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Erin the Fire Goddess #1
The Beginning
Erin is a 15 year old girl, born with a birthmark covering the left side of her face.
She moves to her parent’s home town of Galladale, where all is not what it seems.
From day one, Erin is bullied by Jessica, for looking at Sean.
Why is she trying to keep Erin away? Will the bullying ever stop? Can Erin control the fire that builds inside her?
She moves to her parent’s home town of Galladale, where all is not what it seems.
From day one, Erin is bullied by Jessica, for looking at Sean.
Why is she trying to keep Erin away? Will the bullying ever stop? Can Erin control the fire that builds inside her?
140 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2012
17 people are currently reading
441 people want to read
About the author
Lavinia Urban
31 books127 followersLavinia originally grew up in Cheshire and now lives in a small village just outside of Edinburgh with her husband, two children and two fur babies.
Writing has always been something that Lavinia has loved since an early age.
Over the years Lavinia has faced many obstacles but this has only spurred her on. In 2017 Lavinia was diagnosed with Metastatic Breast Cancer. She has chosen to not let this define her, if anything it has given her the drive to do more.
Writing has always been something that Lavinia has loved since an early age.
Over the years Lavinia has faced many obstacles but this has only spurred her on. In 2017 Lavinia was diagnosed with Metastatic Breast Cancer. She has chosen to not let this define her, if anything it has given her the drive to do more.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 80 reviews
August 27, 2014
EDIT
This review is of an older edition. I removed it from Amazon due to numerous attacks by author's fans a few hours after I posted it.
Apart from the grammatical errors I initially complained about which have supposedly been fixed, this still remains a cute story but very poorly written as I have stated below.
__________________
I hate leaving bad reviews... I really do, especially when it's such a sweet story. But I've always been totally honest in my reviews, and I'm not going to stop now.
Erin is a very special girl. She was born with a birthmark, and because of it, everybody treats her like she's a freak. Even she believes that about herself. The only ones who love her for who she is are her parents and her sister and... this boy at school, Sean, who seems to be interested. Later in the book, Erin finds out why she has the birthmark and makes real friends for the first time... She even gets the boy, which is (apart from predictable) very nice.
But... there is a BUT. As sweet as the story is, it's 90% tell and 10% show. The phrases the author uses are very short, and the words are very basic and simple, as if the targeted readers are 12 year-olds. I was also very bothered by the TONS of punctuation errors and grammatical mistakes. The most annoying mistake was that where should have been written "used" - past tense, the author wrote "use" - the present form. Then we have the missing commas, missing apostrophes, unnecessary commas, full-stops instead of commas, dialogues where it's unclear who is talking... and a huge amount of missing letters from words. The book is in need of serious editing.
Apart from being full of grammatical and punctuation errors, I felt as if the important parts were rushed, while insignificant events, such as taking breakfast or brushing one's teeth were repeatedly mentioned over and over again - in details. Another thing that I disliked was how important dialogues were just summarised by Erin. For instance, when Erin tells her sister about her powers, we get three sentences with a vague mention of how she reacted to the news.
To sum up, the book has a story of great potential, but fails to deliver. Not recommended.
This review is of an older edition. I removed it from Amazon due to numerous attacks by author's fans a few hours after I posted it.
Apart from the grammatical errors I initially complained about which have supposedly been fixed, this still remains a cute story but very poorly written as I have stated below.
__________________
I hate leaving bad reviews... I really do, especially when it's such a sweet story. But I've always been totally honest in my reviews, and I'm not going to stop now.
Erin is a very special girl. She was born with a birthmark, and because of it, everybody treats her like she's a freak. Even she believes that about herself. The only ones who love her for who she is are her parents and her sister and... this boy at school, Sean, who seems to be interested. Later in the book, Erin finds out why she has the birthmark and makes real friends for the first time... She even gets the boy, which is (apart from predictable) very nice.
But... there is a BUT. As sweet as the story is, it's 90% tell and 10% show. The phrases the author uses are very short, and the words are very basic and simple, as if the targeted readers are 12 year-olds. I was also very bothered by the TONS of punctuation errors and grammatical mistakes. The most annoying mistake was that where should have been written "used" - past tense, the author wrote "use" - the present form. Then we have the missing commas, missing apostrophes, unnecessary commas, full-stops instead of commas, dialogues where it's unclear who is talking... and a huge amount of missing letters from words. The book is in need of serious editing.
Apart from being full of grammatical and punctuation errors, I felt as if the important parts were rushed, while insignificant events, such as taking breakfast or brushing one's teeth were repeatedly mentioned over and over again - in details. Another thing that I disliked was how important dialogues were just summarised by Erin. For instance, when Erin tells her sister about her powers, we get three sentences with a vague mention of how she reacted to the news.
To sum up, the book has a story of great potential, but fails to deliver. Not recommended.
January 5, 2015
I found this book infuriating.
Erin has a giant birthmark on her face. That kind of sums up her personality. It's all she thinks about, she doesn't have any other interests, or perspectives.
The day of her 15th birthday her parents move her and her "perfect" but sweet sister to a new school, and everyone is mean to her and treats her with disdain.
And then she sees a boy, and he says Hi. And the next part of the book is taken up with her thinking about him all the time, how perfect, and beautiful and handsome he is. Then a crazy girl keeps trying to beat her up because he talked to her. But she still see's him every Friday at the video rental store, and the book has a few chapters to her sleeping and dreaming about him, and replaying over and over again the few words they've exchanged. Yaaaaaaawn.
And then some things occur, and she begins the most clingly, insipid, really inappropriate for a 15 YEAR OLD relationship. Literally it's like - he stroked my face, and then kissed my cheek, and then we walked to the kitchen, and he put his hand on my waist and kissed my forehead and then got me a glass of orange juice, and he caressed my hand and kissed my lips, and then we walked outside and he put his arm around my shoulders and kissed my cheek and then we sat on some chairs and he rubbed my back, and then I sat on his lap and we made out.
Chapter after chapter of very little plot, and minuscule descriptions of very one dimensional characters who can't leave a room without having to kiss or caress or be touching every single moment. Did I say she's 15, just turned 15, and in fairly provocative situations? In front of her parents no less? Though actual S-E-X is not addressed, there's only so much wriggling around you can do on couch with a 17 year old boy before it's going to become an issue.
And even though she has powers, and people around her have powers, they don't do anything with them. They just have them, and there's a creepy Doctor involved. But this book isn't really heavy on plot, just heavy on the petting.
Erin has a giant birthmark on her face. That kind of sums up her personality. It's all she thinks about, she doesn't have any other interests, or perspectives.
The day of her 15th birthday her parents move her and her "perfect" but sweet sister to a new school, and everyone is mean to her and treats her with disdain.
And then she sees a boy, and he says Hi. And the next part of the book is taken up with her thinking about him all the time, how perfect, and beautiful and handsome he is. Then a crazy girl keeps trying to beat her up because he talked to her. But she still see's him every Friday at the video rental store, and the book has a few chapters to her sleeping and dreaming about him, and replaying over and over again the few words they've exchanged. Yaaaaaaawn.
And then some things occur, and she begins the most clingly, insipid, really inappropriate for a 15 YEAR OLD relationship. Literally it's like - he stroked my face, and then kissed my cheek, and then we walked to the kitchen, and he put his hand on my waist and kissed my forehead and then got me a glass of orange juice, and he caressed my hand and kissed my lips, and then we walked outside and he put his arm around my shoulders and kissed my cheek and then we sat on some chairs and he rubbed my back, and then I sat on his lap and we made out.
Chapter after chapter of very little plot, and minuscule descriptions of very one dimensional characters who can't leave a room without having to kiss or caress or be touching every single moment. Did I say she's 15, just turned 15, and in fairly provocative situations? In front of her parents no less? Though actual S-E-X is not addressed, there's only so much wriggling around you can do on couch with a 17 year old boy before it's going to become an issue.
And even though she has powers, and people around her have powers, they don't do anything with them. They just have them, and there's a creepy Doctor involved. But this book isn't really heavy on plot, just heavy on the petting.
April 3, 2013
I received a copy of this book for review from the 'Lovers of Paranormal' Group. Thanks for giving me a copy!
