Review: Embrace by Cherie Colyer

Embrace (Embrace #1)
By Cherie Colyer
Publisher: Omnific Publishing

* A copy was provided by the author for review.

To Sum It Up: Madison is a normal teenager leading a fairly ordinary life until a new guy arrives in town. There’s something mysterious about Isaac, and Madison senses it, but that doesn’t stop her from wanting to get to know him better. But as Madison witnesses stranger and stranger events happening around her and her best friend suddenly believes that she’s being attacked by creatures no one else can see, Madison must turn to some unlikely places for answers. The truth isn’t at all what she expected, especially since it directly impacts her life, which will never be the same again.

Review: Embrace has a rather cryptic synopsis, and I’m going to have to be equally cryptic with this review lest I ruin the book for others. This was a highly enjoyable thriller of a read in huge part because I spent a good deal of the book trying to unravel all of its mysteries. I loved the plotting and how perfectly the suspense was built up; they were both just top-notch. Something very strange is happening in Madison’s town and its newest arrival, Isaac, isn’t all that he appears to be, and trying to figure out exactly what is going on is a lot of fun.

Madison has a very engaging narrative voice and is a refreshingly realistic teen with normal adolescent concerns: her grades in school, the status of her relationship with her boyfriend who moved to another state, and her current attraction to Isaac. She’s also very devoted to her family and friends. When her best friend, Kaylee, starts hallucinating in class and has to be taken to the hospital, Madison frantically searches for a way to help her. That’s not to say that Madison is without flaws, though; there’s a good balance between her being a strong protagonist and not seeming too perfect.

The paranormal aspect of the book was very well done. It gradually makes itself known, leading up to a nice surprise when all is revealed. The foreshadowing in the book was stellar, with events that I was fairly certain were mundane at the time proving to be highly significant later on in the novel. And every time I thought I had figured out the who and the why behind the dark deeds that were going down, the plot would twist again and put me back at square one. A book hasn’t stumped me like this in a while, and I enjoyed every minute of it.

Again, I apologize for sticking to generalities in this review, but I really want readers to appreciate the reading experience for themselves. Embrace was an absorbing novel that immediately intrigued me with its air of mystery and made me turn the pages to see how all of the puzzle pieces fit together. I loved Cherie Colyer’s writing style, and I’d definitely read a sequel!

All in All: This is a highly recommended paranormal read with just the right amount of suspense to keep you glued to the page. Thanks to some really clever plotting, readers should be very gratified when they and Madison discover the cause of the bizarre occurrences that are taking place.