Existence
[wcp000367]

This is the first book I've read by Abbi Glines. The cover art and the original description pulled me in instantly. I was looking for a printed version, unaware that the book had only recently been released. When I realized there was only a digital copy, I immediately downloaded it to my Kindle and then I couldn't put it down. I finished it in roughly 12 hours! =)

At first, I worried that this was a self-published book and that it wouldn't contain the caliber of writing I usually look for. But I was happy to find out there was nothing to worry about. I noticed very few, if any spelling mistakes, and noted only two instances where the sentence appeared to jump to the next line and was missing punctuation. (That could have been a glitch of my Kindle though.) Much praise to her editors! ...This author has a wonderful way with words. The story didn't feel forced, cliche, or juvenile and it flowed quite naturally from one scene to the next.

The characters, story and world she created were all very believable. The premise for the story is excellent! After having recently read several other paranormal story lines that include other heavenly/divine deities and elements; this twist was a welcome change.

I found I was able to easily relate to the predicaments that the main character, Pagan, found herself in. I really liked getting to know her. I was a little worried that she would be another Twilight-inspired "Bella" type character. So I was pleasantly surprised to find that she was quite the opposite. It was very refreshing to meet a teenage heroine who is strong, opinionated, yet thoughtful and caring. Who has interests outside of just her boyfriend (ie. having actual friends, volunteer tutoring, and being involved
in school functions). I was also ecstatic to read that while she was devastated by the loss of the object of her affection, she choose to soldier on and at least attempt to continue with real life. (FINALLY!!!)

I only wish the author had spent a little more time developing the relationship between Pagan and the object of her affection. It seemed like she had barely met him, and was instantly in love. While that's fairly typical of real life teenage romance, a love like theirs is supposed to be an anomaly; unique in the universe. Being that she's a smart, grounded individual (despite her unusual gifts), I would have expected that she'd would have naturally wanted to take more time getting to know him before realizing she couldn't imagine life without him. Their moments together consisted of little more that a few nights of songs before he "broke all the rules". But then again, she does clearly note that this is not what she's used to; that she doesn't usually fall in love so hard, so easily. So I guess it's forgivable.

My only real complaint is that I feel like the story could have included more of the little details specifically about what the characters and their surroundings actually looked like. The author left a lot of those kinds of descriptions up to the readers' imagination. While I don't personally mind that kind of story telling, (I have a great imagination!), I can see where it could be a little frustrating to the average reader.

Thank you so much for a great read! I'm looking forward to the next installment!