3.5 Stars
Erin the fire goddess:The beginning by Lavinia Urban is a wonderful debut. I love the book but at times I wish some things were different. I give a book stars based on the 'excitement' factor. My mind is feeling kinda foggy right now so I am gonna say those things in random and slightly long points because I feel that the author deserves them:
(i) The story is set in England, 'nuff said for all you Anglophiles.
(ii) The plot: I liked the idea about all the power forces and stuff and their origin But I wish that the climax had come a bit earlier. It was around 40% into the book when Erin's powers started to kick in. I wish the book had more of an 'excite' factor. It seemed like an everyday story to me. No main plot actually. It would have been great too if the title of the book didn't contain the words 'fire goddess'. That kinda gives away the whole story. But it can't be undone. So, I'll leave it there.
(iii) The characters! Ohmigosh the characters! They're lovely. I kinda expected Erin's sister to be bitchy to her like it is in such cases where one sibling is popular and the other isn't. That was great: breaking the cliche. At times I liked Kasey-Ray more than Erin. I first thought Jessica was a stereotypical bitch but at the end my heart weeped for that poor soul! But Sean and Erin's relationship.... I hate it when books have OC romances. I thought this was going to be another of those 'love-at-first-sight-and-we-are-so-perfect-together-and-will-forever-makeout' cases but thankfully it wasn't. I liked that Erin had doubts about Sean just the way a normal girl would. The Doctor (I forgot his name) is a perfect eccentric professor type. I hate him!
(iv) The writing: It was simple and cute. Good for an easy read. Recommended for 11-12 years old! They'll love it more than me. Because I felt that it was erratic at times and could have done with better vocabulary and sentence structure.
Overall, this book made a pretty much fun read. I would recommend it for 11-12 years olds, not for us late teens. I can't wait to read the next book tough. I have a gut feeling it's gonna be better.
3.5 Stars
Erin the fire goddess:The beginning by Lavinia Urban is a wonderful debut. I love the book but at times I wish some things were different. I give a book stars based on the 'excitement' factor. My mind is feeling kinda foggy right now so I am gonna say those things in random and slightly long points because I feel that the author deserves them:
(i) The story is set in England, 'nuff said for all you Anglophiles.
(ii) The plot: I liked the idea about all the power forces and stuff and their origin But I wish that the climax had come a bit earlier. It was around 40% into the book when Erin's powers started to kick in. I wish the book had more of an 'excite' factor. It seemed like an everyday story to me. No main plot actually. It would have been great too if the title of the book didn't contain the words 'fire goddess'. That kinda gives away the whole story. But it can't be undone. So, I'll leave it there.
(iii) The characters! Ohmigosh the characters! They're lovely. I kinda expected Erin's sister to be bitchy to her like it is in such cases where one sibling is popular and the other isn't. That was great: breaking the cliche. At times I liked Kasey-Ray more than Erin. I first thought Jessica was a stereotypical bitch but at the end my heart weeped for that poor soul! But Sean and Erin's relationship.... I hate it when books have OC romances. I thought this was going to be another of those 'love-at-first-sight-and-we-are-so-perfect-together-and-will-forever-makeout' cases but thankfully it wasn't. I liked that Erin had doubts about Sean just the way a normal girl would. The Doctor (I forgot his name) is a perfect eccentric professor type. I hate him!
(iv) The writing: It was simple and cute. Good for an easy read. Recommended for 11-12 years old! They'll love it more than me. Because I felt that it was erratic at times and could have done with better vocabulary and sentence structure.
Overall, this book made a pretty much fun read. I would recommend it for 11-12 years olds, not for us late teens. I can't wait to read the next book tough. I have a gut feeling it's gonna be better.
June 19, 2013
Erin is an outcast because of the birthmark that covers part of her face and having to move to a new town and start at a new school is not the easiest thing for her. Especially after she meets Sean, a boy she is instantly attracted to. But meeting Sean brings Erin more problems than she could possibly imagine, the bullying she receives from Jessica is nothing compared to the stares and looks she gets because of her birthmark. Jessica warns Erin to stay away from Sean, but he is everywhere she goes. What Erin doesn't know is that meeting Sean will completely change her life.
I really enjoyed reading Erin the Fire Goddess, it is different than anything else I have recently and the author does a great job writing the story. The reason I gave it a 3 star review is because I kind of felt cheated when the story ended. I was expecting something to actually happen in the book but it didn't, I hit the last page and felt like there needed to be a lot more. It is a great start to the series but it is more information about who and what Erin is. The other thing that bothered me is the love connection between Erin and Sean happens way, way to fast.
Overall I really enjoyed this book and can't wait to read the next in the series to get more into the story.
*I received this book from the author in return for an honest review
I really enjoyed reading Erin the Fire Goddess, it is different than anything else I have recently and the author does a great job writing the story. The reason I gave it a 3 star review is because I kind of felt cheated when the story ended. I was expecting something to actually happen in the book but it didn't, I hit the last page and felt like there needed to be a lot more. It is a great start to the series but it is more information about who and what Erin is. The other thing that bothered me is the love connection between Erin and Sean happens way, way to fast.
Overall I really enjoyed this book and can't wait to read the next in the series to get more into the story.
*I received this book from the author in return for an honest review
June 3, 2013
I must say I was quite touched by "Erin the Fire Goddess: The Beginning", a first book in a series written by Lavinia Urban.
Her heroine, Erin, was born with a birthmark and has always felt an outsider and an ugly duckling in her life. When her family moves to a new town things are not improving at all for the teenager. The only person she likes is Sean, a boy that seems to like her back, but in the way of happiness are bullies and other obstacles.
Seemingly aimed at young adults this story is really moving without presenting us with a simple and mindless repetition of the over-used victim-turns-into-a-super-woman theme. Erin has powers, as you might have guessed from the title, but they do not change her world and don't turn her into an angel of revenge.
Sensitive and well developed Erin remains the same weak and vulnerable character. The ending is the end of this particular first adventure and so the book does not resolve other issues touched upon.
I am very curious to find out where the series is leading. Very promising.
Her heroine, Erin, was born with a birthmark and has always felt an outsider and an ugly duckling in her life. When her family moves to a new town things are not improving at all for the teenager. The only person she likes is Sean, a boy that seems to like her back, but in the way of happiness are bullies and other obstacles.
Seemingly aimed at young adults this story is really moving without presenting us with a simple and mindless repetition of the over-used victim-turns-into-a-super-woman theme. Erin has powers, as you might have guessed from the title, but they do not change her world and don't turn her into an angel of revenge.
Sensitive and well developed Erin remains the same weak and vulnerable character. The ending is the end of this particular first adventure and so the book does not resolve other issues touched upon.
I am very curious to find out where the series is leading. Very promising.
October 21, 2012
Erin has always been a loner with no friends. She bars a mark on her face and people shun her. Her family is moving to Galladale and she hopes maybe it will be different. But one run in with Jessica has her withdraw in fear until Sean sees her for herself and gives her the chance no one else ever has. This book has a sequel that will be coming out soon to explain more of the purpose of Erin’s life. I believe Ms. Urban has started us on a story that we will want to keep reading to discover more about the characters fate they will hold.
July 4, 2015
A nice book with an interesting story line. I liked the connection with the birthmark, the main characters were enjoyable and the family love and closeness was endearing. However, there was such a focus on the romance I feel like there should had been more on the main character and her powers and the powers of those around her. There were several times I forgot this book wasn't just a regular teen romance. A little more character development as well for some of the more secondary characters, they were there several times however I feel like they were just that, there.
March 7, 2013
Awesome! I loved this book because the girl who wouldn't normally be given the time of day gets a love that we all dream for and an amazing gift too. I hope this author writes many more about this group!!
Erin is an amazing good character and Sean oh so dreamy Sean is one of my new favorite guy characters!
I was given this book for an honest review!
Erin is an amazing good character and Sean oh so dreamy Sean is one of my new favorite guy characters!
I was given this book for an honest review!
March 13, 2013
Omg I love this book. It was hard to put down. Love the chacters. I'm giving this book 5 stars.
March 17, 2016
This is an interesting YA fantasy romance. I really enjoyed it.
I bought a Kindle copy of this book in 2013. Unfortunately, due to my large reading list, I haven't had a chance to get to it. I hadn't realised that it was available on audible until recently. I downloaded the book and listened to it as soon as I could.
