Saved by Allegra Skye Review

Saved (Shadow Vampires #1) by Allegra Skye

★★★☆☆

Release Date: June 2011

Age: Young Adult

Genre: Vampires, Fiction, Supernatural, Paranormal Romance

Format: E-Book

Source: Author

Buy it: Kindle (.99 right now)

In SAVED (Book #1 of the Shadow Vampires), Keira and Amanda, twins, move with their family to a new town, and start their senior year at a new high school. But though they are twins, the girls have different fates. Amanda, beautiful, popular, is sought out by everyone. Keira, who has always lived in Amanda's shadow, is smaller, awkward, different. Even her mother, who is so close to Amanda, doesn't know what to make of her other daughter. Keira turns to books, and to her journal, for solace, and to find out about other worlds. Amanda makes friends easily at the new school, and quickly finds a boyfriend, while Keira is left alone, an outsider. But very quickly, it is clear that something strange is going on in Everstock. The town and the school are very divided. The popular, rich kids act as if they own the school and have nothing to do with the other kids, who are poorer and live in a different part of town. Not only are the kids meaner here, but an unknown infection has gripped the town, with more and more people going to the hospital. Something here is terribly wrong. But things change suddenly, as there is a terrible accident involving the twins. Not only are Keira and Amanda's lives changed forever, but a new dimension of life begins to open to Keira. As Keira recovers, she begins to change in ways she can't expect, receiving new and mysterious powers that no one can possibly understand. At the same time, a gorgeous, mysterious new boy, Cooper, appears at the school, who grips her imagination, and who refuses to tell her what secret he is hiding. As Keira and Cooper grow closer to each other, it soon becomes apparent that destiny has brought them together-and that they may each have to sacrifice it all if they want to stay together...

I liked Saved, it has some definite potential and I may check out the rest of the series. I love the twin element and I loved hating Amanda and Keira's parents, they are awful! If there is one thing this book is full of it's emotion. Allegra Skye does a wonderful job making the reader feel exactly what the characters are feeling, which is something I look for in a good writer. If I'm crying, screaming, or biting my nails while reading it's a job well done. The story could have used a little polishing up, it's an interesting story.

Saved is an incredibly sad book, so be prepared, a lot of that emotion felt while reading is depression. Keira, our main character has a very low self esteem and a poor self image. This makes her relatable to any teen or adult who's been there.

The relationship between Keira and Cooper, our secretive bad boy, is rushed and never felt real. Keira talks about love before she's said a hundred words to the boy. I need more than one interaction to believe that something is truly there. Their relationship felt awkward and forced and some of the dialogue could've used a little sprucing up.

I was a little confused in the book when Keira tries out for a sports team. It didn't seem like something she really wanted to do, just something she did to be more like her sister and it felt very out of character. She spends a lot of time acting like she's okay with being different then goes to trying to be something else. I don't know if this makes sense I just got some inconsistent vibes from the writing, which may go back to polishing the book a little. Keira starts off in a dark place in the beginning of the story and by the end, maybe because of Cooper and the way she begins looking at life, she's grown a lot and begins to enjoy the fact that she's different.

Saved starts out as a realistic fiction book with no hint at its sudden supernatural turn. I really enjoyed that and I like Allegra Skye's writing style.

Thank you to the great author for the opportunity to read and review this book!