 and even those who are just young at heart. I am looking forward to reading the next book! show less

Originally Reviewed at: Mother/Gamer/Writer
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Controllers
Review Source: Book Tour
Reviewer: Heather

Bound, an Arelia LaRue Novel #1, introduces us to Arelia LaRue a young woman from Louisiana that has been blessed with a special gift: Arelia was blessed by a powerful spirit and is powerful enough to become a Voodoo Queen. A gift she feels is a curse, one that she has spent most of her life running from.

After being abandoned by both of her parents, Arelia is being raised by her grandmother. While it has been a life filled with love and laughter, with her best friend and grandmother at her side, Arelia's life has been anything but easy. When an occasional pizza is a luxury, you know there is little time for boys, show more fashion, or fun.

Arelia finds herself employed for the summer, along with her best friend Sabrina, at the haunted Darkwood plantation. What she will make in a summer will help her grandmother pay the rent and feed them. But when they arrive she quickly meets one of the famed LaPlante men, and though Sabrina quickly claims him as her own, he takes a deep interest in Arelia. However, all she can think of is doing the task at hand until she realizes her family's history is deeply entwined at the plantation.

Will she embrace the path before her and become what she was blessed to be? Does Arelia discover the meaning behind the hauntings? You'll have to read it to find out!

Overall, this book was entertaining with a captivating story of a young woman who could be just about anyone in the world. She has troubles, but she is surrounded by a few people that care deeply for her. Her only concern is making enough money for herself and grandmother to survive on, getting good grades, and hopefully getting into college. Many young women should be able to identify with Arelia very easily.

There is much conflict in the story, but there are no loose ends. The author did a wonderful job of weaving the stories in with some actual history too. Most particularly is when Arelia hears the spirits of the former slaves singing. The paranormal edge is icing on the cake with the spirits, ghosts, and talks of evil demons.

I love the way the book ended, though I'd point out that this book is marked as #1 for a reason. Saito leaves it wide open, a massive cliff hanger. Personally I love books like this, as long as they're continued that is! There were also some very minor errors in the book, but it didn't affect the story or its readability. I'd recommend this book to young women aged 15-20 and even those who are just young at heart. I am looking forward to reading the next book! show less

I had to contemplate this story for a while before I could think of what to write for a review and I'm still kinda feeling short for words so I'm going to do this review a little different then I have done in the past.

Was the story interesting? Yes. There were some great little twists, imaginative situations and it was easy to get into.
Were the characters easy to follow and like? Yes and yes.
Was the setting likable? Yes I loved the New Orleans plantation setting.
Was the story paced well? uh kinda, there were certain times throughout the story that it tended to be a tad bit slow.
Was Arelia's best friend a total spoiled rich princess that got on my nerves? Y-E-S.
Did you like the ending? No, It didn't feel like the story was ready to end. show more It was just getting interesting again when all of a sudden the chapter ended and there was no more to read about. It wasn't just cliffhanger-ish but it made the story feel unfinished. It was a really cruddy place to end the book.
Will I read book 2? Maybe, I'm interested to see what happens but not overly excited to pick it up. show less

I could not get past the characters, they were very one dimensional and I seriously felt like smacking the 'best friend'. I will not be continuing this series which is sad cause the premise sounded really interesting.

I read this in a day. I really liked it. I think the characters were well written and it was very easy to relate to. It's defiantly on my favorites list.