Til Death

Fractured Souls #1

by Kate Evangelista

Sixteen-year old Selena Fallon is a dreamer. Not a day-dreamer, but an I-see-the-future kind of dreamer. Normally this is not a problem as she has gotten pretty good at keeping her weird card hidden from everyone in her small town. Except from her best friend Kyle and her grandparents, of course. But when Selena dreams of her own rather bloody death, things get a little too freaky even for her.

Enter Dillan Sloan. Selena has seen the new guy in a different dream, and he is even more droolworthy in person. Beyond the piercing blue eyes and tousled dark hair, there is something else that draws her to him. Something…electric. Unfortunately, Dillan makes it more than clear that he does not feel the same. They just met, so why would he act like he hates her?

When Dillan and Selena are forced together one weekend to work on a school project, Selena prepares to be ignored as usual. But when she stumbles across a few undead in the backyard, Dillan comes to her rescue and reveals a whole lot more. Not only is he part of a society that hunts otherworldly creatures…she is too. And she is being targeted by a force bigger and darker than anything she ever imagined. Despite her death dream, Selena is not going to give up easy, especially when she discovers that Dillan might not actually hate her after all.

Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance, Paranormal Romance, Supernatural, Mystery

331 pages, Paperback

First published March 4, 2014

About the author

Kate Evangelista is a young adult writer, creative writing teacher, and a mother to six rambunctious cats. Born in the Philippines, she attended college in De La Salle University – Manila and holds a Bachelor’s of Arts in Literature and a Master’s in Creative Writing. She got her start publishing with small presses like the now defunct Crescent Moon Press until she moved on to medium presses like Entangled Teen and eventually being selected as part of Swoon Reads’ third season of authors. Her debut novel, TASTE, even became an Amazon bestseller. Her latest novel, THE BOYFRIEND BRACKET (Swoon Reads, 2018), was well received by NPR and is now in the running for a movie adaptation with the A&E Network.

Reviews

[Khanh, first of her name, mother of bunnies · Rating 1 out of 5]

“What are you?” he whispered into her strawberry-scented curls. Damn. He breathed in deeply. He could inhale that smell all night. His body reacted to it like cats to catnip.

E...E...Edward?! Is that you?!

Ladies and some gentlemen, I'm sorry to tell you that your boyfriend, husband, significant other, is mediocre.



No matter who they are, no matter what they do, they will never, ever live up to the perfect paragon of that is Dillan Sloan. Or as we call him in this book:

"Mr. Rock-Star-National-Geographic"

Let me ask you, is your man model material?

“It seems young Dillan has also been part of several, and I mean several, ad campaigns for designers like Calvin Klein and Armani, to name two."

Is he so good that---fuck auditions---Hollywood begs for him?

"He was once approached to star in a movie."

Has your man ever dated starlets?

"He’s even rumored to have dated every young Hollywood starlet and emerging singer you can name."

Has your man ever been dated Taylor Swift or been the inspiration for her songs?

"You know that Taylor Swift song—”
“The one about the guy who dumped her?” Kyle asked.

Are your man's parents famous archeologists who discovered Atlantis?

“Dillan’s also the son of the legendary duo of archeologists: Dr. Jarvis Sloan and Dr. Lillian Sloan.”
“You mean the two who proved Atlantis is really in South America and not in Spain?"

Has your man ever discovered a lost civilization?

“As I was saying,” she continued. “Rumor has it Dillan was responsible for unearthing a lost civilization in the Amazon.”

Does your man sit in a beam of sunlight while reciting Frost's poetry...

“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.” He sighed like he tasted the meaning behind the words.

...to a cat?

The cat on his lap purred. “You like Frost, huh?” He glanced at the contented feline. “I know. The man can rhyme.”

Let's not lie. Your man probably never notices that you got a haircut, right? Not Dillan. Dillan would never miss anything about your appearance. Why, it's like he's practically a girl in his obscenely detailed observational skills!

...her nose scrunched up and the tops of her cheeks tinted pink. She clutched the handle of the feather duster so hard its feathers quivered. Her lips contorted.

If you had colored eyes, your man would probably say your eyes are simply...blue. Not Dillan. Never Dillan. Eyes are not simply blue. They're aquamarine. Aqua eyes that look into his soul.

Those unique aquamarine eyes he could stare into all day. They reflected her heart and soul. And her blushes that stopped his heart every time.

Ye gods, I've never met a man so poetic. You could almost say that Dillan is a woman at heart.

No worries, he may be perfect, but Dillan is a huge fucking twat who belittles the girl he loves every chance he gets. It's ok, though. It's just his way of dealing with a harsh life.

He shifted moods from zero to sixty in less than three seconds. I was beginning to see that he said mean and snarky things as a defense mechanism.

Yes, "It's just my defense mechanism," the magic phrase of every fucking douchebag who ever lived. And hey, it works. Thank god for dumb YA heroines.

The Summary: There are three sets of missing/dead parents within this book.

Dillan is a mysterious Arbiter in a secret organization known as the Illumenari. We don't know who the fuck the Illumenari is for half of the book. We don't know what the fuck they do. We don't know how the fuck their powers work.

I really wanted some info-dumping in this book.

Dillan has done Something Mysteriously Wrong; as punishment, he was demoted from his role as Arbiter (again, what the fuck is an Arbiter?), and sent off to Nowhere, Wyoming, to live with his Legacy (what the fuck is a Legacy?) uncle, handsome high school teacher Rainer Sloan.

The faux-hawk-sporting Dillan catches the eyes of all the girls in school.

An entire succubus population in one school? They made him feel like fresh meat ready for the taking.

Every single girl--and cougar---wants to bang him.

“I’d like a piece of him,” he heard the woman say. He tried not to cringe. Or run. Cougars were known to give chase.

Every girl loves him, that is---everyone but Selena Fallon. From the moment they meet, sparks fly. Literally.

The second we touched, a spark zinged up my arm.
“Ye-aw!” I jumped out of my seat. All eyes in the room immediately focused on me.

And they keep flying. The sparks never stop. Electric currents rush through the air. Despite the electricity between them, and despite their overwhelming internal attraction to one another, Dillan and Serena fight like cats and dogs.

The first half of the book is composed of nothing but teenaged drama, troublesome ex-boyfriends, and Dillan and Serena going at each other.

He smirked. “What happened to compromise? You know the meaning of that word, don’t you? Or should I get a dictionary?”
I let out a keening growl and threw the tub of glue at him without thinking twice about it. The jerk had it coming.

And then for some fucking reason, within 30 minutes of that happening, they just kind of fell into each other's arms.

His arms tightened around me. I sighed at his body heat against mine. It felt like a blanket on a rainy day—comforting and safe. Nothing like the arrogant Dillan I knew.
“No.” A hint of pleading crept into his tone. “Not yet. Don’t move yet.”

Well, that escalated quickly.

I have to give this book credit: it's pretty imaginative on getting a girl to suck out a guy without making it purely sexual by nature.

“I need to suck out the poison.”
Ignoring his continued protests, she bent over him and sucked at the wound she’d created.

Nothing happens in this book but a few half-hearted moments of frights and a fight or two. There is no plot. The plot is the romance.

The Writing:

The utter menace in Garret’s expression made him look like a man who knew people who specialized in making annoyances disappear, no questions asked.

Well, alrighty then.

The writing is not as atrocious as some books I've read, but it's plenty fucking bad. The book is littered with errors, "you're" instead of "your," "the its," there are a few misspellings.

The writing itself is...baffling. We have weird similes: "my anger, confusion, and anxiety clung like a cotton shirt on a muggy day," "it grated on my nerves like squeaky sneakers," "...staring at me like I was a crystal swan about to shatter."

