The Forever Girl: Sophia's Journey (Forever Girl Series, Volume One)

This was a debut novel? I couldn't tell. I couldn't put the boo

This was a debut novel? I couldn't tell.
I couldn't put the book down. It was a bit slow for me at the beginning, but still couldn't put it down. Unfortunately it was a fast read for me and I was done with it in two days- which means more waiting time for the next one :( Guess I'll just have to read it again.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

FANTASTIC READ

I really loved the imagery that Rebecca used to describe Sophia's world. I love an author who doesn't just tell the story but they paint the picture as well. She did a fantastic job of letting us see through Sophia's eyes. I can't wait for the next installment, this is definitely an author to follow!

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

In her debut novel, Rebecca Hamilton displays a sophistication a

In her debut novel, Rebecca Hamilton displays a sophistication and style far beyond that of many seasoned authors. Her tale keeps the twists and turns coming, all the while deftly exposing the intricacies and layers of Sophia's new world. It has many of the ingredients that genre fans demand--the innocent and powerful female, the dark and mysterious male, forbidden love, and truths-within-truths interwoven with half-lies and deceptions, among them--yet, instead of feeling formulaic or contrived, it's crisp and energetic. The Forever Girl: Sophia's Journey is a truly enjoyable read.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Loved it!

Great book with a well developed character. It was such a great read that I finished it the first day.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

It's simple if you like vampires, paranormal creatures (as much

It's simple if you like vampires, paranormal creatures (as much as I do) you'll love this book to. You'll be surprised with a whole new level of difference between vampires. Before I started reading paranormal books I thought okay vampires are vampires and that's it, but with some books (like this one) you see that there is completely new structure of paranormal world. It's impressive to me, I mean you have to be imaginative to accomplish that. I especially liked the whole elements story (air, water, earth, fire and spirit).

When it comes to the story you'll meet young girl Sophia. She is 22, luckily not 16-year-old high school girl. I really liked that, because it's easier to connect with her. I like her character because she knows what she wants, although later in book she hesitates about some things but after everything you can't blame her. On the other side we have our guy Charles, he is you know THE guy! You'll enjoy in some parts of the book (if you know what I mean). :) Anyway, after meeting him she will find the answers on a lot of questions. One more thing that I really liked is connection with past, present and with two different kinds, but all fits in its place.

I must say that I really enjoyed in this book, it's so readable. I found myself so tired that I couldn't even look but I kept reading. You have a lot of action in this book and you can't wait to see what happens next.

I recommend this book to all of you who like paranormal creatures, trust me you'll enjoy it. Also, I can't wait to read the next book.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

This was a marvelous read. I quickly came absorbed into the pla

This was a marvelous read. I quickly came absorbed into the plat and quickly identified with the characters especially Sophia. In college I studied Religious Studies and History, and thus, connected with Sophia right away. Rebecca does a thorough job in disspelling the myths associated with the Wiccan religion and through Sophia shows that Wiccans are everyday people like you and me and not 'witches" wearing all black carrying around their broomsticks.

Even though the book is intended for Young Adults anybody of any age would enjoy this book. The characters are complex yet very easy to relate to and the plot is suspensful and will keep you full of anticipation. Despite the book's many themes such as Religion, finding one's self (such as Sophia), and contemporary social issues this book is easy to read and you will not want to put it down. I cannot wait for the second book in this series.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

It’s Sophia’s voice that hooked me, almost from pag

It’s Sophia’s voice that hooked me, almost from page one. There is something about the way she tells her own story that felt open and honest and just likeable. Which is not to say Sophia herself is always open, honest or easy to be around in regards to the other characters – just that despite whatever turmoil she’s going through, her first-person narration stays true to herself. She never feels like an “unreliable narrator.”

But strong first-person narration does not a great book make. Sophia’s voice hooked me, but the plot kept me. Rebecca Hamilton takes two tropes of the urban fantasy genre, blends them together and creates something exciting and original.

