Auracle by Gina RosatiExpected Publication Date: August 7th, 2012
Publisher: Roaring Book Press
Page Count: 304 pages
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher
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*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review*
16 year old Anna Rogan has a secret she's only shared with her best friend, Rei; she can astrally project out of her body, allowing her spirit to explore the world and the far reaches of the universe.I have so many emotions!!! I had forgotten the synopsis of this book when I first started reading so I didn't really remember what I was getting myself into. The idea that Anna (she has my name!!!!) can astrally project is so cool and so original I was just sucked into the story from the very beginning. In a world that's so overly dominated by vampires and corrupted governments, the ideas behind Auracle were so refreshing and well thought out. I remember when the cover was first revealed for this one and I was just so excited about it. I'm so glad I wasn't let down. Gina Rosati created a world that was so unfamiliar and yet so easy to connect to. Auracle will have you emotionally soaring above the clouds at every turn of the page.
When there's a fatal accident and her classmate Taylor takes over Anna's body, what was an exhilarating distraction from her repressive home life threatens to become a permanent state. Faced with a future trapped in another dimension, Anna turns to Rei for help. Now the two of them must find a way to get Anna back into her body and stop Taylor from accusing an innocent friend of murder. Together Anna and Rei form a plan but it doesn't take into account the deeper feelings that are beginning to grow between them.
Anna, despite being able to project herself out of her body and fly across the universe, is so easy to relate to. She has issues at home, issues at school, issues with her friends, issues that I could easily grasp on to, having experienced them myself. I loved everything about Anna, sometimes I even felt like I was Anna. And Rei, Anna's knight in shining armor. He was just so perfect for Anna and I just wanted to scream at them until they finally understood how right they were for each other. Of course, it's hard to realize your soul mate is right in front of you when an angry spirit is inhabiting your body. Taylor was the perfect "villain" maintaining that combination of damaged yet slightly deranged. At times I would feel so sorry for her, and at others I just wanted to push her off a cliff.
While the characters were all incredibly well written, the plot was amazingly entertaining and fast paced, while still remaining original. I literally sat down and read this book in about two days, and that was only because I had to go to work. I could have easily read Auracle in one sitting; it was thought-provoking, refreshing, fast paced, and romantic while still providing those paranormal elements that I love. I easily jumped into the story just as easily as Taylor jumped into Anna's body and I found it so hard to disengage myself. Rosati's writing is amazing and beautiful and everything about it is so real. The only issue I may have taken with this story is that I have no idea what "Auracle" means (and yes, I looked it up!) but I don't even care!
If you're looking for an escape from the cookie-cutter stories that are so common these days, I definitely recommend you pick up Auracle. Even if you're not a big paranormal reader, Auracle walks the line of contemporary while still providing the paranormal elements that I crave. Auracle will have your heart breaking while making you laugh all at the same time. Anna is a sarcastic, enigmatic, and brave girl who just wants to escape the damaged household she's grown up. Auracle will teach you that no matter what challenges you have to face, the world will always be waiting for you to make your escape and sometimes that escape is waiting right next door.