And very odd sentences: "His face said shocked while his eyes mocked." "Her voice was so loud birds flew out of their perches."

The Setting: This book sells itself as a paranormal with undeads and a girl with visions.

It's not. It's a fucking mess. For the first 50% of the book, random shit terms are thrown at us. Illumenari. Legacy. Arbiter. Maestro. It means jack shit because nobody bothered to explain to us anything about what the actual FUCK those terms mean. There's just random-ass shit dog-killings and a hellhound and for some fucking reason---zombies!

And when we finally get an explanation?

“Il-lu-me-na-ri. My family...we protect people. Simply, we are what stand between you and chaos. Humans aren’t the only race in this world. Many of those we protect you from still consider you as food. In the Illumenari we call them Supernaturals. Basically everything that goes bump in the night."

...and that's it. THAT'S IT? Generic much?! Basically we have a secret society protecting us from the things that go bump in the night. There is nothing beyond that. There is absolutely no world building. Oh, let's just throw a fucking lion-headed Manticore in this book because WHY THE FUCK NOT?

Serena is supposed to have visions. She barely has any. Her abilities are vague as fuck. She doesn't have visions. She has nightmares. That's all. We don't know how they come true, except that she says they do. It is all telling, no showing. The paranormal elements of this book are fucking weak.

Serena the Loved: Mary Sue to the extreme. Everyone loves her. From her doting grandparents (because naturally her parents are dead), to her adoring best friend, to her OTHER adoring best gay guy friend, Kyle. Don't worry about Kyle. Kyle is just gay because the book needed a gay character. There's nothing to him beyond that. He adores Serena like everyone else.

Kyle's guardians adore her. They call her "sweet," both the handsome husband and the beautiful wife. Her ex-boyfriend, the handsome golden jock that all the girls want, still loves her and wants her back.

"He was a love sick puppy with nothing but you on his mind. It was sickening to hear him talk about you all the time. Just ask any of his teammates."

Dillan can't stop thinking about her. He only acts like an asshole because he likes her.

She baffled the hell out of him. Selena Fallon. He couldn’t stop thinking about her. About the electricity their contact created.

And make no mistake.

Serena the Beautiful: Serena, naturally, thinks she is ugly.

I was gangly and awkward—coppery curls that broke brushes, a complexion like I’d never heard of the sun, and long limbs meant for banging into things.

While everyone else knows she is beautiful.

She wrinkled her nose. “The freckles are still there.”
“No, no, no, no! They’re a feature that brings out the sea in your eyes! You’re beautiful.”

Serena the Stupid: So many times, Serena finds herself in a dangerous situation in which her instincts tell her to just fucking RUN AWAY. She doesn't listen.

Another thump.
This would be the point where the audience would scream at me to run back to the house. But, like in horror movies, the heroine—i.e. me...moved to investigate.

She seriously is fucking dumb. Do you know what happens to cowards who run away? They live. Serena? No, better to fight off a mob of zombies on her own. With a stick.

What could be going on in that brain of hers to challenge a group of undead with a stick?

Fucking dumb-ass piece of shit.

Dillan: He's not just a paragon, he's a douchebag. Which makes him as fucking clichéd as all hell. He is childish. He looks down on everyone and everything. He loses his temper every 5 seconds. Dillan is 17, he thinks he is too cool for school. He whines and grumbles his way through class and class projects. He belittles his very powerful uncle, and constantly calls him derogatory names and pushes his buttons even if his uncle can--and does--hurt him.

“Rainer!” He moved further into the house, not having the patience for his uncle’s mind games. “You dick, I know you’re home.”

He thinks school is an insult to his intelligence, to which I respond: what intelligence? Dillon spends his days at school playing cat-and-mouse with Serena, stalking her, calling her names. The girl doesn't do anything, and all of a sudden he appears and taunts her.

“You’re trouble, and I don’t do trouble.” He opened the book again and continued reading like I’d been dismissed. Well, his highness had another thing coming.

Their love/hate relationship makes up half the book, only to be replaced by lovesick mooning and embraces in the second half.

Dillan is not a boy. He is a pretend boy as a 16-year old girl would like him to be. He is so completely effeminate in his thoughts. What kind of fucking boy would daydream and wax poetic about copper curls for the entire fucking book?

“What?” Her words didn’t sink in fast enough. He was too distracted by the way the setting sun brought out golden highlights in her copper curls.

The Romance: It's pretty much the entire fucking book, in case I haven't made myself clear. And if that's not enough, there's hypocrisy. Apparently, when another girl falls for Dillan, it's a trap.

I whispered my disappointment at how Constance let herself fall into Dillan’s trap.

But it's just totally fucking fine for Serena to fall in love with him. Fucking wonderful.

[Heather K (dentist in my spare time) · Rating 1 out of 5]

**1.5 stars**

Honestly, HONESTLY, this was hard to get through.

I think YA paranormal is the genre that I'm the toughest on. So many of the books in this camp recycle the same hackneyed ideas and it irritates me to no end. There are some bright shining lights in the middle of all the dreck so I keep trying and hoping that I strike gold (aka the Elemental series, first book being Storm or The Raven Boys). This book isn't gold. Not even close.

I think "Til Death" will find its audience. The cover is pretty striking and I think some very young female teens might find this book right up their alley. The writing isn't the worst I've seen from this genre so that's in this book's favor. But did I, as a discerning adult, enjoy this book? No.

My problems with this book are extensive. I'll start with Dillan. I found him to be a jerk and combative for no reason. He was an odd character and really unlikable. The prototypical YA "mysterious guy" with a bad attitude and a scowl/smirk. I had no idea why Serena was interested in him at all because I wasn't interested in reading about him.

Serena... UGH, Serena. I HATE, HATE when characters describe themselves as unattractive when they are really attractive.

"I was gangly and awkward—coppery curls that broke brushes, a complexion like I’d never heard of the sun, and long limbs meant for banging into things."

You know, everyone hates long-legged, curly haired, pale skin girls. That is like the definition of ugly! And with freckles??!!? Could she get any grosser?



Huuuuuge pet peeve of mine. Huge. If you want the MC to be untraditionally beautiful, describe her in a different way. Make her have a hook nose or crooked teeth... make her different, interesting. Don't create the female MC who doesn't know she is beautiful but she really is.



I might have been able to forgive the characters of Serena and Dillan if the world building had been excellent. It wasn't. I kept reading "Illuminari" as "Illuminati" (are they intentionally that similar?) and I didn't like how all of these world-building elements were just thrust out there upon us. There were all of these characters and terms that didn't seem to fit together in a coherent fashion. Overall, it felt like the world-building, the paranormal elements, took a backseat to the push-pull romance of Serena and Dillan.

Worst of all, I found this book to be boring. The plot sort of meandered aimlessly and I kept wanting to put this book down in favor of other reads.

All in all, this book didn't work for me. Maybe I'm not the intended audience, but to win me over with a YA paranormal I need to read something fresh and different and this felt tired and overdone. A miss.

**Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review**

[Tanja (Tanychy) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review also posted at Ja čitam, a ti?

There is this phenomena I'm experiencing with paranormal books lately. Mostly I get to see some really amazing ideas. They're usually new and unique, but the characters end up being totally different story. It's really hard to rate books as that.

Till Death is story about teens, actually sixteen year old Selena, who has been having visions for some time now. Even though it terrifies her at the same time she is used to keeping her secret and only her best friends know it. It was easy to control it until certain events, which started after Dillan's arrival, started to happen. He on the other hand knows what he is and he's raised to control it and rule the power within. When he sees that some powerful creatures are threatening and attacking girl who's been an unsolved mystery to him. Let's just say, he never leaves things unsolved.

