Radiance

Riley Bloom #1

by Alyson Noel

Riley has crossed the bridge into the afterlife—a place called Here, where time is always Now. She has picked up life where she left off when she was alive, living with her parents and dog in a nice house in a nice neighborhood. When she's summoned before The Council, she learns that the afterlife isn't just an eternity of leisure. She's been assigned a job, Soul Catcher, and a teacher, Bodhi, a possibly cute, seemingly nerdy boy who's definitely hiding something. They return to earth together for Riley's first assignment, a Radiant Boy who's been haunting a castle in England for centuries. Many Soul Catchers have tried to get him to cross the bridge and failed. But all of that was before he met Riley . . .

Radiance is the first book in the Riley Bloom series from bestselling author Alyson Noël.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Paranormal, Fiction, Ghosts, Middle Grade, Supernatural

192 pages, Paperback

First published August 24, 2010

About the author

*Note to readers: I'm slowly adding to the long list of books I've read, books I'm reading, and books I want to read. I only add books I loved, hence all my ratings are 5 stars.


Alyson Noël is the #1 NYT best-selling author of many award-winning and critically acclaimed novels for readers of all ages.

With 9 NYT bestsellers and millions of copies in print, her books have been translated into 36 languages, and have topped the NYT, USA Today, LA Times, Publisher’s Weekly, Wall Street Journal, NCIBA, and Walmart Bestsellers lists, as well as several international bestsellers lists.

She is best known for THE IMMORTALS series, THE RILEY BLOOM series, and SAVING ZOË, which was adapted into a movie now available on Amazon.

Upcoming works include:

RULING DESTINY- book 2, in the STEALING INFINITY series

STEALING INFINITY- Optioned for TV by Valhalla Entertainment - available now!

FIELD GUIDE TO THE SUPERNATURAL UNIVERSE - Optioned for TV by producers Charles Matthau and Michael Zoumas with Andrew Orenstein and Matt Hastings attached as show runners

Born and raised in Orange County, California, she’s lived in both Mykonos and Manhattan and is now settled in Southern California. Learn more at www.alysonnoel.com.

Instagram:
http://instagram.com/alyson_noel

Twitter:
https://twitter.com/AlysonNoel/

Facebook:
Official me: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Alyson...

Pinterest:
http://www.pinterest.com/alysonnoel/

Reviews

[~Calliope~ · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 Stars

[Liz · Rating 1 out of 5]

Damn, I don't know what is worse: This series or The Immortals.


Just a brief summary:
Riley is dead, but she cannot accept it. She wants to go back and live a proper teenager life. She does not like the Here she is living in now.
Neither does she like the fact that she has a job to do. A pretty "dangerous" and "hard" one.

Sounds okay, right? I thought: Well, the other series was nothing for me but maybe this one will be better.
It is not.

Riley is a spoiled, annoying girl who sometimes talks like she is a 10 and sometimes like a grown-up woman. This is sort of confusing and unrealistic. It seems like sometimes the author is talking and sometimes the character.
Even more annoying is the fact, that she cannot accept her dead. I mean, honestly, does this girl think you can magically return and live like nothing happened? When you die, there is no come-back. Sorry to disappoint.
Bodhi... Awkward. This is the perfect word to describe this guy.
Oh, and then, there is the Radiant boy. Or rather three of them. Three
10-years-old boys who want fame...Are you kidding me?!


Oh, and Riley, of course, is the only one who is not afraid of three little kids. She manages to persuade them to go and stop hunting the place. Wow, Riley is such a hero!
I hoped that maybe the Last Judgment would be normal. It wasn't.
The Author managed to make all of them funny, unrealistic and ridiculous. Congratulations!

Pointless plot, no development, pointless characters, unrealistic dialogues. This is what I think about this book.
Nothing but a waste of time.

[cinlin · Rating 2 out of 5]

This review may also be found on A Thousand Little Pages.

Having read a bit of Alyson Noel’s paranormal series The Immortals before, I started Radiance with expectations. The beautiful pastel blue cover and the rolling field of blue flowers were undoubtedly attracting factors. However, Radiance proved to be less gorgeous than its cover -- far less. After the first few pages, it became just another one of those mediocre what-life-is-like-after-you-die YA stories. For me, this type of plot is either a hit or a miss. Radiance was a miss.

