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Raven
Deeply in love with Zin and unable to understand the cold distance he constantly keeps from her, Nicole finally uncovers his dark secret--becoming ever more determined to stand by him and help him the only way she knows how.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published February 10, 2009
37 people are currently reading
4146 people want to read
About the author
Allison van Diepen
10 books952 followersAllison van Diepen is the author of many teen novels, including Takedown, Street Pharm, Snitch, Raven, The Oracle of Dating, The Oracle Rebounds, and The Vampire Stalker. Her novels have been named ALA Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers and New York City Public Library Books for the Teen Age.
Her latest is the heart-pounding ON THE EDGE series set in Miami. ON THE EDGE and LIGHT OF DAY are in stores now. The final installment is RUN THE RISK, due out in early 2017.
Her latest is the heart-pounding ON THE EDGE series set in Miami. ON THE EDGE and LIGHT OF DAY are in stores now. The final installment is RUN THE RISK, due out in early 2017.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 314 reviews
January 29, 2009
I just finished this boook and was pleasantly surprised. The one problem I had with the book was the breakdancing lingo. I had no idea what any of it meant. I think if there had been a glossary in the back it would have made the book better for me. I loved the style of writing and the paranormal aspect of it. I didn't think the ending was predictable and was happy with how it concluded.
March 3, 2010
Wish I could give the darn thing 2 and 1/2 stars.
Plot - Nic is a HS girl and part of a break dancing troupe. She works at a bar on weekends where her sort-of boyfriend works. He's a little older but a great dancer and a little mysterious. He doesn't mind that all the other members of his dance group are in HS and he's not. Nic has a "ghost" (which I thought had potential until we are told that it's not really a ghost just that's how she thinks of her drug addict brother who moved out but still sucks mom and dad dry). Turns out Zin is one of a group of immortals, lead by Carlo. And the immortals are Jiang Shi. Carlo had a vision that Nic will lead the Jiang Shi to a new existence and wants her to become one of them. And there are hunters after the Jiang Shi.
It had a few things going for it - it was a really quick read. As in, took me about 3 hours to read. The star-crossedness isn't the primary focus of the relationship between Nicole (aka Raven) and Zin. It's a unique take on the immortality "thing" that is goin' on in all these YA novels. And the end was fairly satisfying. There are a few loose ends, but if there's never a sequel (or if there is and I don't feel like bothering), it won't be nagging me the way I feel nagged when ever I catch a re-run of the tv show Las Vegas (remember that one?) because it ended on such a cliff hanger. Maybe a bad example, but it certainly demonstrated my point.
The bad things - well, a few of them were really pretty bad. The writing didn't have much emotion to it at all. The narration was very cold and choppy. I felt like I was reading one of those Dick and Jane books that they used to print to teach kids how to read ("I got out of bed. I ate breakfast. I got dressed for school.") And the relationship between Nic and Zin had so much potential but they really didn't spend enough page time together to feel like there was anything between them. Except we were told about 5 times that Nic loved him the moment she saw him and he was dancing at the time. That's not exactly depth to their relationship. Then there was the break dancing lingo. It was worse in the beginning then later and I found myself skipping paragraphs because I don't know the moves and their names and it felt like a waste of pen space.
As for the mythology - it was almost as if the writer heard of these types of people but did no research. Heck, she could have made up the mythology for all I care, but it was so superficial the way it was dealt with. I would have loved to have felt like there was more conflict - so that the end felt more satisfying. Even the stuff with Nic's brother was almost too easy and there was no real emotion in the story. The who Jiang Shi story just sort of fizzled out. The whole book and the immortality story line felt rushed. The book was less then 300 pages, big type and big line spacing. A little more to the story, both the love story between Nic and Zin as well as the mythology and the resolution to it, could have easily turned this into a 4 star book.
Plot - Nic is a HS girl and part of a break dancing troupe. She works at a bar on weekends where her sort-of boyfriend works. He's a little older but a great dancer and a little mysterious. He doesn't mind that all the other members of his dance group are in HS and he's not. Nic has a "ghost" (which I thought had potential until we are told that it's not really a ghost just that's how she thinks of her drug addict brother who moved out but still sucks mom and dad dry). Turns out Zin is one of a group of immortals, lead by Carlo. And the immortals are Jiang Shi. Carlo had a vision that Nic will lead the Jiang Shi to a new existence and wants her to become one of them. And there are hunters after the Jiang Shi.
It had a few things going for it - it was a really quick read. As in, took me about 3 hours to read. The star-crossedness isn't the primary focus of the relationship between Nicole (aka Raven) and Zin. It's a unique take on the immortality "thing" that is goin' on in all these YA novels. And the end was fairly satisfying. There are a few loose ends, but if there's never a sequel (or if there is and I don't feel like bothering), it won't be nagging me the way I feel nagged when ever I catch a re-run of the tv show Las Vegas (remember that one?) because it ended on such a cliff hanger. Maybe a bad example, but it certainly demonstrated my point.
The bad things - well, a few of them were really pretty bad. The writing didn't have much emotion to it at all. The narration was very cold and choppy. I felt like I was reading one of those Dick and Jane books that they used to print to teach kids how to read ("I got out of bed. I ate breakfast. I got dressed for school.") And the relationship between Nic and Zin had so much potential but they really didn't spend enough page time together to feel like there was anything between them. Except we were told about 5 times that Nic loved him the moment she saw him and he was dancing at the time. That's not exactly depth to their relationship. Then there was the break dancing lingo. It was worse in the beginning then later and I found myself skipping paragraphs because I don't know the moves and their names and it felt like a waste of pen space.
As for the mythology - it was almost as if the writer heard of these types of people but did no research. Heck, she could have made up the mythology for all I care, but it was so superficial the way it was dealt with. I would have loved to have felt like there was more conflict - so that the end felt more satisfying. Even the stuff with Nic's brother was almost too easy and there was no real emotion in the story. The who Jiang Shi story just sort of fizzled out. The whole book and the immortality story line felt rushed. The book was less then 300 pages, big type and big line spacing. A little more to the story, both the love story between Nic and Zin as well as the mythology and the resolution to it, could have easily turned this into a 4 star book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 22, 2009
Raven is extremely easy to read, utterly captivating and very hard to put down. I wasn’t really sure what to expect, but I enjoyed what van Diepen had up her sleeve!
I really loved the balance between fantasy, love, and this sort of hip urban feel. The relationship between Zin and Nic was intense, I appreciated the fact that they weren’t afraid to share their deepest, darkest secrets with each other, and I loved how their relationship grew. And not in a superficial lust way.
Some of the characters fell a little flat for me. The night club group, were by far the most intriguing, I really enjoyed learning about their history and wished it had been further divulged.
I had no idea what was going on during the dance battle scenes. The lingo meant absolutely nothing to me. I think a glossary to better explain the terms might have been a good idea. I knew enough from pop culture about what was happening, I just wasn’t able to distinguish the type of dance move that was being portrayed, but I didn’t feel like it took away from the story itself.
The ending seemed really rushed for me, but overall Raven was a captivating, and enjoyable read. I recommend it for fantasy/romance fans.