Now we come to pros and cons of this story.
Pros: The whole idea of paranormal creatures and their hierarchy presented here was the most appealing aspect of the story to me. It was great to see how that all functioned not only in their city but on a higher level. The other thing is the whole storyline which was nicely planed and built.
Cons: The characters themselves. They were so stereotypical that it bored me till death. The whole Dillan being bad, perfectly-looking, arrogant boy got on my nerves from the start. Selena was totally neutral for me as for her feelings. She was meh, most of the time. Generally I couldn't care less for either of them. Which was the biggest obstacle for me.

At the end of the day I think that younger readers who enjoy typical bad-boys could enjoy much more than I did.

Rating: 2.5 stars.

[Serena (The Book Comedian) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dropped at 18%. I honestly wanted to drop this at 8% but I was like 'Noo I shouldn't be so quick to judge a book'



You know when you do something and you don't quite do it right? Yea that was what this book was.

There was something juvenile about this. You can definitely tell an adult was trying to write the perspective of teens but not quite getting it right.

I'm surprised since I really liked Taste (just the first book)

So was this a hit an miss or did she just get lucky with Taste?

[Angie Sandro · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know I'm biased since Kate is my critique partner. The first time I read TIL DEATH, it was still titled HUNTER'S MOON. I fell in love with the Selena and Dillan during that early draft, and each revised incarnation of the story has only grown richer and deeper.

Kate is an amazing author who always astonishes me with the breadth and scope of her imagination. So like I mentioned, I am biased; however, I think my fangirl status is justified.

I can't wait to purchase my official copy of Til Death and add it to my Kate Evangelista bookshelf next to Taste and Reaping Me Softly.

[megHan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Selena lives a relatively normal life - she lives in a small town with her grandparents, goes to high school, has two best friends, and an ex-boyfriend (who won't seem to go away). She also has a secret - when she dreams of the future, the dream comes true. Things get a little weirder when the nephew of the dreamy history teacher that every girl swoon's over comes to school. The electricity that literally flows between them and the fact that they irritate the heck out of each other isn't enough ... she also starts finding out that the people around her might not be telling her the truth.

Usually, when I sit down to write these reviews, I already know what it is that I want to say about the book. This time I honestly don't even know where to begin. The cover is what originally drew my attention to this book. It was one of several offered for r2r in an email from Entangled Publishing and it hands down stood out from the rest. And I'm glad because the story fulfilled my expectations and then some. Great story, interesting plot - the lies AND twists were just amazing. At times I thought I knew what was going to happen next and then ended up completely blindsided by something else. The characters are great - I love their personalities and attitudes, the way they are written, the way they express themselves. And the ending was incredible. I can not wait for book number two to come out!! Very impressive beginning to a series.

Note: I was given a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

[A · Rating 4 out of 5]

Selena Fallon has visions of the future. She's not sure why, and sometimes it makes it hard for her to have an entirely normal life, but it's something she can deal with. The fact that her best friends and grandparents know also helps. Except when she has a vision of her death - and it's not a particularly nice one at that - things start to get out of control. Dillan Sloan is the new boy at school and, not only do they not get along, but weird electricity zaps through them every time they happen to touch. Missing dogs and undead creatures compound the situation, until Selena discovers that she is part of the Illumenari, the secret society that Dillan also belongs to. What she also discovers is that she is a target. So far her visions have never failed to come true, but she has no intention of going down without a fight.

Although by no means her first novel, this is my first experience of Kate Evangelista's work, and I have to say she left a very good impression. With a solid writing style that improved over the course of the book, and fresh ideas that were also well-executed, this wasn't a difficult one to like. Realising that we have both the view of Selena and Dillan made me happy, but what I also liked was that the selection of supernatural creatures presented here was pleasantly different, even within the context of the usual secret society types. Certainly as far as Selena goes, we have not seen everything. And while a couple of things were predictable, a couple were not, and it is these things that have the most impact on the overall story. I thought one surprise in particular could have been smoothed over, but there was nothing that truly hindered my enjoyment. Evangelista almost takes her time, letting you get comfortable with the novel and the pacing, until it really kicks off towards the end and all manner of things fly at you and hit you in the face.

As far as heroines go, Selena falls happily somewhere in the middle. While I doubt we could label her as badass, she can hold her own; she forces herself to keep it together and, if need be, fight. She comes across as real, and as such I was able to relate to her. Of course there were the usual secrets surrounding her, some obvious to me as a reader and some not, but none of it prevented me from feeling sympathy for her. Nor has it stopped. Dramatic irony being what it is, I'm impatient for that moment later in the series when she finally knows what I do. Dillan, too, has his own emotional battles to overcome, and there is a change in him in terms of his approach towards these which was good to see. I appreciated the different dynamics between him and Selena, and I also liked the established partner relationship he had with Sebastian. It wasn't quite what I was expecting when I first met him, but it's definitely something that adds to the book.

Overall, then, I was left quite happy with this one. (Actually, I was also left in disbelief and had to quickly search for the sequel's release date, only to stare in more disbelief, but you get my point.) As an author new to me Kate Evangelista has made her mark and I will certainly have to go back.

This review is also posted on my blog.

[Mlpmom (Book Reviewer) · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 Stars

I am not going to lie or even pretend that I didn't first pick this one up because the synopsis was intriguing (although it really is). I picked it up because the cover is simply gorgeous and so eye catching that I couldn't resist it.

This had a really interesting storyline and I liked that it combined a paranormal element with a mythical one as well.

That creatures were real, that the supernatural was always lurking around every corner and no one was who them seemed to be.

And while I really did enjoy the storyline, I just wasn't in love with the characters.

I really wanted to like Dillan but the truth of the matter is, he was kind of an asshat. He had all those typical qualities we like in a bad boy but it came off as more harsh and uncaring than what I like to see. Where were his redeeming qualities that showed his heart of gold?

To be fair he did, in the end have some of those qualities but by then it was almost too little too late and I couldn't warm up to him after all the stuff he did said and showed and it just wasn't enough to win my heart and that just made me sad.

In short, I wasn't engaged with anything. I didn't care one way or another if Dillan and Selena ended up together, if they figured each other out or even if they saved the world (okay, the town).

The only thing that kept me reading was that I needed to know what Selena was because I was a little curious about it but again, I found myself skimming the pages to see if I could find out and be done with it.

I know, not very nice but there you have it.

This one just wasn't for me I think but does it show promise? I think it could to the right audience and I don't want to discourage anyone from giving this one a try because you just never know. Just because I didn't love it, doesn't mean you won't.

[Rachel's Book Reviews · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. GR's star ratings are different than my own, so on my own blog it'll probably have three stars.

The writing was a little shaky, and I didn't find the main characters likable.

Dillan was ok, and I could understand his moodiness given the situation he was in....
but geeeez guys, this girl got on my nerves.

It was so close to working. But it didn't.

I'll write up the whole review soon.
All in all, I'd recommend passing 'Til Death up. I mean, it was ok, and it wasn't bad....but I didn't love it. It was in the weird gray category of total detached nothingness.

This sounds really familiar to another book I've read, but I can't do a compare because I don't remember what book it was.... hm.. Maybe it was Dessonance by Erica O'Rourke? Maybe Falling Under by Gwen Hayes..... or was it Fractured Soul by Rachel McClellan?

And because of the dog, I thought of Halflings
Halflings by Heather Burch. (which is a really great story I recommend.)

This book just... didn't make it. :P shame.

[black lamb · Rating 1 out of 5]

** this review contains major plot spoilers **










One of my notes as I was reading this was "snore."

That's it. That sums it up. Snore.

Summary: 16-year-old Selena Fallon has visions of the future that always comes true. Something-something-teen Dillan Sloan is some kind of supernatural hunter from a poorly-defined, overly-simplistic shadowy secret society called the Illuminati erm uh um shit uh er. I mean The Illumenari. They meet, sparks literally fly, blah blah they make googly-eyes at each other for like 200 pages or something and then the author shoehorns in a plot at the last minute. Kissing! The end. No wait, CLIFFHANGER!

Boring. Derivative. Even the official book summary makes it sound like a really obvious Twilight clone.

Selena is dull, yet another YA protag who is conventionally gorgeous but for whatever reason doesn't know it (like, she has CURLY RED HAIR! and FRECKLES! and she's SO SKINNY AND TALL! I KNOW, RIGHT? SO FUGLY!), but generally inoffensive. Dillan, on the other hand, is a total tool. I spent the entirety of the book wanting to push him off a cliff. He's a whiny manbaby who looks down on everyone else while behaving like a screaming toddler. His uncle is a sack of shit who should be launched into the sun. Selena's best friends are cardboard cutouts carefully arranged around her to make her look good. Everybody has a stupid name. I hate this book.

This is another book where boys are all innocent victims of female objectification, some bizarro parallel universe where women are predators hurling themselves at attractive dudes rather than you know. The other way around, like it is in the real world. I'm so over this shit.

Part of the problem with this book is the writing and how that ties into the world-building, which is to say, it doesn't. Terms are just thrown at the reader with no context; if they're ever defined it's only in very vague, out-of-context terms. Like, "my uncle is a Legacy, which is the second highest rank." Okay. But what does that mean. What is a Legacy, what's their role, how do you become one, what do they do exactly? It's weird because Dillan's side of the book is written in the third person! He's the one with all this knowledge of the paranormal shit, that's the perfect place to use the narrative to define terms for the readers - but it never really does. Dillan's and Selena's sides are written entirely the same, except Dillan's uses "he" and Selena's uses "I." It drove me batty. Know your perspective. Use your perspective.

Look, if you're writing a book where the main character is totally clueless about anything and you're finding it hard to move the plot along for that reason, then it should be in the third person. That way, you can include scenes from the perspective of other characters or include elements of foreshadowing or even expositional infodumps that will clue the reader in even while the protagonist remains blissfully ignorant. If you're writing a story with action that actually moves the plot along, as in the case of What Kills Me, then first person is appropriate because there is stuff happening on-screen to keep the reader's interest. If you're doing both, then there is absolutely no excuse to meander along 75% of the book with no actual plot development.

First person perspective is lazy, and it's criminal in a book that also includes third person perspective.

What little plot there is in this book is boring, too drawn-out, and basically nonsensical. The stakes are never defined. Characters say things like "a rogue Manticore!" and "there's a Maestro in town!" as if it's supposed to mean something, but as the reader, you have no idea what the significance of those things are, so characters reacting to them means nothing to you. The book insists on focusing on boring interpersonal high school drama and when it attempts to get to actual plot it's poorly done and confusing. There's a section where Selena sees a hellhound (apparently the same one who is buddies with Dillan?) and nobody else does for some reason? and it makes her have the weirdest panic attack I've ever seen written just so she can fall sobbing into his arms, but it comes totally out of nowhere so you're like "what the fuck?"

Look, you cannot build a mystery simply by withholding information from the readers and then explain everything in the last fifteen pages. You just can't, because it's cheap and lazy and boring and frustrating to slog through, especially when the big mystery could have been solved if, oh I don't know, anyone actually fucking talked to each other. Ever. Also, cliffhanger ending? Cheap.

This book is rife with plot holes and stupid decisions.

First of all, the moment Dillan told Selena that he was an Illumenari and she believed him, there was no reason for her to not tell him about her visions. No reason at all! She'd told everyone else! Everyone close to her knew it and by then she and Dillan were sucking face all the time. I think what pisses me off the most about this is that it is IMPLIED that the electric shocks Selena and Dillan experience every time they touch are because he is a ~*Guardian*~ and she is a ~*Seer*~, two classes of ambiguously nonhuman things that have a natural spiritual connection. Which means the same thing would have happened when he touched Katarina, his previous Seer. Which means... he would have known what it meant! Why did this book make us wait another 30% for this ~big reveal~?

Speaking of big reveals, even when it's made obvious to Dillan that Selena is not human, he barely explains anything to her (he blurts out "I'M AN ARBITER OF THE ILLUMENARI!" again as if that's supposed to fucking mean anything to her) and fails to ask her any leading questions like "Hey, has anything really weird been happening to you lately?" Why is no one in this book capable of communicating about anything that actually matters?

After the first time Penny was controlled by the Maestro, why did no one think to investigate that? Why did Selena never mention, "Penny has been acting really strange ever since the incident at Mt Rushmore"? Why did no one hear that, take it seriously, and look into it? Why is it that after every time something weird happened they all went LOL WELL I GUESS THAT'S OVER AND WILL HAVE NO LASTING REPERCUSSIONS AT ALL? What a bunch of maroons.

Why did no one ever contact any other member of the Illumenari? Not Dillan, not Rainer. They have a fucking COUNCIL. They're EXPERTS on the supernatural. Why did no one think to ask for help? "Look, there's this girl in town and every time I touch her I get this really bizarre electrical shock. I strongly suspect she is not human. Have you ever heard of anything like this? ALSO, THERE'S A MAESTRO IN TOWN WHO IS STALKING HER! WHATEVER THE FUCK THAT MEANS!"

The writing itself is bad in a way that's hard to put a finger on. The similes tend to fall flat and nobody speaks to each other the way real, actual, flesh-and-blood people speak to each other. The "chemistry" between the two romantic leads is really forced; everyone else's quirkiness is similarly trying way too hard. Dillan's sneering internal monologue is absolutely unbearable, and Selena's is just boring. That's their dynamic summed up, really. That's the entire book: Dillan is obnoxious, Selena just kind of exists. Without a plot, what you're looking at is a 200-page-long character study, but the thing is, in order for that to be interesting, you need interesting, relateable characters.

I feel the need to bring this up since none of the other low-rated reviews I read did, but: Dillan's uncle's really severe physical abuse bothered me. It's portrayed as being totally fine because Dillan is a big badass with ultra cool magical self-healing abilities anyway, and because Dillan is a huge whiny bratty baby who you do kind of want to punch in the face, but that doesn't make the level of physical violence Rainer subjects Dillan to for such crimes as "rolling his eyes" and "being mildly sassy" at all okay, and I resent this book and its author for not addressing this in any way. Look, I wanted to slap Dillan upside the head and break his middle finger too, but those are urges I would never act on with a real person because that would make me fucking insane, but especially not if I were an adult legally in charge of their care, because THAT'S ABUSE. It was disgusting to read and made me so angry I wanted to throw my Kindle across the room.

I'll leave you with a collection of dumb quotes I highlighted.

