Persistence of Memory by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes

Pages: 212

Sixteen-year-old Erin Misrahe just wants to be like everyone else in her new school. But Erin has more to worry about than passing AP Chemistry and making friends. In times of stress, she has always been overcome by her alter ego, Shevaun, whose violent behavior wreaks havoc on those around her. Erin can never remember anything about these episodes, and she's grateful to have been spared them for a while.

But when a protective old friend comes abck into Erin's life, he insists that Shevaun is a vampire who actually exists apart from Erin. Shevaun has dangerous allies, like the handsome witch Adjila--and they're determined to sever Shevaun's connection to Erin once and for all.

Amelia Atwater-Rhodes's thrilling tale of love, loyalty, and illusion, the waking hours are only as safe as the dreams that came before them.

Review:

How refreshing. Somehow I managed not to skim more than three pages on this one. I think because, it was to interesting to accidently skip a detail of importance. As I told Alea from Pop Culture Junkie on a Twitter message, "it reminds me somewhat of The Host." Which seems, frankly, I was wrong about. Admittedly, the alternations in reality taken in stride are very comparable; but that has more to do with the concept of the book, not the background details, or the characters for that matter.

What's refreshing is that this specificpassage has somewhat of less,well--censor warning!--bullshit than most novels. I'm not saying this one's any better than the rest, in fact, it lacks a bit emotionally; but it does not "kid-around", "beat around the bush", whatever you want to call it. There are different species--such as vampires, shapeshifters, and "Triste" witches--in this fantasy novel, but the author gives it plain out, albeit a bit subtly, what their abilities are.

Artistically, this novel is pure poetry, I would say; despite the preference of Edgar Allan Poe's "A Dream Within A Dream"--which is one of my favorites, and makes perfect sense to this particular context--right before the Prologue. Her specific subtle details make you image every blade of grass to the shade of a character's hair color.

Time to hunt. Time to run.

Grade: B+

LiLi