Devoured

Reader: Briana G
Age: 16
Title: Devoured
Author: Amanda Marrone
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Pub Date: 9/22/09
Galley: Yes
Nominate for Teens’ Top 10: Yes
Annotation: A sister's ghost, an evil mirror, a missing heart, and The Land of Enchantment amusement park all add up to one thing, trouble—of the dangerous sort.
Recommend: Yes
Compelling Aspect of the Book: The most compelling aspect probably was the suspense. It was all-around amazing, but if I had to choose one, it would be the suspense. The character’s inner conflicts were well written and defined, as well as how they overlapped with the external conflicts. How seeing her dead sister's ghost ended up affecting her entire life, how she struggled with keeping her problems and thoughts secret from the world around her. Another thing giving it an immediate points booster in my mind is that the romance was a side issue, not the main conflict of the book. The characters were well developed and relate-able, there are twists and turns in the plot. It is more unpredictable than most stories these days. I started reading this book at 1 in the morning because I couldn't get to sleep and was going to read until I was tired, I ended up staying up until 3:30 to finish the book.
Did the cover tempt you and/or reflect the contents of the book: I liked the cover well enough, but it did make me have a side thought of gossip girls, and I don't believe that's necessarily the angle trying to be pushed with this cover. I loved the apple on the back, dripping the red over the green apple.
Did you finish: Yes
Age Range: 14-17
Quality: 5Q Hard to imagine a better book
Popularity: 5P Everyone wants to read it