Fated by Alyson Noël

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Immortals, Alyson Noël, comes Fated—a breathtaking new saga brimming with magic, mystery, and an intoxicating love story that will steal your heart away. Meet The Soul Seekers. Strange things are happening to Daire Santos. Crows mock her, glowing people stalk her, time stops without warning, and a beautiful boy with unearthly blue eyes haunts all her dreams. Fearing for her daughter’s sanity, Daire’s mother sends her to live with the grandmother she’s never met. A woman who recognizes the visions for what they truly are—the call to her destiny as a Soul Seeker—one who can navigate the worlds between the living and dead. There on the dusty plains of Enchantment, New Mexico, Daire sets out to harness her mystical powers. But it’s when she meets Dace, the boy from her dreams, that her whole world is shaken to its core. Now Daire is forced to discover if Dace is the one guy she's meant to be with...or if he’s allied with the enemy she's destined to destroy.

Read my review at https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/380221232

Resenha do blog Sincerando.com, escrita por Sarah Sindorf

Daire tem 16 anos e vive sozinha com sua mãe desde sempre. Seu pai morreu antes dela nascer, e ela não tem nenhuma outra família. Mas, Daire tem a vida dos sonhos de muitas meninas: sua mãe é maquiadora de Hollywood, o que faz com que as duas viagem muito, seguindo filmes, e que conheça muitas celebridades, inclusive saindo com algumas.

Entretanto, sua vida muda totalmente quando completa 16 anos, durante uma viagem à Índia. Depois de um estranho acontecimento, Daire é levada a várias consultas a psiquiatras e é até internada. No meio disso tudo, sua avó paterna, desaparecida há muito tempo, entra em contato e diz poder ajudá-la, inclusive podendo tirá-la dos pesados remédios e de um futuro em um hospício. E é assim que Daire descobre que é uma Buscadora de Almas e tem uma grande missão pela frente.

Ouvi muitas opiniões negativas em relação à essa série, mas gostei muito da série Riley Bloom, da mesma autora, e fiquei interessada pela sinopse. E não me arrependi. O livro traz vários clichês de livros de adolescente e algumas partes são um pouco arrastadas, mas eu gostei bastante da mitologia usada pela autora.

Daire vai ao Novo México encontrar sua avó e tentar descobrir se seu problema tem cura, e desse modo conheci um lugar totalmente novo. Nunca fui ao Novo México, então não tenho como saber se a descrição bate com a realidade, mas a cidade Encantamento é parecida com uma zona rural que eu morei: poucas casas, muitas trilhas e estradas de barro e uma família rica e poderosa. Daire então fica chocada com sua nova realidade e com as faltas de opção do lugar.

Tirando o choque inicial e alguns problemas de adaptação e de entendimento de sua situação, Daire começa a se acostumar e até gostar de alguns aspectos de sua vida, mas nem tudo é divertido. Sua nova condição como Buscadora de Almas vem junto com um treinamento e responsabilidades precoces. Mas ela consegue apoio e ajuda com alguns amigos que faz na cidade, e esses personagens são encantadores. Em algumas partes eu ficava triste quando eles sumiam de cena.

Apesar de ter um toque romântico, o livro é mais focado nas tradições do lugar, no que é uma Buscadora de Almas e em outros aspectos desse mundo.

http://www.sincerando.com/2014/04/sonhos.html

No pude terminarlo. Todo el tiempo la chica me pareció irritante. Lo sentí como una copia de Cazadores de Sombras. No me sentí cautivada por la trama.

I'll admit that what first drew me to Fated was the gorgeous cover. Everything about it is gorgeous, and I give massive kudos to the artist. Just lovely. That being said, this is my first foray into Alyson Noel's books. Her Immortals series has been on my reading list for a long time, but I hadn't had the opportunity to start it yet. I was excited to dive into this new series from the beginning.

At first glance Daire was definitely not my favorite character. Her attitude was okay, but I felt like she was kind of disinterested in everything that was happening around her. Even when things picked up speed, and she needed help, it was like she was watching it from outside of herself. I felt more connected to her in her dreams than I did when she was awake. However, as the story progressed I started to like Daire more and more. About half way through the book she does a 180 and really comes to life. It's almost like a brand new character. If you feel the same way I did about her at the beginning, keep reading. It gets better.

The concept of Fated is extremely intriguing. Watching Daire learn who she really is, watching her form a bond with the power inside her, it's all fascinating and makes for a great read. That is honestly why the book picks up so much after the first half. My gripe was that there really wasn't much Dace and Cade development in this story. Since it is the first in the series, I'm willing to give it some time. Admittedly Cade is a great villian! Also I liked that the romance aspect wasn't rushed, or took over the story. I do hope to see a little more later on in the series though.

As a package, I enjoyed Fated and will come back for more. There were little things that kept me from being fully immersed in it, but it did peak my interest for the other books in the series and also the books that Alyson Noel has already written! If you are new to her books, I think this is a good place to start. I've been told it shadows the other series, but I read it as a standalone and I had no trouble following. If you enjoy stories with heart, and just a touch of romance, this is one to add to your reading list.