Before I begin my review, I’d like to talk about reading lest I come over as pretentious in my thoughts and observations about the books I read. Before I started taking classes that dealt with analyzing literature, I used to be able to jump into a book and surf the plot to the finish without any other thought than my enjoyment of it. I read the story but I didn’t read what the characters said and did beyond their presence in the book. To elaborate, I was entirely unaware of the stories that the characters were telling simply by being in a certain way or saying things in a certain manner. I’m sure many of the book bloggers out there are English Lit majors or have taken classes that deal with analyzing stories critically so hopefully what I’m saying will resound with you in some manner. My point is that once you start reading critically, you can’t turn it off. You are always aware of the space between the lines and you are always trying to infer what they are saying. You analyze a smile in a hundred different ways and you will realize a new way of reading a sentence at 2 am in the morning after you wake up from a nightmare about jumping jellybeans. (Okay, that’s just me but still…) Right. Now that we have established that I am not some nitpicky reader who loves to criticize, let’s move on to The Eternal Ones. If you’ve read this and Ann Brashare’s My Name is Memory, you will surely have been struck by the similarities in both their plots and well, it just seemed like it was the same story that was told by two different authors who took certain creative licenses in the way the story was shaped. But other than that, it’s identical. Am I the only one who is amazed by the huge coincidence? I mean, as far as I know both authors wrote their books separately – or were they given ideas by their agents? Ah, I don’t know but I find it fascinating anyway. I wonder if they’ve read each others books and how they felt about their colleague’s work. Someone want to ask? I’m curious. I’m just saying that comparison between the two is inevitable. Perhaps even welcomed. I quite liked The Eternal Ones. While it didn’t have the poetic prose of My Name is Memory, it more than made up for it with its cohesive narrative and strong characterizations. I felt like I knew Beau – okay hold ont, this is weird. Constance is the name of an earlier incarnation of Haven and she is also the name of an earlier incarnation of Lucy from My Name is Memory. That totally threw me off – okay so like I was saying, I felt like I knew Beau, I felt his frustration with his best friend. I pitied Mae Moore and hated Haven’s grandmother. I was intrigued by Leah and her family. Miller writes small towns and their (stereotyped) narrow mentality really well – so well that she moves you to anger and nausea at the treatment the protagonists get from the townspeople. What was most interesting to me was the relationship between the main characters. Iain Morrow and Haven Moore are supposed to be star crossed lovers, who meet time and time again. Who are reborn once again just for the purpose of being together. So it is really not surprising that when they do meet in this lifetime, there is no sense of newness to their relationship which they simply take up again as though dying and being born again was just a huge detour that took about ninety years. Okay fine, it was a surprise. I was surprised. I expected some sort of prelude to the kissing but I was kinda pleasantly surprised when there wasn’t any. I mean, they probably got over the first kisses and the blushes in the first three lifetimes. Heh. However, Haven’s continued yo-yoing about her feelings for the man left me feeling frustrated. You either love him or you don’t. Iain Morrow isn’t too awesome either. He’s seriously flawed. Like seriously, “lying to protect you” kind of flawed. So I can’t really blame Haven for being …”I seriously am going through these many lives for this man?” (She doesn’t actually say that, that was my internal commentary.) Miller sacrifices the initial building up of the chemistry between the two by immediately jumping them off into a relationship. I don’t engage with them in the same manner that I did say, with Peeta and Katniss. But I am not averse to them either so… The Baddie. Who is strikingly similar to the Baddie in My Name is Memory. He’s a very shadowy character who is not really developed at all. He is very one dimensional and his entire motive for the things he does is simply because he can. He could be called Chaos, I suppose. But he falls in love with a woman who simply can’t feel the same way about him (not that I blame her, the man is hella creepy). But yeah, he is the catalyst that sends Iain and Haven running towards each other though he was trying to do otherwise. Poor him. (continued at www.thebookwurrm.wordpress.com)

Ever since she could speak, Haven Moore has known she needs to find Ethan, and that he'll be in New York. The only problem is she doesn't know who Ethan is and she's never been to New York. Most of the small town where Haven has lived her whole life thinks she's crazy, or worse - possessed by a demon. But Haven knows that her visions must mean something, so she sets off to find some answers. What follows is a dark and exciting adventure filled with mystery and romance. The Eternal Ones is a fresh and unique offering in the heavily saturated YA paranormal romance genre. Haven is a likable protagonist, and her best friend Beau is a charismatic character who provides a good sounding board and support system for Haven as she tries to navigate the murky waters of her past life. Haven's history is doled out in little pieces, keeping the reader guessing along with her as she tries to uncover the truth about who Ethan is and what happened in her past. I was never sure who was telling the truth and who was really behind the troubles in Haven's past (and present). The story contains just the right mix of adventure and romance making it a great read for fans of both genres. And while the ending nicely tied up most of the plot points, there are still enough unanswered questions to allow for an exciting sequel. I thoroughly enjoyed The Eternal Ones and was impressed with its original concept. I really hope there will be more stories about Constance and Ethan.

