Review: The Veil by Cory Putman Oakes

Book Description:

Paperback, 308 pages

November 1, 2011, Octane Press

Seventeen-year-old Addison Russell is in for a shock when she discovers that she can see the invisible world of the Annorasi Suddenly, nothing is as it appears to be – the house she lives in, the woman who raised her, even the most beautiful boy in town all turn out to be more than what they seem. And when this strange new world forces Addy to answer for a crime that was committed a long time ago, by parents she has never known, she has no choice but to trust Luc, the mysterious Annorasi who has been sent to protect her. Or so he says…

Source: Cory & Susannah (Thank you!)

My Thoughts:

Addy left London so many years ago to live in Novato. She lived in a haunted-looking house with her Gran and 11 cats that she fed every morning. She had two best friends: Olivia, the dramatic theater girl and Nate, the short but talented barista. She was an average girl with coffee dependence and a huge crush on Lucas, the new guy at school. She was hopeful and hopeless, happy and sad, strong and weak, had doubts, got scared, stood up for what she believed in and coped. She was a very realistic character.

Addy turned from normal to weird and extraordinary when she started seeing unexplainable and startling things. She was the only one who could see them. The Annorasi world overlapped with the mortal world. The two worlds co-existed, taking the same form and shape. Lucas, her longtime crush started talking to her and soon, revealed his true identity – an Annorasi sent to protect her. As her guardian, Lucas stayed with her at all times. Luc was mysterious charming and handsome. But he had a harsh, sharp side that I consider as the inhuman part of him. He was dedicated to his job. The two pretended to be a couple so Luc would have reason to always be near her. Some Annorasi were after Addy.

But with her ability to see the Annorasi world, came several problems. To keep her secrets, Addy needed to lie and it was something she didn’t like to do. Lying to her best friends had taken its toll. Nate, who knew her well, knew something was not right. Addy’s secrets challenged their friendship. I admired how Addy dealt with her problems. She was a strong girl. Although she had problems, she didn’t let this weight put her down.

The writing was fun and peppered with commentaries which made it easier for me to connect to the narrator, Addy. I loved how The Veil had a good contemporary vibe. I appreciate how the author invested in development in the friendship department between Addy, Olivia and Nate. Sometimes, I encounter novels that drop off the ‘normal human friends’ and I like how Oakes avoided that.

The Veil is a tragedy, a romance, a contemporary, and a fantasy rolled into one. The Veil is a fun, humorous and engrossing read. I highly recommend this to YA fantasy and paranormal romance readers!

Rating: