Eternal

I read Eternal yesterday. I couldn't sleep afterward. Not because it was so scary (although I found the idea of being ogled in the shower by a guardian angel disturbing, and as a vegetarian, the scene where the vampire was eating pumpkin bread dipped in blood made me gag). I couldn't sleep because it was deeply thought provoking and I couldn't turn my brain off. On the surface, it is a campy tale of boy-meets-girl-boy-loses-girl, where the boy is an angel and the girl is a vampire. Ms. Smith cleverly uses "blog posts," the internet and newspaper ads to make the world feel just like our everyday modern life. But there are much deeper layers. The book asks questions about the nature of life and death. It makes social commentary about the haves vs. the have-nots (princess Miranda doesn't have to pay for her crimes because she is über-rich and ultra-privileged and yet the hired help pays dearly for any infraction, real or perceived). The castle "blood-stock" consists of throwaway people (runaways, illegal aliens, trafficked girls), and at first Miranda doesn't question her right as a superior being to use and abuse them as she sees fit. As she learns more about their misery and degradation, she starts to question her lifestyle and what she's become. I don't know if it was intended to be an analogue to factory farming, but I saw parallels (maybe Ms. Smith was just writing about compassion in general). In the end, the story is about redemption and hope. Its conclusion, like Tantalize, is bittersweet. All of this was done with humor and by the juxtaposition of incongruous things. It was never preachy or heavy handed. It will be a long wait for the next book, Blessed (2011!! Aaargh!).

Cynthia writes a great twist on angels, vampires and human life. It has a touch of romance and mystery. Her writing is easy and enjoyable to read. Although I would prefer a different ending Cynthia does not disappoint and leaves the reader satisfied.

This was a wonderfully imaginative story about a guardian angel who finds himself in way over his head, and a teenage girl who lives beyond her allotted time (if you call being undead "living"). It reads like a behind-the-scenes look at both modern vampire society and guardian angelship, neither of which are what you would expect. And the interplay of modern technology with the classical worlds of angels and vampires makes for some hilarious, but perfectly natural, anachronisms. Eternal is just a great story idea that was beautifully executed. If you're looking for 300 pages of high school swooning, you won't find it here, but if you want an original realistic urban fantasy with three-dimensional characters and a nonstop plot that will keep you guessing, you'll love this book.

Angels are everywhere, especially those who guard human beings. Zachary is Miranda's guardian angel, or GA within the heavenly realm. He has watched and protected Miranda since she was a child. He is forbidden from revealing his heavenly presence to Miranda, but can secretly guide, suggest, and influence the course of her life. Zach thought he was doing a great job, until Miranda falls into the hands of an eternal - or vampire, as they are more commonly known. Zachary is immediately stripped of his wings and powers, and is forced to find redemption on terra firma. Zach may not have been able to save Miranda from a vampire, but there may be a chance of saving her soul from eternal damnation. ETERNAL was an excellent read! I enjoyed how Cynthia Leitich Smith alternated the narrative between Zachary and Miranda. It was refreshing to see and hear the perspectives of both characters. Smith has also cleverly woven bits of Stoker's Dracula, Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities, and Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet into the plot. As an English teacher, it thrills me to see contemporary authors alluding to classic pieces of literature. This novel is definitely a page-turner. It is filled with danger, deception, humor, love, sadness, and hope. I think that I was most surprised with the ending. Readers, including myself, will be saddened by what happens between Zachary and Miranda, but Smith also leaves us with a glimmer of hope. That idea of hope is what will bring readers back again and again to Smith's work. Reviewed by: LadyJay

Eternal is the second book in a series of three. Eternal is a book following a girl who has been turned into a Vampire and her guardian angel who is worried about her "lost" soul, or if she still has one. Miranda had everything going for her, but that all changed in one single moment in time and she lost everything it was to be human and fell off of her guardian angel's radar. In one night Miranda's world is changed and she is turned into a vampire. Is her soul lost forever? Can her guardian angel rescue her? Or is she doomed to an immortal life with consequences? I recommend this to any fan of Twilight or other Vampire series. Along with this I also recommend Cynthia's first book in this series, Tantalize.