A round of applause goes to the protagonist, Riley Bloom, for securing a spot on my characters-I-would-like-to-maim list. Seriously, has there ever been a more annoying 12-year-old girl in the history of YA lit? Since the story is in first person, the reader gets treated to 24/7 updates on Riley’s feelings as she complains and worries and complains and worries some more. The puppy love set up in here was also totally unnecessary. If the romance doesn’t aid the plot or spice it up for the reader, why bother putting it there? The entire book read like a novella, with barely any build-up of tension and a climax that was not climatic at all.

There was one line in Radiance that really got me, and not exactly in a positive way, either. So Riley, who just so happens to be complaining about the lack of fashion sense of a particular guy, remarks: “Just close your eyes and ask -- What would Joe Jonas wear?

OK, mentioning the Jonas Brothers (who I just so happen to dislike immensely) is called failure. Failure failure failure… Alyson Noel also mentions good ol’ Robert Pattinson, to which I responded with headKindle -- banging my head frustratingly on my Kindle to relieve stress.

I always prefer to end reviews on a positive note, so here it is: Radiance used the word “discombobulated” twice. I think this is the first time I’ve seen that delightful word in a published book!

Will I be picking up the sequel Shimmer? No. But I do feel that this book was geared toward younger teens. Maybe kids below the age of 13 would gobble this stuff up like pie...

Book Source: Borrowed

[Reading Vacation · Rating 5 out of 5]

REVIEW
I felt like I hit the jackpot when I read Radiance. It has a feisty girl as the main character, a lovably dorky boy, and a loyal dog. Add a plot with unexpected twists and a completely stunning ending and you’ve got one sweet novel.
One of my favorite parts about this book was the idea of Here and Now. An enchanted place where everything you wish for comes true. If you wish to live at the ocean, then you live at the ocean. Here and Now is only limited by your imagination.
I also loved the characters because they were so real to this tween girl. Riley was a girl with attitude and Bodhi was such a geek that it was cute. I’m not just talking about the people characters though. Buttercup’s devotion to Riley made me wish she were my dog.
So, I mentioned the ending was stunning, but that doesn’t really do it justice. It was one of the most unique endings I have ever read. SWEETNESS!
Radiance is Alyson Noel’s first middle grade book. I am looking forward to the follow-up book, Shimmer. I am also going to check out her YA series, The Immortals.
RATING
5 Plot
5 Characters
4 Attention Grabbing
4 Girlie Meter
5 Ending

23 TOTAL

5 STARS

[Megan Grant · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had no idea this would be geared toward a younger audience, so I bought it, read it, and can't say I hated it. It's a little anticlimactic and I was definitely expecting a bigger ending; BUT I also liked it for that reason: It's an easy read. The kind of book that you can just sit down and enjoy. The characters are so pure and honest.

[Aly · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's been a long time since I read the Evermore series, so it took me a while to realize that the main girl in this book is Ever's younger sister. I think it's cool that she gets her own middle grade series and we see what she is up to in the afterlife. The way the author describes the afterlife is interesting, you help others and become a better person and sort of level up. Each level comes with it's own perks and you can still watch your loved ones that are alive if you want.
Riley can be a bit annoying, but she's twelve so I'll forgive her. She's the little sister who wants to be you and know all about your life. I liked seeing her grow a bit and help others. I think her friendship with Bodhi may develop into more down the road, hopefully when she's older. This was a short, easy read with a cute story.

[akacya ❦ · Rating 4 out of 5]

2023 reads: 49/350

much to riley’s surprise, the afterlife isn’t much different than life on earth. in fact, she lives in a house similar to her old one, with her parents and dog, and is even about to start school back up soon. then she gets assigned to catch the soul of a spirit known as radiant boy, the very spirit many soul catchers before riley have failed to capture.

fictional books about the afterlife are very few, at least in my experience, so i was really interested in reading this one! i thought it was pretty interesting. i liked how reflective it was, especially for how young the main character is.

[Alaina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, so since I never actually finished the Evermore Series.. I had no idea that this series was about her younger sister. Unlike Ever's series.. I actually liked and enjoyed Riley's. Kind of weird since this was for the younger crowed but somehow I absolutely hated Ever and found something likeable in Riley.