The first trope is the “misunderstood Wiccan outsider in a small community with a secret to hide.” It’s a stereotype, isn’t it? But where some authors would hang a few generic and poorly-researched “wiccan” symbols on the character and move on, Hamilton clearly spent time building Sophia’s world-view and making it as much a part of her as any real Wiccan’s religion would be to them. In other words, it doesn’t feel like a trope or a handy stereotype; it feels like a natural part of an intriguing character’s life.

The second trope is the “we’re not vampires/werewolves, but the vampire/werewolf myths were based on us” trope that has become increasingly handy for authors who want a recognizable supernatural threat but who want to be able to change the rules. Octavia E. Butler used this to great effect in “Fledgling,” and Hamilton does it just as effectively here. In the Cruor and Strigoi, Hamilton takes what most of us (Hamilton included, I’d assume) love about vampires and shape-shifters and then twists it for her world’s needs, adding some original thought in along the way; her races are not different for differences’ sake, but different because it’s what her story & world need them to be. The fact that she mentions the Cruor were the basic of vampires myths exactly once, and then never brings it up again, is another perfect touch: we’ve gotten the point, it doesn’t need to be bashed over our heads. What we learn of Cruor culture feels more authentic because we’re not constantly being reminded that they’re “vampires.” And the Cruor-Strigoi-Ankou-etc culture is something I eargerly await learning more about in future books.

Another thing I enjoy about Hamilton’s writing: the book is detailed without being full of details. It’s another effective use of Sophia’s voice; she shares details of what she smells, what she tastes, what she and others are wearing, because these are the things that matter to her, but she leaves out details of architecture, history, weather, because to her they are less important. This means we’re not bogged down with “filler” events in the narrative. Months go by between chapters (the book essentially jumps from Halloween to Christmas at one point, with one short paragraph explaining the leap) and that’s okay because it keeps the book moving and keeps our heroine from sounding like she’s completely lost in morose self-pity. (Instrospective, Sophia is; maudlin, she’s not.)

Obviously, as I’ve given the book 5 stars, I really don’t have anything to complain about. I will say this: I wish the relationship between Sophia and her friends Ivory and Lauren had been developed a little stronger in the opening chapters to give later events even greater weight. This is the one thing in the book where I felt Sophia’s voice went slightly awry; if these are her best friends, I’d have liked to see more indication of that earlier on. But it’s a minor quibble in a book that otherwise kept me up late to finish it. The last quarter of the book is a bit of a mad dash and I loved every moment of it.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

I became quickly absorbed by The Forever Girl, a paranormal love

I became quickly absorbed by The Forever Girl, a paranormal love story which starts with the main character Sophia battling the world because she is 'different'. A simple night out changes her life forever when she discovers that no-one and nothing is what it seems. Drawing us into the world of vampires, elementals and other, darker forces Rebecca writes an amazingly spellbinding story.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

WOW. I was astonished by the fact that this was a debut novel. I

WOW. I was astonished by the fact that this was a debut novel. It seemed as if Rebecca Hamilton has been writing wonderful novels for years, getting better and better. But this was her first novel, and it is so good!
First of all, the plot was amazing. It seems impossible to put vampires, shapeshifters and witches in a good book, but Rebecca nailed it! There were lots of twists that kept the story very interesting. I couldn't put down the book and went on reading until 1AM, actually... The story was interesting from the first word till the very last!
The pace of this book was terrific! You just seemed to flow through the book, with lots of things happening all the time. No way you can call this book slow or boring! The abundance of events that were included in this book did not make the book difficult or confusing to read, and that is the best part of it, I think. I don't like it when there are so many things happening that you have to browse back all the time.
The characters in this book were great. They felt like real people, or at least as far as you could call them people :) My favourite character was Ivory. I can't really talk about her without spoiling, so I won't, but she really intrigued me! And of course I loved Red, the little bird :D

A vampire. A shapeshifter. A witch. Could it be more awesome? Anyone who loves to read YA fantasy / paranormal romance will love this book! Quite simply said one of the best debut novels I have ever read!

