Release Date: 12/20/14
252 pages
My Rating:
Summary from Goodreads:
Aurelious Forty has led a lonely, troubled life. He stays disconnected
from the world around him with no family and no friends. He lives merely to
exist…to survive.
Aurelious’ life changes in an instant when an impulsive decision forces him to
abandon everything he has ever known. Choosing to follow strangers into a new
world, he discovers he was born with a gift so strong, so unique; it could give
him the power to change humanity.
But the shadows of his childhood are long and dark and run through every fiber
of his soul. Can Aurelious break the chains of his past and use his gift for
good? Or will the nightmare of his tormentors set him on a path of revenge so
fierce it could destroy us all?
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DISCLAIMER: I received a review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Hopefully this will not have spoilers because I strongly recommend this book.
Characters/Plot: As a character, Aurelious is so . . . I can't express it right. I related to him so much while reading. There is a guest post below that hits the button on target. So, I won't add my mumbled-jumbo. The story was so well described, there is no better way to say that I l♥ved it. Brekwyn and Anira ♥ I would imagine them to be amazing people if they were real. I was home-schooled as well, so I related to Anira there.
My Honest Opinions/Thoughts: I had to stop reading now and then. I had a hard time, and not because I did not enjoy it. I l♥ved it. It moved me to tears at the beginning and I think it is because I was once in a foster home (a group home, but its the same no matter how you slice it). I just . . . It hit home at the beginning of the book. I got lost in reading it. Aurelious Forty is perfection.
Extra: I read to midway, before I realized I would need more time to read, due to this blog tour date that rapidly came on me. And I kept having to go back, because I was being interrupted by eveyone in my house. :3 Ergo, I will be reading again, and adding to this review later. I still strongly recommend this book.
A Deeper Look at
a Main Character: Aurelious Forty
Aurelious is, at times, a bit of an enigma. He is a very emotional
character and while he shares his emotional experiences with the reader, he
tries desperately to hide them from the characters that he interacts with on
the page. He is typically unsuccessful in masking his own emotions from those
around him though he’s generally unaware of how unsuccessful he is because he’s
fairly self-absorbed, at least in the beginning of the book. Enigma.
There is a lot to love in Aurelious but he makes you work at loving him,
he doesn’t give it right away. There are times when you might think it’s easier
to dislike him but then he draws you in and you’re reminded of what he endured
as a child and you’re proud of how far he’s come.
Although he is the main character and the one telling us his story, he
isn’t the hero. He is really more of a sidekick who has to learn from the hero
and finds himself fumbling along the way, a lot. He fumbles so much that he
makes the hero a little less heroic for a minute. But, when he starts to look
outside of himself, when he starts to connect with and care for the people
around him, when he shows us how much he changes and overcomes, then he does
become a little bit more of a hero himself. Or at least makes us question how a
hero could be defined.
Aurelious Forty struggles. He learns. He grows. He changes. He is an
imperfect character, just like the rest of us. And, in his imperfection, he is
worthy of being loved, just like the rest of us. As the person who created him,
I must confess, I hope people will embrace his flaws and love him.
About the Author
Dianna Beirne lives in a fantasy world. Okay not really, but part of her
wishes she did and, since that’s technically impossible, she writes about
fantasy worlds instead. Her first Young Adult novel entitled Aurelious Forty;
Volume One quickly turned into her first Young Adult series with the addition
of Aurelious Forty; Volume Two and, Aurelious Forty; Volume Three.
When not writing, she’s generally daydreaming which morphs into wondering if
that last daydream could turn into a book. She has also recently discovered podcasts
but doesn’t exactly understand what they are or why they’re different from
regular radio shows. So it’s safe to assume that her next book won’t be about a
podcast. Instead she’ll just keep listening to the ones that she finds that
hilarious because laughing is one of her favorite pastimes and she finds way
too many things funny!
Prior to dedicating her time to writing, Dianna taught undergraduate and
graduate courses about using literacy in the elementary, middle, and high
school classroom. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education, a
Master’s degree in Literacy and a Doctorate in Education specializing in
Curriculum and Teaching.
Dianna lives in New York and is the grateful mother of a son whom she misses
terribly when he is away at college.
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