Swoon

This book, this beautiful book, is nothing short of a victim of mis-marketing. It's been endorsed by a well known author claiming "fans of 'Twilight' with find a new heroin to root for." But let's get one thing straight. This is an adult fiction book, bridge if you are considering the age of the characters, but adult in content and plot. Girls who were mislead and bought/read the book thinking it was a read-a-like to "Twilight" take the lead in thinking this book is awful. However, moving outside of the teen bubble and into harder, heavier and harsher fiction, the book stands on its own feet in dark, again ADULT, urban fiction. But enough about the unfortunate reputation. Why this book was fantastic... After reading the light, almost whimsical, styling of Carrie Jones' "Captivate" this book read like the mind of a teenager. Their thoughts and actions are linear and almost desperate in their attempt to keep their world and focus in orbit to themselves. The dialogue is what I expect from a bunch of self absorbed, adolescent, spoiled brats. But again with the forward writing style! Miss Malkin moves the story with perfect rhythm and cadence. There are no really slow spots in the plot and no incredible jumps. Things move along appropriately and with ease. Another element that readers have found annoying and undesirable is the nick name phenomenon. I'll agree that I was puzzled by the meaning of it, other than to get the name Sin, but I never hated it. It's something you adjust to. Now for the adult content. There are a lot of drug references, both prescription and illegal, as well as multiple underage drinking and sex, both hetero and homo. But this is not something I was bothered by, but more satisfied with. The book would seem almost unfinished or flat without these elements because, face it, the town is being punished by an old, tortured soul who wants mayhem and revenge. Please, tell me, ANYONE, why the content and disturbing actions of these reckless teenagers seems unreasonable?! Last but not least, our heroine and anti-hero. Dice, or Candice, is our main lady and she is strong, a little haunted and determined. She's dark haired and skin faired and just a complete character with flaws and wants and fears. I was really pleased with Dice. Sin is a completely different story. He starts out as a ghost, then a soul who possesses her cousin, then his very own entity as a golem. There are times where he is sensitive and responds well to Dice and then there are times were his attention and intentions are fractured and loose their fire. In the end, there is no really happily ever after but a good solid finish. I was very pleased with the book and happy to discover that, like Tara Bray Smith's "Betwixt," this book has a small, yet very appreciative audience.

I really liked this book. I've seen mixed reviews and I wondered why, but then I figuerd something out. It's very dark, the plot is more complicated and richly complex than most YA books and the vocabulary used in it is most definitely on a higher level. SWOON easily makes the transition from YA to Adult Paranormal Romance. I thought it was brilliantly written and it kept me on the edge of my seat. If you liked the show HEX that was on BBC/BBC America, then you MUST pick this book up. It has that kind of feel to it. So it's five stars from me. It all begins when Candice (Dice) moved to the small town of Swoon, Connecticut from New York City. There is a reason for her relocation, which is revealed later in the book. One day, Dice's cousin Penelope (Pen) is showboating for some guys and she falls out of a tree. For an instant, she actually died. But only for an instant, which unfortunately for the town of Swoon, was long enough for the spirit of Sinclair Youngblood Powers to find a way into Pen's body. Sinclair (Sin) once died in that exact spot in the 1700's. He was wrongly accused of murder and was hung from that very tree. It's been a long time since that happened, but as far as he's concerned, it's never too late for revenge. From inside Pen, Sin is able to make the people of Swoon do strange and uncharacteristic things. Dice has some psychic abilities and she realizes what is going on and she's able to reach out to Sin. She believes she's the only one who can help him and makes it her mission to get him out of her cousin's body. The problem is, once the ghost is out of his shell and in the real world, he becomes even more determined to destroy the lives of the people related to his killers in the town of Swoon. Not only that, but Dice is beginning to fall in love with Sin. Maybe her best friend, a ghost with a flair for fashion, can help out. Dice and Sin must figure out what happened in the past to save the present.

I loved this book. I am hoping there will be a sequel. I would like to see the author further explore what happened in the end a little. I know there are mixed reviews, but personally I really enjoyed the story although I think it is definately meant for an older audience. I don't think I would have classified this story as YA.

Swoon was totally not what I was expecting. And not in a bad way, just much more dark, edgy and sensual than I had anticipated. In the vast sea of ya paranormals this one definitely left it's mark on me. Malkin has a way with words, originally I was intimidated by the size, well actually, I was just afraid it would take me awhile to read it, but essentially it took me no time at all, it was surprisingly addictive. The pages were turning non-stop. It's one of those novels where you just have to know what's going to happen next, what does the ending hold! It was an obsession, and I had to know. As twisted as Dice's feelings for Sin were, I could help but understand her reasoning. And even though Sin was wicked, wickedly handsome I mean! I couldn't help but like him too. Call me crazy. I didn't really feel like I connected with these characters, instead of feeling like I was part of the story, I felt that I was a spectator watching from the sidelines, but for some reason I didn't mind. It was just different, I can't really describe it. It's like eating sour candy! It so sour but so good! There are sexual references, nothing descriptive, anatomy is mentioned, certain acts are mentioned, but nothing that a teen hasn't heard walking down the halls of their high school, maybe that's presumptuous of me. It's been a few years since I've been in high school and I was classified as a "good kid" and it wasn't anything I hadn't heard before. Just thought I'd mention that if it isn't your sort of thing. Swoon is something to behold. Awesome story line, original plot. Prepare to swoon indeed.

Eventually all stories must be told. People simply aren't built to hold them in. .... [It's a] matter of finding the right person to tell it to. Since a story, even a sad one, is a gift." (p. 417-418, ARC edition - may vary from the final published version.) It may seem odd that I'm starting this review with a quote from the second to last chapter of the novel. And although the quote refers to a minor subplot, the truth of it really resonated with me and sums up my feelings about this superbly written book about impossible love and unimaginable loss. But basic plot before I go any further - NYC transplant Candice (known as Dice in the nickname-loving, cookie-cutter Connecticut community of Swoon) meets 18th century transplant Sinclair (known as Sin, because he sins with abandon and causes others to sin as well) when he possesses the body of her hot but prissy cousin Penelope (known as Pen because ...err... elope would sound weird?). Sin was strung-up by Swoon's denizens' snobby ancestors, so he's out to get revenge. Only Dice is aware of what he's capable of, but swept up in the spell of his charm, she's very reluctant to stop him... I really did feel like this story is a gift - and judging by the polarizing reviews on GoodReads and here - it's one that's not right for everyone. I can understand that some readers are turned off by the all "lustful" scenes Sin leaves in his wake, but these are strictly dreamlike in quality (think Patrick Susskind's THE PERFUME), and in no way explicit or eyeball scalding. Ok, I'll allow that the paranormal plot is rather convoluted and does tend to meander at times, but the writing is so stellar, I honestly didn't mind the detours. I took a week to read this, not only because I had only stolen moments to devote to it, but also because I wanted to savor Malkin's delicious turns of phrase. The story is told in first person, and Dice is so wry in her observations and so conflicted in her loyalties and desires I found myself identifying with her (despite our differences). I don't know...maybe you have to have a certain maturity level (and I'm not talking about age, though this is more appropriate for older teens), and/or a certain familiarity with tragedy, to really connect with this one. All I know is that I thoroughly enjoyed it, and not only will it stay on my shelf, I know I'll go back and read passages from it again and again.