I can't wait to read The Forever Girl #2!

rating: 5 stars!!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

The Forever Girl is an amazing debut novel by Rebecca Hamilton -

The Forever Girl is an amazing debut novel by Rebecca Hamilton - it left me wanting more, and I can't wait to read the rest of the series! The characters were all fantastic and I instantly had a connection with the main character, a young woman named Sophia who is trying to find her place in a world of the supernatural that she gets thrown into. The supernatural universe and the history is so complex and real and I loved Ms. Hamilton's unique take on the subject of vampires that is so common at the moment. The amount of research that the author has put into this book to write a believeable, entertaining and thrilling story is immediately apparent - and the story grabs you right from the first page. I haven't read a book so quickly in a long time - I just didn't want to put it down! If you're a fan of paranormal fantasy/romance, you'll DEFINITELY want to pick up The Forever Girl: Sophia's Journey book one - I promise you won't be disappointed (well, except for when you reach the end and wish there was more of the story to read!).

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Reading Forever Girl was an absolute pleasure. Sophia was relata

Reading Forever Girl was an absolute pleasure. Sophia was relatable, and I felt her pain and experienced her journey right along with her. Rebecca Hamilton captured my interest from the first page of Sophia's story. Her beautiful writing swept me into the story, making me feel as if I were standing right next to Sophia.

If you are looking for a new twist on vampires and shifters, look no further. Hamilton's mythology is unique and intriguing. This is a must read for paranormal fantasy readers. It even has a healthy dose of romance, which I always love.

Rebecca Hamilton has a made forever fan of me.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

This book was recommended to me by a friend. I had just finished

This book was recommended to me by a friend. I had just finished reading the Hunger Games Trilogy and I wanted to start something new and different but that I could get just as excited about. This was the recommendation that my friend came up with. I wasn't sure because I've never used Amazon to buy anything before, but my friend gifted it to me and I read it in the Kindle Cloud Reader. (Nice, by the way!) I also don't usually leave reviews but my friend said I should because the author published the book herself and so relies on people leaving reviews, so I'm going to try to leave on below.
My review:
This story has a little bit of everything, but in short there is basically one creature for every element (air fire water earth spirit) and then there are some other things too, like spirits/ghosts and humans with supernatural abilities. The way the story ties everything together is really neat. I absolutely loved Sophia, the main character! It's really her against the world. There's a Christian-cult in her town that ultimately takes things too far. Her mom is even part of it, and their relationship really tugged at my heart. And I like that Sophia is tough without being cold. She still has emotions and it translated well to me, which made the story more real, which sucked me in even more because Sophia is such a very real character I feel like she really exists out there somewhere.
From the time I picked this up I kept reading until it was done and that doesn't always happen with me. There's always something. The mystery surrounding Mr Petrenko's death (Sophia is a suspect), the tension between Sophia and Mrs. Franklin as the increasingly threatening notes are sent to Sophia's house. The hissing in her head. The ancestor she had who was hanged during the witch trials and the body disappeared and no one knows where the body disappeared to. The ritual Sophia does and then she sees ghosts and she sees cloaked figures outside her window with glowing eyes. There's also a random animal carnage scene in the woods, and this is just the beginning of the book!
Then she goes to the club and she meets Charles who I am dying to meet myself! They're both conflicted about their relationship and struggle to deal with how they want to deal with that for a long while. Charles comes around first but I think that's just because he ran out of secrets to worry about protecting first. Also around the time they meet is when the supernatural stuff kicks up a lot, so now there are all kinds of creatures in the mix, and they want Sophia, all for different reasons, none of them good. Charles is trying to protect her while still leaving her to be independent since she's strong enough to take care of herself. Sometimes I think Sophia is better equipped than he is where that is concerned, which made both characters more original to me.
And also as their relationship is budding and Sophia is still trying to find answers about her ancestor, Sophia is starting to see this spirit that is following her around. Definitely like something from one of those Paranormal Activity movies. Creepy, intriguing. And all of this (I hope I didn't spoil anything) is really just in the first half of the book. Once you hit the big twist, it's like a boulder is knocked loose and it starts tumbling down the mountain and destroying everything in its path.
That is my review. I hope it helps the author because she deserves to do well. I will keep her in mentally on my favorites shelf. I think I might buy a print copy just so I can stick it in there for real.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Wow!! I couldn’t put this down for the life of me. Ms. Ha

