Carole's Sunday Review: Seventh Mark - WJ May

Author: WJ May

Title: Seventh Mark (Hidden Secrets #1)

Genre: YA, Fantasy, & Paranormal

Pages: ebook

Published: April 2013

Where I Got It: My Shelf (Amazon Freebie)

Like most teenagers, Rouge is trying to figure out who she is and what she wants to be. With little knowledge about her past, she has questions but has never tried to find the answers. Everything changes when she befriends a strangely intoxicating family. Siblings Grace and Michael, appear to have secrets which seem connected to Rouge. Her hunch is confirmed when a horrible incident occurs at an outdoor party. Rouge may be the only one who can find the answer.

An ancient journal, a Sioghra necklace and a special mark force life-altering decisions for a girl who grew up unprepared to fight for her life or others.

All secrets have a cost and Rouge’s determination to find the truth can only lead to trouble…or something even more sinister. 

I've been itching for a decent paranormal book and since this was just sitting there all free and whatnot on Amazon, I went ahead and grabbed it. 

It is a quick read and very YA in writing, so it was easy to fly by. 

Rouge is a teenage girl who is new in town. Her adoptive parents seem to be pushing her away now that she is nearly graduated from High School and they won't be able to support her if she goes to college. Kind of sad and kind of crappy of them pulling away. I think that they think she is going to peace out and never talk to them again. OR the author just wants to write the parents off so she run around unhindered by loving parents. It could go either way honestly with YA books like this. 

Right...so Rouge....new girl in school. Meets hot guy. Hot guy disappears. New girl becomes bestie with weird, but hot girl. Hot girl is the twin of the got guy. There is something weird about them and their adoptive family. Weird things happen and Rouge is dragged into this supernatural world with little to no information. 

The only really different part of this plot is that Rouge is strange and somehow fits into all of this. We don't know WHAT, but it is easy to guess. The truth will probably come out in the next book. I am super curious to see exactly what she is. I have my guesses (I am guessing some sort of werewolf), so I am curious. I am also intrigued in learning more about Michael (Hot guy) and his family. They are something strange and I want to understand them more. 

Also, I wanted to jump for joy because Hot guy Michael was not all Edward-like and Rouge was not Bella-like. Yes, yes, there was insta-lust. But there was no insta-love. They actually became friends and are acting like normal teenagers who have a crush on each other. I huzzahed at the end because Michael was not all "she is mine! I WILL DIE FOR HER!" after knowing her for like a minute. 

Interesting plot...but SO YA it hurt sometimes. The writing style was so superficial at times and the transition phases just happened. 

Out of five stars, I'll give this a three, just because it was different and had me curious to read the next one. ALSO, there was no insta-love. Huzzah! Little victories like this make me have hope for this genre.