The audio book is narrated by Anna Parker-Naples. I thought she did a wonderful job in bringing the characters to life. Her young voice brought a liveliness to the story. Unfortunately, she seemed to pause or take a breath in the middle of the sentence, or rush through others. I don't know if this is an error on her part, or a post production/editing one. However, this did make me feel a little disappointed that the flow was slightly disrupted.
Erin Tait is a teen with an unusual birthmark on her face. I found her to be a typical teen, full of angst and beset with loneliness from being "different". When she crosses paths with Sean Jackson and is bullied by Jessica Watson, she struggles with her emotions.
This is an interesting tale of a teen who has struggled with being different from birth. I think a lot of teens could relate to this tale. Nevertheless, I found Erin's attitude a little tiresome and I wanted to tell her to take her pity party somewhere else. Yes, being lonely and bullied can bring a person down and make them feel self-pity or self-loathing (been there, done that), Erin's attitude to others also made it easy for her to be victimised. I loved that Sean spoke to her and brought her out of her shell. Sean also has a secret, though this doesn't get revealed until later in the story. I liked meeting Kasey-Rae, Erin's younger sister. She has set herself up as her older sister's champion. Popular and outgoing, she is completely opposite to Erin. However, I think she could have made more effort to bring her into her friends' circle, even though they are a year different in age. Again, I think she didn't because of Erin's attitude.
The mystery surrounding Sean and Erin's attraction and what her birthmark represents is slow in being revealed. However, once they become a couple, things start to make sense and Erin's powers begin to develop. The story takes the reader on an emotional roller coaster and is fast paced. However, I found that my attention wandered on occasion. I don't know if this was because of the narrator, or something else that affected the flow; the story felt jerky at times. I reached the end and am looking forward to continuing the series. Unfortunately, I am not sure that I will do so with the audio format. I think this is a series that I will have to read, as the voice I have in my head for Erin is completely different to the narrator's.
Lavinia Urban has written a fast paced start to an intriguing series. I love her writing style, which is fast paced enough to keep me the turning pages (if I read the book). The flow, due to the spotty audiobook, was a little disjointed. Although, I feel that if I was to read the book, I would love the flow more.
I recommend this YA fantasy romance to teens aged 14 up, and to adults who love this genre. Some adults, however, may find it a little too young for them. - Lynn Worton
I bought a Kindle copy of this book in 2013. Unfortunately, due to my large reading list, I haven't had a chance to get to it. I hadn't realised that it was available on audible until recently. I downloaded the book and listened to it as soon as I could.
The audio book is narrated by Anna Parker-Naples. I thought she did a wonderful job in bringing the characters to life. Her young voice brought a liveliness to the story. Unfortunately, she seemed to pause or take a breath in the middle of the sentence, or rush through others. I don't know if this is an error on her part, or a post production/editing one. However, this did make me feel a little disappointed that the flow was slightly disrupted.
Erin Tait is a teen with an unusual birthmark on her face. I found her to be a typical teen, full of angst and beset with loneliness from being "different". When she crosses paths with Sean Jackson and is bullied by Jessica Watson, she struggles with her emotions.
This is an interesting tale of a teen who has struggled with being different from birth. I think a lot of teens could relate to this tale. Nevertheless, I found Erin's attitude a little tiresome and I wanted to tell her to take her pity party somewhere else. Yes, being lonely and bullied can bring a person down and make them feel self-pity or self-loathing (been there, done that), Erin's attitude to others also made it easy for her to be victimised. I loved that Sean spoke to her and brought her out of her shell. Sean also has a secret, though this doesn't get revealed until later in the story. I liked meeting Kasey-Rae, Erin's younger sister. She has set herself up as her older sister's champion. Popular and outgoing, she is completely opposite to Erin. However, I think she could have made more effort to bring her into her friends' circle, even though they are a year different in age. Again, I think she didn't because of Erin's attitude.
The mystery surrounding Sean and Erin's attraction and what her birthmark represents is slow in being revealed. However, once they become a couple, things start to make sense and Erin's powers begin to develop. The story takes the reader on an emotional roller coaster and is fast paced. However, I found that my attention wandered on occasion. I don't know if this was because of the narrator, or something else that affected the flow; the story felt jerky at times. I reached the end and am looking forward to continuing the series. Unfortunately, I am not sure that I will do so with the audio format. I think this is a series that I will have to read, as the voice I have in my head for Erin is completely different to the narrator's.
Lavinia Urban has written a fast paced start to an intriguing series. I love her writing style, which is fast paced enough to keep me the turning pages (if I read the book). The flow, due to the spotty audiobook, was a little disjointed. Although, I feel that if I was to read the book, I would love the flow more.
I recommend this YA fantasy romance to teens aged 14 up, and to adults who love this genre. Some adults, however, may find it a little too young for them. - Lynn Worton
June 9, 2013
Erin’s family is picture perfect. Their pretty, sporty, and outgoing, while she on the other hand feels like she doesn’t fit in. A birthmark covers her left cheek, which makes her feel unaccepted by everyone around her. Her family moves to a new place. She’s eating lunch by herself when a group of teens climb out of the bushes. Captivated by a boy named Sean she instantly has an attraction to him. Not soon after, she begins to get bullied by a girl named “Jessica” who beats her up several times for talking to Sean. The story moves along as you discover some cool things about Erin and who she and who her family is and what they can do. I won’t ruin it for you!
I felt like the storyline moved along nicely in this book. It had nice characters and I never felt “bored” at all by the plot. I enjoyed the twist on a paranormal/superhero type book. Erin’s “birthmark” is more than it appears. As her anger builds her ability manifests in the form of fire. It was strange how Sean liked Erin at first but as the author explained the powers it was rather cool I thought! I liked it that the opposites fit together. Fire and water. It was very unique I felt for its genre. It was already mentioned in another review that there was a lot of kissing. Lol. There was indeed, though it didn’t bother me that much, I mean they did fall in love very quick, but I guess for teen books that’s pretty normal. I really enjoyed the overall story.
The only reason why I give this book less than 5 stars is the grammar/editing. It was pretty rough in spots. There was no punctuation in the dialogue which threw me out of the story quite a bit. I figured the author was unaware that every time there is dialogue there should be punctuation inside the parentheses. I think just a little bit of research about grammar would greatly improve this book. There was some weird lingo in there, but I figured that was the culture of the author rubbing off. She also spelled realized wrong the entire book and it got rather annoying for me because the word was overused in the book, or I just noticed it cause of it being misspelled. I think with a good edit this book has tons of potential. I really want to know more about the Doctor guy and even more about the mysterious rock in the lake that seemed to give them their powers. I really hope this book goes far. It seems really great as far as the story goes! I hope the author knows that I only critique to help out. I would have loved to give this the 5 stars it deserved.
I felt like the storyline moved along nicely in this book. It had nice characters and I never felt “bored” at all by the plot. I enjoyed the twist on a paranormal/superhero type book. Erin’s “birthmark” is more than it appears. As her anger builds her ability manifests in the form of fire. It was strange how Sean liked Erin at first but as the author explained the powers it was rather cool I thought! I liked it that the opposites fit together. Fire and water. It was very unique I felt for its genre. It was already mentioned in another review that there was a lot of kissing. Lol. There was indeed, though it didn’t bother me that much, I mean they did fall in love very quick, but I guess for teen books that’s pretty normal. I really enjoyed the overall story.
The only reason why I give this book less than 5 stars is the grammar/editing. It was pretty rough in spots. There was no punctuation in the dialogue which threw me out of the story quite a bit. I figured the author was unaware that every time there is dialogue there should be punctuation inside the parentheses. I think just a little bit of research about grammar would greatly improve this book. There was some weird lingo in there, but I figured that was the culture of the author rubbing off. She also spelled realized wrong the entire book and it got rather annoying for me because the word was overused in the book, or I just noticed it cause of it being misspelled. I think with a good edit this book has tons of potential. I really want to know more about the Doctor guy and even more about the mysterious rock in the lake that seemed to give them their powers. I really hope this book goes far. It seems really great as far as the story goes! I hope the author knows that I only critique to help out. I would have loved to give this the 5 stars it deserved.
June 13, 2013
Contains SPOILERS
First, (and I know the author is aware of this) I have to say the book was a little hard to read. And not because the author is from the UK (or Scottland?) and some of the terms were not what I was used to and it took me a few seconds to "translate" them into "American" english. It was the grammatical errors, missed / extra words, etc. that was distracting. I actually liked the story line and have become extremely fond of YA books. I think I actually read more about teenagers now than when I was a teenager. I know the author is working to have these corrected which I think would help immensely for future sales.
Aside from the above, it was a little disturbing given the bullying from Jessica and the overall meanness of the other kids just because of her birthmark. I'm not saying we don't see this in schools, because we know teenagers can definitely be mean. And the fact that Sean and others ignored how Jessica treated her really bothered me. The fact that only her sister stood up for her and her parents were completely clueless. That she thought of herself as a freak because of the mark and people's responses to it.
What I did like was that Sean was not bothered by her mark. And maybe that has to do with the fact that he was expecting it and knew it could fade after she became aware of her gift. I also could see him falling for her quickly, well, because again, he knew what to expect in a sense given he has been waiting for his soul mate. What I'm still confused by is why they do a complete about face in personality after awakening their gifts. Kelly explains her situation to Erin, but Sean doesn't. They just say that they all go through it. Now, what was a little off is how she fell for him so quickly. I don't expect to hear a 15 year old say "I love you" that soon after meeting someone, wait, I take it back. Yep, I can see a 15 year old who does not have any friends much less a boyfriend fall fast and hard. However, the fact that her parents are ok with the relationship and all of the hands on, even knowing why, is weird for me. I don't know if I could be that accepting with my daughter. Maybe if she wasn't 15...
Seriously, the book has a lot of potential, but needs some clean up and maybe fleshing out of some of the areas that are still vague. Not sure why the Dr. was so "crazy" either which definitely needs some explaining and maybe that comes later. I had no problem finishing it, but I can see how others would not have liked it.
First, (and I know the author is aware of this) I have to say the book was a little hard to read. And not because the author is from the UK (or Scottland?) and some of the terms were not what I was used to and it took me a few seconds to "translate" them into "American" english. It was the grammatical errors, missed / extra words, etc. that was distracting. I actually liked the story line and have become extremely fond of YA books. I think I actually read more about teenagers now than when I was a teenager. I know the author is working to have these corrected which I think would help immensely for future sales.
Aside from the above, it was a little disturbing given the bullying from Jessica and the overall meanness of the other kids just because of her birthmark. I'm not saying we don't see this in schools, because we know teenagers can definitely be mean. And the fact that Sean and others ignored how Jessica treated her really bothered me. The fact that only her sister stood up for her and her parents were completely clueless. That she thought of herself as a freak because of the mark and people's responses to it.
What I did like was that Sean was not bothered by her mark. And maybe that has to do with the fact that he was expecting it and knew it could fade after she became aware of her gift. I also could see him falling for her quickly, well, because again, he knew what to expect in a sense given he has been waiting for his soul mate. What I'm still confused by is why they do a complete about face in personality after awakening their gifts. Kelly explains her situation to Erin, but Sean doesn't. They just say that they all go through it. Now, what was a little off is how she fell for him so quickly. I don't expect to hear a 15 year old say "I love you" that soon after meeting someone, wait, I take it back. Yep, I can see a 15 year old who does not have any friends much less a boyfriend fall fast and hard. However, the fact that her parents are ok with the relationship and all of the hands on, even knowing why, is weird for me. I don't know if I could be that accepting with my daughter. Maybe if she wasn't 15...
Seriously, the book has a lot of potential, but needs some clean up and maybe fleshing out of some of the areas that are still vague. Not sure why the Dr. was so "crazy" either which definitely needs some explaining and maybe that comes later. I had no problem finishing it, but I can see how others would not have liked it.
June 22, 2013
I received this ebook free from the author for an honest review.
The book starts with out with a young, awkward girl named Erin, who is mostly alone in the world. Erin has a large birthmark on her face and because of this she has been shunned and bullied throughout life. Erin get some big news fairly early on in the book after her whole family has moved to a new town.
While here, she has a lot of new issues to acclimate to. She meets a mysterious boy who she really could fall for, if she can overcome some serious obstacles keeping her from her happiness. After some serious altercations with the schools most popular girl, Erin is forced rather brutally to come face to face with her awkwardness and learn to control her new abilities before they begin to control her!
When I started the book, I was pleasantly surprised! I didn't expect to like Erin so much, but because she wasn't the most perfectly misunderstood person it really was easy to relate to her. She is portrayed as a normal girl who is just trying to fit in who has the same bad hair days as the rest of us do.
The book deals with a few moments where there is some serious bullying of the main character and she tries to deal with it on her own. I love how the family relationship is built up on good values and is expanded upon with Erin and her sister. I feel that it perfectly fit her personality and helped accentuate her character development.
As I was reading the book, I was pulled more and more into the story. There were so many wonderfully written surprises that I really didn't see coming and what a refreshing thing that is! Some excellent twists of the history surrounding the abilities and romance to boot! Don't worry, no spoilers here!
There were a few editing errors in the book, however nothing that truly distracts from the overall atmosphere of the story. This can easily be repaired with a strong editing session.
The only negative thing I can say about the story itself, is that I feel like toward the end of the book there were a few unresolved issues with Erin and her bully, as well as unresolved emotions with the Dr. that are just left hanging out there. I would have been much happier with a longer scene between Erin and her sister for the big reveal as well.
I felt as though the story really wasn't wrapped up enough to end the first book. I am anxiously waiting to read more about Erin and what happens to her as well as her new friends.
Overall, I love the book! Excellent start to the series! 4 stars
The book starts with out with a young, awkward girl named Erin, who is mostly alone in the world. Erin has a large birthmark on her face and because of this she has been shunned and bullied throughout life. Erin get some big news fairly early on in the book after her whole family has moved to a new town.
While here, she has a lot of new issues to acclimate to. She meets a mysterious boy who she really could fall for, if she can overcome some serious obstacles keeping her from her happiness. After some serious altercations with the schools most popular girl, Erin is forced rather brutally to come face to face with her awkwardness and learn to control her new abilities before they begin to control her!
When I started the book, I was pleasantly surprised! I didn't expect to like Erin so much, but because she wasn't the most perfectly misunderstood person it really was easy to relate to her. She is portrayed as a normal girl who is just trying to fit in who has the same bad hair days as the rest of us do.
The book deals with a few moments where there is some serious bullying of the main character and she tries to deal with it on her own. I love how the family relationship is built up on good values and is expanded upon with Erin and her sister. I feel that it perfectly fit her personality and helped accentuate her character development.
As I was reading the book, I was pulled more and more into the story. There were so many wonderfully written surprises that I really didn't see coming and what a refreshing thing that is! Some excellent twists of the history surrounding the abilities and romance to boot! Don't worry, no spoilers here!
There were a few editing errors in the book, however nothing that truly distracts from the overall atmosphere of the story. This can easily be repaired with a strong editing session.
The only negative thing I can say about the story itself, is that I feel like toward the end of the book there were a few unresolved issues with Erin and her bully, as well as unresolved emotions with the Dr. that are just left hanging out there. I would have been much happier with a longer scene between Erin and her sister for the big reveal as well.
I felt as though the story really wasn't wrapped up enough to end the first book. I am anxiously waiting to read more about Erin and what happens to her as well as her new friends.
Overall, I love the book! Excellent start to the series! 4 stars
November 19, 2012
I received thsi book from the author to give an honest review.
This review is for the ebook book verison.
I give this book 4 1/2 stars. The storyline was good, the charactes decent and likeable I could get into the book easily.
Some details in the book seemed off and that is why I gave it the rating I did.
I thought the way her parents met was awesome, being born just minutes a part, living next to each other. I have to say that was like destiny. Very sweet, and her sister's name Kasey-ray! I LOVE that name.
One part in the book I truly liked was where Erin is thinking after the race and I found it to be some very good widsom about losing. "So many people out there, who are first in everything they don't realise that it is in the taking part and that even though they may not be the best at something they do, they are doing their best and that is a great sense of achievement in itself."
Here are the parts that bothered me a bit.
The way Erin was written. She is fifteen and at times you could tell she was that age but then other time she acted older than that. Especially when she was around Sean.
The way her parents let her go with the Dr. and didn't warn her or tell her what to expect. Me bing a parent I would let my daughter know about the Dr. and his "tests" especially if I knew what could and would happen.
I felt as though Erin's parents would have given her more answers, than what Sean did. But they seem to give her space.