I really loved the balance between fantasy, love, and this sort of hip urban feel. The relationship between Zin and Nic was intense, I appreciated the fact that they weren’t afraid to share their deepest, darkest secrets with each other, and I loved how their relationship grew. And not in a superficial lust way.
Some of the characters fell a little flat for me. The night club group, were by far the most intriguing, I really enjoyed learning about their history and wished it had been further divulged.
I had no idea what was going on during the dance battle scenes. The lingo meant absolutely nothing to me. I think a glossary to better explain the terms might have been a good idea. I knew enough from pop culture about what was happening, I just wasn’t able to distinguish the type of dance move that was being portrayed, but I didn’t feel like it took away from the story itself.
The ending seemed really rushed for me, but overall Raven was a captivating, and enjoyable read. I recommend it for fantasy/romance fans.
November 9, 2012
Reviewed by Rebecca Wells for TeensReadToo.com
Nicole has a life blighted by her brother, a meth addict who routinely calls home for money her parents can't refuse him. She just wants to get out. Her only respite comes in the form of Evermore, a bar in Manhattan where she can indulge her two loves: breaking, and Zin, a charismatic bartender.
Nicole just wants to be with Zin, but little does she know there is a dark secret he hides. When she uncovers it, will Nicole's love for Zin survive? And when a dark force connected to Zin begins to threaten her, what will she choose?
RAVEN is an engaging, fast-paced read. The voice of the narrator, Nicole, is sharp and clear. Readers will be drawn into this fascinating new world of breaking, but for newcomers to the dance, it will be at times difficult to understand and visualize.
For me, the climax of RAVEN came far too abruptly. The book seemed to be building toward an ending that never came, and that which finally did appear seemed out of the blue.
Still, RAVEN remains an engaging read regardless of this inconsistency in plot construction, mostly due to the captivating voice that narrates the book. Van Diepen is to be congratulated for her excellent imagination and tone.
Nicole has a life blighted by her brother, a meth addict who routinely calls home for money her parents can't refuse him. She just wants to get out. Her only respite comes in the form of Evermore, a bar in Manhattan where she can indulge her two loves: breaking, and Zin, a charismatic bartender.
Nicole just wants to be with Zin, but little does she know there is a dark secret he hides. When she uncovers it, will Nicole's love for Zin survive? And when a dark force connected to Zin begins to threaten her, what will she choose?
RAVEN is an engaging, fast-paced read. The voice of the narrator, Nicole, is sharp and clear. Readers will be drawn into this fascinating new world of breaking, but for newcomers to the dance, it will be at times difficult to understand and visualize.
For me, the climax of RAVEN came far too abruptly. The book seemed to be building toward an ending that never came, and that which finally did appear seemed out of the blue.
Still, RAVEN remains an engaging read regardless of this inconsistency in plot construction, mostly due to the captivating voice that narrates the book. Van Diepen is to be congratulated for her excellent imagination and tone.
May 27, 2015
This book is different from the past three book that i read that were also all from the same author. This book is involves some action, mystery and romance which is about a teenage girl who start working in a bar or a club. She falls in love with a boy name Zeik who he love to do dance battle. The girl joins his group of dancer and she is really good at it which she later also join in dance fight. later she is followed by a hitman who was hired to kill her but Zeik saves her with some supernatural power that he shows. she later finds out that he is a is immortal and that he has live for about two hundred year . she also find out that there are other people like him who work in the same club, they accept her into their group and told her what they done and when they become an immortal. Most of them share their deepest secrets with her. She is in love with zeki but the only problem is that she is a mortal and he is immortal. her brother who is a junkie later falls in a coma and her families visit him in the hospital. Later the wiser who can turn people into martals visits her brother and turns him into an immortal. she is so happy that she thanks him but what she doesn't know is that there is a group of people who have been hunting immortal for centuries finally find them again after two centuries. Its just one of the hunter who has a good heart and give all of them a once in a lifetime choice where she will return them to normal if they accept her offer. Half of them accepted the other Half fled including her brother. The ending is sad and its better if you read the book for your self.
September 13, 2009
Nicole has been in love with Zin since the first time she saw him dance. There is something about him that pulls her deeper and deeper into his soul. It's in the way he moves, the way he talks and the way he can be everything without saying anything at all. He is the one who makes her feel safe and normal when her life is anything but. When her addict brother causes trouble, Zin eases her pain. He has even inspired her to do some dancing of her own. As close as they are, they have only been friends. This is fine with Nicole because she needs to be near him and it is obvious that Zin needs to be near her. Zin believes in Nicole. Nicole loves Zin.
Sometimes, things that seem too good to be true, truly are. There has always been something that keeps Zin from completely giving himself to Nicole. When she gets a job in the nightclub where Zin works, she will learn that there is a dark secret that binds the other employees together. Nicole will find out about Zin's past and discover that it goes back much farther than she expected. The burden of this secret is dangerous but it brings them together. They will have to decide if their love and passion are more important than the consequences of eternity or if maybe, they are one and the same.
Raven is one of those books that you don't quite know what to expect from, but it will leave you breathless. The story is dark, mesmerizing, mystical and romantic. You will feel an attachment to each character, no matter how small a part they play. This is one book I will remember, evermore.
Sometimes, things that seem too good to be true, truly are. There has always been something that keeps Zin from completely giving himself to Nicole. When she gets a job in the nightclub where Zin works, she will learn that there is a dark secret that binds the other employees together. Nicole will find out about Zin's past and discover that it goes back much farther than she expected. The burden of this secret is dangerous but it brings them together. They will have to decide if their love and passion are more important than the consequences of eternity or if maybe, they are one and the same.
Raven is one of those books that you don't quite know what to expect from, but it will leave you breathless. The story is dark, mesmerizing, mystical and romantic. You will feel an attachment to each character, no matter how small a part they play. This is one book I will remember, evermore.
March 7, 2009
This book really surprised me. Allison van Diepen's writing reminded me a little of Lisa McMann's in Wake/Fade -- conveying alot with few words. Most scenes are relatively brief and the action moves quickly. I was engaged in the plot, wanting to know all about this breed of immortals. There was unexpected twist at the end that I appreciated because it differed from the typical outcomes of mortal/immortal pairings.
Nicole and Zin are very much in love with each other from the beginning of the story. However, they are each hiding these feelings and operating as "friends". This creates some nice tension between them as each look and inadvertent touch is so much more meaningful. Since Nicole is the narrator you know of her longing for Zin from the very beginning. While you suspect Zin's feelings for her, they get revealed much slower throughout the story. There was a series of events that, each time they got closer to crossing the line from friendship into romance, they took a painful step backward. As I mentioned above, the writing tended to be a bit sparse so I wasn't always sure of the depth of their feelings for each other. Ultimately, it was their actions and choices that revealed this. Theirs is a soulmate kind of love.
This is the first book I read of Allison van Diepen and I loved it. I am going to read her earlier books Street Pharm and Snitch soon.
Nicole and Zin are very much in love with each other from the beginning of the story. However, they are each hiding these feelings and operating as "friends". This creates some nice tension between them as each look and inadvertent touch is so much more meaningful. Since Nicole is the narrator you know of her longing for Zin from the very beginning. While you suspect Zin's feelings for her, they get revealed much slower throughout the story. There was a series of events that, each time they got closer to crossing the line from friendship into romance, they took a painful step backward. As I mentioned above, the writing tended to be a bit sparse so I wasn't always sure of the depth of their feelings for each other. Ultimately, it was their actions and choices that revealed this. Theirs is a soulmate kind of love.
