REVIEW: The 13th: Destiny Awaits by: Ela Lond

Author: Ela Lond
Smashwords Edition
Release Date: October 1, 2013

Synopsis: 

Kate, the school outcast, has always been able to see ghosts, and she constantly fears that someday, her so-called 'gift' will drive her mad like it did her mother, who has now been confined to a mental asylum. With the ever-present ghosts, her institutionalized mother, the unwanted attention from a bully and everything else going on in a teenage girl’s life, all Kate wants is to graduate quickly and without troubles. But that becomes impossible when Ethan, a gorgeous new transfer student, takes an interest in her, claiming that she is the Soul Reaper, and that he is there to train her. Things get even worse when her nemesis, the school bully Sandra, decides that she wants Ethan for herself. 

Review:

Kate's always been different than other kids, she can see ghosts. Her mother taught her a few tricks to make her sight of ghosts go away, but they no longer work. She used to have friends until the incident with her mom, now she prefers to stay in the background. The only friends she has now is Tyler, a popular school athlete, and Mandy, a transfer student from Japan. Ethan, Mandy's brother, takes an interest in Kate and that draws the attention of her tormentor, Sandy, even more. Sandy becomes even more fixated in torturing Kate, when she can't draw Ethan's attention. With all of that happening in Kate's life she learns that the reason she can see ghosts is because she is the Soul Reaper and has a job to do. Can Kate handle all that pressure or will it all cause her to break? 

Kate is the main character and the story is told through her perspective. I really liked her character. She's a teenager that has the ability to see ghosts yet she hides from them because that is all she has been taught to do her whole life. She's had to deal with her mother being institutionalized and her father always being absent so she has had to grow up really quick. She does come off as kind of whiny at times but honestly I don't blame her. 

Tyler has been Kate's best friend and neighbor since like preschool. He's the school's star athlete and most popular guy. He comes off as a pretty good guy and only wants what's best for Kate and to help her however he can. He stands up for her when the other students try to pick on her. 

Mandy is a transfer student from Japan and has become friends with Kate. She seems like a really sweet girl. Kate helps to get Mandy and Tyler in a relationship so we really don't get a huge look in to her character. 

Ethan is Mandy 's brother and I got mixed vibes from him the whole time. One minuet he seems like all he wants is to get to know Kate better and help her out then the next minuet he seems like all he is doing is using her for various reasons. It isn't until towards 3/4 of the way through the book that you get a clear picture into the reasons. 

I gave The 13th: Destiny Awaits a 4 star rating because it kept me highly entertained. I love how Ela Lond put a different kind of spin on the whole Soul Reaper thing. When I read the synopsis and saw the words Soul Reaper I thought she was supposed to be there when people die so she could reap their souls but that's not how it goes at all. While the story does read like it is intended for a younger teenage audience I really enjoyed this book and was able to get into the whole story very quickly and easily. If anyone is looking for a refreshing paranormal read I suggest giving The 13th: Destiny Awaits a try.


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