Review: The Seven Rays by. Jessica Bendinger

Title: The Seven Rays
Author: Jessica Bendinger
Age Range: Young Adult
Publication Date: November 10, 2009
Pages: 330
Genre: Paranormal/Fantasy
Rating:  

Synopsis from Goodreads: THAT IS THE ANONYMOUS MESSAGE that Beth Michaels receivesright before she starts seeing things. Not just a slept-through my-alarm-clock, late-for-homeroom, haven't had-my-caffeine-fix kind of seeing things. It all starts with some dots, annoying pink dots that pop up on and over her mom and her best friend's face. But then things get out of control and Beth is seeing people's pasts, their fears, their secrets, their desires. The images are coming at Beth in hi-def streaming video and she can't stop it. Everyone thinks she's crazy and she's pretty sure she agrees with them. But crazy doesn't explain the gold envelopes that have started arriving, containing seeing keys and mysterious tarot cards. To Beth, it all seems too weird to be true. You are more than you think you are? But here's the thing: What if she is? The creator of Bring it On, Jessica Bendiner, brings her teen savvy writing to this paranormal romance, The Seven Rays.

Review: Like nothing I have ever read before, The Seven Rays is a unusual and elaborate story filled with fantasy and mystery going deep into a new world filled with mythical beings way different from your average vamp.

If I could sum of this book in three words, I would say it was just plain freaky. I can definitely guarantee that throughout this book there will be a bunch of "umm what"s and a ton of "huh"s and you will go back and read a lot of pages right after you finished reading them because somethings are just plain weird and pretty confusing.

Don't get me wrong people, I could not put this book down. It was just so unusual. I would try to find a better word to describe it but that seems to fit perfectly. It kept your interest all the way through because everything about this book was new and unique and downright freaky.

It all starts with the dots. Of all the paranormal and fantastical abilities out their Beth is lucky enough to see...dots. But first comes the dots, then comes people's entire lives flashing before her eyes. And now she knows she is crazy, except that there are mysterious letters she is receiving that are telling her otherwise.

Despite thinking she is crazy, Beth was strong. She was the kind of girl who did not wait for answers, she got off her butt and traveled across the country to go find them. She is slowly discovering that what she is able to do goes farther than just seeing dots. At times I really felt sorry for Beth. One by one people were abandoning her and she had no idea why. It was kinda sad the way the only person she could trust through all this was the typical "hottest guy in school"/"school's biggest player" . Usually not the kind of company you would like to keep going on a life changing cross country journey, but despite the cliches of the situation, he turned out to be a very likable character.

All that being said, I would have to say at a lot of parts the book were a bit confusing. I had to flip back a lot to previous pages to make sure I knew what the heck was going on, and even after that I still wasn't sure what was happening.

All in all I really enjoyed this book. It was so unusual and like nothing I have ever read before. Even though I can see how a lot of people might not like it as it was pretty confusing and seemed very...unfinished. Either way it is a book that will be on your mind long after you finish reading it.


Recommendations: This one is pretty hard to recommend because it all comes down to taste. It's really a different kind of book that is pretty hit or miss depending on the person. I will definitely say if you are looking for a freaky...and weird YA book, this one is for you!


Overall: 4/5

Characters: 4/5
Plot: 4/5
Originality: 5/5
Entertainment: 4/5
Ending: 3/5
Writing Style: 3/5
Cover: 5/5