Review: THE LOST SAINT by Bree Despain

THE LOST SAINT
by Bree Despain
Hardcover, 404 pages
Published December 28th 2010 by EgmontUSA

Placement in the Pile: Reaching New Heights

Summary:
Grace Divine made the ultimate sacrifice to cure Daniel Kalbi. She was infected with the werewolf curse while trying to save him, and lost her beloved brother in the process.

Desperate to find Jude, Grace befriends Talbot, a newcomer to town. But as the two grow closer, Grace's relationship with Daniel is put in danger - in more ways than one.

Unaware of the dark path she is walking, Grace begins to give into the wolf inside of her - not realizing that an enemy has returned and a deadly trap is about to be sprung.

Review:
I hate to give it only 4 stars since I know and love Bree to pieces! But as a reviewer first I have to be honest! *I HATE this part of being a reviewer. But here's the thing...it's more like 4 1/2 stars, I just wasn't AS in love with it as the first one.

But let's talk first about what I DID love! I love Bree's world building. How we go from the little town of Rose Crest to a more global view of the world of paranormals, not just Urbats. It makes the story broader, richer and gives the characters new challenges. The characters in this book are so real. They act real, they act as they should for their age. Does that make some of their decisions and actions frustrating? Of course! We are dealing with mostly teenagers here! Grace in particular is dealing with so much, and I do have to say I teared up a few times at her thoughts and actions -- but at other times felt like the person talking to the movie screen, knowing the character can't hear me but saying "Don't do that!".

THE LOST SAINT has tons to offer. Romance, intrigue, mystery, and it is a great segway into a deeper story. It does end in a cliffhanger as most middle books do, but that is to be expected, although the cliffhanger is very UNexpected!

That said, as a reviewer I have to tell you why I don't love this one as much as the first one. Although there were many things that were mysterious and revealed throughout the book, I found it more predictable than the first book. Maybe it's just me. One of the things I absolutely loved about the first book was that Bree shocked me. This time I guessed too much ahead of time. It was still a fabulous book to read, and I can't WAIT for the next one!

This is definitely one worth reading if you are a paranormal fan. If you have not read the first one, get them both! I will say this book brought me back into reading, and hopefully I will be having more reviews for you more often again. It's always nice when a book reminds you that reading isn't a time killer or a chore, but it's a joy!