| Title: The Seven Rays |
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| Author: Jessica Bendinger |
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| Genre: Fantasy |
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| Publisher: Simon &; Schuster |
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| Elements: - |
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| Series: Book 1 of a proposed series |
This review contains spoilers.When seventeen year-old honors student Beth Michaels starts receiving gold envelopes with messages like, YOU ARE MORE THAN YOU THINK YOU ARE, she thinks that a crazy person might be stalking her. When she begins seeing people’s thoughts, feelings, and personal histories on their electromagnetic fields, she thinks that she might be a crazy person. And then when the hottest boy in town, Richie Mac, kisses and becomes obsessed with her, she knows that something’s up.
But she can deal with all of that until her mom gets freaked out by her erratic behavior and sends her to a psychiatric institute for observation. It is here where Beth finds out that she was adopted under mysterious circumstances and perhaps has supernatural powers. Now all she has to do is break out of the ward – with Richie’s help – and road trip to New York to discover who she really is and why all this is happening to her…
Is it possible that Beth might be more than she thinks she is?
The Seven Rays is a paranormal coming-of-age story that delves into love, friendship, family and the supernatural.
The Seven Rays caught my eye due to a rumour going around months ago, that said Selena Gomez and Kellan Lutz were going to star in the movie adaptation. (And apparently now, Taylor Swift is envisioned as Beth.) My high hopes were dashed once I got past the marketing blurb, and actually started reading.
The first half was interesting. It gave me an insight into Beth's life, her friends, her family. I actually liked her snarky and childish ways. I do have to disagree when her crush Richie suddenly just falls in love with her and calls her 'the oldest seventeen year old' I know. Uhh, no. There have been no backstory, nothing to show me that she's been acting matured, or in any way older than the average seventeen year old. Younger, yes. Older, not at all.
The magic was there. Good setting, good placement. Great poems, ones that I tried to memorise. They were pretty catchy. Apparently, this whole concept is something that actually exists outside of this book, which I respect. It just wasn't given the respect in this book, or if it did, I can't see it at all.
Beth had everything a YA protagonist would want: a good best friend, a supportive, loving mother, a crush, good grades etc. And then the second half came and screwed things up.
I have no idea what happened! The two halves do not fit at all! There are times when two very different halves work well together, like Beth Fantaskey's JESSICA'S GUIDE TO DATING ON THE DARK SIDE but this is not one of them.It was like a wholly different book with different characters with different motivations. Heck, all the characters seemed to turn about and change who they were. Sure, they were on the high speed chase, but the events just... sigh. Beth's best friend? Oh, she's been totally using Beth to get herself ahead or something. But what irked me the most was Beth's mom.
Supposedly she loves Beth. I mean, when you take a baby in to save her from the crazies all her life, you do not in the space of two weeks just give her an ultimatum, and throw away every piece of memory, of her life. And BURN IT.
There were some other scenes in the story that I felt were there specifically for one purpose: to shock the readers. I think they were supposed to come off as sexy and show us Beth's self assured side. Instead, they were just crude and off-putting.
I just... I don't know. It's like I landed in a different book. Perhaps it would have been better if Beth's rosy life and hints of power remained just that, and the awkward second half was put into another book. At least then I would have time to adjust.
It's just incredulous. Urgh. I am so disappointed. There's just no respect for any of the characters, the storyline, their motivations. You can download the first chapter here and prove me wrong. Please.
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