Wow!! I couldn’t put this down for the life of me. Ms. Hamilton had me hooked in the first chapter of this book. I truly hope I don’t give anything away about her story.
This story starts with a girl named Sophia who studies the Wiccan religion and has a friend named Ivory that accepts it with her. Sophia’s mother is a God fearing woman that really believes that Sophia is tampering in a world that can only cause problems. Sophia has inherited her grandfather’s home after he passes. She finds something that gives her the impression that her great grandmother was a witch. She goes out one night with Ivory and meets the most handsome man named Charles. She is so drawn to him, she doesn’t realize the danger that surrounds her. He takes her to safety and becomes her protector. Charles is an elemental and is fighting the feelings he has for her so that she isn’t drawn into the danger of his world but life has other plans for that. Sophia learns there is more to life than just humans and that she has a power she never knew she had. There is so much danger around her she is going to have to learn how to use these gifts for the good of the world. Is there a possibility that things can actually work for Sophia and Charles? Will she give up her life that she knows to be a part of Charles’ life? Who can she trust? Again, this was a wonderful story and so easy to recommend to readers. I want more from Ms. Hamilton and look forward to reading more of her stories.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

I hesitate to say Twilight as I know some people frown at that,

I hesitate to say Twilight as I know some people frown at that, but I mean that in the best way possible. This book is the start of what twilight could have been, if it'd been better written and the vampires didn't sparkle and it was written for adults instead of teenagers. And if the male lead didn't want to eat the female lead.

Okay, so maybe it's not that much like Twilight.

Also the story is completely different. It's more about witches, there's more world building and creatures, the plot line is more complex and less hyper-focused on the romance (though the romance is still pretty epic, if you ask me).

In many ways, the way this was written reminded me of Anne Rice. Maybe Rebecca Hamilton is her younger twin!

I read this book in one sitting, instantly engrossed from page one. It's a quick and fast paced read. I didn't get to bed until five in the morning and thankfully I'm on spring break so between today and tomorrow I can make up for the lost sleep.

The interior of this book was just as gorgeous as the cover too!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

More umphf... from the author

I got 80% through the book and put it down. I was disappointed at one point in the book. The author has the ability to weave a great story. Great character development, decent plot, kept the story moving with no lag time. It is well written, but left me wanting more. Not from the story, but from the author.

The story has a new take on old stories melded together. That's fine. However, I was disappointed to see the story jump, sort of, on the bandwagon of vampires and the like. I would have liked to have seen the elements described differently than being put within the confines of the endless vampire stories. Vampire stories are great if, and only if, you can get them into an area where your story is going to stand out. Blending the elements with the vampires was different, but there was little explanation of anything other than earth (vampires) and spirit (witch). Big rule as a pagan - all are balanced or there is chaos.

I am happy the author decided to do a story on a branch of Paganism. There is little out there of new stories on a form of faith that is misunderstood but gaining traction in the world of mainstream religion. This is good, very good in my opinion.

My biggest disappointment was the author did a great job at building tension between two characters and even building the internal conflict of these two characters. As things came to the edge, the author left me hanging - just disappointed. There could have been more umphf and there could have been more romance, with not being raunchy or a leading article for Flynn.

The author has got the ability to weave a good story. I am apprehensive of buying a second book, however, there is a high possibility I will to see if she has perfected her ability to push herself - and her characters - to the limits.

Kortney
Editor
Unforgettable Books, Inc.

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

A new addition to the New Adult paranormal romance genre.

