Avow Trailer + Book Review: Anew by Chelsea Fine

Anew by Chelsea Fine
Release Date: December 7, 2011
Publisher: Acacia Publishing, Inc
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal Romance
ISBN: 978-1935089490
Source: Bought

Two years ago, Scarlet awoke in the forest alone, afraid, and without her memory. Lost and confused, her life was a mystery until she met a boy with a familiar voice named Gabriel Archer. Intrigued by his voice, Scarlet immerses herself in Gabriel’s life only to stumble upon a secret he’s kept hidden from her: His brother. Once Scarlet meets Tristan Archer her life becomes even more muddled. While she’s instinctively drawn to Gabriel, she’s impossibly drawn to Tristan–and confused out of her mind. Why does Gabriel seem so familiar? Why is she so attracted to Tristan? And why are both brothers convinced she’s been cursed to die? Scarlet doesn’t have the answers…but the Archer brothers do.

There is a reason I wait for the release date of the final book in a series before I start reading if the series is already in full swing. Anew is a fine example of why I stick to this routine. What a page turner! Surviving a wait after that cliffhanger? No way! I can count on one hand how many paranormal romances I have read but Anew was fantastic and now I want to read more! I finished this in two days! If not for spending time with family over the holiday weekend, it would have easily been one! Chelsea Fine knows how to grip a reader, that is for sure! The characters were so well crafted and brought such an array of emotions onto each and every page. I found myself invested in every single character (and every relationship that character has) as they were introduced and that is not easy to do! The tension in this book balanced the comedy so well. So, so well. I also want to point out how hilarious it is that every time I say I am over love triangles in YA books, one comes along that reminds me that it can work and work well. I still do not know if I am Team Gabriel or Team Tristan! What a difficult decision!

And the level of mystery that has been created… wow. Just wow. Following this story through multiple points of views really helped bring this element to life and make the tangled web more exciting to see up close. What a tangled web it is! It never ceases to amaze me the secrets people have and why they hold onto them. Then you throw amnesia into the mix and you’ve got one committed reader in me! There are so many revelations all throughout the book, I am telling you that you will not be able to put this book down until you get to the last page. Fine managed to win me over with her own use for the Fountain of Youth. Playing on the Fountain of Youth is very challenging since it has been done so many times before on so many different mediums. But Fine has put quite an original spin on things which ultimately kept me going. I am very picky about these sorts of things but all of the elements came together just right and have made for the start of a very exciting series that I cannot wait to finish!

The only thing that took me out of the story at times was repetition of what is happening or what Scarlet is re-discovering. While it did not take me out of the story… I’m not even going to lie, much of the kissing stuff during the festival in the beginning I could have done without – but remember, I am more of a Scarlet than a Heather in this situation, so I am biased here. But I still appreciate all of that because it really helped set up the world building and how I saw the book in my head. Which brings me to the detail in the book. It’s just the right amount and simple which I love because there is nothing worse than reading four pages of unnecessary details. Fine gets right to the point and deserves a round of applause for being able to not only capture her reader but keep her reader engrossed in every single page. Writers strive for that and she achieved the goal! I knew Anew would be good but Fine surpassed my expectations for this book in every way and I cannot wait to jump into Awry this week! Stay tuned for my review on Awry and if you’ve already read Anew and Awry, check out the trailer below for Avow! Ah! I cannot wait until the release of Avow on December 11th!


Anew by Chelsea Fine is available now.