White Raven by J.L. Weil – A Book Review

Posted March 28, 2019 by Booksandblurbs in PNR, Reviews, YA / 0 Comments

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White Raven

(The Raven Series – Book 1)

by J.L. Weil
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

YA, PNR Mystery

Available on Kindle, Kindle Unlimited, Audio and Paperback

Down and Dirty

Fun and intriguing, worth checking out.

What is it about?

(Blurb from Goodreads)

DREADFUL LIES.
UNEXPECTED LOVE.
IMPOSSIBLE TRUTH.

It only took one heartbeat to change my life—one chilling phone call in the middle of the night.

And then, as if my life didn’t already suck, my dad sends my brother and me to some idyllic island for the summer to live with a grandma we never met. WTH. Naturally, I rebel. In the end, I find myself shipped off to Raven Hallow…and bored to tears.

Until I get an eyeful of the mind-bendingly gorgeous Zane Hunter. The dark-hair cutie makes my pulse go bonkers, and I think, maybe this might not be so bad after all. Six feet of swoon inducing looks, with a hint of Celtic charm in his voice, he was the type of guy that left a string of broken hearts in his wake. And I had all the heartbreak I could handle.

Yet, there is something uncanny, almost supernatural about Zane, and it’s not just his devastating smirk. No matter how much distance I put between us, Raven Hallow isn’t big enough, and the sparking tension between is undeniable. Of course, the one person I want to avoid becomes my salvation.

My past comes back to terrorize me. Someone wants me dead, and the closer I get to the truth, the more I realize my whole life is a lie. I am no longer sure what is more frightening—the attempts on my life or the guy whose heart and soul are synchronized with mine.

Thoughts

This is an interesting novel that takes known mythos, shreds it up and spits back out a tale that somehow echoes the original foundation, yet takes on a whole new identity. Ravens, crows, sparrows…. it’s a mystery that quite literally captures the FMC’s life and throws her into an ancient story without enough information.

I liked it. There is a Dirty Dancing vibe, along with that shivering feel of the Vampire Diaries or even Twilight, though this tale is wholly its own.

Perspective

First Person, Single POV

Ending Type

Cliffhanger

Steam Level

Sweet… it’s YA.

Pros:

Unique.
You are just as confused as the FMC.
Zane… he’s dark, broody and deadly awesome.
YA, but like other J.L. Weil novels (Saving Angel) it lacks the immaturity of some YA novels, thank goodness.

Cons:

Plot is complicated, but not so much that you can’t interpret what happens next. I like being surprised, this didn’t do it.

Favorite Line

“Five measly blocks—that was all that had stood between my mom and her life.” (3%)

…. this hit me hard because my own mom just died and these kind of thoughts keep drifting through my head… small moments, small ideas – but they scream so loud.

Verdict

4 out of 5 Stars

I enjoyed it and will probably pick up book 2 and 3, as this is a complete series. Perfect for fans of Twilight, Saving Angel or Buffy.

Published March 27th, 2015

276 Pages

If you enjoyed this review, please consider checking out a few of my other articles.

Your Turn

What are you reading today? Did you ever read this series? It’s a bit older. What were your thoughts? Leave a comment, shoot me a message – I would love to talk!