One question I had was when Erin had a birthday she turned fifteen. Then she has a summer break and when she returns it is the last year of highschool. My question is did time pass more quickly? Is Erin in advance classes? Or is it her last year because she is going to be going somewhere with all those that have powers?
I know very silly question but it didn't quite make sense to me.
This author has a lot of potiental and I can not wait to read more about these characters and their powers. I hope there is more details in book 2 about the rock in the middle of the lake. The Dr., and those with powers. I also hope to hear Erin's questions to Sean's poppa.
This review is for the ebook book verison.
I give this book 4 1/2 stars. The storyline was good, the charactes decent and likeable I could get into the book easily.
Some details in the book seemed off and that is why I gave it the rating I did.
I thought the way her parents met was awesome, being born just minutes a part, living next to each other. I have to say that was like destiny. Very sweet, and her sister's name Kasey-ray! I LOVE that name.
One part in the book I truly liked was where Erin is thinking after the race and I found it to be some very good widsom about losing. "So many people out there, who are first in everything they don't realise that it is in the taking part and that even though they may not be the best at something they do, they are doing their best and that is a great sense of achievement in itself."
Here are the parts that bothered me a bit.
The way Erin was written. She is fifteen and at times you could tell she was that age but then other time she acted older than that. Especially when she was around Sean.
The way her parents let her go with the Dr. and didn't warn her or tell her what to expect. Me bing a parent I would let my daughter know about the Dr. and his "tests" especially if I knew what could and would happen.
I felt as though Erin's parents would have given her more answers, than what Sean did. But they seem to give her space.
One question I had was when Erin had a birthday she turned fifteen. Then she has a summer break and when she returns it is the last year of highschool. My question is did time pass more quickly? Is Erin in advance classes? Or is it her last year because she is going to be going somewhere with all those that have powers?
I know very silly question but it didn't quite make sense to me.
This author has a lot of potiental and I can not wait to read more about these characters and their powers. I hope there is more details in book 2 about the rock in the middle of the lake. The Dr., and those with powers. I also hope to hear Erin's questions to Sean's poppa.
February 1, 2013
I received this book in exchange for my honest review.
Wow, I don’t how to start this… The book is simply amazing! Loved it! The author has an interesting writing style, one that makes you’re imagination run free, that put’s you right in the story. I had the same feelings as the characters in the book. It made me angry, made me laugh all mixed feelings.
The book starts with Erin and her family who are moving to a new town, Galladale. This is where things start changing. Erin is a shy girl who has a birth mark on her face. Everybody calls her a freak and she doesn't have any friends, except her younger sister, Kasey-ray. She is smart and tries to keep to herself, because she is afraid to even try to make friends because of her birth mark. But things take a turn to worse, she ends up being enemies with the school bully, Jessica. She is threatened to not even take a look at Sean, who was Jessica friends. She get’s pushed by Jessica, beaten and bullied a lot, unfortunately.
Finally, Erin cracks and she finds out she has some sort o power, meaning fire. When her last fight with Jessica she burned her, wanted to escape from her kicking’s. That same day she found out that Sean was something more important to her, he was her soul mate.
“I don’t feel like there’s something missing anymore,” he laughed this time as I still looked at him in bewilderment, unsure by what he was meaning. “I found you,” he said each word clearly as he slowly started kissing me again, this time more passionately, and when he pulled away something caught his eye.- Sean
“You are my fire and I am your water”
I love Erin, the way she acted, the way she took care of herself. Even if she was 16, she acted mature for her age and didn't get scared easily. She was extremely likable and I could relate to her. I loved how Erin and Kasey-Ray get along so well and look out for each other.
Lavinia Urban did an amazing job, she wrote an awesome story, one that will hold your breath and when you least expect she will leave you speechless. I honestly recommend this book to everyone! It's a must read!
Wow, I don’t how to start this… The book is simply amazing! Loved it! The author has an interesting writing style, one that makes you’re imagination run free, that put’s you right in the story. I had the same feelings as the characters in the book. It made me angry, made me laugh all mixed feelings.
The book starts with Erin and her family who are moving to a new town, Galladale. This is where things start changing. Erin is a shy girl who has a birth mark on her face. Everybody calls her a freak and she doesn't have any friends, except her younger sister, Kasey-ray. She is smart and tries to keep to herself, because she is afraid to even try to make friends because of her birth mark. But things take a turn to worse, she ends up being enemies with the school bully, Jessica. She is threatened to not even take a look at Sean, who was Jessica friends. She get’s pushed by Jessica, beaten and bullied a lot, unfortunately.
Finally, Erin cracks and she finds out she has some sort o power, meaning fire. When her last fight with Jessica she burned her, wanted to escape from her kicking’s. That same day she found out that Sean was something more important to her, he was her soul mate.
“I don’t feel like there’s something missing anymore,” he laughed this time as I still looked at him in bewilderment, unsure by what he was meaning. “I found you,” he said each word clearly as he slowly started kissing me again, this time more passionately, and when he pulled away something caught his eye.- Sean
“You are my fire and I am your water”
I love Erin, the way she acted, the way she took care of herself. Even if she was 16, she acted mature for her age and didn't get scared easily. She was extremely likable and I could relate to her. I loved how Erin and Kasey-Ray get along so well and look out for each other.
Lavinia Urban did an amazing job, she wrote an awesome story, one that will hold your breath and when you least expect she will leave you speechless. I honestly recommend this book to everyone! It's a must read!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 16, 2013
I thought that Lavinia Urban's “Erin, the Fire Goddess: The Beginning” was a good novel. First in a YA paranormal series, “Erin ... The Beginning” introduces a loner high school student, Erin, and her family as they begin a new phase of their lives – moving to a new town, and enrolling in a new school.
It has been a few years since my high school days – heck, it's been a few years since my daughter graduated high school! – but even now, I remember the emotions much, much more than the historic details. I'm sure that this aspect of school has not evolved greatly since MY grandparents were in school, and don't expect it to change in the next generation or two, either! Ms. Urban captures this feeling in her characters – our loner hero, her popular sister who has her own secret insecurities, and the other “types” that inhabit high schools. Further, Ms. Urban managed to hook me; I didn't know what was going to happen next. Predictability turns me off in a novel; “Erin ... The Beginning” sure had little to none of that!
Lest anyone believe I'm anointing this my favorite novel of the year, I must temper my earlier comments. I thought Ms. Urban's pacing, especially towards the end of the novel, to be of mixed quality. There were times I couldn't wait to see what happened next; there were other times I just wished SOMETHING would happen next – and soon! In addition, Ms. Urban's editor, if she employed one, did not do their job well. There were formatting errors, as well as problems with spelling, punctuation, and grammar – not as many as I have seen in some other independent efforts, but enough to be occasionally distracting to this reader.
I am looking forward to Ms. Urban's next effort.
DISCLOSURE: I was given a free copy of this book in return for an honest (and prompt) review.
It has been a few years since my high school days – heck, it's been a few years since my daughter graduated high school! – but even now, I remember the emotions much, much more than the historic details. I'm sure that this aspect of school has not evolved greatly since MY grandparents were in school, and don't expect it to change in the next generation or two, either! Ms. Urban captures this feeling in her characters – our loner hero, her popular sister who has her own secret insecurities, and the other “types” that inhabit high schools. Further, Ms. Urban managed to hook me; I didn't know what was going to happen next. Predictability turns me off in a novel; “Erin ... The Beginning” sure had little to none of that!
Lest anyone believe I'm anointing this my favorite novel of the year, I must temper my earlier comments. I thought Ms. Urban's pacing, especially towards the end of the novel, to be of mixed quality. There were times I couldn't wait to see what happened next; there were other times I just wished SOMETHING would happen next – and soon! In addition, Ms. Urban's editor, if she employed one, did not do their job well. There were formatting errors, as well as problems with spelling, punctuation, and grammar – not as many as I have seen in some other independent efforts, but enough to be occasionally distracting to this reader.
I am looking forward to Ms. Urban's next effort.
DISCLOSURE: I was given a free copy of this book in return for an honest (and prompt) review.
February 11, 2013
3.5 Stars
Erin has a large birthmark on her face, this makes her unable to make friends easily as she thinks they can’t see beyond her face to the real her. When her parents decide to move the family into a new town she sees this as a new beginning, but the old problems move with her, she still finds it difficult to trust people and make any friends. After a run in with a particularly nasty class-mate, even Erin realises she is more than just her birthmark and that the stain represents something almost magical.
