Book Review: Beckoning Light by Alyssa Rose Ivy

Genre: Young Adult  (Fantasy Romance)

Beckoning Light is the first book in The Afterglow Trilogy written by Alyssa Rose Ivy. The story is told through the eyes of siblings, Charlotte and Kevin, who have moved back to South Carolina after living in Alaska for three years. Charlotte sees mysterious lights coming from the old gate in her back yard. A gate that she was never allowed to go near as a child. She is drawn to this gate where she finds love and a new World very different from her own, yet it feels surprisingly familiar to her. Unaware of the danger she's in, Charlotte allows herself to be lead farther and farther from the gate. The longer she stays, she starts to develop special abilities. Kevin ventures in to rescue her, but will Charlotte want to be rescued?

I related to Charlotte from the very beginning. Her outlook on things reminded me a lot of how I was in high school making it very easy for me to live vicariously through her as I read the book. The relationship between Kevin and Charlotte portrayed siblings very realistically. You knew the two loved each other, but they were hilarious when they fought. Kevin was a classic big brother. He was both protective of her and oblivious to his best friend, Liam's, attraction to her. Liam was a constant presence in the story and a fast favorite for me. He is very close to the family. I feel like more will be coming from him in future books, and I'm excited to see what happens. Even though Charlotte falls in love with Calvin, I have hopes for Liam. Something tells me not to write him off just yet as far as Charlotte is concerned. I love the author's writing style and how she keeps you engrossed in her story. This book is a very fast paced and easy read. Beckoning Light made it easy to escape reality without realizing how many hours you've spent reading. Before you know it, it's three in the morning and you're wishing the second book was released so you could find out what happens next. It was a wonderful coming of age story full of innocence, love, and adventure.

The second book in The Afterglow Trilogy, called Perilous Light, will be released in 2012.

Source: This book was sent to me from the author for review. The opinions are my own.

Check out my reviews of another book in this trilogy!

If you haven't done so already, you need to read Alyssa Rose Ivy's books!! While you're at it take a peek at my reviews too!

To read more about this series and the author, visit Alyssa Rose Ivy's Blog. You can also find her on Facebook and Twitter.