Cover Art obtained from http://www.audible.com
EVER NEAR – Secret Affinity – Book One
Author: Melissa MacVicar
Type of Book: Audiobook – Unabridged
Narrator: Melissa Redmond
Length: 5 hours and 1 minute
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal Fiction
Release Date: January 3, 2014
Publisher: Red Adept Publishing, LLC
Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
* I received a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
Jade’s life seems to be looking up. Her Mom is getting remarried to one of the wealthiest men in town. They have moved out of their rundown shabby duplex and into a home locally known as “Fair Ever.”
Jade should be ecstatically happy and she would be, if one thing would just stop. Jade sees and hears ghosts. The ghosts always seem to be both sad and angry and Jade is sick of it.
Plus, there is no one she can tell. Who would believe her? She knows they would probably think she was crazy and lock her up in the Loony Bin.
Jade has a crush on Charlie. But since Jade’s mother is engaged to Charlie’s father the chance of having a relationship with him is unlikely.
The ghosts seem to be getting bolder and Jade realizes that she needs to share her secret with someone.
This book takes many twists and turns. Just when the reader thinks they know what will happen next, they discover that they were wrong.
EVER NEAR is both a paranormal adventure and a young adult romance novel.
I like the fact that Jade is a mixed-race character. Her father is black and her mother is right. The boy she has a crush on (Charlie) is white. There are not a lot of novels for young adults that feature interracial couples which is another reason why EVER NEAR is so compelling.
Another subject that author Melissa MacVicar tackles is the phenomenon of blended families when the children involved are no longer young children but are instead young adults. The attraction between Jade and Charlie is plausible. Just because their parents are getting married, it does not mean that they are truly siblings. I would assume that romance between teenage step-siblings in blended families happens more often than most people think. The problems would arise when and if the young couple were to break up.
Whether or not you believe in ghosts, this story will grab and hold your attention.
The narrator does a great job with her tone and her use of inflection to make this audiobook a treat to listen to.
There are a few twists and turns to this audiobook which makes it even more enjoyable to listen to.
This book is perfect for it’s target audience, which is Young Adults. I rate this audiobook as 4 out of 5 stars. ⭐⭐⭐⭐
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: (Information obtained from http://www.goodreads.com)
Picture obtained from https://www.facebook.com/pages/Melissa-MacVicar/137762893067929
ABOUT THE NARRATOR:
Picture and information obtained from http://www.melissaredmond.net
Melissa was born in Pensacola, Florida. The daughter of a US Naval officer, she spent her childhood moving between Northern Virginia and San Diego, CA. Her father, Bill is a former aviator turned physician. Her mother Linda was a stay-at-home mom, and awesome stage mother, who never complained about having to go to yet another audition.
Melissa started performing at an early age in dance and gymnastic recitals, and quickly moved into theatre. After seeing a performance of “Cats” on Broadway, she announced to her parents that she wanted to pursue acting professionally. They have never been anything but supportive of this decision. After high school, Melissa earned a B.A. in Theatre from The University of California, San Diego.
Melissa has studied with, among others, Amy Lyndon, Elaine Clark and Navid Negahban. She has starred in several independent films including “Last Breath”, “Ave Maria” and “Track to Freedom”, as well as having a supporting role in a Lionsgate Feature.
For more information as well as a list of film and television credits, visit http://www.melissaredmond.net
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