Review: (ARC) Illuminate by Aimee Agresti

My Rating: 5 Stars
Date Read: January, 2012
Challenge: 2012 Debut Author Challenge

Published March 6, 2012 by Harcourt Children's Books

Hardback, 544 pages

Summary from GoodReads:

Haven Terra is a brainy, shy high school outcast. But everything begins to change when she turns sixteen. Along with her best friend Dante and their quiet and brilliant classmate Lance, she is awarded a prestigious internship in the big city— Chicago—and is sent to live and work at a swanky and stylish hotel under the watchful eyes of a group of gorgeous and shockingly young-looking strangers: powerful and alluring hotel owner Aurelia Brown; her second-in-command, the dashing Lucian Grove; and their stunning but aloof staff of glamazons called The Outfit. As Haven begins falling for Lucian, she discovers that these beautiful people are not quite what they seem. With the help of a mysterious book, she uncovers a network of secret passageways from the hotel’s jazz-age past that leads her to the heart of the evil agenda of Aurelia and company: they’re in the business of buying souls. Will they succeed in wooing Haven to join them in their recruitment efforts, or will she be able to thwart this devilish set’s plans to take the souls of her classmates on prom night at the hotel?
Illuminate is an exciting saga of a teen’s first taste of independence, her experience in the lap of luxury, and her discovery she may possess strength greater than she ever knew.

My Review:

I am so sad that it took me so long to read this book!! But all of a sudden, school and work decided to keep me extra super busy, and reading had to take a backseat :( but now things have started to slow down again, and I can sort of catch up with everything.

I was so lucky to be able to win this awesome book in a giveaway on Aimee Agresti's website. And it came with this really pretty angel wing necklace.. Alright, now on to the actual review ;)

Illuminate was my very first 2012 debut (WOO!) and honestly, it set the bar pretty high. It was one of those enchanting books that kept you wondering what was going to happen until the very end. (And then some)

Haven was a good main character, because she came across as a real person. She has so many insecurities at the beginning of the book, but the farther along the story gets the more she embraces those insecurities and she becomes a strong, confident person.

And, okay, we can't forget about the swoon worthy boys *Wink-wink* Let's start with Lance. He's that super sweet boy next door type, and I couldn't help but falling in love with him, just a little. *SIGH*

And Lucian. Ah, he's the overly complicated one. I had mixed feelings about him through the whole book, and even now, after I've finished with it, I STILL can't decide how I feel about him. I really hope that we will see more of him in the books to come.

Okay, to sum it all up, and not get too into spoilers, I think it's safe to say that I really liked this book. Once it hits shelves you absolutely HAVE to rush to the store and get it. Seriously.

I can't wait to see what kind of adventures that Haven and the gang get into the next time around.