This is the first book I read of Allison van Diepen and I loved it. I am going to read her earlier books Street Pharm and Snitch soon.
January 27, 2021
Światło duszy, dar śmiertelności nad nieśmiertelność, Jiang Shi i bardzo stary sekret- opowieść o zmianach, jakie przyniosły krucze skrzydła
Usłyszeć od wieków można, że oczy są zwierciadłem duszy.
W Nowym Yorku kolejki ustawiają się pod nocnym klubem Evermore. Po niszczycielskim płomieniach pożaru dziś w sanktuarium zostały tylko przydymione szyby witraży, tworząc niepowtarzalny klimat tego miejsca tonącego w czerni i fioletach. To tam o północy na parkiecie odbywają się pojedynki w rytmie breakdance. Tutaj pracuje też Nic i to właśnie w Evermore odnalazła swoje miejsce, nie tylko w tańcu, który daje zapomnienie, ale i w oczach przez które ujrzała jaśniejące światło duszy.
Kiedy Zin tańczy, jego dusza jaśnieje, a Nic czuje, że jej własna dusza wyrywa się mu na spotkanie. Są bliskimi przyjaciółmi, często rozmawiają o wszystkim od nowych układów tanecznych dla grupy po rodzinne prywatne sprawy. Treningi, czas pracy obojga w Evermore, rozmowy telefoniczne i czas spędzony po pracy u Zina w mieszkaniu. Choć są blisko, kiedy Zin nieustannie nie pozwala tej znajomości rozwinąć się dalej, Nic w zrozumiały sposób zaczyna czuć się oszukana. Jednak to tylko Zin sprawia, że Nic mniej odczuwa ciężar, który nosi nieustannie w sercu.
Dziewczyna ma bowiem starszego brata, którego nazywa "duch", gdyż tak samo nawiedza rodzinę rzucając cień na jej spokój i szczęście jak widmo człowieka, którym się stał przez nałóg narkotykowy.
Czy możliwie jest jednak, że przez oczy spogląda na nas więcej niż jedna dusza, niczym skryta prawda w olśniewającym blasku, który uniemożliwia jej ujrzenie ?
To historia o Jiang Shi, grupy ludzi, którzy mogli dostrzec dusze każdego i gotowi byli użyć ich umiejętności leczenia by zatrzymać dar jakim jest życie jak najdłużej.
To też historia jednego z nich, który poszukując lekarstwa dla chorej siostry, dotarł przed setkami lat aż do odległej prowincji Chin. To miejsce, gdzie zaczyna się większość legend jak i ta opowieść o Jiang Shi.
Tam rozpoczyna się bardzo stary sekret, że by ocalić dar nieśmiertelności trzeba wchłonąć i uwięzić wewnątrz siebie inne dusze, gdy te znajdują się na granicy opuszczenia doczesnego świata.
Opowieść o wyborze kiedy to trzeba zaakceptować cenę za ciemność i olśniewające światło skrywające inne dusze oraz siłę z jaką buntują się i walczą lub zdecydować się znaleźć lekarstwo na nieśmiertelność by ocalić życie i miłość.
"Raven" posiada idealne i właściwe zakończenie jakim powinny się cechować powieści z podobnym wątkiem paranormalnym. Jakże kuszą jest wizja nieśmiertelności przy boku kochającej osoby i ilu już bohaterów znanych powieści jej uległo? Móc zaczekać kolejne tysiąclecie by zobaczyć na własne oczy, jakim stał się świat, kiedy możliwe będą podróże międzyplanetarne. Móc dać sobie więcej czasu na wszystko. Przemierzać świat i dostrzec jego piękno.
Przemienieni niegdyś ludzie, dziś Jiang Shi, choć potrafią przechwycić ludzkie dusze, nie dostają tej samej odpowiedzi co śmiertelnicy. Targani wątpliwościami dotyczącymi istnienia zaświatów albo ocalają swoje życie przed nicością czy też świadomie odmawiają sobie życia po życiu ? Kiedy ciało opuszcza duszę nie ma żadnego świata poza jej własnym blaskiem, po czym rozpływa się w powietrzu niczym mgła. Znika czy przechodzi dalej w swojej wędrówce ?
Powieść opowiedziana i zakończona na jednym tomie. Język angielski w tej książce ma średni poziom trudności, styl nie jest jednak zawiły. Znajdzie się dość spory zbiór nowego i bardziej wyszukanego słownictwa, umożliwia jego zrozumienie kontekst.
Decydując się na zakup sugerowałam się tytułem i okładką. Zakładałam, że w powieści natrafię na zdecydowanie większy moty kruka i być może to z nim związana była klątwa Zina. "Raven" odnosi się jednak do Nic, jest to przezwisko nadane jej przez szefa Evermore, ale znaczenie tego imienia wyjaśnione zostaje dopiero pod koniec opowieści.
Przez książkę pani Allison van Diepen zwyczajnie się płynie i z całą pewnością można się zapomnieć tak jak Nic i Zin zatracają się w tańcu. Tak jak można podjąć wyzwanie i wraz z bohaterami przejść przez liczne, skrajnie trudne wybory, a w każdym z nich życie zawiśnie na włosku między nicością, śmiertelnością, a wiecznością.
Źródło: Zakładka do Przyszłości
Usłyszeć od wieków można, że oczy są zwierciadłem duszy.
W Nowym Yorku kolejki ustawiają się pod nocnym klubem Evermore. Po niszczycielskim płomieniach pożaru dziś w sanktuarium zostały tylko przydymione szyby witraży, tworząc niepowtarzalny klimat tego miejsca tonącego w czerni i fioletach. To tam o północy na parkiecie odbywają się pojedynki w rytmie breakdance. Tutaj pracuje też Nic i to właśnie w Evermore odnalazła swoje miejsce, nie tylko w tańcu, który daje zapomnienie, ale i w oczach przez które ujrzała jaśniejące światło duszy.
Kiedy Zin tańczy, jego dusza jaśnieje, a Nic czuje, że jej własna dusza wyrywa się mu na spotkanie. Są bliskimi przyjaciółmi, często rozmawiają o wszystkim od nowych układów tanecznych dla grupy po rodzinne prywatne sprawy. Treningi, czas pracy obojga w Evermore, rozmowy telefoniczne i czas spędzony po pracy u Zina w mieszkaniu. Choć są blisko, kiedy Zin nieustannie nie pozwala tej znajomości rozwinąć się dalej, Nic w zrozumiały sposób zaczyna czuć się oszukana. Jednak to tylko Zin sprawia, że Nic mniej odczuwa ciężar, który nosi nieustannie w sercu.
Dziewczyna ma bowiem starszego brata, którego nazywa "duch", gdyż tak samo nawiedza rodzinę rzucając cień na jej spokój i szczęście jak widmo człowieka, którym się stał przez nałóg narkotykowy.
Czy możliwie jest jednak, że przez oczy spogląda na nas więcej niż jedna dusza, niczym skryta prawda w olśniewającym blasku, który uniemożliwia jej ujrzenie ?