* "His eyes, the colour of black coffee..." So... black?
* "The teachers ignored the collective gasp when a tall boy walked in..." ... "Scowling at her blatant objectification, he said through gritted teeth..." ... "But the girls. Jesus. An entire succubus population in one school? They made him feel like fresh meat ready for the taking." ... "The woman let out a hum of appreciation. Dillan's stomach dropped. Jesus. Did all women in Newcastle hunt?"
* "aquamarine... who the hell has aqua eyes anyway?" Young adult protagonists.
* "Below the OPEN sign, a white bond paper was taped. It read: 'Help Wanted. Inquire Inside.' Of coures the newly opened bookstore would need some sort of help. How Penny knew this place needed help was like magic." I... is this sarcasm? I genuinely cannot tell.
* "Your freckles are clouding your judgment."
* "This would be the point where the audience would scream at me to run back to the house. But, like in horror movies, the heroine — i.e. me — moved to investigate."
* "I sidestepped and raised the stick above my head, yelling 'Yah.'"
* "He rolled his eyes at that. Humans and their fixation on Hollywood monsters. 'There's no such thing as zombies.'" I BEG TO FUCKIN DIFFER YOU JUST KILLED HALF A DOZEN OF THEM AND GIVING THEM ANOTHER DUMBER NAME DOESN'T MAKE THEM NOT ZOMBIES. Also, Our Monsters Are Different!
* "Only those with Illumenari blood could touch Illumenari weapons." Well those are probably very ineffective weapons then.
* The entire scene where he reads the most cliche Robert Frost poem in the world to a cat out loud in a library for like no reason.
* "If you keep it in your pants long enough to let me explain, you will understand." — ok it's hard to understand why this is dumb without context but basically I don't think 'keep it in your pants' means what this author thinks it means.
* "She scowled. He liked it when she scowled. [...] She was too cute when pissed." Ah yes, female anger portrayed as ADORABLE because it's non-threatening because WOMEN ARE SO WEAK AND FRAGILE HEE HEE.
* "I need to suck out the poison." NO YOU DO NOT BECAUSE THAT DOESN'T WORK AND ONLY MAKES IT WORSE. 'Sucking out the poison' only SEEMS to help victims of snake bites because most victims of snake bites recover on their own anyway. The bacteria in your mouth will potentially give them a nasty infection, or you're going to transfer the poison TO YOU or otherwise aggravate the wound and the poison by sucking on the flesh around it.
* "Who knew blue eyes could have so many shades?" Young adult authors.
* "Dillan didn't just kiss. He slow danced."
* "After hours of listening to Dillan and Mr. Sloan bicker about why two seemingly unrelated supernatural creatures stalked me and how I should stay home for the next couple of days..." Good idea. Don't bother writing out useful and potentially interesting information. Just skip it and get right back to the boring stuff.
* "'Why are you doing this?' 'The Maestro wants you.' 'What about the dogs?' 'A diversion...'"

FINE. COOL. IT'S NOT LIKE THAT'S THE ONLY PART OF THE ~MYSTERY~ I FOUND VAGUELY INTERESTING AT ALL. MAKE IT TOTALLY POINTLESS. SURE.
* "Dillan gulped a lungful of air, closely followed by coughing that sucked balls." Sucking balls is maybe not the activity you want to use metaphorically after talking all about your character doing other things with their mouth.
* "Ironic really. The night he'd be facing down hordes of puppets would be the brightest night of the year." Ugh.

[Violet Stone · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was not great

RTC

[Adriana · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are so many elements of this book that could have gone wrong. I don't know whether I was in the right mood at the right time or if this book was given to me at the exact moment I needed it, just the same everything came together wonderfully into a magically, mysterious, amazingness of a story.

Selena can see the future. But, she couldn't have possibly foreseen the troublesome, cocky yet sweet Dillan come storming into her life. The very moment they meet their connection with each other is electrifying - literally. Dillan doesn't know what to make of this inexplicable connection he has with Selena. Is she human or something else? How can her touch cause such a reaction? All he knows is that she's trouble and he needs to stay far away yet he can't seem to go anywhere without bumping into her or a moment without thinking about her.

Selena does NOT like Dillan. He stares at her like there is something wrong with her; like he hates everything she is. She won't be fooled by his bad boy charm. She has enough on her plate when she starts seeing her own bloody death. Knowing that inevitably all her premonitions come true, Selena becomes desperate. She would never have thought weeks ago that she would need the help of Dillan who she finds out is very different than the typical teenage boy.

"She scowled. He liked it when she scowled. Maybe a little too much, because her nose scrunched up and the tops of her cheeks tinted pink. She clutched the handle of the feather duster so hard its feathers quivered. Her lips contorted. Whatever promises he'd made himself about avoiding her went unfulfilled. Something about her always pulled him in. Why fight it?"

I completely fell for Dillan and Selena. I know in general people might pick at a couple of things they didn't like about this book however, when it came to Til Death everything worked for me. I didn't mind the bad boy image Dillan portrayed because he actually has a heart unlike some other characters I've come across. His and Selena's relationship becomes impossibly adorable. I couldn't deny that I liked this story even if it showed signs of being too... teenagery. They were always denying the feelings they had for each other that were clearly there. Their bickering and annoyance with each other was so darn cute that I couldn't help for fall for them both.

Selena has some fight in her. When she needs to she tries to handle her problems and doesn't want protection from anyone. I really respect a heroine who takes charge of her life. She has this big secret of being able to see her future. You would think it would come in handy but she can never change her fate. What she sees will happen one way or another. She has this soft spot in her that makes it so she can't help being nice. So she has this tough and sweet side to her which can be the said for Dillan too.

At the beginning Dillian could be pretty vulgar. I felt like he was being overly sold as a guy. He settles down pretty soon after he encounters Selena. He has this mysterious back story that haunts him. He is very different in that he is part of the Illumenari, a secret organization that deals with supernatural beings. There are some weird things happening in the small town of Newcastle and he is eager to investigate. He's been demoted in the organization so he's not exactly supposed to be investigating the disappearances in the town. The way the hierarchy is explained sounds like something that came out of a video game. I don't completely understand how your powers are gained or diminished but it's a pretty cool idea.

The mystery surrounding Dillan, the town, and Selena get crazy good. I'm so excited for the next book because there is so much left to explore. This book has such great fantasy, mystery, and romance mixed into the story. With the variety of creatures that come up in this story there is bound to be many more that follow. And that ending? One of the greatest cliffhangers I've ever come across. Til Death might surprise you. It's a very fun, plot-twisting type of story that captured my attention from beginning to end.

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 1/2 Stars


Til Death by the wonderful Kate Evangelista is the first book in a promising new YA series. Magic, ancient warriors, special powers, evil villains and romance all combine to set the stage for this story. Although there are some issues with the story, I think this is a solid beginning and will be looking forward to upcoming books in this series.

Selena Fallon appears to be a normal, high school aged girl. She lives in a very small town in Wyoming and has lived with a secret for her entire life. The only people who know about her secret are her best friends, Kyle and Penny. Although she has dealt with this secret for some time, her experiences with it seem to be increasing. I like that Selena is basically a normal girl in the beginning of this book. She is trying to find a job to make money for college, hanging out with her friends, studying, and she has just broken up with a handsome jock. Her troubles begin while trying to deal with her ex-boyfriend who still wants her.

In walks Dillan Sloan. "Mr. Rock-and-Roll-National-Geographic." Dillan is arrogant and rude when we first meet him. He is also powerful and intelligent. His chiseled good looks draw the attention of everyone in his high school, but Dillan has no use for any of them. That is until he meets and shakes hands with Selena. I liked Dillon's arrogance, but I'm always a sucker for that type of character. You can tell that underneath his tough facade that he's just trying to find his way in his new world and to make the right decisions. Sure, he's a jerk, but an extremely redeemable jerk. Dillan is dealing with his own demons and with some funky things that are happening in the small Wyoming town.

Dillan becomes more and more fascinated with Selena, mostly because of the charge he feels when he is around her. While working on a school project, Selena comes into contact with some really bad supernaturals. Dillan becomes more amazed when Selena is able to handle herself and with each passing day, he becomes more and more affectionate towards Selena. Selena is often confused by Dillan's actions and his words, but she would be kidding herself if she said she didn't find him interesting. As they spend more time together, and learn more about one another's backgrounds, they come closer and closer together. One thing I loved about Dillan is his absolute absence of anxiety with Selena. He may be nervous about the evil he chases, but when it comes to Selena and his feelings towards her, he makes no apologies.

One thing that I didn't like about this book was the way it was told. Kate Evangelista is a fantastic writer. I've always enjoyed her writing style. This book, however, fell a little flat for me. It is told in dual points of view, which would normally not be a problem for me. Selena's chapters are told in the first person, yet Dillan's chapters are told in the third person. I would have enjoyed this much more if both points of view were told in the first person. I applaud Kate for taking this risk, but it was difficult for me to jump back in forth. There were instances in Dillan's chapters where the book would read, "He said ....." "He did ...." A few times I had to reread to make sure whom the "he" was; Dillan or another male that he was interacting with.

As much as I enjoy Evangelista's writing style, I thought the plotting of this book, especially in the beginning, was a bit slow. We meet and begin to understand the characters of Selena and Dillan, but I think there was a bit too much of that. This book dragged for me for about the first third, but it definitely picked up after that.

I think this is a good start to a new series. It has an interesting premise and characters that I genuinely like. I will be looking forward to the next book in this series to see how Evangelista expands this world and uses her characters.

[Shelley · Rating 3 out of 5]

*My Thoughts*

*I received this book free from NetGalley/Entangled Teen in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.*

Til Death is the first installment Kate Evangelista's Fractured Souls series. Apparently, After Death (Fractured Souls #2) will be released a year from now, March 3, 2015 by Entangled Teen. Till Death mixes POV's between 16-year old Selena Fallon and 17-year old Dillan Sloan, alternating each chapter. Til Death is a mixture of paranormal aspects, romance, suspense, mystery, and has an interesting supporting cast and setting that is far from boring.

Ever since Selena was left with her grandparents by her parents, she's been having dreams of future events. The dreams pretty much mimic what happens in real life. Her best friends Kyle Hilliard and Penny Collins both know about her secret, but Selena believes they haven't spoken to anyone about it. What Selena doesn't understand, is that EVERYONE, including her best friend Kyle, her grandparents, and her ex-boyfriend Bowen, all have SECRETS of their own that they've been keeping from Selena. Selena's abilities make her valuable, vulnerable, powerful, and open to anyone with nefarious plans to take advantage of. Serena is a character you almost have to respect because of her situation and the fact that everyone treats her with kid gloves even when she refuses to turn away and run away when danger approaches. She becomes aware of a world she had no clue existed until she is exposed by accident and then meets Dillan who changes her entire outlook on life.

Dillan is a character who is angry, arrogant, brooding, extremely rude, destructive, and doesn't really give a fig about the organization that he works for since they've turned their backs on him. Because of a small tactical error on his part during a mission, he's been banished, demoted, and sent to live with his famous uncle Rainer Sloan along with his hellhound partner in crime Sebastian. When Dillan first meets and touches Selena, there is definitely something electric between the two of them which neither can explain. Although there is a whole lot of animosity between the characters at first, the thaw in Dillan's character slowly makes him realize that Selena is someone who is to be protected at all costs and the fact that Selena doesn't exactly take crap from anyone, makes it easier to deal with.

Add Kate Evangelista to the new author to me list. Even though I do have other stories of hers on my Kindle, I haven't found the time to fit them into my busy review/reading schedule that has become almost laughable these days. Her writing style is different from what I am used to, and in this particular copy of Til Death, there were instances of garble that I couldn't read, or understand. Unfortunately, editing errors are a part of receiving Advanced Reading copies. I didn't exactly mind having two different POV's over the course of this story. I think that it actually brought more levity to the story than just one POV. I think we could have also used a POV from Kyle since he plays such an important role in this story.

As with most first novels in a series, there are a bunch of loose ends that need to be tied up. Til Death ends on a whopper of a cliffhanger, and I am seriously unnerved by the fact that we have to wait a full year before the next book comes out! I need to know about the surprise guest who appears, as well as Selena's grandparents and their past with the secret organization along with Dillan's supposedly powerful grandfather who runs the organization that keeps supernaturals in check.

*Recvd 02/10/2014 via NetGalley & Entangled* *Published*: March 4th 2014 by Entangled: Teen

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5 stars

I've heard nothing but great things about Kate Evangelista's paranormal books, so when I saw the review opportunity arise for this one, I thought I'd give it a go! I did enjoy this one, though it is a bit of a slower read. Being the first book in the series, Evangelista does a lot of world building and explaining the idea of the Illumenari, which was critical to the development of the series. By the end I was completely engrossed and anxious to find out what will happen next! It is definitely a bit of a cliffhanger, so beware! I was left wanting more, which is always a plus!

I did have a few issues with the characters in the novel, primarily Dillan. He is angry and bitter over being demoted and having to go live with his uncle and do mundane things such as attending school. However, when he first interacts with Selena, there is definitely something unexplainable (and electric!) between the two. I didn't really understand why Dillan disliked Selena so much in the beginning though and that bothered me a bit. I'm all for animosity between the main characters because it makes their relationship more intense, but I just didn't see the reasoning behind it here. However, Dillan can't seem to shake the draw to Selena, and after being forced to work on a group project, he realizes she's more than meets the eye- he just can't figure out how exactly. I did end up liking Dillan as the book progressed. He is haunted by his past and I was very intrigued by how that would all play out. The ending was insane and it really makes you wonder about Rainer Sloan, his uncle, and where his allegiances truly lie.

I liked Selena's character overall. She's always been different, having visions of the future. Only a select few know she has them, including her best friends Penny and Kyle. Selena is definitely tough and I liked at the first sign of danger she doesn't wimp out. She takes up for herself and refuses to be left behind for her own safety. Too much has been kept from her regarding who she is and what she can do and she is insistent that she be told the truth instead of walking around blind. She doesn't understand why Dillan has so much animosity towards her, but she can't deny the electric charge she feels when she accidentally touches him. Even though I liked Dillan more towards the end, I did have a hard time connecting with them and their relationship.

Kyle was a great character and I loved the twist Evangelista added for him. I never expected his storyline to go where it did and I have to say it worked. All I will say is that the Kyle you think you know- ends up having a more serious side!

I did find myself enjoying this one, despite the slower pace and a few character issues. I think Evangelista did a good job of introducing us to the world she has created as well as providing us a good foundation that she will expand upon in the upcoming books. I am looking forward to seeing how Dillan and Selena will deal with that ending!

*Received a copy of this book via the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.*

[Audrey Wilkerson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know if it was the literal sparks between Selena and Dillan, but the beginning of this novel hiccuped and sputtered like an old car trying to turn over. That can happen when there is a lot of set-up to the story, many explanations so the reader is ready when the action starts. Sometimes, though, it feels like being in sort of a prologue purgatory, and it's here where readers either brave it out or throw in the towel. Sprinkled liberally with a lot of that whole new-guy-at-school-hates-everyone-especially-our-heroine-and-she-has-no-idea-why thing, I almost settled in for an eye-roll-a-thon. I'm glad I soldiered on, because after all that's over, it's an interesting read.

Selena lives with her grandparents in a small town in Wyoming. Her parents died in a hurricane, many years back. She has this little quirk that only her grandparents and two best friends know about: she has the occasional vision, and they always come true. There's a new guy at Newcastle High, and he has all the girls talking. It doesn't help matters that he seems to have already formed his (low) opinion of Selena. And when they shake hands, a powerful shock reverberates between them. What is that all about? So they start their dance, circling around each other, disliking each other intensely one moment and not able to think of anything else all the others.

After make a grave mistake in Turkey, Dillan is sent to stay with his uncle in Wyoming. Humiliated and pissed off, he's just trying to figure out how not to choke his uncle to death in his sleep when he meets Selena. There's something that keeps pulling him toward her, and once his uncle gives him a mission on the down low, he is troubled to see all roads leading to Selena. Since she's not a part of the Illuminati, Dillan has to be careful around her. Which he is finding it increasingly hard to do.

