Title: Vision of Shadows by Vincent Morrone
Publisher: Silence In The Library
Release Date: July 15th, 2014
Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance, Drama
Medium: EBook, received for review
Oh. My. Gosh. Where do I start? Well, I usually don't start off a review sounding like a fan girl, but this is an unusual case. I have to say, I fell head over heels for this novel. From the very beginning, I was entranced in the amazing story of Bristol and her paranormal infused life. And the moment Payne enters the story... I haven't flipped pages that fast in along time. This story is exactly what I've been looking for. Easily one of the best novels I have ever read and one of my absolute favorites.
After the death of her parents, Bristol Blackburn’s life is thrown into chaos and she’s forced to move to Spirit, a small town where shadows are stirring. As she learns to navigate her new school and figures out how to keep her psychic abilities secret from her family, Bristol comes face to face with the boy who makes a regular appearance in her dreams: the gorgeous, possibly deadly, Payne McKnight. Soon she’ll find out if Payne will be the love of her life, or the end of it — and she has no idea which possibility scares her more.
And that’s not even the worst of it. Strange shadows are haunting her dreams, and they’re up to something that could put Bristol and the lives of everyone she loves in jeopardy. -Amazon.com
From the very first page, the plot takes off and you are hanging on the edge of your seat. Naturally, when some authors write a plot like this (action-packed to the point that it is at a constant climax) it is too much to handle and is too busy. With Vincent Morrone's novel, that is definitely not the case. He writes with constant suspense and action, throwing in surprises at every turn, leaving you guessing every second. It flowed naturally, but also had many twists I didn't expect. The plot was both so suspenseful and gripping that I rarely had a free moment where I wasn't reading this story. I was that hooked. And I can't say that very often.
The characters were unbelievably realistic and interesting. Bristol's POV was an absolute joy to read in, and the way she saw things was both intriguing and easy to believe. She harnessed that 'normal teenage girl' factor that most authors seem to miss, while still having the fantasy characteristics when she accepts her role of talking to ghosts. And Payne... Oh Payne. His character was one of the most refreshing I have read from this year. He was an all-around normal guy (aside from being a handsome gentleman with a special ability) but because of his normality, he also has his faults. That is what I liked about these characters. They were so powerful and unreal, yet at the same time, realistic and relatable. Their faults made them the strong characters they were in the end. They really are nicely formed, descriptive, interesting characters.
The writing also left me speechless. Not only was the plot written perfectly, and the characters' back stories impeccable, but so was every other bit of the novel. Just the normal transitioning of scenes and characters' actions were written with untouchable skill. And the dialogue shared between the characters absolutely blew me away! I have read novels before where every bit of the dialogue feels like filler and sounds robotic. The characters sound very predictable and the dialogue is either cheesy or fake. And when writing about characters in their teenage years, for a teenage audience, the characters need to talk like normal teenagers. Not like children off a 90s sitcom. With this novel, the characters spoke to one another spot-on, perfect dialogue. Theirs words actually meant something, were emotional, and constantly laugh-out-loud funny! I had the best time reading this novel.
Overall, this novel was an absolute joy to read. I wasn't disappointed with a single thing and found zero faults and a million things to love. From the plot, to the characters, to the overall writing of this novel, it left me breathless. It was so amazing, I want my own paperback copy now! This is definitely a novel I would recommend to everyone, no matter what genres you prefer. Because you will love this novel. I know I did! As soon as I get myself a paperback copy, I will have to simply wait on pins and needles until I can get ahold of the sequel. Oh, how I cannot wait!