To historia o Jiang Shi, grupy ludzi, którzy mogli dostrzec dusze każdego i gotowi byli użyć ich umiejętności leczenia by zatrzymać dar jakim jest życie jak najdłużej.
To też historia jednego z nich, który poszukując lekarstwa dla chorej siostry, dotarł przed setkami lat aż do odległej prowincji Chin. To miejsce, gdzie zaczyna się większość legend jak i ta opowieść o Jiang Shi.
Tam rozpoczyna się bardzo stary sekret, że by ocalić dar nieśmiertelności trzeba wchłonąć i uwięzić wewnątrz siebie inne dusze, gdy te znajdują się na granicy opuszczenia doczesnego świata.
Opowieść o wyborze kiedy to trzeba zaakceptować cenę za ciemność i olśniewające światło skrywające inne dusze oraz siłę z jaką buntują się i walczą lub zdecydować się znaleźć lekarstwo na nieśmiertelność by ocalić życie i miłość.
"Raven" posiada idealne i właściwe zakończenie jakim powinny się cechować powieści z podobnym wątkiem paranormalnym. Jakże kuszą jest wizja nieśmiertelności przy boku kochającej osoby i ilu już bohaterów znanych powieści jej uległo? Móc zaczekać kolejne tysiąclecie by zobaczyć na własne oczy, jakim stał się świat, kiedy możliwe będą podróże międzyplanetarne. Móc dać sobie więcej czasu na wszystko. Przemierzać świat i dostrzec jego piękno.
Przemienieni niegdyś ludzie, dziś Jiang Shi, choć potrafią przechwycić ludzkie dusze, nie dostają tej samej odpowiedzi co śmiertelnicy. Targani wątpliwościami dotyczącymi istnienia zaświatów albo ocalają swoje życie przed nicością czy też świadomie odmawiają sobie życia po życiu ? Kiedy ciało opuszcza duszę nie ma żadnego świata poza jej własnym blaskiem, po czym rozpływa się w powietrzu niczym mgła. Znika czy przechodzi dalej w swojej wędrówce ?
Powieść opowiedziana i zakończona na jednym tomie. Język angielski w tej książce ma średni poziom trudności, styl nie jest jednak zawiły. Znajdzie się dość spory zbiór nowego i bardziej wyszukanego słownictwa, umożliwia jego zrozumienie kontekst.
Decydując się na zakup sugerowałam się tytułem i okładką. Zakładałam, że w powieści natrafię na zdecydowanie większy moty kruka i być może to z nim związana była klątwa Zina. "Raven" odnosi się jednak do Nic, jest to przezwisko nadane jej przez szefa Evermore, ale znaczenie tego imienia wyjaśnione zostaje dopiero pod koniec opowieści.
Przez książkę pani Allison van Diepen zwyczajnie się płynie i z całą pewnością można się zapomnieć tak jak Nic i Zin zatracają się w tańcu. Tak jak można podjąć wyzwanie i wraz z bohaterami przejść przez liczne, skrajnie trudne wybory, a w każdym z nich życie zawiśnie na włosku między nicością, śmiertelnością, a wiecznością.
Źródło: Zakładka do Przyszłości
June 8, 2009
If anyone else found Twilight horribly, intellectually insulting, you will like this book.
I originally presumed that this book was going to be about some sort of Native American supernatural being. This I guessed from the beautiful cover imagery, title, and the very beginning of the book, where the main character is talking about how she knew she was in love with Zin the first time she saw him dance.
This book was not, however, what I expected it to be at all. Just goes to show me that I shouldn't judge a book by its cover, even though we all do.
This book was a surprise, but in all the best ways!
Nic, also referred to as "Raven," is a teenage girl, attending highschool and working as an underage waitress (with her parents permission) at a club in New York where one of her BFFs (who also happens to be her major crush, though she wouldn't dare tell him so) works as the barkeep. She and Zin are members of a breakdance group called the TopRocks, who frequently battle with other break groups at the club. They take their dancing very seriously, and practice multiple times a week. The plot focuses a lot on the blossoming relationship between Nic and Zin, and that is one of the points of the plot that impresses me the most... but more on that later.
Although I admit to being totally left in the dust when it comes to understanding all the terminology of the breakdance scene, I felt that the dance descriptions really made their being a group credible. I'm certain that there are people who will read this who know what those dance-steps look like based on the names, and they're glad that van Diepen went to the trouble of researching.
The subtitle of the book was "Death is inevitable, passion is eternal." (This is how I surmised that the love interest would be supernatural in some way.) I was so incredibly relieved and happy that the supernatural being was not another unbearably beautiful, oh-so-evil-but-oh-so-irresistible, oversexed, nigh-indestructible vampire. So happy! In fact, this supernatural creature was all full of flaws and believability! I especially felt that the ending was very well planned out and exceptionally appropriate.
I loved Nic and Zin's relationship. They way they interacted with eachother, the way that Nic was self-possessed, the way Zin really was her best friend, even when they weren't trying to be boyfriend and girlfriend. I liked how their relationship recognized sensuality and physical attraction, but didn't load the pages with sexy tripe. I love that Nic had a brain of her own, and interests and thoughts for her own future, and that she thought things through instead of blindly following the hot-guy's lead.
I borrowed this book, but I liked it so much, and want to recommend it and share it so much, that I decided to buy a copy!
I originally presumed that this book was going to be about some sort of Native American supernatural being. This I guessed from the beautiful cover imagery, title, and the very beginning of the book, where the main character is talking about how she knew she was in love with Zin the first time she saw him dance.
This book was not, however, what I expected it to be at all. Just goes to show me that I shouldn't judge a book by its cover, even though we all do.
This book was a surprise, but in all the best ways!
Nic, also referred to as "Raven," is a teenage girl, attending highschool and working as an underage waitress (with her parents permission) at a club in New York where one of her BFFs (who also happens to be her major crush, though she wouldn't dare tell him so) works as the barkeep. She and Zin are members of a breakdance group called the TopRocks, who frequently battle with other break groups at the club. They take their dancing very seriously, and practice multiple times a week. The plot focuses a lot on the blossoming relationship between Nic and Zin, and that is one of the points of the plot that impresses me the most... but more on that later.
Although I admit to being totally left in the dust when it comes to understanding all the terminology of the breakdance scene, I felt that the dance descriptions really made their being a group credible. I'm certain that there are people who will read this who know what those dance-steps look like based on the names, and they're glad that van Diepen went to the trouble of researching.
The subtitle of the book was "Death is inevitable, passion is eternal." (This is how I surmised that the love interest would be supernatural in some way.) I was so incredibly relieved and happy that the supernatural being was not another unbearably beautiful, oh-so-evil-but-oh-so-irresistible, oversexed, nigh-indestructible vampire. So happy! In fact, this supernatural creature was all full of flaws and believability! I especially felt that the ending was very well planned out and exceptionally appropriate.
I loved Nic and Zin's relationship. They way they interacted with eachother, the way that Nic was self-possessed, the way Zin really was her best friend, even when they weren't trying to be boyfriend and girlfriend. I liked how their relationship recognized sensuality and physical attraction, but didn't load the pages with sexy tripe. I love that Nic had a brain of her own, and interests and thoughts for her own future, and that she thought things through instead of blindly following the hot-guy's lead.
