Blog Tour and Giveaway: Forsaken by Kristen Day

And the day has finally arrived! What day? The day of Project Read and Review's first ever blog tour! And what an amazing tour to be part of. In this post you'll find out a little bit about the author (Kristen Day), my thoughts on this captivating read, and an exciting giveaway of 7 eBook copies!

About The Author


Kristen Day is a southern belle at heart with a crazy streak that desperately tries to escape at every opportunity.  She loves all things nostalgic, rustic, and quirky.  She’s been told she sees the world through rose-colored glasses, but she prefers to think of them as kaleidoscope glasses - swirling and morphing reality into something she can digest (who hasn't pretended those pasty lima beans were really kiwi strawberry jelly beans?).

She is the author of the Daughters of the Sea trilogy, which includes Forsaken, Awaken (October 2012), and Chosen (Winter 2012).  She loves all books, but really enjoys writing young adult, paranormal romances.  She’s loved to write for as long as she can remember.  Her first published work was her poem RED in second grade (you guessed it - it was a poem about the color red - life altering, right?) that won her 5 gold stars and a spot in her elementary school's poetry book. That's when her addiction to the written word officially began.  She was the only kid in fifth grade that actually enjoyed diagramming sentences. Go ahead and laugh - its okay.

When she’s not writing she’s making jewelry, painting, feeding her addiction to sweet tea, watching the Discovery Channel, or going on random adventures in the mountains of North Carolina with her amazing husband. She was born in Boone, NC and graduated from Appalachian State University with a degree in Marketing in 2001.

Review

Title: Forsaken
Author: Kristen Day
Publisher: Self published
Released:
Pages: 268
Buy: Kindle Nook

Once you've been touched by darkness, it never leaves you…

Abandoned by her parents as an infant; seventeen year old Hannah spent her childhood wading through countless foster families until being adopted by the Whitmans three years ago. Unfortunately, Atlanta’s high society wasn't quite ready for Hannah…or the strange events that plague her.

Chilling visions of murder, unexplained hallucinations, and a dark, mysterious guy who haunts her nightmares all culminate to set in motion a journey of self-discovery that will challenge everything she’s ever believed; not to mention her sanity. 

Sent to live at The House of Lorelei on Bald Head Island, NC for ‘kids like her’, Hannah quickly realizes things are not what they seem. Her fellow ‘disturbed’ teens are actually the descendants of mythical Sea Gods and Goddesses. And so is she.

But when Finn, the ghost from her dreams, appears in the flesh; her nightmares become reality and her dark visions begin coming true. Inexplicably drawn to him, she can’t deny the dangerous hold he has on her heart. The deadly secrets he harbors will ultimately test her courage and push the boundaries of her love. 

She must decide if she is ready to embrace the ancient legend she is prophesized to be a part of. The fate of all the descendants will forever depend upon it.

I'm just going to go right ahead and say it - I loved this book. I don't think I've ever read a novel where it was based around Sea Gods and Goddesses - I mean, I know about Percy Jackson and the like, but they talk about all the Greek gods in general - with Forsaken, Day zones in on just the sea gods and their powers, which I really found intriguing  The plot was thick, the background was set in stone, and the writing style was captivating - it was everything I look for in a good read.

To summarize the synopsis, Forsaken follows Hannah as she is whisked away to The House of Lorelei, which actually turns out to be a school full of teenagers who are demi-gods, descended from the sea gods. But although Hannah fits in better on the island than back home, there's still something strange about her - strange things that will put not just her in danger, but also everyone she cares about.

Firstly, I've got to say that I loved how Day concentrated on just sea gods - as I said earlier, I've read books about the Greek gods in general, but as a reader, you don't really understand the gods and the powers as thoroughly. In Forsaken, Day doesn't just tell a story, but educates the reader on Greek mythology, and I found the story much easier to follow when I knew which god had what power, and so on.

Secondly, I loved each of the characters. Hannah was incredibly likable, and I found that despite the mythical situation, I could relate myself to her insecurities. I also liked her friends - sure, Phoebe grated on me gradually, but I suppose we all have a friend like that. I think the thing I liked best about the characterization of the friendship group was how relateable Day made them - that despite the fact that what was happening to them would no way happen to us, the reader is still able to get under their skin and get to know them.

The plot was fantastic - something was always happening, which kept me on my toes. The constant cliffhangers from chapter to chapter meant that I just couldn't put it down - I always wanted to know what would happen next, which I guess is a problem now that I've finished it. But luckily, the next installment is coming out next month - thank goodness!

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this read. As I said earlier in the review, it was just everything you want in a good read, and Day's writing just had me hooked all the way through. If you haven't read this novel, you really must - it's so light and easy that you just fall into it. It's a fantastic novel, and Day is incredibly talented - she is an author I am definitely going to look out for!
Rating: 4/5

Giveaway

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