A new addition to the New Adult paranormal romance genre.

Let me start off by saying this one story made my jaw drop about

Let me start off by saying this one story made my jaw drop about 4 times… Which is quite hard to do. And we don’t “actually” have vampers but something, in my opinion, a little cooler if a lite different. YAY FOR DIFFERENT LOL! There are things in the world that maybe we don’t realize is happening but just because we don’t see them doesn’t make it true. And there’s plenty of goodness to go around, we’ve got the paranormal, the romance, the scary bad guys, a little tragedy and a big mystery that wraps itself up!




Ok, I’ll talk Sophia first. In the beginning she started off slightly depressing. She’s lost her family, she has basically two friends, she’s struggling with the town folk, and she’s got this little affliction that all of a sudden gets worse. At first, I wasn’t loving her, until she really catches on that in order to let people in, you’ve got to let yourself be, well, yourself. She had so many fears! But she definitely grows as a character and by the end I was very much a fan of Sophia! That’s exactly what I like to happen! I do believe she’s got some room to grow in the future but I’m just so proud of her lol




Now lets talk Charles. A lot of times, I wanted to slap him! Hahaha he’s mood, he’s secretive, he’s not quite so forthcoming in information and he’s closed off. BUT by the time he finally opens up to Sophia and tell her she has to do the same- I was hooked! He’s different from the normal leading male boyfriend interest. He is willing to give up his life to protect Sophia but he’s not willing to give up “himself” until the end- yes I know it’s vague but I will NOT spoil this one for you. He’s hot very valid points and at first you don’t get it. All part of the mystery 




there’s some excellent secondary characters here- one who will BLOW YOUR MIND in the role they play- or at least they blew mine away! All I can say is WOAH that’s intense and slightly off kilter lol! The writing is pretty awesome. She played her hand of cards very well when she played this one out. It works to keep the reader interested and it’s perfect to introduce what I hope will have continuations! There needs to be a sequel SOON! And the plot wrapped up with “what and who” Sophia is was just fantastic! Well done  I’m going to go with a 5 PAW rating- especially because of what Charles turned into at the end for the fight scene! I mean way to think out the box and pick the MOST SURPRISING animal EVER!! See if you wanna know you should just read it  take it from me, you’ll like it!

Pretty good read.

Keeps you wondering what will happen next. Very entertaining.

This novel centers around a girl named Sophia who has some type

This novel centers around a girl named Sophia who has some type of supernatural condition that causes a constant whispering sound to fill her head. Sometimes it is overpowering enough that she can't hear her own thoughts. Add this to the fact that the town's group of crazy Christian's is harassing her and the fact that she is struggling to make ends meet and I'd say she has a rather stressful life. After finally deciding she has had enough, she casts a wiccan spell to try to remove the whispering and it only makes it worse. Then her friend Ivory drags her to a club where she meets a strange, very attractive man (named Charles) and then gets chased through woods and attacked (though not by said hot guy). She passes out during the attack and when she awakes, she is thrusted into a world where vampires, shifters, and all manner of supernatural beings exist.

Speaking of the supernatural beings, I loved the lore behind them. I loved the fact that she doesn't use the term vampire or shifter or were-animal, instead being more creative and creating new terms for them. I won't try to explain them because I know I'll just mess it up, but I really enjoyed that. I also loved that Sophia's relationship with Charles progresses over a period of time. It's not that instalove that is so present in writing today. You see them struggle with their attraction to each other and then start dating and then say the L word, in a completely realistic time frame. This novel also had a twist that I didn't see coming at all.

The only complaint I have is the gaps in time. There are a few times where the novel just skips a month and while I know that if I want my main characters relationship to grow over a period of time, I cannot expect to hear about every moment of it, but I felt like the missing months could have used just a bit more description.
All in all, if you love paranormal romance, this is for you. I really enjoyed it and cannot wait to read the next one!

Free sample was great, loved the full edition.

Free sample was great, loved the full edition.