I borrowed this book, but I liked it so much, and want to recommend it and share it so much, that I decided to buy a copy!
October 11, 2009
I will begin by saying that I didn't actually finish the book, it just wasn't holding my attention at all.
I had a hard time connecting with Nic. I made it 150 pages, which is halfway through the book, and was still trying to get a feel for her character. I don't know if it's the writing style that turned me off, but I just had a tough time getting to really know Nic. I get her family life is awful and her parents are jaded by her druggie brother, and she says it bothers her, but you don't see it truly pulling her apart. When she kisses Zin and "Sees" the hole in her soul, to me that's what I needed to know about a hundred pages ago.
Zin's character isn't mysterious or intriguing to me either. Of course he's keeping a big secret, but I wasn't obsessed with finding out the truth about him. He gave up his secret about the Jiang Shi wayyy too easily. In my opinion, if you're an immortal then you wouldn't go telling people about it. Could he have kept it from her forever? Probably not since she saw him take the guy's soul, and then saw Viola do the same to a woman in the bathroom at Evermore, the bar where they work, but you'd think he'd try to protect himself and the others a bit more.
I don't like how Carlo and the other Jiang Shi trust her so much. She's a teenager, a high school girl and they're just going to..."Whoops by the way we're immortal!" yeahhhh I don't think so.
It was also very difficult to get past all of the break dancing lingo. It overdid it big time. I pretty much skimmed over a lot of it because it was just not interesting at all and just a waste of book space.
I hate giving bad reviews, I really do, but this book just didn't do it for me. I need to connect with characters in order to really love a book. Even if the plot is horrible or the writing is bad, if I can fall in love with the characters it makes all the difference.
In this case, I couldn't connect with anything. While it held my interest for 150 pages it just fell flat for me. It was a good concept but poor execution.
I had a hard time connecting with Nic. I made it 150 pages, which is halfway through the book, and was still trying to get a feel for her character. I don't know if it's the writing style that turned me off, but I just had a tough time getting to really know Nic. I get her family life is awful and her parents are jaded by her druggie brother, and she says it bothers her, but you don't see it truly pulling her apart. When she kisses Zin and "Sees" the hole in her soul, to me that's what I needed to know about a hundred pages ago.
Zin's character isn't mysterious or intriguing to me either. Of course he's keeping a big secret, but I wasn't obsessed with finding out the truth about him. He gave up his secret about the Jiang Shi wayyy too easily. In my opinion, if you're an immortal then you wouldn't go telling people about it. Could he have kept it from her forever? Probably not since she saw him take the guy's soul, and then saw Viola do the same to a woman in the bathroom at Evermore, the bar where they work, but you'd think he'd try to protect himself and the others a bit more.
I don't like how Carlo and the other Jiang Shi trust her so much. She's a teenager, a high school girl and they're just going to..."Whoops by the way we're immortal!" yeahhhh I don't think so.
It was also very difficult to get past all of the break dancing lingo. It overdid it big time. I pretty much skimmed over a lot of it because it was just not interesting at all and just a waste of book space.
I hate giving bad reviews, I really do, but this book just didn't do it for me. I need to connect with characters in order to really love a book. Even if the plot is horrible or the writing is bad, if I can fall in love with the characters it makes all the difference.
In this case, I couldn't connect with anything. While it held my interest for 150 pages it just fell flat for me. It was a good concept but poor execution.
September 25, 2010
I had been looking forward to reading this book for a while. It had snaked its way down my reading list as the list got longer and longer and it might have disappeared into it, never to be read, had I not realized that my library actually owned a copy. Oh joy and sunbeams. So you can understand why my disappointment had a sharper edge when I read the book and found it to be lacking in so many ways. First of all, the characterizations. While I admit that Zin is a potentially interesting character, Diepen doesn’t develop him into what he could be. Instead he lingers at the edges of fascinating until he loses his hold onto it and cleaves to sentimentality and a cliched stereotype of what heroes should be. But even before that, Diepen goes into the book using jargon that is common to people who dance and know about hiphop but makes no sense at all to people who aren’t familiar with the moves. This disconnects the common reader from the story that either is targeted to a specialized audience or is a misstep on the part of the author. I thought that was very poorly done.
Nicole remains a shadowy character, not quite managing to be fully formed despite being burdened with the usual cliches and problems. She’s actually very bland and uninteresting. The side characters are somewhat interesting but do not get the page time that would actually make the book better. The narrative is – well, let’s just say it requires a lot more work and fleshing out before it would actually make a compelling read. I want to know what her editors were doing because honestly, the book needed a lot more work before it hit the printers. There was potential in it but that potential was drowned by the author taking the easy way out to resolve the conflicts and come to a satisfactory ending. If I did stars, I’d give it a 0.5. That’s how disappointed I was.
Nicole remains a shadowy character, not quite managing to be fully formed despite being burdened with the usual cliches and problems. She’s actually very bland and uninteresting. The side characters are somewhat interesting but do not get the page time that would actually make the book better. The narrative is – well, let’s just say it requires a lot more work and fleshing out before it would actually make a compelling read. I want to know what her editors were doing because honestly, the book needed a lot more work before it hit the printers. There was potential in it but that potential was drowned by the author taking the easy way out to resolve the conflicts and come to a satisfactory ending. If I did stars, I’d give it a 0.5. That’s how disappointed I was.
March 26, 2019
Raven was a quick read. Most of the novel had a nice pace, but sometimes it felt like there was just too much going on: break dancing, break dancing battles, magnetic crushes, people that shoot light out of their hands, immortal beings, dysfunctional family dynamics, a brother's drug addiction, immortal beings that may or may not be lying and trying to make you one of them, scholars that chase the immortal beings.
The writing was good, though it was not impressive. Some of the characters were well-developed, especially the immortal ones, while the break dancing crew and the family felt a bit flat and one-dimensional.
I liked the subtle romance between the main characters, Nicole and Zin. Although there was barely any touching for most of the novel, the reader could still feel how intense their attraction for each other was and how close their relationship became.
The ending felt a bit rushed. A whole lot happened in about two chapters, including the death of a few big characters. Also, for most of the novel we are left wondering if the immortal's enemies, the Heng Te, are real or not, so there's no warning when Kim turns out to be one of them. I think a bit more building up there would've added a lot to the story.
Not bad, but not great. Although I did appreciate the mythology presented, since I don't know many teen books that use mythology from other parts of the world.
The writing was good, though it was not impressive. Some of the characters were well-developed, especially the immortal ones, while the break dancing crew and the family felt a bit flat and one-dimensional.
I liked the subtle romance between the main characters, Nicole and Zin. Although there was barely any touching for most of the novel, the reader could still feel how intense their attraction for each other was and how close their relationship became.
The ending felt a bit rushed. A whole lot happened in about two chapters, including the death of a few big characters. Also, for most of the novel we are left wondering if the immortal's enemies, the Heng Te, are real or not, so there's no warning when Kim turns out to be one of them. I think a bit more building up there would've added a lot to the story.
