Review: The Eternal Ones by Kirsten Miller

The Eternal Ones by Kirsten Miller

Hardcover, 416 pages

Published August 10th 2010 by Razorbill

Rating:

5 stars

Summary:

Haven Moore can't control her visions of a past with a boy called Ethan, and a life in New York that ended in fiery tragedy. In our present, she designs beautiful dresses for her classmates with her best friend Beau. Dressmaking keeps her sane, since she lives with her widowed and heartbroken mother in her tyrannical grandmother's house in Snope City, a tiny town in Tennessee. Then an impossible group of coincidences conspire to force her to flee to New York, to discover who she is, and who she was.

In New York, Haven meets Iain Morrow and is swept into an epic love affair that feels both deeply fated and terribly dangerous. Iain is suspected of murdering a rock star and Haven wonders, could he have murdered her in a past life? She visits the Ouroboros Society and discovers a murky world of reincarnation that stretches across millennia. Haven must discover the secrets hidden in her past lives, and loves¸ before all is lost and the cycle begins again. (Goodreads)

My Thoughts:

When ever I'm looking for a new book to read, I don't normally go for the reincarnation themed loved stories -not after my experience with Evermore- but the hype surrounding this book and it's plot sounded really interesting. What I didn't expect was what it actually was: an amazing, original piece of literature. It's a story of mystery, romance, and a hint of fantasy with unexpected surprises around every turn. It's just really, really, really, really awesome and before you know it, it becomes one of those books that you won't be able to put down.

What I Loved About It:

The first part of the book is set in Haven's tiny home town of Snope City, Tennessee where we're first introduced to the characters. Miller's writing is charming and really draws you in, getting to to care for -or in some cases- hate characters right away.
I now it might sound weird, but I really liked Haven's uber religious and extremely mean grandmother, Imogen. I hated her with a passion, and because of that, I got really involved with the book.
I loved Beau, Haven's gay best friend. He was so nice and became an awesome addition to the plot.
Now, Iain Morrow. What can I say? Is it weird that I'm completely in love with this fictional character? Dreamy, mysterious, rich, and a seemingly nice person.
The plot twists in the novel were unexpected and every chapter you had no idea what to expect.
The Ouroboros Society was an interesting component. Something that seems really plausible. :)
The ending.

What I Didn't Really Like About It:

(As I write this, I can't really find much I don't like about it. But I'm sure I can think of something...)

A lot of the people in her home town get on your nerves really easily.
Some of the characters seem really unbelievable and really shallow.
I would've liked to read more about Leah and her church. She helped Haven a lot and we don't really learn much about her.
Some of the dialogue kinda sucked, especially the southern expressions and such.
I didn't get to see as much Rebecca and Adam as I would have liked.
That priest guy, Dr. Tidmore, personality change was weird...

Is it Worth the Read?

If you want an interesting mystery with equally interesting characters and an awesome plot, it's definitely worth the read.