Sure she had some frustrating and annoying moments, but we all do. Riley was just completely and utterly herself. A preteen who longed to become a teenager and died before she could ever see the age of 13. Yeah, she annoyed the crap out of her older sister but that's what younger siblings do. Heck, I definitely did that to my older sister. I still annoy her today.

Other than that, I adored her friendship with Bodhi. I'm not sure what's going to happen with them down the road but for right now, they were cute and I liked them.

[Trisha · Rating 1 out of 5]

I could not get over how frustrating Riley was. She was rude and ungrateful to everyone she bumped in to in the Here and Now, even if she thought they were God or angels. I would hope anyone able to be in the presence of beauty and goodness would, in turn, be good or at least nice.

[Liliana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to say, this was a very quick read. Very simple, yet entertaining.

So Radiance is about a 12-year-old girl Riley, who died in a car accident a year before. Now, in Here & Now (in a way I guess it could be Heaven) she is placed (since every one is destined to be placed somewhere) as a Soul Catcher. Meaning that she goes back to Earth and tries to convince earthbound spirits to cross the bridge (no, there is no light lol). So with the help of Bodhi, her guide/teacher/coach/boss (and the companionship of her dog, Buttercup) she sets out on her first assignment.

I really enjoyed this book. Its was light and fun to read. And I have a feeling that Riley and Bodhi's relationship will bloom ;)

http://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.c...

[Ian · Rating 4 out of 5]

After a car accident, Riley crosses the bridge into the after life. While there she is assigned the job of soul catcher, one who returns to the earthly plain to convince ghosts to move on. Together with her mentor Bodhi, and her dog Buttercup she travels to a haunted castle to complete her first mission.

Targeted to young adult female readers, Radiance is a gentle story told in a straightforward manner. I'm giving it 4 stars and plan on passing it onto my 12 year old niece so I can get her impressions.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think radiance is a wonderful and delightful read.
It tells the story of a young girl whos life has just been yanked from underneath her feet. And who has to brave the challenges of her new world. For Riley, the here&now is a little bit like her life on the human plane. Except there is no one that she knows besides her family. There is also no time or date, its always here & now.
Join riley in the adventure of her next life. And maybe even earn a little bit radiance for yourself.

[Danielle Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really, quick creative read about the afterlife . This is a middle grade book with a big concept ! I enjoyed reading this perception of the afterlife and what happens there . I’d like to read the next 3 books in this series ! Super cute and funny read!

[Karissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have been curious about Alyson Noel's The Immortals series, but because of mediocre reviews haven't wanted to commit to such a long series. When I saw that Noel had released a short novel that was a spin-off of the series I thought it would be a great way to get a feel for her writing and see if I wanted to read more by her. This book was okay, but the character's were a bit flat and immature for me.

Riley is dead and is living in the Hear and Now. Her parents are there and her house is there. Everything is kind of the same as it was when she was alive. Then on her first day of school things go wrong, she can't find her place...her job... in the Here and Now. When she is called before the Council they decide she should be a Soul Catcher and assign super-geek Bodhi to be her guide. Now Riley has to try and travel back to the land of the living to complete her assignment.

As far as ghost stories go, this one didn't really add anything to the genre that hadn't been done before. Riley is basically somewhere in between the land of the living and Heaven and is having trouble accepting that. I think this book is written at a lower age level than The Immortals because it is being told from Riley's perspective (she is thirteen years old).

The writing style for this book is okay, if a bit juvenile. It is readable and engaging. My biggest problem with this book are the characters. None of them are all that likable and they are also stereotypical. Riley is shallow, obnoxious, and whiny. Right away she starts giving Bodhi a hard time because he looks geeky; then later when he has his geeky glasses off she is all like "Oh, swoon he is so hot." I mean really how shallow can you be? Bodhi as a character isn't much better, although the fact that he even tolerates Riley says he's got more going on than she does. I think Riley is supposed to come off as snarky; but in reality she is irritating and obnoxious...even she realizes this at points...but she makes no effort to change.

Overall not a book I enjoyed much. The biggest thing this book had going for it is that the dialogue was natural sounding and readable (if obnoxious) and it was a really short book. Personally I wouldn't waste my time on this book unless you are a serious die-hard fan of the Immortals series. There wasn't much story here, not much creativity, and the characters were obnoxious. This book convinced me to give credence to the mediocre reviews I have been seeing for The Immortals; I don't think this author is for me. It does look like Noel is planning to write additional novels with Riley and Bodhi; so if you do enjoy this book you should have more of the same to look forward to in the future.

[Barbi Faye (The Book Fae) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a cute sister series, literally! Riley Bloom is Ever's sister from the 'Immortals' series by Alyson Noel. Riley has crossed the bridge into the afterlife—a place called Here, where time is always Now. She died in an auto accident and is accompanied by the family's dog, Buttercup. She has been appointed a role of Soul Catcher, and is sent back to the earth plane with her guide/mentor Bohdi for her first assignment in a castle in England haunted by the Radiant Boy. She helps him to the Bridge, no problem, and she even has time to help with Bohdi's assignment, the boy's stricken mother ghost. A sweet little novel to start off the cute little series, especially if you're a fan of the Immortals series. I liked it.

[Maddi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I’m a little too old for this book since it’s considered a middle school book. But, I did enjoy it even though the main character, Riley complains about everything! I loved the adventures she went through.

[Nadja · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wirklich viel ist bis jetzt noch nicht passiert, aber ein guter Einstieg, der (noch) zum Weiterleisen animiert.

[Annabell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Synopsis:

“Most people think that death is the end.
The end of life–of good times–
the end of, well, pretty much everything.
But those people are wrong.
Dead wrong.
And I should know.
I died almost a year ago.’

Welcome to the Here & Now.

Riley Bloom left her sister, Ever, in the world of the living and crossed the bridge into the afterlife- a place called Here, where time is always Now. Riley and her dog, Buttercup, have been reunited with her parents and are just settling into a nice, relaxing death when she’s summoned before the Council. They let her in on a secret- the afterlife isn’t just an eternity of leisure; Riley has to work. She’s been assigned a job, Soul Catcher, and a teacher, Bodhi, a curious boy she can’t quite figure out.

Riley, Bodhi, and Buttercup return to Earth for her first assignment, a Radiant Boy who’s been haunting a castle in England for centuries. Many Soul Catchers have tried to get him to cross the bridge and failed. But all of that was before he met Riley . . .”

Review: At first I wasn’t to open minded about reading this book. I figured the author just wrote it to capitalize on her already New York Times Best selling books, the Immortal Series. I ended up REALLY loving this book which completely surprised me because Riley annoyed me in Evermore (first book in Immortal Series).

In Radiance, Riley is still very much a twelve year old: smart mouthed, stubborn as hell, opinionated about everything, and over dramatic. But Riley is also caring, compassionate, loving, and in search, as all young ones are, of who she is and where she really belongs.

Radiance follows Riley as she learns to transition into her new “life” in Here. She desperately wants to fit in but at the same time she wants to remain true to herself. She changes between outfits and moods constantly, never holding back how she feels or what she thinks. That’s something I really loved about Riley! She is always true to herself, no matter what others think and even for such a young character, many her age and many much older than her, can benefit from learning from Riley. The kid has some very good nuggets of wisdom for someone so young.

You also get to meet Bodhi or who Riley refers to as “Monsieur Dorky Guy”. Bodhi is as nerdy as one can get: dressed in a black suit with a white shirt, skinny black tie and nerd glasses, the ones with black frames and thick glass. But Riley soon learns Bodhi isn’t all nerd, he has skills and strength she wouldn’t have expected in him.

Bodhi helps to teach Riley how to be a Soul Catcher, one who helps get the dead who have yet to cross the bridge and cross over into Here. True to form, Riley thinks getting the Radiant Boy, a spirit who has been haunting a castle for centuries causing all who stay within the castle to flee the instant they walk in, will be easy. Bodhi warns her that many before her have failed and she should take her job more serious but of course Riley doesn’t listen.

But there’s also another reason why Bodhi has brought Riley to the castle, he has some unfinished business of his own to attend to and Riley gets stuck in the crossfire.

