Review for Beyond the Eyes – By Rebekkah Ford

November 2, 2012 Julie Uncategorized 3

Review for Beyond the Eyes – By Rebekkah Ford

“I never thought I would die at the age of seventeen, so when I received the death message, I was a little freaked out.”

So begins the young adult novel, Beyond the Eyes, by Rebekkah Ford. I admit my interest was peaked by this first sentence. It’s well crafted and really makes me want to read on.

Paige is a seventeen year old senior in high school whose world is turned upside down with the arrival of Nathan. Wait, let’s back up!

I know everyone likes to get to the romance, but hey, this book has plot too!

Paige is not your normal everyday girl. For one, she’s alone mores of the time even though she’s not even eighteen yet. Her mom works as a traveling nurse and her father was killed when she was little. She has a lot of conflicting feelings about being alone and she harbors some secret guilt that maybe she’s not deserving of her mother’s love. Add in some bully girls at school, and this turns into something that really haunts Paige.

Paige is also sensitive to otherworldly things – she has premonitions. And her ears are suddenly ringing. And, as if that wasn’t bad enough, one of her best friends begins to have glowing eyes!

Unfortunately, Paige experiences an embarrassing moment at a local teen club and passes out, but this turns into a good thing because that’s how Nathan enters her life.

Nathans is over-protective in my opinion – he’s a little on the controlling side. Often, this type of attention is good at first but can really start to get on your nerves if you’re on the receiving end. Especially when it starts to manifest as jealousy. Nathan is a jealous guy and that makes me distrust his character a bit.

Add in an old boyfriend, some “demon” spirits, and an intriguing ancient mystery and you can see that Beyond the Eyes has a little bit of everything.

Paige has a fun voice that come out in many funny and interesting ways thanks to the dialog supplied by author Rebekkah Ford. She’s also a lot stronger than she knows and I can see the potential for a lot of growth with this character over the series.

I absolutely loved Tree! He’s very fun and very cool, and not only that, but a genuine good guy as well. Paige’s BFF Carrie is also super fun.

Paige: Do I look fat?”

Carrie: No, You couldn’t look fat even if you tried!”

That’s what Bff’s are for! 😉

This book has excellent characterization, romance, and a thrilling climax. If you’re looking for a young adult read that has a new take on “demons”, give Beyond the Eyes a try.