Winters continues to amaze with detailed historical fiction that delves into the creepy, the paranormal, the supernatural, and the crappy bits of being human.

 

Alice Lind is a psychologist fresh off of a masters degree and traveling rural Oregon conducting child intelligence assessments for the school system (bc a mere woman can't get into doctoral programs in 1925, natch) when she comes across a child who claims to remember a past life as a drowning victim. Alice wants to help, and not just because it's a fascinating case; she was a difficult child herself, with unexplained, extreme behavior buried in a half-remembered past. But when there's no psychological explanation for the child's supposed delusion - no trauma, no abuse - Alice's journey to solve the mystery may cause more harm than good.

 

Good period-appropriate worldbuilding, a clear, modern but not overly anachronistic voice, feminist characters and story development, and a taut thriller-esque mystery with supernatural-leaning elements that may or may not be more than human. The ending was a twist and a half, and unfortunately not one I really appreciated, taking the tone of the book to the horror end of the thriller genre. Very well written, though. Heads up on some adult content; a dash of language and sex scenes may offend some readers, but is on the milder side of adult fiction content.

The Many Lives of Avery Snow (The Past L... Twenty six year old Avery Snow hasn’t slept a full night in three months. Hasn’t slept since the day someone told her she was being watched. Since she started having dreams that leave her scared and covered in sweat.

But it turns out there is a reason Avery isn’t sleeping. It’s because she has lived three previous lives; falling for the same man over and over again. Falling for her twin soul. Her other half.

When I read the blurb for The Past Lives of Avery Snow, I instantly wanted to start reading. I love the notion of past lives, and the fact that love can withstand even time, the ultimate power.

From the moment the book started, I was drawn into Avery’s world. For a while, I thought that the writing style was really simplified, and written in a way that resembled a young YA novel, or even a middle grade novel. But then it struck me that reading The Past Lives of Avery Snow was like having Avery talking to me. It felt like we were having a conversation on my couch, and she was speaking to me about everything that had happened to her. I’m not sure if that is what Sloat intended by the writing style, but it most definitely felt that way to me. And from the moment I realised that, I enjoyed reading the book much more.

There was a general lack of descriptions of places, but the descriptions of people were ample. I like knowing exactly what places look like through the eyes of the characters, so I was a little disappointed that there wasn’t more of this in The Past Lives of Avery Snow. I would have loved to see places through Avery’s eyes.

Insta-love took a front seat in this novel. Avery begins to tell the reader about Dallas, the man who works at the bar near her work. She’s had a crush on him for a while, but has never acted upon it. And then all of a sudden, they’re dating, and confessing their love for each other. I found this a little unbelievable. If it had been her twin soul, I would have been able to understand the insta-love; they’ve known each other for three lives, after all. But Dallas is just a guy she met at a bar (or seems to be), and I felt like the romance was a little rushed; albeit on the cute side.

I liked Avery as a character. She was a tad focussed on looks for my liking, and was constantly comparing herself to her ‘beautiful’ friends. And yet the men in her life were constantly telling Avery how beautiful she is. On the other hand, though, I loved that Avery didn’t smother her face in make-up; she just went natural. Like me! So I was definitely a fan of that aspect of her personality.

Avery felt pretty real to me. She was scared and confused about all the information she was learning about herself, and the world. She wished that her life would go back to normal, and I don’t blame her. Her life was a mess, and through no fault of her own.

If I had to pick a ‘team’, I would pick Landon. He seems like a more interesting character than Dallas, and I want to learn more about him in this lifetime. Perhaps in the sequel.

The circumstances that led to the final showdown in the novel were a tad confusing for me. I understood the past lives, and the Angel lore, but I wasn’t sure as to why they were having a ‘battle’ so to say.

The best things about The Past Lives of Avery Snow was how it made me want to come back for more. Every time I put my Kobo down, I was thinking about the story, and wanting to get back to it as quickly as possible. I love books that make me think about them at times when I am not reading them, and I am happy to include The Past Lives of Avery Snow in this category. I wanted to know what was going to happen next, and who Avery was going to meet. I loved that.

I am pretty interested in learning where Avery’s story leads in the next instalment of this series, and the novella about Ianni (Avery’s Spirit Guide) is definitely on my TBR list. I loved her character, and definitely want to learn more.

The ending of The Past Lives of Avery Snow was kind of depressing on one character’s behalf, so I am eager to discover what happens to them! And if Avery changes her mind about the man she loves. Someone give me The Unravelling of Avery Snow, please.

© 2013, Chiara @ Books For A Delicate Eternity. All rights reserved.

3.5 Stars

‘The past lives series’ is quite an interesting concept. Avery and Landon are destined to be together and each time they live their souls find a way to meet. Along the way spirit guides help the pair, but they still tend to encounter problems that try separate them, and encourage them to meet other people.

The Unravelling of Avery Snow is the second book in the series. In this instalment Avery is trying to forge a life without Landon, his memories have been shaved and he doesn’t remember they should be together. Avery begins a relationship with someone else but it is clear to followers of the series that she really should be with Landon.

When I read book one of the series ‘The Many Lives of Avery Snow’ I wasn’t overly impressed, infact I was quite disappointed, the story didn’t pull me in and I found the writing erratic, with unnatural dialogue and flat characters. This part is much better, the writing is tighter and the plot has more depth. Though some areas are still lacking, the overall execution of the plot makes for a much more comfortable read in the second book.

Copy supplied for review

Okay I really need to catch up on my reviews...

Not ready to entirely finish this one, but here are some random thoughts.

Holy hot lesbian scenes, Batman! Didn't see that coming!

Interesting modern day/steampunk Psionic England juxtaposition.

A tiny bit confusing on occasion as to whose thoughts/head you were in at the time.

Overall, quick 'different' (in a good way) read!

I received this book free through Goodreads First Reads.I really enjoyed this story, and found myself quickly drawn into the world of the characters. I appreciated the slightly different take on the idea of past lives, and psychic powers. The alternate history past had almost a steam punk feeling that I liked. It was lightly done, and didn't feel overdone. The characters are interesting, and their relationships well developed, and I can't wait to find out what happens next.