I have been in somewhat of a reading rut this past week but The Eternal Ones by Kristen Miller pulled me out at breakneck speed. I have read a few books that could be considered somewhat similar in regards to the theme of young love and past lives however this novel engaged me so much so that I only put it down when I absolutely had no choice. In most novels I have pretty good intuition when it comes to “figuring out” the plot and the characters but for the majority of this novel I could not put a finger on who the “evil” characters were. I had my suspicions and in the end they turned out to be correct but I was second guessing myself as I was drawn though the twists and turns of each chapter. For the most part I enjoyed all the characters of this novel however I will say that Haven is a character who’s indecisiveness drove me crazy from time to time. She was either to trusting or to suspicious but based on her life experiences (constant persecution for her peculiar tendency to black out and talk about a past life, being labeled as demon possessed, and being lied to my trusted members of her family about her early memories of her past life) I could empathize with why she was constantly second guessing herself and those around her. What I really enjoyed about the character development in this novel was learning who in Haven’s present life was also connected to her in her past lives and understanding the role they played in the mystery of this novel. While I don’t really believe in love at first sight, taking into consideration that reincarnation is a fact of The Eternal Ones, the instant attraction and love between Haven and Ian is believable. This book is incredibly mysterious and from chapter to chapter I was held in a constant state of suspense and anticipation. The idea of reincarnation is incredibly fascinating to me and when paired with a passionate love affair that transcends time, a complex mystery, and a battle between good and evil that is truly sinister this book has rocketed to the top 20 list of my favorite YA reads of 2010. If your a little tired of vampires and werewolves but still want something with a supernatural flavor I highly recommend The Eternal Ones by Kristen Miller. If you have already read and reviewed this novel please comment and link to your review as its always nice to read a different perspective!

Haven’s from a small town Tennessee and her entire life she’s had visions. Her visions are of a former life she’s lived where she is in love with a man named Ethan. She’s drawn to the city of New York and is sure that’s where she will find answers to what is happening to her. There she meets playboy heir Iain Morrow where she realizes immediately that he is Ethan reincarnated. Finally Haven and Iain are reunited but their love is constantly is tested once again by those who seek to separate them forever. Haven says she trusts Iain and believes him but her confidence wavers because of Iain’s own actions and by listening to what others are telling her. Iain tries to keep Haven in the dark by not wanting her to go to the Ouroboros Society and he lies to her about what he’s up to. To him it’s to protect Haven for her own good but Haven doesn’t see it that way. To her everything Iain does seem suspicious and that he might have an agenda of his own. Add to the fact that there were other people telling her stories about Iain that made her doubt him even more. I feel like if Haven truly loved Iain than she would trust him and not listen to what others are telling her. Instead there was a constant back and forth of whether she could trust him or not. I wished there was more of Beau in the story. He’s Haven’s best friend since childhood and he really looks out for her. Whether it’s helping Haven with research or listening to all her troubles, he’s always there for her with advice and is willing to help. I remember reading another YA book about reincarnation last year and was really let down by it so when I picked up The Eternal Ones I was afraid the same thing might happen. Good news, The Eternal Ones is so different from the other reincarnation book that I read. I love the love idea of reincarnation used in this book. The idea that your love for someone is so strong that you’re drawn to each other in different lifetimes for another chance to love again is original and very romantic. This book was filled with both mystery and romance that YA and romance readers will both enjoy.

Haven Moore is a troubled young woman. She has had visions all her life although she has had some counseling to try to control them. Her visions are of a man named Ethan in New York and herself in a fire. Haven lives in Snope City, Tennessee. She is a senior at high school and is an outcast from her classmates due to her visions. She lives with her heart-broken mother and her dictatorial grandmother. She makes money designing prom dresses with her best bud, Beau. While watching TV one night she sees heart throb Iain Morrow and faints. She knows that he is her destiny and has to find a way to meet him. Her grandmother concerned that Haven's visions are occurring with increasing frequency wants her to go back to counseling with her local preacher. When one counseling session leads to some violence Haven's grandmother hints at a mental institution commitment and the other students in the high school shun Haven and cancel their dress orders. Haven is more determined than ever to get to New York and find out what her visions are about. Her mother gaining a momentary backbone hands her a box put together by her dead father collating all the information about her visions. Is it a past life she remembers? The box leads her to think that either Iain or The Ouroboros Society can maybe help her. This book is about good and evil, love and betrayal and whether love transcends all.