Radiance is a quick and easy read. Riley and Bodhi are so much fun to read because they are always clashing. They both think they know more than they really do and are each as stubborn as bulls! The descriptions are beautifully written and you never once feel like the story is dragged out. Each character has a place and a purpose. And Riley will remind us each of our own best friend and how much we really cherish that kind of all loving, always accepting, supportive, relationship.

This is a great book to snuggle in bed on a rainy day to read (or even a sunny one).


http://openbooksociety.com/article/bo...

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Right after I finished Shadowland, I went looking for Dark Flame and discovered Radiance. Wow. It was fun. It was fun like the first two books in the Immortals series were fun. It was over too quick for me too. I am looking forward to the next installment coming out in the Spring 2011.

What I really liked was that I could really feel the voice of a 12-year-old telling the story. She says "bum" instead of "butt" or "ass", for example. She expresses discontent that she is still "flat-chested" and yet she loves to play fetch with her dog. She has those flashes of mature insight beyond her years and flashes of whiny little kidness. It's all rolled into one kid, very realistically and very believably.

The second thing I really liked about this one is that I would have no hesitation about recommending it to 5th-8th graders that I would not feel comfortable recommending the Immortals series to - yet. Like, it'd be nice if there were a parallel set of books to the Twilight series that was more appropriate for the younger folks who are getting so wrapped up in the series their older siblings are drooling over.

[Blue · Rating 1 out of 5]

it was really anticlimactic
the main character was rude and annoying as hell
i was expecting more from this

and the teacher/mentor person's name is Bodhi so....

[Alex(Books-In-A-Storm) · Rating 3 out of 5]

https://books-in-a-storm.tumblr.com/p...

[Amelie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Zur Aufmachung

Zum GLÜCK kannte ich das amerikanische Cover nocht nicht, als ich angefangen habe das Buch zu lesen. Sonst wären meine Erwartungen ja noch größer gewesen und dann wäre ich noch mehr enttäuscht worden. Was ich auch nicht wusste, als ich anfing zu lesen, war, dass Riley die Riley aus Evermore ist. Hätte ich das geahnt, dann hätte ich mir das alles bestimmt nicht angetan. Aber da es so ist, finde ich, dass das deutsche Cover sehr viel besser zum Buch passt. Genauso wie auch der Titel. (Denn die amerikanische Version ist und bleibt einfach ZU TOLL für diesen Inhalt)


Zum Buch

Ich empfehle hiermit allen, die dieses Buch schon gelesen haben und es sehr gut fanden: Hört am besten auf zu lesen. Es könnte nämlich sonst sein, dass ihr das eine oder andere mitbekommt, das euch nicht gefällt. So, das wäre geklärt.
Also gut. Ich bin ja nicht gerade ein Fan der Evermore-Bücher. Ich hab den ersten Teil zwar gelesen, fand ihn allerdings nicht gerade überragend. Das lag aber nicht an der Schreibweise der Autorin, sondern einfach daran, dass sie sich allen möglichen typischen Klischees bedient hat und dann auch noch einen Hauptcharakter erschaffen hat, der fast an Zoey Redbird heranreicht (und das ist schon ein Kunststück). Als ich die Beschreibung von Riley gelesen habe, da dachte ich mir aber, dass das wirklich gut und originell und so schön philosophisch klingt. Und dann habe ich das Buch gelesen und feststellen müssen, dass es das NICHT ist.
Der Hauptcharakter Riley ist zwölf Jahre alt, frech, zickig, oberflächlich, naiv und... ja, sagen wir mal einfach NERVIG. Sie beurteilt so ziemlich alles und jeden nach dem Aussehen und ihr wird auch erst klar, dass Bhodi gar nicht so schlecht ist, als er andere Klamotten an hat und keine Brille trägt. Ähm HALLO? Schonmal was von Charakterentwicklung gehört Fräulein Noël? Wenn der Hauptcharakter am Anfang oberflächlich ist, ok, aber, wenn sich das im Laufe des Buches nicht ändert, dann NERVT DAS!
Wer sich nun erhofft, dass, wenn schon der Hauptcharakter so schrecklich ist, wenigstens etwas Spannung aufkommt, der ist leider ein hoffnungsloser Fall. Das ganze Buch besteht eigentlich nur daraus, dass Riley durch die Gegend schwebt, hier mal mit dem redet, dort mal mit jemand anderem, dann erlöst sie noch ein paar wirklich sehr stereotypische Geister (vor allem die weinende Dame, da hab ich echt einen AUSRASTER bekommen) und Bhodi beleidigt. Achja und ihren Hund Buttercup streichelt oder knuddelt oder was auch immer man mit einem Hund so tun kann. Spannung? NEIN.
So, also keine Spannung und keine besonders tollen Charaktere... Mhhh.. Aber aus der Idee mit dem Leben nach dem Tod, da muss sie doch was draus gemacht haben, oder? Ich meine, das gibt doch jede Menge Raum für Fantasie, oder etwa nicht? Nein, leider auch nicht. Denn das "Hier" in das die Menschen übergehen, wenn sie sterben ist eigentlich genauso wie das Leben auf der Erde. Mit der Ausnahme, das man alles, was man haben will einfach "manifestieren" kann. Zum Beispiel die neuesten Klamotten oder Geld. Ja... Nicht sehr einfallsreich. Und was die Sache mit den Seelenfängern angeht... Neu ist das nicht gerade und wie bereits erwähnt waren alle Geister, die vorkamen (4 um genau zu sein) wirklich stereotypisch und die Tatsache, dass Bhodi und Riley sie so leicht dazu bringen konnten über die Brücke zu gehen machte das ganze noch langweiliger, eintöniger und weniger einfallsreich als es ohnehin schon war.