I was pulled into this story from the beginning, I found it interesting to see the world through the eyes of an imperfect person, and learn how she felt to be shunned by society. At around 40% the story became a little confusing for me. When Erin’s abilities first manifested the whole situation she was in was a little mixed up and unexplained, i.e where she was staying, what was happening to her, why her parents were there yet Sean was her main carer. It did all become clear eventually, but during that part of the story I scratched my head more than once and was totally puzzled and lost for a while.
The writing is not perfect there are mixed tenses, the punctuation is erratic, and some of the sentences contradict themselves, i.e ‘I was sure his lips just brushed my hair but I wasn’t sure.’ I also noticed on a couple of occasions extra words were left in that should have been removed during editing. On saying all that, as the title suggests, this is just the beginning for Erin, and I am invested enough in the story to want to read on and follow the journey with her to see what adventures she has in store with her new-found abilities and appearance.
Copy supplied for review
September 11, 2013
This is the second time I've read this book and I still really enjoy it.
As the story begins, Erin's parents inform her and her younger sister, Kasey-Ray of the family's impending move to their hometown of Galladale. Urban gives a heartrendingly accurate portrayal of a young girl on the cusp of womanhood, ostracized by society for a birthmark that stains the left side of her face.
Erin has only known love and acceptance from her immediate family. From both schoolmates and society at large, Erin has only ever heard she is ugly, deformed, and not worth befriending, cementing her low opinion of herself. While her sister bemoans in full dramatic fashion how she'll be leaving all of her friends, Erin is cautiously hopeful the move will bring friends at the end.
The opposite proves true as the girls finish the year in a new school. Immediately, a classmate threatens her for catching the attention of Sean, a handsome young man two years older. She's told both not to look at him and to stay away. The torment continues, culminating in an excruciating beating that leaves Erin injured and unable to move.
Erin doesn't understand what this beautiful boy could possibly see in her when he could have any girl for the asking. Painfully confused about what is happening, Erin challenges Sean and her parents to explain. Out of this comes truths about her family she could never have imagined, friends she never believed she'd have, and a love she never thought to experience.
Is she strong enough to believe in herself? Will she learn to control the fire or will someone die from the anger born of her pain?
A beautiful story that parallels how society judges others based on their looks. Heart-rending and hopeful with a touch of the paranormal. I would read anything she wrote.
As the story begins, Erin's parents inform her and her younger sister, Kasey-Ray of the family's impending move to their hometown of Galladale. Urban gives a heartrendingly accurate portrayal of a young girl on the cusp of womanhood, ostracized by society for a birthmark that stains the left side of her face.
Erin has only known love and acceptance from her immediate family. From both schoolmates and society at large, Erin has only ever heard she is ugly, deformed, and not worth befriending, cementing her low opinion of herself. While her sister bemoans in full dramatic fashion how she'll be leaving all of her friends, Erin is cautiously hopeful the move will bring friends at the end.
The opposite proves true as the girls finish the year in a new school. Immediately, a classmate threatens her for catching the attention of Sean, a handsome young man two years older. She's told both not to look at him and to stay away. The torment continues, culminating in an excruciating beating that leaves Erin injured and unable to move.
Erin doesn't understand what this beautiful boy could possibly see in her when he could have any girl for the asking. Painfully confused about what is happening, Erin challenges Sean and her parents to explain. Out of this comes truths about her family she could never have imagined, friends she never believed she'd have, and a love she never thought to experience.
Is she strong enough to believe in herself? Will she learn to control the fire or will someone die from the anger born of her pain?
A beautiful story that parallels how society judges others based on their looks. Heart-rending and hopeful with a touch of the paranormal. I would read anything she wrote.
May 1, 2014
Title- Erin The Fire Goddess: The Beginning
Author- Lavinia Urban
Rating-4.2 STARS
OVERVIEW- Erin is an extraordinary girl. But she isn't aware of that. The only people who love her are her parents, and sister, Kasey-ray. But she's used to being lonely. That's why when her family move to Galladale, she doesn't expect the attention she receives. The bullying from Jessica, gets out of hand. Why is Jessica trying to stop Erin from meeting Sean? Secrets start unfolding, but will Erin be able to control the fire within?
Review- Urban has told a story so good, it was interesting and compelling throughout. Every time I put the book down, I kept looking back at it. The story was quite fast paced and didn't drag on. I think this was the best thing about the book as the fast pace is what allowed me to keep my interest. Also, I loved how, scene to scene, the story is written quite smoothly, each part of the story is told nicely, with nothing left hanging. My favourite character would have to be Kelly, Sean's sister. I love how....okay I don't want to give anything away! Urban has portrayed all her characters distinctly, be it Erin's tendency to put herself down, or Kasey-ray's bubbly attitude. She has shown how all the characters are connected, even though they're so different. However, as all stories have villains, so does this one. Dr.Hammersmith's character, I feel, wasn't one of the well versed characters. He wasn't quite clear on his intentions. Whereas, all the other characters were so carefully planned. They were clear, and wonderfully written about. The storyline, is one of the best I have come across. As I said before, this is one of those books that can be read in one reading. An inviting read!
Author- Lavinia Urban
Rating-4.2 STARS
OVERVIEW- Erin is an extraordinary girl. But she isn't aware of that. The only people who love her are her parents, and sister, Kasey-ray. But she's used to being lonely. That's why when her family move to Galladale, she doesn't expect the attention she receives. The bullying from Jessica, gets out of hand. Why is Jessica trying to stop Erin from meeting Sean? Secrets start unfolding, but will Erin be able to control the fire within?
Review- Urban has told a story so good, it was interesting and compelling throughout. Every time I put the book down, I kept looking back at it. The story was quite fast paced and didn't drag on. I think this was the best thing about the book as the fast pace is what allowed me to keep my interest. Also, I loved how, scene to scene, the story is written quite smoothly, each part of the story is told nicely, with nothing left hanging. My favourite character would have to be Kelly, Sean's sister. I love how....okay I don't want to give anything away! Urban has portrayed all her characters distinctly, be it Erin's tendency to put herself down, or Kasey-ray's bubbly attitude. She has shown how all the characters are connected, even though they're so different. However, as all stories have villains, so does this one. Dr.Hammersmith's character, I feel, wasn't one of the well versed characters. He wasn't quite clear on his intentions. Whereas, all the other characters were so carefully planned. They were clear, and wonderfully written about. The storyline, is one of the best I have come across. As I said before, this is one of those books that can be read in one reading. An inviting read!
March 19, 2014
*A Copy of this Book Was Given To Me By The Author In Exchange For An Honest Review*
What a clever story! I think Lavinia, who I let wait on this review too long, has done an outstanding job giving us a fresh YA book, with a good message, and interesting characters. The first draft does have some editing errors, but the author reedited the book and it’s much smoother read, and really lets the reader stay completely engrossed in the story without being pulled out by editing issues. Erin is a lovely character, she’s strong, and resilient, and she really trying to keep her head up despite everything. I love seeing that in YA because we really need as many strong women as we can get to combat the Bella’s of the world. The action in this book was good, and it didn’t seem forced, it seems to flow well, and working in a YA paranormal book. I was interested, and on the edge of my seat for a lot of the book, and have to applaud that, because usually YA books to not keep me on edge, as so many tend to be overly predictable, and just have the same underlying story, but this book kept me interested with strong story, great action, and a little bit of romance. Sean is such a teenage heartthrob and I thought the bond between Kaseyrea and Erin was beautifully done. I’d highly suggest this book to readers of YA and even NA, who have a love of paranormal and action with some romance. It’s the beginning of a series, and I can definitely say it made me interested to read the rest of her books!
