Pureheart

by Rita Hsu Syers, R.K. Edit (Editor), Jogina Picariello (Editor)

When Maggie Adams was fourteen years old, four of her friends drew a pentagram on the floor, lit candles made of human fat, repeated the words of an ancient spell, and raised a demon. They had no way of knowing that what they did that night could bring about the end of the world. They did not know that a supernatural force beyond their comprehension or control had waited patiently for this very moment in time. And no one had any way of knowing that a little dog, sent from God, was the only living thing that stood between them and total annihilation.

Genres: Fantasy

340 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 2009

Reviews

[Joanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a multiple POV book, with at least eight different characters who we follow through third person narrative, or get to speak through first person. I found this book very difficult to read in the beginning; it doesn't seem to flow very well, sentences not seeming to link. It jumps from third to first person, with someone telling their version of things the reader already read about that seem pointless. A lot of the being is the reader being told things, rather than us seeing things in action, and there isn't a huge amount of explanation as to how or why such things are known.

The book picks up after a few chapters, though. After page 76, everything flows, and the characters are more believable, but it still takes a hell of a while for things to get going. About three quarters of the book go by before the demoness has been released. On several occasions, things are repeated a few times. This can be understandable if the reader knows things certain characters don't, but after reading something four or five times, it gets a little irritating.

Another factor that annoyed be a little was how quickly everyone was able to accept and believe that Jack, the dog in the book, is sent from God. In the real world, a lot of people find it quite easy to believe in a higher power, but this is a fictitious book, and it just feels a little off how quickly all things are accepted without much questioning.

Despite it all, PureHeart isn't a bad book. It's a fairly enjoyable read if you can look past the few faults and be patient with it. Some scenes are quite disturbing, and more than once it's quite gruesome, but it fits the story. I was a little disappointed with the end, it felt a little anticlimactical after the build up throughout the book. Still, all in all, it was an enjoyable read.

PureHeart may seem a little controversial to those with a strong Christian faith, as a dog gives birth to two puppies after being neutered, and one of the puppies has the power to heal.

Would be a good book for those who love their pets as children.

[Jennifer Defoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

As I started this book I didn't think I was going to like it. The first chapter is written from a dog's perspective. But as I kept reading the perspective changed, actually it changed quite frequently throughout the book. This allows you to connect with so many of the characters on a deeper level.

This story is about a dog with special powers to heal, and who ultimately will save the world from a horrible demoness that is to be released from the depths of hell. As Jack's owners realize his ability, and the ultimate reason he was sent to this earth strange things are happening in their town.

This book was fairly well written. The story was enticing and kept me reading. I also felt that the character development was great. There were a few two-dimensional characters, but all of the main characters were well-rounded. Again, as with so many books lately, I really connected with Jack, Maeve, Maggie, and Clancy.

While I had a general idea of how this story would play out there was much that I didn't see coming. It was action packed and kept me turning the page. Even though the conflict had been solved I didn't want this one to end. Although I'm pretty sure this is part of a series so I will absolutely be picking up the next one.

[Tammy Garcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I received the advanced reader's copy of Pureheart I wasn’t sure if I was going to like it. I was very surprised, I found myself grabbing the book all the time. I just had to find out what was going to happen next. Needless to say I really enjoyed the book.

Good verses evil, death, life and mortal destruction. Black magic, demons of all verities, the most fearful demoness of all the demons, Warrior Angels and Arch Angels sent from God.
And Jack, a Boston terrier that has the power to heal and who saves mankind. Scout is Jack’s sister who just happens to be a Warrior Angel. These two have also been sent by god, Jack to save the world and Scout to protect Jack from the demons.

I would recommend Pureheart.

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book as a part of the Early Reviewers Program on Library Thing. I really enjoyed the story of Jack the Boston Terrier and his family. The story held my attention and after the first couple of chapters the story moved very quickly. I found several editing/printing errors and this sort of thing gets on my nerves quickly, but the story was very compelling and I was able to overlook the errors that I found. Anyone who enjoys books about religious myths and the mysteries of religion should find this book really fascinating. I hope anyone who reads this book enjoys it as much as I have. It appears there may be a sequel and I can’t wait to read it.

[Karen · Rating 1 out of 5]

I requested this book through the early reveiwer system because the premise sounded interesting. I hate to repeat what other reviewers have said, but the page formatting errors were distracting, and the spelling errors made me yell at the book a few times (ThAn, not thEn! spinal cord, not chord!). And the stupid mistakes (like someone being able to push a power wheelchair and name mixups) really annoyed me.[return][return] These things can all be fixed with a decent editor.[return][return] The biggest problem I had was with the parts that can't be fixed by simple copyediting. [return][return] Why would an author go to so much trouble to build a nice, rich, complex character, then have them act completely outside their normal behavior just to advance the plot? Clancy's death is a prime example. Yes, the way in which the other characters react to it is very nicely done. But why would someone shown to have deep common sense run past his gun without grabbing it to go investigate all hell breaking loose? And the author had to tell us that he decided to go without it! Sloppy story building.[return][return] Another example is something most writers learn in their very first workshop/class/seminar that they ever take: show us, don't tell us. The prologue especially was very pedantic, telling us this and that with no real meat. The backstory of the characters was this way as well. Work the information into the plot as part of the action, rather than as a boring recitation of facts.[return][return] I did appreciate the changes by chapter of viewpoint, except when she changed who's head we were inside in mid-chapter without warning. It made for some confusion while I re-read bits to try and figure out who was thinking what.[return][return] Despite all these problems, I did get into the story. There were very compelling passages, and some bits were good enough to keep me up late reading. I very much liked and understood most of the characters. (Of course, when the did something out of character, that made it all the more jarring.)[return][return] I finally had to put the book down, though, when John's research buddy Matt started listing off all the terrible things that had happened in the town. Pu-lease! If you had ever heard of a place with that much death and dismemberment going on, would you live there? NOT! I'm afraid even I could not suspend my disbelief that not only would the locals stay, but outsiders move to such a gruesome place.[return][return] Dear Ms. Syers, please take this book back to the drawing board and re-write it. It's worth rewriting, because you have some good ideas and some great characters there. Take it with you to workshops and get some good constructive criticism from you peers. This story has great potential, but at this stage it's just a hunk of unpolished rock, with only glints to show you the true gem it could be.

[Justy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I ended up abandoning this book. I got to page 70 and was still re-living the past character by character. I've come across 1 other book with the same 'tell about the story from each characters point of view, one chapter for each character, then finally continue on' and I didn't like that one either. I know some people may find it a great way to learn how each character thinks and learn new tidbits of the story in each re-telling but I felt like I was stuck in groundhogs day and couldn't find my way out. Ultimately, with this book the re-telling didn't end soon enough for me and the story wasn't moving forward fast enough to keep my interest.

[Rachel · Rating 1 out of 5]

It's clear the author loves dogs, and it's a very sweet sentiment, to love your pets so much that you feel inspired to write a fantasy novel with a dog as a hero.

However, this is a book that should have gone through several more re-writes before being allowed to see the light of day. There were inconsistencies galore, and it got very preachy at times. Character motivation was nigh impossible to understand, despite the overabundance of description.

I felt obliged to finish the book because I got it as part of the Early Reviewers program, but I really wish I hadn't bothered to read it. It really felt like a waste of my time.

[Robyn Bradshaw · Rating 1 out of 5]

Won this in a librarything Member Giveaway. Shockingly bad. And not in a good way. YA, badly written, with a couple of graphic and explicit scenes I would consider completely unsuitable for children. Not recommended.