But Selena has some secrets of her own, and they will probably get her killed.

There's a style of writing that is snarky + vulgar slang + teen angst, and it's certainly here. Profanity, for me, has to fit the character, the story, the situation. And sometimes, it seems, in an effort to either appeal to teens or to sound hip and cool, certain words and phrases will be used (see "sucks balls," et al). Sometimes they sound weird and out of place, like they're trying too hard to be "in." There were a few of those times here. And what was up with that sadistic uncle? Hopefully that feature gets dissected in a future volume.

Til Death by Kate Evangelista was published Match 4, 2014 by Entangled Teen. A free copy of this book was given to Ink and Page in return for an honest review. Big thanks to the Author.

Rating: 3

Genre: Young Adult Fiction Fantasy Paranormal Romance Series
Ages: 13 and up

[Kasey · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
I really liked Til Death there were definitely some opportunities, but I think the characters were wonderful, and the plot was definitely great.

I really liked Selena from the beginning. I thought she seemed like a genuine teenager with the mood swings and all. I liked that she didn’t bow down to Dillan’s awesomeness in the beginning, and that she constantly tried to give back the snarky insults. Selena definitely had her secrets, but not from those she cared about the most. It was also nice to see that her group of friends were filled in on her gift and they still protected her for it.

Dillan was an interesting one, and I don’t think I would have liked him nearly so much if we didn’t have his POV. There was more to Dillan than just an arrogant jerk, but from Selena’s perspective you can’t really see that. You get a few glimpses of a nice Dillan, but for the most part he was just a jerk to her up until he realizes she needs protecting. I did like that he was willing to admit he cared about her specifically because she was in danger. I feel like these two could have danced around each other for forever if there hadn’t been more pressing issues.

The one thing I didn’t enjoy was the crypticness for most of the book. A little mystery is fine, but I spent a good portion of time just like ‘Please tell me already!��� There was too much hinting and not enough explaining until the very end of the book. However, Kate Evangelista did a great job of creating characters that I liked, enjoyed, and that were not carbon cutouts of each other.

I would give this book 4 out of 5 stars because it did really suck me in. I didn’t skim at any point, and I desperately wanted to know all the secrets in this little town. The only detraction was the crypticness. I can’t wait to read the second book, and I know we’re in for major surprises!
*This review was first posted to Moonlight Gleam Reviews http://moonlightgleam.com/2014/03/til...*

[Maryam · Rating 2 out of 5]

Full review up on the blog: http://gloriousbooks.blogspot.co.uk/2...

Selena Fallon has visions. And not particularly nice ones at that. Seems like a lot of pressure to keep that big of a secret right? It gets even worse when Dillan Sloan gets transferred to Selena's school. Til Death follows Selena's battle to not only get the answers to the questions that have been plaguing her mind and the meanings behind her terrifying dreams, but to find out what on earth Dillan's problem is...



I don't know about Dillan but my problem right now is that I'm having a hard time getting my thoughts about this book out of my head and down into a review. I pretty much found this book to be an okay read. It had its moments, but that was it. One of the better parts of this read that come to mind is at the beginning of the book where Dillan is pretty much unbearable. I liked the way he interacted with Selena when he was confused or frustrated with the on and off feelings of guilt and the like.



To be honest, that's where it ended for me. I was actually only a few chapters into the book when I realised I wouldn't get on with it. Mostly for one reason which was predictability. I'm not exaggerating when I say I saw every single thing coming. I guessed which characters were the villain-type and what would happen at the end. I only found myself finishing the book just to find out if I could possibly be right.



If you're into original stories then I definitely wouldn't recommend this one. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't a particularly bad read, I just have all the problems I had with it roaming around in my mind for me to be able to focus on what was some of its good points. It weighed far too much on the 'bad' side of the scale for me.

[Angie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I received an ARC through NetGalley.

Usually, my one-star reviews are really long and detailed, but with Til Death, I don't have much to say. This book just never held my interest, so I'd forget most of what I read as soon as I sat it down. There's nothing new here and nothing that grabbed me and made me want to keep reading.

Til Death started off badly for me as soon as the narration alternated between third and first person. I hate this narrative style. It takes me forever to settle in, if I ever do, and with this I never did. I am just not meant to read books narrated this way, since I'm pulled out of the story at every POV switch. Short chapters meant lots of switching.

The world building was lacking. We're given terms for things, but no explanation. What the heck is an Illumenari? What about the different branches: Legacy, Counsel, Mercenary, Seer, etc? I have no clue! Well, Seers can see the future, but that's about it. The plot also doesn't kick in until the end. Dillan was sent to investigate dead dogs, but that's barely mentioned since he spends most of his time brooding and scowling at Selena. Selena is wanted by some evil person known as Maestro. Why? I don't know.

Til Death was just boring. Nothing happens, and when something does happen, I don't care because I haven't been given a reason to care. And I didn't even know what was suppose to be going on, since nothing is explained that well. The romance is the typical new, broody guy and the beautiful, special girl who thinks she's ugly. They hate each other but make out anyway because of some cosmic connection....and yeah. That's basically it.

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.

[Jenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

The ending was such a KILLERRRR!

Okay. so I have my proper review on my blog, as part of the blog tour for Til Death By Kate Evangelista. Check it out here: http://www.coffeebooksandme.com/2014/...

some part of my review:

I absolutely love YA paranormal books and I adored Kate’s book ‘TAste”, that’s why I was a bit squeamish reading and reviewing her latest book, Til Death. I always feel that way whenever I had a good experience with one of an author’s book and I’m about to read their next book or another book of theirs. Some books are good, some are not. But fear not! for I thoroughly enjoyed TIL DEATH.

TIL DEATH has everything I enjoy in a YA paranormal book: good story, established “paranormal” background, very thrilling sequences, not to mention swoon worthy characters and scenes. Written alternately between Dillan and Selena’s POV, this book is so well written (except for the minor misspells we can find in ARCs, but hey no worry! the finished book is surely spelled proof!) and I mean the pacing is just right.

....

I swear I straightaway continued reading this book, only stopped by my conscience when I really do have to stop and study for a while, then on to read again! It has that “unputdownable” book quality. So if you’re a fan of YA paranormals and just a good read book, I recommend this book. :)

[Allyson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just so y'all know: when I read the last line I screamed my angry scream and threw the book across the room...to which my cousin looked up with a "someone's mad, aren't they?" look, complete with raised eyebrows and a smile. Then I continued to vent to her for about five minutes (without giving away too much of the plot, of course). Then I had her look up the publishing date for the next book, which happens to be 2015. **2015** PEOPLE!!!!! Way to make it a cliff hanger, Kate Evangelista!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Just so you know, I don't like you right now. And I thought **I** was a suspenseful writer...

The story is good (until that last page); although Dillan has quite the language. It took a while for me to get used to Selena's first person point of view and Dillan's third person one...which was a bit annoying at first.

Anyway, I wouldn't read this book until the next one comes out.

[Lex · Rating 4 out of 5]

NG and EW are sooooo nice to me this year. Thanks Entangled Publishing, LLC for the ARC! :)

I quite liked it but it somehow lacks something I can't tell. I loved Evangelista's Taste so I was kinda expecting something more and expecting that I would love and gush all around when I read it.. But compared to Taste, it's just 4 stars to it's 5 stars.

The idea is good, it's just that... you know how all the writers are making the girl the only one who doesn't know something is going on? It's like that. I mean, I want to see that she could protect herself. I want her to investigate it herself. But I feel like she's kind of a damsel-in-distress in the book. So yeah, I enjoyed reading it but not so much like Evangelista's other book.