***Review has been done in conjunction with Nerd Girl Official. For more information regarding our reviews please visit our Fansite:www.facebook.com/NerdGirl.ng ***
What a clever story! I think Lavinia, who I let wait on this review too long, has done an outstanding job giving us a fresh YA book, with a good message, and interesting characters. The first draft does have some editing errors, but the author reedited the book and it’s much smoother read, and really lets the reader stay completely engrossed in the story without being pulled out by editing issues. Erin is a lovely character, she’s strong, and resilient, and she really trying to keep her head up despite everything. I love seeing that in YA because we really need as many strong women as we can get to combat the Bella’s of the world. The action in this book was good, and it didn’t seem forced, it seems to flow well, and working in a YA paranormal book. I was interested, and on the edge of my seat for a lot of the book, and have to applaud that, because usually YA books to not keep me on edge, as so many tend to be overly predictable, and just have the same underlying story, but this book kept me interested with strong story, great action, and a little bit of romance. Sean is such a teenage heartthrob and I thought the bond between Kaseyrea and Erin was beautifully done. I’d highly suggest this book to readers of YA and even NA, who have a love of paranormal and action with some romance. It’s the beginning of a series, and I can definitely say it made me interested to read the rest of her books!
***Review has been done in conjunction with Nerd Girl Official. For more information regarding our reviews please visit our Fansite:www.facebook.com/NerdGirl.ng ***
February 7, 2014
The heroine of this book has an unfortunate birthmark which makes her an easy target for the bullies in her schools, as a result she is friendless and vitimised. This is set up flawlessly in the first few pages without the author having to go into tedious detail perhaps with clumsy flashbacks.
I won't describe the action of the book as I would hate to spoil it for you except to say that it is well paced for it's target audience and just a bit confusing until you work out what is happening. Some of the characters are memorable and there is a central villain who rates as one of the nastiest around in fiction aimed for this age group and who leaves a trail of seemingly irredeemably corrupted and ruined victims behind them.
When I finished this book I was reminded of the question raised in Frankenstein of 'who is the monster?' but in this book it was also 'who is the victim?' and the answer to that leaves a bit of a raw taste when you think about your own reactions to the character involved.
I'll read the sequel because I want to see how the author saves some good souls that appear to be lost...
I like the concept of naming the heroine and her sister after the Author's daughters. Kids do suffer from some loss of attention when a writer is in full flow so it makes a nice reward for their patience.
The only reason I gave it four stars. Simply because I believe Lavinia Urban is capable of much, much more.
I won't describe the action of the book as I would hate to spoil it for you except to say that it is well paced for it's target audience and just a bit confusing until you work out what is happening. Some of the characters are memorable and there is a central villain who rates as one of the nastiest around in fiction aimed for this age group and who leaves a trail of seemingly irredeemably corrupted and ruined victims behind them.
When I finished this book I was reminded of the question raised in Frankenstein of 'who is the monster?' but in this book it was also 'who is the victim?' and the answer to that leaves a bit of a raw taste when you think about your own reactions to the character involved.
I'll read the sequel because I want to see how the author saves some good souls that appear to be lost...
I like the concept of naming the heroine and her sister after the Author's daughters. Kids do suffer from some loss of attention when a writer is in full flow so it makes a nice reward for their patience.
The only reason I gave it four stars. Simply because I believe Lavinia Urban is capable of much, much more.
December 8, 2012
I was thoroughly surprised how much I loved this story, I was expecting another YA read with paranormal angst written all over it. Yes I’ve been reading way too much paranormal and YA books to the point of bursting. But I was in for a pleasant read. It follows Erin, a soft-spoken teen who moves with her family to her parents’ hometown, along with her sister, Kasey-Ray. Erin has a birthmark on her face and has felt like an outsider her entire life. So when the move gives her a chance to start all over in a new town, she is excited to death about it. That is, until another girl named Jessica begins to bully her when a cute boy named Sean notices her. It leaves Erin paralyzed with fear and brings out some frightening repercussions.
I enjoyed the writing, it flowed well and sucked me into Erin’s thoughts and days easily. She was extremely likeable and relatable. I loved how Erin and Kasey-Ray get along so well and look out for each other. I was curious why Jessica had it in for Erin so badly and what it had to do with Sean. When it all goes down, I was pretty shocked on what happened and how Erin’s life and beliefs about who she is, change so rapidly. I was thrown for a curve ball for sure!
Great story, I can’t wait for the next installment to see how Erin handles the extreme changes in her life and the people around her.
I enjoyed the writing, it flowed well and sucked me into Erin’s thoughts and days easily. She was extremely likeable and relatable. I loved how Erin and Kasey-Ray get along so well and look out for each other. I was curious why Jessica had it in for Erin so badly and what it had to do with Sean. When it all goes down, I was pretty shocked on what happened and how Erin’s life and beliefs about who she is, change so rapidly. I was thrown for a curve ball for sure!
Great story, I can’t wait for the next installment to see how Erin handles the extreme changes in her life and the people around her.
March 19, 2013
Erin has spent her whole life on the fringes, constantly being teased for the large red birth mark on her cheek. When her family moves her and her new sister, she is not expecting anything to change for her, but it does when one of the most attractive boys, Sean, takes notice of her, despite her disfiguration. However, the popular girl in school, Jessica, seems to take great offence to the idea of Erin even looking at Sean, let alone talking to him. Erin does her best to steer clear of Sean, but they start meeting on Fridays at the local video store.
This goes on till Jessica finds out again and starts beating on Erin. Though the beating doesn't last long because Erin burns her. She blacks out and awakens in her grandparent's cottage where her parents tell her she has a special power and can set things on fire and that Sean is her soul mate and counter-part because he can control water. And so they live happily ever after... or do they?
I read this story for a R2R. I quite enjoyed reading it too. It has an interesting plot, fun characters and a new idea for super natural powers. However, this book is badly needing an editor. It points the story can be a bit choppy and the spelling and grammar errors are abundant. With the right amount of tweaking and maybe a bit more character development, this can be a fantastic story. 3 1/2 stars.
This goes on till Jessica finds out again and starts beating on Erin. Though the beating doesn't last long because Erin burns her. She blacks out and awakens in her grandparent's cottage where her parents tell her she has a special power and can set things on fire and that Sean is her soul mate and counter-part because he can control water. And so they live happily ever after... or do they?
I read this story for a R2R. I quite enjoyed reading it too. It has an interesting plot, fun characters and a new idea for super natural powers. However, this book is badly needing an editor. It points the story can be a bit choppy and the spelling and grammar errors are abundant. With the right amount of tweaking and maybe a bit more character development, this can be a fantastic story. 3 1/2 stars.
September 13, 2013
~* I received a copy of Erin the Fire Goddess: The Beginning from the author in exchange for an honest review during the Sweet Sixteen Summer Splash reading challenge. I have not been and never will be compensated for my review of this book. This review is my honest opinion and is in no way influenced by the author's generosity.*~
I actually loved the premise of this book. So why only 3 stars? There was a lot of grammar and spelling mistakes that made it really hard to take in at times. I also felt that the connection between Sean and Erin happened entirely too fast. Other than that, it was a nice quick read and the story still drew me in regardless of any of the flaws I found. I loved the whole paranormal element and despite a lot of people claiming they had no desire to pick up the rest of the series, I found that I can't wait to get my hands on the second book in the series, Erin the Fire Goddess: Betrayal.
If you want a nice young adult series with a paranormal twist and can get over the grammar issues (which the author has mentioned she is getting taken care of), Erin the Fire Goddess is perfect for you. The timeline is a bit wonky, but the premise of the story is mostly unique and actually quite charming.
I actually loved the premise of this book. So why only 3 stars? There was a lot of grammar and spelling mistakes that made it really hard to take in at times. I also felt that the connection between Sean and Erin happened entirely too fast. Other than that, it was a nice quick read and the story still drew me in regardless of any of the flaws I found. I loved the whole paranormal element and despite a lot of people claiming they had no desire to pick up the rest of the series, I found that I can't wait to get my hands on the second book in the series, Erin the Fire Goddess: Betrayal.
If you want a nice young adult series with a paranormal twist and can get over the grammar issues (which the author has mentioned she is getting taken care of), Erin the Fire Goddess is perfect for you. The timeline is a bit wonky, but the premise of the story is mostly unique and actually quite charming.
June 14, 2013
I went into this book completely blind. All I knew about this novel was that it has a pretty cover and obviously has something to do with the beginning of a story involving a fire goddess. Although the story did take a while to “heat up” (hah! Puns.), I still found myself intrigued by the story from the start. The author did a great job creating Erin as a sweet and kindhearted girl that’s just misunderstood due to her birthmark. Honestly, it seemed that all of the characters (except Jessica, of course) were well rounded and genuine.