Fazit

Schreibstil: 4 Herzen
Charaktere: 1 Herz
Spannung: 1 Herz
Emotionale Tiefe: 1,5 Herzen
Humor: 1 Herz
Originalität: 1 Herz

Das Beste am Buch? Es hatte weniger als 200 Seiten. Das Schlimmste? Es gibt einen zweiten Teil. Und einen dritten. Und... UCH!

[Alison · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun read for the 'tween crowd.

Riley Bloom is not a new character to anyone who has read Alyson Noel's YA series, The Immortals, which starts with the book, Evermore (link to review). Allow me to give a little background. Riley is Ever's sister. Ever is the only survivor of a car crash that killed the rest of her family, which makes Riley...well...dead. In Evermore, Riley did a bit of haunting, and didn't want to leave her sister, but she eventually crossed over - and I shed a tear when the sisters parted. The Immortals series is Ever's story, but Radiance is Riley's story after she crosses over.

Since Ever was a teenager, her story was geared toward the YA set, but Riley is only 12, so her story is aimed at a younger reader. I thought both the storyline and the language was appropriate for the younger age group. Writing to the tween crowd can be a tricky task, and I think Alyson Noel did a fantastic job at maintaining a balance of interest without being inappropriate.

The author creates a whole new world for Riley, called the Here, in a time called the Now, which is scary because it's new to her, but doesn't necessarily frighten her. She begins her afterlife in the Here and Now with her parents and her dog, and sets off for her first day of "school." She quickly realizes that school is not what she thinks it is, and the afterlife is not all harps and clouds. The Council assigns a job to each person, and Riley is to be a Soul Catcher, whose job it is to retrieve the lost souls on Earth who haven't crossed over. She has a guide, the geeky but cute Bodhi, as Riley sets off on her first task. Her first quest is interesting, and Riley proves herself to be a special being.


Unfortunately, for me, there were too many unanswered questions as to who certain people are, what is going on in the Here and Now and what is their whole purpose...not to mention what happened to her parents?

I was disappointed that Alyson Noel once again set her readers up with too many loose ends, with hopes of tying them up in the next book.

Even though I have some issues with the book, I have to admit that I was entertained and found Riley to be extremely likable. Her task was exciting, her voice is sweet and sincere, and I found myself rooting for her. It's a good light read for the 'tween crowd.