Not bad, but not great. Although I did appreciate the mythology presented, since I don't know many teen books that use mythology from other parts of the world.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 3, 2024
Zin dances with fire in every step, speaks with a honey-sweet voice, and sees with eyes that can peer into your soul. It's no wonder that Nicole is madly in love with him. Their friendship is the only thing that saves her from the boredom of school and the turmoil of her family life. But, she cannot understand why he keeps her at a distance, even though she can feel his soul reaching out for hers. Zin carries a very old secret. When Nicole uncovers the truth, her love may be the only thing that can save him from it.
I really liked this book from the very first line to the very last line. It was constantly an intriguing flow that wrapped around Zin and Nicole. The passion she had for him and the love he had for her and couldn't show it because he wanted to protect her - KILLED ME! Now I know what your thinking " hmmmmm, sounds a lot like Twilight. " But (even though I have not read Twilight) I can assure you it's not. For starters it's not a vampire book and unlike Bella, Nicole is strong and keeps control of her emotions.
Raven is one of those books that you don't quite know what to expect, but it will leave you breathless. The story is dark and mesmerizing. Mystical and full of romance. you will feel an attachment to each character, no matter how small of a role they play. This is a quick read and well worth it. Sadly, there is no sequel at this time. I'm still crossing my fingers though.
~Amy
I really liked this book from the very first line to the very last line. It was constantly an intriguing flow that wrapped around Zin and Nicole. The passion she had for him and the love he had for her and couldn't show it because he wanted to protect her - KILLED ME! Now I know what your thinking " hmmmmm, sounds a lot like Twilight. " But (even though I have not read Twilight) I can assure you it's not. For starters it's not a vampire book and unlike Bella, Nicole is strong and keeps control of her emotions.
Raven is one of those books that you don't quite know what to expect, but it will leave you breathless. The story is dark and mesmerizing. Mystical and full of romance. you will feel an attachment to each character, no matter how small of a role they play. This is a quick read and well worth it. Sadly, there is no sequel at this time. I'm still crossing my fingers though.
~Amy
May 6, 2011
I chose to read this book because i needed a science fiction book for one of my other classes.
This setting took place in new york!
The main characters name is raven , shes a senior in high school and has a night time job at a very popular night club! This book is about people who are immortale. its very simular to the whole twilight theme but instead of vampires feeding off of blood they feed off of other peoples souls. they only take the souls of people who arnt guna make it (dieing) In this book A girl named nichole gets very close to this boy named zin and everyone says that they should go out nd nichole thinks so too but for some reason zin doenst want to even tho he treats her like a girlfriend! one night when nichole is walking home from the club she gets stabbed and zin saves her and that night she realizes that zins not normal nd he explains who he really is too her nd that the people who work at the night club are all immortale they are like a family. Nd the head of them wants her to become one of them but raven has her doubts one day her brother is about to die and the head guy saves him by turning him immortale . but once one the leader dies bye one of their enemies the enemy gives them a all the opertunity to change back to being a real human and reverses the spell some thought it was un heard of and betrayful but zin choose to do it for nichole.
I really enjoyed reading this book i thought it was very interesting and intertaining!
This setting took place in new york!
The main characters name is raven , shes a senior in high school and has a night time job at a very popular night club! This book is about people who are immortale. its very simular to the whole twilight theme but instead of vampires feeding off of blood they feed off of other peoples souls. they only take the souls of people who arnt guna make it (dieing) In this book A girl named nichole gets very close to this boy named zin and everyone says that they should go out nd nichole thinks so too but for some reason zin doenst want to even tho he treats her like a girlfriend! one night when nichole is walking home from the club she gets stabbed and zin saves her and that night she realizes that zins not normal nd he explains who he really is too her nd that the people who work at the night club are all immortale they are like a family. Nd the head of them wants her to become one of them but raven has her doubts one day her brother is about to die and the head guy saves him by turning him immortale . but once one the leader dies bye one of their enemies the enemy gives them a all the opertunity to change back to being a real human and reverses the spell some thought it was un heard of and betrayful but zin choose to do it for nichole.
I really enjoyed reading this book i thought it was very interesting and intertaining!
February 28, 2009
Nic is a senior in high school. She lives for hanging out with her friends, dancing with her breaking crew, and spending time with Zin.
Zin is the leader of their dance crew. His moves are amazing and just watching him gives her chills. Nic is deeply in love with Zin and nothing is going to change that.
Dancing allows Nic to escape from her problems. Her family is dysfunctional. Her brother left home and is addicted to Meth. Her parents continue to give him money because they don’t want him living on the streets. They refuse to cut him off and allow him to drag the family on an emotional roller coaster ride.
After being attacked on her way home from work late one night, Nic discovers a frightening secret about Zin. Her deep feelings for him are tested. She realizes she doesn’t know people like she thought she did. Can she trust Zin or are his secrets too dangerous for her to stay with him?
RAVEN is a gripping story filled with lessons of friendship, love, and family. The only detractor might be the amount of break dancing lingo used throughout the book. For someone without any experience in break dancing, it might get a little overwhelming. Don’t give up though. The story is worth it. The lingo is mostly at the beginning of the story.
Zin is the leader of their dance crew. His moves are amazing and just watching him gives her chills. Nic is deeply in love with Zin and nothing is going to change that.
Dancing allows Nic to escape from her problems. Her family is dysfunctional. Her brother left home and is addicted to Meth. Her parents continue to give him money because they don’t want him living on the streets. They refuse to cut him off and allow him to drag the family on an emotional roller coaster ride.
After being attacked on her way home from work late one night, Nic discovers a frightening secret about Zin. Her deep feelings for him are tested. She realizes she doesn’t know people like she thought she did. Can she trust Zin or are his secrets too dangerous for her to stay with him?
RAVEN is a gripping story filled with lessons of friendship, love, and family. The only detractor might be the amount of break dancing lingo used throughout the book. For someone without any experience in break dancing, it might get a little overwhelming. Don’t give up though. The story is worth it. The lingo is mostly at the beginning of the story.
August 14, 2017
Nichole Is a teen that feels her only way of expression is through Breaking. Living in the outskirts of Manhattan, Nichole met Zinadin. A boy with more breaking inside of him than she gives him credit for. Between the competitions with the SpinHeads, Zin and Nichole have a relationship that's not quite dating and not quite friends but Zin wont take it to the next level with her. She soon realizes through the attack on her on the way home from working, Zin isn't who she thought he was. Will she be able to save Zinadin, and be able to love him? Allison Van Diepen's Raven is a must read for young thriller readers and I would recommend this to anyone whos up for it.
May 7, 2009
Great story. Lots of angst which, of course I love. Break dancing makes me think of going to see the movie Breakin' when I was a smallish kid. Could have done without the applejacks (huh?). Zen was another practically perfect in every way hero, who doesn't love reading about one of those?
November 11, 2009
Different perspective so it was different. It wasn't the greatest but not bad. Not part of any series and had a definate ending...unless this book becomes a best seller, which I don't see that happening. ; )
March 13, 2015
OMG! I loved this one stand alone book. In the beginning I wasn't really feeling it, but I'm so glad I got it and read it. Nicole (aka:Raven) is awesome but then there's Zin, and all I can state is I'm in love. I feel for this book and suggest that you should read it too, trust me.
March 15, 2009
this was an amazing book, I was able to connect with nichole on so many levels. I am happy with the way this book turned out. anyone of any age should read this book!
September 21, 2015
Eh. Same old plot and mediocre writing.
Also, I don't speak breakdancing, which led to some paragraph-skipping.
Also, I don't speak breakdancing, which led to some paragraph-skipping.
May 1, 2010
I think I got to like page 7 and just couldn't stomach the corny writing. It sounded like a mother trying to speak like a thug. Barf.
May 18, 2017
Raven by Allison Van Diepen is about Nicole destined to be part of Jiang Shi but she also believes she want to grow and live as a human. The story set places in New York in 2009. The connection between Raven and the Author is that she has passion about darkness, romance, and also some action at the same time.
Nicole work at night club after school to earn some money for her family. Nicole is a part of dance crew in the club and the entire member are immortal expect for her and Kim. Nicole parent lose a lot of money dues to Nicole brother Jose addicted to alcohol. Zin and Nicole have been best friend for a long time but Zin will never tell Nicole that he’s immortal because that a secret from all the Jiang Shi group. Zin and Nicole are more like lovers because they do have feeling for each other but Zin stop himself to love her. One day Nicole was walking home alone and a man came up and ask her for money but she refuse so he attack her, Zin came and recuse
Nicole also Zin secretly took the man soul out. Another time when one of Jiang Shi member took human soul Nicole realize that’s what Zin did back then. Carlos the leader told her everything and what Jiang Shi is and Carlos believes that she’s part of them. One night she dream of Raven and she gotten tattoo of it after that day. It’s a sign that she can protect Jiang Shi from other group. Carlos change Nicole brother into Jiang Shi and he can never become addicted again. Which make Nicole so happy because she miss him and she want to repay Carlos by becoming Jiang Shi too but she want to grow old and live as human.
Becoming immortal is the best thing because you can be young forever but you also regret it because you don’t get to see yourself grow. I recommend teenager who like fantasy or Goth lit books because this book tells a lot about power and mystery type of group that have different power. Also might relate to some people like Jose have to go through addiction and you will understand the family situation. This book makes me think that immortal exist and there’s a lot of mystery in this world.
Nicole work at night club after school to earn some money for her family. Nicole is a part of dance crew in the club and the entire member are immortal expect for her and Kim. Nicole parent lose a lot of money dues to Nicole brother Jose addicted to alcohol. Zin and Nicole have been best friend for a long time but Zin will never tell Nicole that he’s immortal because that a secret from all the Jiang Shi group. Zin and Nicole are more like lovers because they do have feeling for each other but Zin stop himself to love her. One day Nicole was walking home alone and a man came up and ask her for money but she refuse so he attack her, Zin came and recuse
Nicole also Zin secretly took the man soul out. Another time when one of Jiang Shi member took human soul Nicole realize that’s what Zin did back then. Carlos the leader told her everything and what Jiang Shi is and Carlos believes that she’s part of them. One night she dream of Raven and she gotten tattoo of it after that day. It’s a sign that she can protect Jiang Shi from other group. Carlos change Nicole brother into Jiang Shi and he can never become addicted again. Which make Nicole so happy because she miss him and she want to repay Carlos by becoming Jiang Shi too but she want to grow old and live as human.
Becoming immortal is the best thing because you can be young forever but you also regret it because you don’t get to see yourself grow. I recommend teenager who like fantasy or Goth lit books because this book tells a lot about power and mystery type of group that have different power. Also might relate to some people like Jose have to go through addiction and you will understand the family situation. This book makes me think that immortal exist and there’s a lot of mystery in this world.
December 14, 2019
I’m sorry to say, I’m giving this book 1 out of 5 stars. Why you ask? Well, there are a number of reasons actually. But, why don’t I start out why this book deserves only one star.
This book gets one lonely star because the intended story totally sold me. It was a great idea and really had a great plot. But that’s unfortunately where my compliments end.
This book lost four stars because it seemed so forced and fake. Yes, I realize that being a fantasy book, it is technically fake. But when I’m reading, I like to think that these books are the real reality. The characters were forced and everything seemed so unrealistic.
This book was crammed into one short book when really this story should have been told over two or three books. It seemed like I was missing half of the story because the author was trying to fit everything in. Which made the book go extremely fast. And this book almost seemed to jump around. The lead male character, Zin tells the female lead character, Nic that he is an immortal after she sees him do some pretty weird stuff. She took it with such stride. Like, ‘of course the guy I love is immortal, makes total sense. Let me be immortal with him.’ Yes, this sounds like Twilight. But Twilight was also so much better than this!
This book was also extremely weird. Now, I LOVE weird. But even some of this was out of my realm. Immortals who break dance. I’m sorry, I just couldn’t. I did not know how in depth break dancing actually was. The author rambled off moves that the characters were doing and I was trying, really trying to imagine what an apple jack move is. But, I was completely lost.
Like I said. This book could have been so much better if it was spread out more. I really feel it would’ve pulled together with a few more books. Because the storyline/ plot sounded awesome, right up my alley. But alas, I am giving my first ever one star rating to the Raven by Allison van Diepen.
This book gets one lonely star because the intended story totally sold me. It was a great idea and really had a great plot. But that’s unfortunately where my compliments end.
This book lost four stars because it seemed so forced and fake. Yes, I realize that being a fantasy book, it is technically fake. But when I’m reading, I like to think that these books are the real reality. The characters were forced and everything seemed so unrealistic.
This book was crammed into one short book when really this story should have been told over two or three books. It seemed like I was missing half of the story because the author was trying to fit everything in. Which made the book go extremely fast. And this book almost seemed to jump around. The lead male character, Zin tells the female lead character, Nic that he is an immortal after she sees him do some pretty weird stuff. She took it with such stride. Like, ‘of course the guy I love is immortal, makes total sense. Let me be immortal with him.’ Yes, this sounds like Twilight. But Twilight was also so much better than this!
This book was also extremely weird. Now, I LOVE weird. But even some of this was out of my realm. Immortals who break dance. I’m sorry, I just couldn’t. I did not know how in depth break dancing actually was. The author rambled off moves that the characters were doing and I was trying, really trying to imagine what an apple jack move is. But, I was completely lost.
Like I said. This book could have been so much better if it was spread out more. I really feel it would’ve pulled together with a few more books. Because the storyline/ plot sounded awesome, right up my alley. But alas, I am giving my first ever one star rating to the Raven by Allison van Diepen.
January 27, 2025
As soon as I opened the book, I realized that Nicole's characters and experiences were relatable.
Just like Van Diepen's previous books, the slang used in this one fits right in and doesn't seem out of place. (I have no clue how Van Diepen does it. Most I read use in their books, and it feels very out place and doesn't flow with the story. I must mention that I've read Van Diepen's book "Snitch," and at the beginning, it was heavy with slang; this is not the case in this book However, the main character is part of a breakdancing crew, so there are terms for their moves (i.e., 'apple jacks,' 'coffee grinder,' jackhammer,' etc.). I, for one, have seen breakdancing before, but I have no knowledge of the moves, so I didn't know what they were doing. But Diepen wove in other terms that make sense for someone like me.
