Review and Giveaway! ~ Radiance by Alyson Noel

From the back cover: 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 . . . 

At first this book sounded like it would be a cute story. However I had not previously read Evermore and didn't realize at the time that this book is a continuation of sorts. It took me almost the whole book to "figure out" the back story. You definately want to read Evermore first. Now, taking all of that into account, overall I enjoyed the book but it just isn't the type of book I would normally read. It started out very light and interesting as we see Riley getting use to the Here and Now and finding out what her role (or job) will be. Once she is assigned as soul catcher, I thought we would see her go through some training or a little more in depth about where she was and what "life" will be like for her. Instead however we find her on her first assignment and that's where the book takes a dark turn. If you are into that kind of thing then this would be a great book for you. Riley is a very spunky girl and I loved her view on things. I did like the ending (I won't give it away) and this series will be a great teen read.

Now for the giveaway.....  This book is coming out on August 31. I will pick one winner (randomly) to win my ARC copy of Radiance on August 31. This book was only read once by me and still looks brand new, no creases! To enter the contest please sign up as a follower to my blog and then post a comment telling me your favorite mystery author.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Macmillan Publishers.  I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”