[Kayleigh · Rating 2 out of 5]

I will honestly say that I was quite disappointed with this book.
I had first read Evermore, which is the first book in Alyson Noel's more popular series The Immortals, Evermore happens to be the book where Riley the main character of Radiance, appears as Ever's younger sister, who is a ghost.
She was my favorite character in Evermore, which was the main thing which attracted me to reading this book. She seemed like a pretty awesome and funny character. But this did not follow through in Radiance, she is quite annoying and I kind of just wanted to hit her, but I guess you can say she does well at portraying 12 year old girls.
Riley also quickly goes to judge her guide, Bodhi, as a dork, just from how he looks, but there is no evidence in the way he acts to support this, and well also supports my reason to hating Riley.

The writing in the book is set in first person, from Riley's perspective, the words and writing style used with in the book, was almost perfect for her, informal and chatty, but I came across some complex words which would not be used by a 12yr old.

The book was short, and lacked any sort of decent story-line, I do personally believe it could of been improved by making the book longer. At the beginning there was the usual 50 page introduction to the book (which was more than a quarter of the book), then it went straight into the story, where as I believe a decent book slowly progresses in the central story-line and problem.

The whole trying to convince ghosts to cross the bridge and into the afterlife/heaven, was just not believable it was too easy and silly.
Riley also had to leave her parents to go and fulfill the job she receives, but has no problem with that at all, when a 12yr old in fact would, the writer almost tried to forced Riley's character to be much older than she is.

The story had nothing that seemed to pull me into it, and I was more of skim-reading the last 100pages, than I was reading it.

The reason this book did not receive a 1 star rating, was because it was quite bad, but not horrible, it just managed to cling onto being read-able and would be a good book for younger readers.

[Grace (LovingDemBooks) Z. · Rating 1 out of 5]

Buy this book with FREE worldwide shipping: http://www.bookdepository.com/Radianc...

1 of 5 stars. This review will probably be very "rantish" or "ramblyish". It's going to be hard writing this. I'm having trouble gathering all of my thoughts. I'm going to straight up say that I really disliked the main character. Riley was immature, selfish, and overly nostalgic. I don't like to be that negative, but I feel like it needs to be said. I wanted to read this book, because I thought it would be a fast, quick, and fun read. It took me 3 days to get past the first 5 chapters. I'm considered a fast reader, why should it take me of all people 3 days to read 5 chapters?! The chapters are insanely short. The actual concept of this book is quite intriguing. I've only ever heard of a few books focusing on a bridge between life and death, and I've never read any of them. That is probably why I really wanted to read this. I was very disappointed. I don't think I was able to get more than a quarter through the book. First, I really don't think the author of this book Alyson Noel used any imagery at all. Weren't we all taught in school to always use imagery?! Radiance had some of the most vague imagery ever. Second, there really isn't a lot of explanation on what a "radiant" or a "soul catcher" was. Maybe it was explained later in the book, or maybe earlier, but I probably was to bored to read the explanation so I skimmed pages, or the explanation was never there. I'll never know. I think all I can say is that I didn't like it, and that I wouldn't recommend it.

My rating system:
5 - I don't use the 5 stars. A book is never perfect, therefore a book should never get a 5 star.
4 - As good as a book can get. I loved loved loved it.
3 - It was good, I enjoyed most of the book, but it has some flaws.
2 - I didn't really like it, but at least I got through the book
1 - I couldn't get through the book, and I didn't like it.

Links:
instagram.com/mortalartifices
youtube.com/user/LovingDemBooks
instagram.com/grace_zhuang
twitter.com/grayczhuang
librarything.com/profile/gracezhuang

[Jo-Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were some things about this book that I found to be refreshingly original. Riley is a typical 12 year old girl in many ways. She loves her family, her dog Buttercup, clothes, music, celebrities, cute boys...and she absolutely looks up to her sister, Ever. Too bad for Riley that her life is cut short when a fatal car accident kills her, her dog, and her mom and dad. Her sister, Ever, is the only one who survives the accident. When Riley finally decides which way to go- with her parents or with her sister- she ends up in a place called Here. This is actually the afterlife...where we all go when we die in order to be "placed" in our rightful spot to fulfill our purpose Here since we are no longer on the Earth plain.

Like I said, original idea- at least as far as I know I've never read anything like it before. It wasn't bad, it just wasn't outstandingly, blow my mind, fantastic. I kind of feel like it's a book that is aimed more towards younger audiences...it just reads younger - and since the story is written from the POV of a 12 year old girl, I suppose that makes sense.