For those who the genre, this is an interesting take on it. Some of the characters are vampires, but not really. They don't go around sucking blood like the Western view of vampires; vampires are Eastern ones. They "absorb" the energy/soul of a person.
I highly recommend this to any fan of young books, whether they enjoy real-life stories fantasy/supernatural ones.
Just like Van Diepen's previous books, the slang used in this one fits right in and doesn't seem out of place. (I have no clue how Van Diepen does it. Most I read use in their books, and it feels very out place and doesn't flow with the story. I must mention that I've read Van Diepen's book "Snitch," and at the beginning, it was heavy with slang; this is not the case in this book However, the main character is part of a breakdancing crew, so there are terms for their moves (i.e., 'apple jacks,' 'coffee grinder,' jackhammer,' etc.). I, for one, have seen breakdancing before, but I have no knowledge of the moves, so I didn't know what they were doing. But Diepen wove in other terms that make sense for someone like me.
For those who the genre, this is an interesting take on it. Some of the characters are vampires, but not really. They don't go around sucking blood like the Western view of vampires; vampires are Eastern ones. They "absorb" the energy/soul of a person.
I highly recommend this to any fan of young books, whether they enjoy real-life stories fantasy/supernatural ones.
November 17, 2025
Nicole, aka Raven, is part of a breakdancing crew that often battles at the bar where she works. She's crushing hard on Zin, one of the bartenders at Evermore, but he's mysterious and aloof, until the night when she's attacked walking home. Now she knows his secret, which will change her life.
I never thought, in the year 2025, that I would be reading a book where the main character checks her MySpace page. This story is very much entrenched in the early 2000s, post-Twilight culture, where authors seemed to be trying to find any twist on vampires. In this case, it's the Jiang Shi (quote from the book "Sometimes mistakenly referred to as Chinese vampires"), immortal beings which feed on souls. The book opens with a breakdancing scene that sounded like breakfast cereals (e.g. He did some applejacks while I corn-popped). While the breakdancing certainly set this apart from other paranormal romances, it didn't really connect to the main plot - the other breakdancers were really only secondary characters to the crew of Jiang Shi. Overall this felt like it was trying to be a grittier version of Twilight, with all the mugging, dance crew, and drug addiction. It wrapped up a bit neatly, but it was fun to read as a throwback.
I never thought, in the year 2025, that I would be reading a book where the main character checks her MySpace page. This story is very much entrenched in the early 2000s, post-Twilight culture, where authors seemed to be trying to find any twist on vampires. In this case, it's the Jiang Shi (quote from the book "Sometimes mistakenly referred to as Chinese vampires"), immortal beings which feed on souls. The book opens with a breakdancing scene that sounded like breakfast cereals (e.g. He did some applejacks while I corn-popped). While the breakdancing certainly set this apart from other paranormal romances, it didn't really connect to the main plot - the other breakdancers were really only secondary characters to the crew of Jiang Shi. Overall this felt like it was trying to be a grittier version of Twilight, with all the mugging, dance crew, and drug addiction. It wrapped up a bit neatly, but it was fun to read as a throwback.
December 3, 2017
Though really, I'm giving it a 2 and a half.
This book had the potential to be great. It had a great idea and a great myth behind it but unfortunately the author chose to deal with a High School Students infatuation with an immortal boy instead of the interesting myths intertwined in this story.
There was a promise of passion that I never picked up in the book. Everyone was supposed to be so full of emotion, or such deep pain but everything came across bland and empty. All Nicole ever really cared about was Zin and all Zin cared about was being confusing and conflicting. Her brother only cared about himself, her parents only cared about her brother, and Carlos was either an evil dictator or a nice person who got confused? There was no clear summation on who the bad guy was because in the end they became friends with the enemy or something? It was weird. The only definitive ending is the only one Nicole cared about and that was getting with Zin so really... what else matters after that?
I was close to giving this one a three star rating but I was just so disappointed I didn't bother.
This book had the potential to be great. It had a great idea and a great myth behind it but unfortunately the author chose to deal with a High School Students infatuation with an immortal boy instead of the interesting myths intertwined in this story.
There was a promise of passion that I never picked up in the book. Everyone was supposed to be so full of emotion, or such deep pain but everything came across bland and empty. All Nicole ever really cared about was Zin and all Zin cared about was being confusing and conflicting. Her brother only cared about himself, her parents only cared about her brother, and Carlos was either an evil dictator or a nice person who got confused? There was no clear summation on who the bad guy was because in the end they became friends with the enemy or something? It was weird. The only definitive ending is the only one Nicole cared about and that was getting with Zin so really... what else matters after that?
I was close to giving this one a three star rating but I was just so disappointed I didn't bother.
October 16, 2025
DISCLAIMER: This review contains spoilers
This was a very lovely book that had a very beautiful concept of the afterlife connected to it. The plot was very engaging after the first few chapters (where the story really took off) with a good build-up to plot twists and cliff-hangers at the end of almost every chapter. There was a pretty good balance of action and romance in this book and I found that the romance was also very wholesome and sweet (There is a very small, briefly mentioned sex scene). I think that the way concepts such as drug abuse (which can be disturbing for some readers) were written was done reasonably well and there was a satisfying resolve in the end. In general it was slightly confusing to imagine the dancing aspects of the story as I am someone with no connection to the dance world whatsoever, but that didn't take away from my experience reading the story.
An overall good read, would recommend to anyone who is looking for a casual read with supernatural elements involved.
This was a very lovely book that had a very beautiful concept of the afterlife connected to it. The plot was very engaging after the first few chapters (where the story really took off) with a good build-up to plot twists and cliff-hangers at the end of almost every chapter. There was a pretty good balance of action and romance in this book and I found that the romance was also very wholesome and sweet (There is a very small, briefly mentioned sex scene). I think that the way concepts such as drug abuse (which can be disturbing for some readers) were written was done reasonably well and there was a satisfying resolve in the end. In general it was slightly confusing to imagine the dancing aspects of the story as I am someone with no connection to the dance world whatsoever, but that didn't take away from my experience reading the story.
An overall good read, would recommend to anyone who is looking for a casual read with supernatural elements involved.
September 4, 2017
Meeehhhhhh. Ok so this was a tough thing to rate. It's not as bad as the other books I rate 3 stars (most of them are dnf) because I could actually sit through the entire book. This one is rated 3 for a different reason. The storyline is genuinely interesting, and I was actually looking forward to what would happen next. It's just that the writing wasn't all that great. This book had loads of potential if only the writing was better. Most encounters in the book didn't last more than 2-3 pages (and these pages were pretty short too). Maybe that was why it literally took me one morning to finish the entire book. It was a very easy read. I liked how fast paced it was, considering that most good storylines like to take their boring time, but the writing could still have been better.
November 1, 2019
Nicole has a fairly average life but with her friends turning out to be Jiangshi it adds such an interesting twist. Nic and Zin's relationship is another awesome factor and when he turns out to be a Jiangshi the gravitation between them changes, but I think at first it only makes their bond stronger. While the book has some very adult-like problems, like Josh being an addict, I think it can make an interesting read for adults and teens. I think this book is mainly realistic fiction but is also good for readers that like romance, sci-fi, or fantasy. This book was amazing and inspiring, definitely worth your time.
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