Review: The Second Sign by Elizabeth Arroyo PLUS a GIVEAWAY!

Today I have a review for you of Elizabeth Arroyo's debut novel The Second Sign.

First off though, the synopsis:

Bred to believe in the war between angels and demons, Gabby has come to the conclusion that love is responsible for war, jealousy, and all the other deadly sins she can think of. So when she’s exiled to the middle of nowhere for getting kicked out of her fifth school for fighting, she doesn’t expect to meet Jake. Much less fall in love. But Jake is quickly drawn to the eerie beauty of her violet eyes while Gabby is unsettled by their undeniable connection.

When a demon guardian comes to collect her soul, she refuses to give it up. She’s not a demon. She can’t be. Her father and twin brother are angels. The demon gives Gabby twenty-four hours to decide her allegiance, and then starts killing her short list of friends, leaving a message behind: She is the Second Sign.

As Gabby and Jake begin to unravel the mystery behind the Second Sign, she learns Jake may be the key to saving her soul. But it means a sacrifice has to be made that will change their lives forever.

Now for my review:

4 stars!

I've read a few angel and demon books in the past couple of years; Hush Hush, A Beautiful Dark and Rapture come to mind.  There have been the stories of good vs evil, light vs dark, fallen angels, demons running amok, etc.  This story combines elements of all these if a way that creates a chaotic unique story that can be read in any given time and still holds all its elements in place.

Gabby and her twin brother Max, have been motherless since birth.  Their father is nonexistent and their guardian, who only seems to be around for Max, is more a background presence than a nurturing figure.  This seems to leave Gabby getting into trouble more times than not.  For the summer she is basically on her own at the summerhouse in a small community.  An outsider and his sister end up there for the summer too, again without supervision and this is where the story plays out.

From the beginning I found myself rooting for Gabby, with all her problems and nobody to turn to.  Going through the changes she has dealt with in her family and their heritage would not be easy for anyone, and for someone also going through the natural confusions of the teen years this amplified things ten fold.  She needed someone there for her, she needed someone to confide in, someone to protect her, someone to just be there for her and she was left to her own devices.  Jake, strong willed, compassionate, and also dealing with an unusual home life, was the perfect match for her. 

The story had many twists in the story, and sometimes I had to reread paragraphs to get the full picture, as it should be, in focus.  There were a few times that things could have been resolved by just telling someone what they saw or just by picking up the phone that just didn't seem to fit right.  Characters were brought in than quickly brought out that could have just stayed out entirely and made things flow a bit more.  There were also times that things were explained all over again, just a paragraph or two later that seemed to distract me from what was actually happening in the story.

As I had said earlier, this story resonates to the point that I could have read this twenty years ago or come back and read again twenty years from now and the characters, scenery, story would not be futuristic nor outdated.  The story itself combines romance, personal conflicts, theological beings, action, regrets and wraps itself into a package that is hard to peel oneself away from.  It makes you think about things but not in a bible thumping sort of way and paves the way into a possible next phase of the story while also leaving you content if the story ends here. 

Do I recommend this book?  Yes, but not for just anybody.  This book is not for someone looking for a light read.  This book has some very dark moments in it and some very deep issues being dealt with.  Fans of The Exorcist, or any scary movie like that, this book is right up your alley.  Fans of The Left Behind series, again, this would satisfy you. 

For those of you wondering, I received this book in exchange for an honest review.  Receiving a book this way does not hinder me from being totally honest.

Buy Links:

 

Amazon - Paperback

 

Barnes & Noble - Paperback

 

Author Info:

Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, the youngest of five, Elizabeth spent most of her younger years as an avid reader with a wild imagination which led her to write her first manuscript at the age of fourteen.

Her fascination with the paranormal was influenced by the vivid ghost and demon stories of her father, scaring the crap out of her. It also led her to ask the "what if" question that propelled her down the path of the fantastical.

But, life got in the way. Elizabeth completed a Bachelors degree in Psychology with a minor in Criminal Justice at Northeastern Illinois University and works in the community strengthening families.

But her love of stories held, and in 2008 she found herself back into her storytelling roots and began writing again. Since then she's published a short story in SQ Magazine, countless musings on her blog - Chandara Writes (her muse), and completed three manuscripts.

In 2012, Elizabeth signed with Sapphire Star Publishing to release her debut novel, THE SECOND SIGN, a Dark YA Paranormal Romance, slated for an early 2013 release.

Elizabeth still resides in Chicago’s south west side with her family, a household of kids, and the bliss of chaos. The good kind. She continues to work in the community. 

Follow Links:

 

Twitter

Author Blog
Author Website

 

GIVEAWAY!

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway