I am Josephine Darly, and I intend to live forever.
Silla is suffering since finding both her parents dead in her home. She has lost weight and friends as they alienate her, convinced that her father went mad and killed her mother. So Sdilla loses herself in the unexpected mysterious spell book that arrives at her home. The book draws her in and binds her to Nick, the new boy in town who has a chilling past of his own.
What begins as a simple exploration of magic, turns into a deadly race to save lives.
The book is told from the viewpoints of the two main characters, Nick and Silla, as well as stepping back in time for us to read notes from the diary of Josephine Darly.
I loved the concept of this book and found it be fresh and original. It took the theme of magic to a different level and drew me in from page one. The story is extremely dark, so don't expect everything to leave you satisfied and happy by the end. The writing is very atmospheric and draws you in straight away.
Silla was a fantastic main character. She was so strong,despite everything that she suffered. Most people would be heading for a straight jacket by the time they had endured all she had, but she comes out of the situation stronger. Reece was an adorable character too, who looked after his sister right until the end. The relationship between Nick and Silla was very strong and you could feel the intensity flowing over the pages. With each new trial, they are brought closer and closer together.
I am so pleased that this book did not have a cliff hanger ending. Thankfully everything is wrapped up beautifully by the end of the book.
My only quibble is that I would have liked the identity of the murder to be kept a secret just a little bit longer. What can I say, I am a red herring girl who likes to be kept guessing!
This book is not for faint hearted. I don't think I have ever come across so much blood and gore in one book, but it is so essential to the plot. However if you are Haemophobic you might want to bypass this book.
On the whole a fantastic debut that leaves you wanting more. I can't wait to see what else Tessa Gratton will produce in the future.
A book bloggers seem to either love or hate - I've read a few reviews and it seems to be almost a 50-50 split, I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Great review, I haven't actually seen that many for this and it sounds really good!!
great review Viv! I loved this one so much I cant wait for more!
Enjoyed reading your review, Viv. Looks like our reactions to this book were v.similar.