Review: Fateful by Claudia Gray

Fateful by Claudia Gray

publisher: HarperTeen

release date: September 13, 2011

hardcover, 356 pages

intended audience: Young adult

rating:





source: from publisher for an honest review

description: It's about a servant girl named Tess in 1912, who wants to escape from the house where she works, and most particularly the lecherous young lord of the manor. But that's not her biggest problem. While on a voyage to America, where she plans to escape and start a new life, she meets Alec, who's ruggedly handsome, fabulously wealthy, intelligent and yet so clearly troubled that she'd rather not fall for him, but she does. That also is not her biggest problem. Alec, it turns out, is a werewolf ... one cursed to change every night, unless and until he surrenders his independence and joins the Brotherhood, a pack of violently misogynistic werewolves who have been tracking him for months. You'd think that would be their biggest problem, wouldn't you?

But no. Their biggest problem -- though they don't know it yet -- is that they're aboard the RMS Titanic.

Review: There are few books out there that I turn the last page and have to resist the temptation to flip back to page one and begin it again. Fateful is one of those books. This story completely blew me away. I've love stories set in this era, and am always especially drawn to stories involving the Titanic. The funny things about this one, is that at times, I would get so wrapped up in Tess's story, it would completely slip my mind that the inevitable event was coming. Then again, there were times when I would consider all of the amazing characters---Tess's fiesty roommate, Myriam, her kind mistress, Irene, the relentless Lady Regina and her cruel, spoiled son Layton, the monstrous Mikhail, and of course, charming Alec and his father---and wonder who would survive the disaster when the story led up to the night of April 14th.

I don't think there was a dull moment anywhere. From the first night when we meet Tess walking down an alley where she comes face to face with the monsters, and with Alec, to the very end---the plot just flies by. I loved Tess, her bravery and determination and kindness. I kept hoping she would make it, just to see her out from under the thumb of the awful Lisle family...she had such hopes and dreams of getting out on her one once they reached America had worked so hard and held her tongue for so long to reach them. The love story was perfect, I thought Tess and Alec had such great chemistry---and I easily imagined someone gutsy like Tess having compassion for Alec's curse and not running from him screaming.

This quote summed Tess up perfectly:
"Nobody else will ever be able to save me if I'm not fighting as hard as I can to save myself."

Fans of historical fiction, fans of werewolves, fans of fast-paced perilous adventures, fans of wonderful, sweeping, romantic tales...add this one to your reading lists. This is definitely a must-read! One of my favorites this year!

Find Claudia Gray on the web here!

Purchase Fateful at: Amazon • BN.com • BookDepository • Indiebound