Review: After Eden by Katherine Pine

Book: After Eden by Katherine Pine
Series: Fallen Angels #1
Pages: 235 (Approx. 87,000 words)
Genre: Young Adult / Paranormal Romance
Buy A Copy: Barnes & Noble | Smashwords | Amazon
Available Formats: Ebook 
Publication Date: April 17th, 2011
How Did I Get This Book: From Author, For Review
Preview Book: Read Chapter 1
Description: Devi knows she shouldn't trust the new employee at her favorite used bookstore. Sure, he's funny, smart and hands down the sexiest guy she's ever met, but something dark lurks behind his unassuming smile and sinful green eyes.

Still, a girl can't always afford to be picky. When an angel abducts your twin brother it should come as no surprise that the one person who can help you get him back is a demon--and only if you're willing to pay his price. 

 

Let me start this off by saying Katherine Pine certainly has a remarkable way with words.  I adore Pine’s writing style – her descriptions are simply fabulous. From the moment I began the book, I was transported into Devi’s mysterious and  vivid world. 

Oz, the love interest in After Eden is beyond awesome. Devi describes his look as “beautiful in that indie musician or starving poet kind of way”, which let me be the first to say, yum. But the wonderful thing about Oz, is that he is a complete sweetheart. Honestly, he might just be one of my favorite new young adult studs. 

I only had a few issues with After Eden, the main being the fact that the plotline deviated from its original point. The beginning premise of the book, and what is targeted in the summary, is the story of Devi finding her long lost twin brother. While the story eventually returns to that original storyline, it seems to get lost during the bulk of the book. Normally, I would take greater issue with this, but the fact is, I really enjoyed the book in its entirety.  Maybe it’s a simple case of the book summary being off; it certainly wouldn’t be the first time. Because honestly, the story arc of Devi finding her missing brother isn’t the main focus – the devils and demons coming after Devi storyline is. 

Which, isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Because, man, are those demons and devils ever entertaining. Pine did a great job with creating these villains, because it’s impossible to see them as purely evil. As readers, we often want to label someone as “the bad guy”, when in reality, nobody is ever all bad. The devils and demons (especially the demons), do what they do because they feel too much. How can you really fault someone for that? Let me tell you what - it certainly keeps things interesting.

My only other issue with the book lies with the character of Devi. Let me begin by saying that for 75% of the time, I loved her character. But, there were a few instances, one in particular, when I was left questioning her overall sanity and self-worth.  She doesn’t seem to think to highly of herself and she doesn’t come off as a very strong character. I do not want to get too deep into this, because I really don’t want to spoil anything for you guys, but I wish Devi would have shown more backbone throughout the book. Hopefully she will develop more of a spine in the next installment.

There are a few last side notes that I wanted to add before I wrap this one up. First of all, if you are previewing the book (either on your ereader or on link I posted above), be sure you read the first chapter as well as the prologue. Because, honestly, the prologue didn’t really do anything for me. It was the first chapter that really sold me on the book. Between Pine’s wonderful descriptions of Morrison’s and Devi’s first meeting with Oz, I was taken away with the story. So read on my friends. Secondly, I am not sure who is supposed to be on the cover, but it doesn’t look like the Devi I read about. If I remember correctly, she is supposed to be a small curvy, pale girl with black hair and dark brown eyes. So who’s the blonde? I don’t have a clue. And lastly, I had a hard time figuring out her exact age; the time line seemed to be a bit off.  I thought her brother disappeared when she was seven (because her headaches began when she was 7 – pg. 22) and then Forenus said he disappeared seven years ago (pg. 33) . So that places her at fourteen. But, then later Devi insinuates that she is somewhere over the age of fifteen, but under eighteen. Which leads me to believe she is suppose to be sixteen or seventeen. Thank you awesome reasoning skills. 

Anyways, back to business here. After Eden is a thrilling and exciting series opener.  I hope that Pine continues to build on and develop the characters; I have a feeling this series will just get better and better. I am going to say that Pine is definitely an author to watch!

Favorite Quotes 

"The only customers they'd get on a day like this were lunatics -- well, lunatics and hopeless romantics with a fetish for the smell of dusty old books, which in their eyes probably amounted to the same thing."

"My breath caught in my chest. Misunderstood artsy types weren't supposed to smile like that. They were supposed to glance at others condescendingly and ooze sarcastic witticisms. I felt like this guy was going to wiggle his eyebrows and ask me to "wrassle".

 "Well, you can't be a vampire." I struggled to make it sound like I was teasing, not feverishly wishing. "You're not sparkling."

"To Oz's credit, he didn't say anything, probably because he'd decided that trying to converse with someone so temperamental wasn't worth it."

"I didn't want to think about it. Indulging someone's insanity like this couldn't be healthy."

"She's the one I told you about. Everyone is looking for her. Lucifer wants her."

"Longing did not even begin to describe the dark, blissful, almost painful feeling that rose within me. It was as if I was truly melting into him."

"Every part of her was still except her hair, which blew round her face in the damp night like Medusa's serpentine locks rearing to strike."

"His matted hair was a bit longer than it should have been, his leather trench coat way too worn and soft under my fingertips. There was no incandescent light, just this flawed, wonderful being."

"Maybe this kind of devotion is sinful," I continued. "Perhaps it was even the origin of sin. But you and I are already damned."