This was a fast read, which is a plus...but not sure I'll continue on with the series...I just don't feel it's really for me.

[Leslie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I actually read this book because my 11 year old daughter bought it at her school's book fair. To my delight, I realized the author, Alyson Noel, who wrote the YA series, The Immortals, (which I had already read), branched off and wrote this story about The Immortals heroine's deceased sister, "Riley."

I enjoyed Riley's adventures as a ghost who's been assigned a job, as a "Soul Catcher." Her teacher, Bodhi, a cute, seemingly nerdy boy who also seems to be hiding something, explains Riley's new job duties...well sort of. Once they return to earth together for Riley’s first assignment, a "Radiant Boy" (someone who needs help crossing over) who's been haunting a castle in England for centuries, is a difficult case. Many Soul Catchers have tried to help him cross over and failed but hopefully, Riley can change his "here and now."

This was a very sweet story (and welcomely safe for pre-teens) that left some unanswered questions, but, knowing it will be a series, I wasn't too bothered by that fact. Riley's dog, "Buttercup" was also an endearing character and since I'm a dog lover, made me enjoy the story even more!

[Sara Jesus · Rating 4 out of 5]

O primeiro livro da saga Riley Bloom apresenta-nos o Aqui&Agora. O lugar em almas se transportam quando a sua vida acaba na Terra. Riley é uma menina de 12 anos que morreu recentemente num acidente, em que a única sobrevivente foi a sua irmã mais velha Ever. Ela não quer acreditar que morreu, e por dias vive na negação. Ela sempre foi uma criança rebelde que vivia na sombra da sua irmã. Para ela Ever era um exemplo a seguir: bonita, popular e inteligente.
Quando morre o seu mundo perde o significado, e ela tem de encontrar um motivo para continuar. É o conselho que o encontra nomeando-a Apanhadora de Almas. A sua missão é convencer as almas que não querem partir do plano terreno.
A sua primeira alma é o Garoto Radiante. Um fantasma que assombra durante séculos um castelo de Londres. Com a ajuda do guia e do seu cão ela convencerá ele e os seus irmãos gémeos a seguir em frente. É uma história leve que nos faz ter esperança numa vida depois da morte...

[Fedra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Διαφορετικό αλλά μικρό

Σίγουρα δεν διαβάζεις συχνά ιστορίες οι οποίες περιγράφουν τη μετά θάνατον ζωή. Οπότε αυτή η πρωτοτυπία ήταν ενδιαφέρουσα. Προσπαθεί να το κάνει με ανάλαφρο τρόπο και τα καταφέρνει.

Δεν έχω διαβάσει τη σειρά "οι Αθάνατοι" της Άλισον Νόελ και απ'οτι κατάλαβα συνδέονται. Αυτό δεν αποτέλεσε ιδιαίτερο πρόβλημα αν και είμαι σίγουρη πως όσοι την έχουν διαβάσει θα είναι περισσότερο εξοικειωμένοι με ορισμένους χαρακτήρες.

Επειδή το βιβλίο είναι πολύ μικ��ό με μεγάλη γραμματοσειρά, καταλήγει ουσιαστικά να εξιστορεί μόνο 3-4 σκηνές. Θα διαβάσω και το επόμενο ή κι επόμενα εάν μου κρατήσουν το ενδιαφέρον - που μέχρι στιγμής το κατάφερε - και θα γράψω την ολοκληρωμένη γνώμη μου στο τελευταίο που θα διαβάσω (πάντα χωρίς να μαρτυρώ κάτι σημαντικό στοιχείο της πλοκής)

[Sofia Guzman · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book Radiance is about a girl named Riley. She unfortunately dies and crosses a bridge into the afterlife. She dies by getting into a car accident. In the car were both of her parents and her dog named buttercup. In the afterlife, they reference time as here and now. She finds out that it's not just as nice and relaxing as she thinks. Riley is a very determined character. Riley has to get three very frightening ghosts called Radiant Boys to cross the bridge from the Earth to Here and Now. The conflicts are Riley vs. Desire, and Man vs. Self (Riley vs. Self). I think this book is fun to read. It gives you hints to what will happen next but doesn't just tell you straight up. This book is for realistic fiction readers.