[Sam · Rating 3 out of 5]

I made a cover remake of Ms. Kate Evangelista's Til Death.

[Francine Soleil · Rating 4 out of 5]

ugh! cliffhanger!! the kind that makes you scream bloody murder for the next book because you so badly need it! this is definitely a series I would love to follow.

[Catastrophe Queen · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a typical YA book.

[Adrienne · Rating 1 out of 5]

COULD. NOT. FOR THE LIFE OF ME. FINISH. THIS. IDIOCY.

[Ushna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Supernaturally disappointing . Romantically satisfying. Chick lit fodder

[Alma Jean Jimenez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Too bad that this supposed to be series ended.

[Dianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Also posted at Oops! I Read A Book Again*

Thank you to Heather of Entangled Publishing, Kate Evangelista and Precious of Pinoy Book Tours for the review copy! This in no way affected my views of the novel.

I don't read urban fantasy. Heck, I even stay away from fantasy and paranormal and if sci-fi is considered fantasy, then that's the only thing I read. So it's a testament of my love for Kate Evangelista (yay Filipino authors!) that I read her books and for that, her books are the only urban fantasy/paranormal I ever read. And TIL DEATH made me rethink why I've been dodging urban fantasy for so long. What have I been thinking??

Let's air out a common gripe I read in the reviews that went up before mine. TIL DEATH is written in alternating perspectives of Selena and Dillan. I KNOW, that gave me a crazy twitchy grin when I was reading. However, while Selena's is written in the first person POV, Dillan's was written in a third person POV. I know a lot of people out there were bothered by it and I admit I was kind of lost for a moment when I realized it. Some people were never able to look past it but I'm telling you, look past it. You'll get used to it and it would be a shame to be hindered from enjoying this novel just because of that. Now, I don't know why Kate decided to write in different type of POVs and I'm not completely behind it as well but I honestly don't care at this point. Haha!

With that said, I can now get on the spazzing and obsessing. OH YOU KATE. Since infatuation kills my concentration and coherence, I will grace you with a list review!

Four Reasons Why (Dillan Sloan Rocks Even If He's Not A Rock Star) You Must Read TIL DEATH

1. World-building. Good lawd. Just from the first chapter, I was hooked. I salivated from the curiosity of unraveling this whole world and set-up Kate has crafted for this book. Since I'm no urban fantasy/paranormal reader, I don't know if these 'creatures' are even fresh but to me, it is definitely refreshing and unique. If you know me, the only vampire and werewolf I allow in my life are The Vampire Diaries, The Originals and Teen Wolf. So when the fantastical in here involved not those two supernatural creatures and what Kate called the Illumenari, or the guys who go against those who bump in the night, I was sold. Immediately sold like Taylor Swift concert tickets. (Ha! I couldn't resist that.) I can't wait to get to know more of this world!

2. Plot. Then you give more oomph to that wonderful premise with a plot that has depth and twists and turns and you get yourself a highly engrossing novel. Not only was the book engaging, it had that quality where you just go deeper and deeper into the hole until you can't get out of reading it. Props to Kate. More like, a jumping-Dianne-holding-a-banner-while-squealing to Kate. I can't wait to unravel all the secrets and nuances of this story!

3. Characters. Selena. Dillan. Kyle. Penny. Rainer. SEBASTIAN the hellhound. Bowen. Grams. Gramps. I love everyone! While the characterizations are not ground-breakingly fresh or unique, I couldn't quite care because the characters formed an ensemble. Their interactions and personalities just jived together, making me higly enjoy this book. I can't wait to read about them more!

4. Romance. I've always had a thing for antagonistic and bickering and bantering romances so this definitely tickled me. While I'm usually not in for fireworks-and-in-this-case-Pop-Rocks-when-we-kiss type of pairings, I just couldn't roll my eyes with Selena and Dillan. They're just too cute when they're pissing off each other but you can definitely sense and feel their attraction and how right they are so right for each other. Gah, TIL DEATH got me going back to being a hormonal, hearts-in-her-eyes teenager. I can't help it but I felt like such a girl with this book. I can't wait to read more of Selena and Dillan's love story!

So what's "I can't wait to get to know more of this world!" + "I can't wait to unravel all the secrets and nuances of this story!" + "I can't wait to read about them more!" + "I can't wait to read more of Selena and Dillan's love story!" equal to? Of course it's I CAN'T WAIT TO READ AFTER DEATH!!

[Sharrice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy crap on a cracker that was AWESOME and so EPIC!!!

I received an ARC of Til Death for an honest review.

Holy smokes Til Death was A-FREAKING-MAZING!!! Even if I could see the future the awesomeness that is this book still would have surprised me!

Selena can see the future, and recently she saw her death. Now there’s a new boy in town and every time they touch there’s an electrical charge that passes between them. Selena’s friends seem to be keeping things from her and the only person who seems to know anything about the beast with red eyes and the creepy feelings she keeps having in a boy she hates and maybe kind of likes, Dillian.

Dillian has been sent away, stripped of his rank for failing in his duty the way no other member of the Illumenari have before. Living with his Uncle Rainer is nothing short of torture literally. Now Dillian has to attend high school which to him facing down a bunch of Banshees seems more appealing, until his eyes land on Selena.

Now both of them struggle with their secrets and their mutual “dislike” for one another.

Oh boy how I loved! Loved! LOVED just how much of a twist I got from Selena and Dillian’s relationship. I thought it was going to be am insta attraction equaling an insta love, but nope. Instead I got a sort of Kat and Daemon relationship from Obsidian. Selena and Dillian constantly bicker and go toe-to-toe with one another and that rocked. So much better than insta-love. I mean their relationship had that spark (in more than one way) but I loved how they didn’t fall for each other right away. And when they finally did get together the rest of the story didn’t fade to the back. Their relationship kind of took a back seat to what was going on and I liked that a lot too!

Selena is one of those characters I just instantly liked. She’s strong, stands up for what she believes in, and can stand up for herself. She does have a vulnerability to her that really drives people to want to protect and care for her. Even when she has the visions of her own death and scary things she can’t explain happening to her she stays strong and true to the people she cares about.

Dillian is yummy in a way I feel only ya boys can be. Honestly the dark and dangerous boy who fights to keep the human populous safe while also having a soft side? Gotta love that! I love love loved Dillians’ reaction to Selena time and time again. How drawn to her he was while also being a tad cruel to her just to get certain reactions out of her was hilarious and adorable. I also loved how honorable Dillian was. Even though he’d been kicked out of his “job”, exiled and shunned he never once thought of protecting Selena as a job or as a way to get back into good graces with his family. Definitely book boyfriend material.

Til Death is full of mystery, darkness, and surprises at every turn I couldn’t put it down. Honest. I read Til Death in one sitting. The cast of characters, the evil menacing creatures, the dead bodies, the undead the list can go on and on.

So many hilarious tear worthy, and action packed scenes in one book should be illegal. Til Death is the perfect embodiment of the young adult genre. I loved the writing, the story, and the characters even after reading the last page. I can’t wait for book two and I know I will be reading Kate Evangelista’s works from here on out.

Is it bad that while I LOVED all the characters I have a huge mega love for Sebastion?

Teaser:
“Put me down!”
“Stop squirming, or I’ll knock you out.”
Insulted, I said, “You wouldn’t.”
He grinned like the devil. “If it means I can carry you in peace, then I will. Bad enough that you’re the human socket.”
“I so am not. Maybe you’re the one who’s been electrocuting me this whole time.”
“That’s not the issue right now. All I’m saying is it helps sell the lie better if you’re unconscious. So if you don’t shut up…”