When I first started reading, I did have a few problems. It’s no secret that the grammar in this book is not up to snuff. I believe I read somewhere that this was being worked on, but at least at the point where I was reading this book, it had not yet been corrected. The grammatical issues caused some disturbance at first, but it wasn’t at a level where I couldn’t complete the story. In fact, once I really got into the story, I stopped noticing the grammatical errors as much as I had in the beginning.
This is a really sweet book and I can’t wait to continue the series. Try to look past the errors (until they’re corrected) and you’ll find yourself enveloped in a really fun series.
Note: I received this book free from the author in exchange for a review.
When I first started reading, I did have a few problems. It’s no secret that the grammar in this book is not up to snuff. I believe I read somewhere that this was being worked on, but at least at the point where I was reading this book, it had not yet been corrected. The grammatical issues caused some disturbance at first, but it wasn’t at a level where I couldn’t complete the story. In fact, once I really got into the story, I stopped noticing the grammatical errors as much as I had in the beginning.
This is a really sweet book and I can’t wait to continue the series. Try to look past the errors (until they’re corrected) and you’ll find yourself enveloped in a really fun series.
Note: I received this book free from the author in exchange for a review.
June 14, 2013
I received this book free from the author in exchange for an honest review.
I really felt like Lavinia Urban has a new idea going with this book and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I love how I could actually hear the characters UK "accents" as I read. A few words did make me have to stop an think what the term meant, but I found this to be an interesting part of the book. I did find the book to be a bit short, but it did cover a lot of ground in such few pages. The author has given herself a lot of growing room for the next books. I found Erin the Fire Goddess: The Beginning to be a fun, cute and fast read.
At the beginning of the novel I felt bad for Erin because she was so self conscious of her birthmark and because all that kids were jerks too her. But now that she has met Sean and has an understating as to why she has the birthmark I think her perception of herself will change drastically. Surprisingly, I actually really liked Erin's sister Kasey Ray. At first I thought she would be some spoiled brat who was mean to Erin but I was pleasantly surprised. I'm not too sure about Sean yet, I feel like we just met him and its too soon to make assumptions about him.
All in all this was an enjoyable read and I am looking forward to containing on with the series. I have some questions that I need answered. Paranormal and YA lovers should read this book. You won't be disappointed.
I really felt like Lavinia Urban has a new idea going with this book and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I love how I could actually hear the characters UK "accents" as I read. A few words did make me have to stop an think what the term meant, but I found this to be an interesting part of the book. I did find the book to be a bit short, but it did cover a lot of ground in such few pages. The author has given herself a lot of growing room for the next books. I found Erin the Fire Goddess: The Beginning to be a fun, cute and fast read.
At the beginning of the novel I felt bad for Erin because she was so self conscious of her birthmark and because all that kids were jerks too her. But now that she has met Sean and has an understating as to why she has the birthmark I think her perception of herself will change drastically. Surprisingly, I actually really liked Erin's sister Kasey Ray. At first I thought she would be some spoiled brat who was mean to Erin but I was pleasantly surprised. I'm not too sure about Sean yet, I feel like we just met him and its too soon to make assumptions about him.
All in all this was an enjoyable read and I am looking forward to containing on with the series. I have some questions that I need answered. Paranormal and YA lovers should read this book. You won't be disappointed.
June 7, 2013
I love this story! Erin has always been a bit of an outcast due to a big birthmark covering part of her face, while her sister has always been popular. After their parents announce they're moving back to their childhood home, Erin is ecstatic but Kasey-rae, not so much. However, once they get there, she changes her mind quickly. After seeing an older boy in the bushes at school on her first day, and a snobby girl who for some reason hates her from the get-go, Erin is ready to move back, or at least just never go back to school. Threats and getting beat up eventually lead to us, and Erin, finding out why she's so drawn to Sean, as well as why she has the birthmark, and how to make it go away. Her family has secrets, and Sean is her soulmate, and her new group of friends are all a part of these secrets, and powers that descendants of the people who lived in the village 200 years ago, are now coming into.
I would have given it 5 stars. It really is that great of a story. However, there are so many errors in the book, that it almost takes away from the story itself. Also, as another reviewer stated, the dialogue is definitely a bit of a struggle for us in the US not familiar with the terminology and quips used across the pond.
But- I love the story!
I would have given it 5 stars. It really is that great of a story. However, there are so many errors in the book, that it almost takes away from the story itself. Also, as another reviewer stated, the dialogue is definitely a bit of a struggle for us in the US not familiar with the terminology and quips used across the pond.
But- I love the story!
September 24, 2013
I would never in a hundred years recommend this to a teen to read. Omg! - u hVe been beaten. But let's not tell anyone ok? No, not ok. Oh but the dude u love knew it was happening and did nothing. Oh but later bad things happen, to you, not him, again! And u feel that you deserved others upsettedness because u are shutting down emotionally after being tricked, abandoned, abused and used. ????? And her dad! Omg! Are u kidding me?? Dude knew something bad was going to happen and he let it. Are u crazy?! No parent worth their salt would allow that. U would gtfo with ur babies to another country or polar ice caps. U don't lead ur child like lamb to slaughter and then tell her to go work it out with the guy who initial instigated the attacks. !!!!! There are no words for how f-Ed up that is. And u want a teen to read this and think well, it's ok if I'm abused and mistreated because "he loves me" aaaaahaaggggrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!! My inner feminist is weeping softy in the corner and my mama bear is ready to maul people up in here. Although I attempted to find some- there really are no words for how wrong this book was for a teen to read.
June 14, 2013
Erin is a young girl with a birthmark on her face that repels friends. Her sister is beautiful and loved. Suddenly her family is moving and she is so excited, a fresh start!
Well, as it turns out, this new place is the same as the old place, with one exception, Sean. He is gorgeous and seems to really like Erin. Unfortunately, Jessica, a girl in her class, is insanely upset with this situation and becomes increasingly violent towards Erin. But the violence escalates, and leads Erin to feel rage and she hears Jessica scream something about burning then passes out.
Erin finds out she creates fire and Sean is her balance--water. Her parents know all about it as they too have powers.
I won't get into anymore details, I want you to read the book.
The fact that the author is not American does lead to some issues with words and it takes a second to figure out some things, but not to the extent that it detracts from the story. I have read Shakespeare and survived. And most sci-fi books use their own lingo.
Very interesting first book in the series! Can't wait for the rest!
Well, as it turns out, this new place is the same as the old place, with one exception, Sean. He is gorgeous and seems to really like Erin. Unfortunately, Jessica, a girl in her class, is insanely upset with this situation and becomes increasingly violent towards Erin. But the violence escalates, and leads Erin to feel rage and she hears Jessica scream something about burning then passes out.
Erin finds out she creates fire and Sean is her balance--water. Her parents know all about it as they too have powers.
I won't get into anymore details, I want you to read the book.
The fact that the author is not American does lead to some issues with words and it takes a second to figure out some things, but not to the extent that it detracts from the story. I have read Shakespeare and survived. And most sci-fi books use their own lingo.
Very interesting first book in the series! Can't wait for the rest!
January 24, 2013
I was gifted this book by the author for an honest review. Thank You!
15-year-old Erin is moving to her parents' hometown of Galladale. Erin is used to being the social pariah because she has a birthmark on her face. I was feeling really sorry for all the ridicule she had to endure. She is bullied by mean girl Jessica for crushing over a boy, Sean. Jessica warns Erin to stay away from Sean but she keeps bumping into him at the movie rental place on Fridays, her family's movie night. One Friday Erin has a severe reaction after seeing Sean, passes out and sleeps for three days. Things start getting a little strange after that. “You are my fire and I am your water” “...whenever someone died the child born on that day would inherit their powers, even if not blood related” This was a really well written story and I was enjoying it a lot. I would like to read the next book about Erin.
15-year-old Erin is moving to her parents' hometown of Galladale. Erin is used to being the social pariah because she has a birthmark on her face. I was feeling really sorry for all the ridicule she had to endure. She is bullied by mean girl Jessica for crushing over a boy, Sean. Jessica warns Erin to stay away from Sean but she keeps bumping into him at the movie rental place on Fridays, her family's movie night. One Friday Erin has a severe reaction after seeing Sean, passes out and sleeps for three days. Things start getting a little strange after that. “You are my fire and I am your water” “...whenever someone died the child born on that day would inherit their powers, even if not blood related” This was a really well written story and I was enjoying it a lot. I would like to read the next book about Erin.
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