Review: Raven by. Allison van Diepen

Title: Raven    
Author: Allison van Diepen 
Age Range: 12+
Publication Date: February 10, 2009
Pages: 304
Genre: Paranormal, Romance
Rating: 9/10

Synopsis from Goodreads: The door that was always closed is opening, and I am consumed. I don’t know if a full minute goes by that I don’t think of him, that I don’t replay how it felt to have his hand brush mine, his eyes look my way. And yet he’s hiding, still. He talks as if my feelings for him are in the past, as if they couldn’t possibly be relevant now that I know the truth about him. But I don’t have that kind of power over how I feel. And if he doesn’t know that, he’s blind." Zin dances with fire in every step, speaks with a honey-sweet voice, and sees with eyes that can peer into your soul. It's no wonder Nicole is madly in love with him. Their friendship is the only thing that saves her from the boredom of school and the turmoil of her family life. But she cannot understand why he keeps her at a distance, even though she can feel his soul reaching out for hers. Zin carries a very old secret. When Nicole uncovers the truth, her love may be the only thing that can save him from it.

Review: Take break dancing, add amazingly diverse characters, sprinkle a less than typical immortality complex, and top it off with a hot as day romance and you have Raven by Allison Van Diepen. I have to admit I was excited and apprehensive about the way Raven was going to play out since it seemed that the theme of the book was going to be a combination of break dancing and immortal characters, not the usual mix. But it worked perfectly, and Allison Van Diepen makes sure of that in the way she relates the deepest most romantic moments of the book as well as the most unexplainable moments, back to break dancing, who knew break dancing was such a vivid topic.

Paranormaly, this book exceeded my expectations 10 fold. We have all heard the idea of the immortality being played on all different kinds of fields, but never like this. It had a history and an Asian Flare behind it that just made is so unique and original. 

This book used one of my favorite kinds of build ups when it comes to the romance, the best friends who secretly love each other, but have something holding them back. In this case it was Zin's immortality and Nicole (or Raven's) lack of it. They say that love transcends time, but its hard to believe that based on the situation of these two.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book so much. What kind of shocked me is that it was a stand-alone, the book's plot was definitely the making of an incredible series, and I really have not seen or read a paranormal/urban fantasy book, especially if it was a romance, that was a stand-alone. It was a refreshing change of pace!!!

Recommendations: Paranormal romance lovers will devour this book in an instant!

Characters: 10/10 
Plot: 9/10
Originality: 10/10 
Entertainment: 10/10 
Ending: 9/10 
Writing Style: 9/10 
Cover: 10/10

Posted in: paranormal romance,Review