ARC Review: Original Sin

Original Sin by Lisa Desrochers
Release Date: July 05, 2011
Published By: Tor Teen
Pages: 398, Paperback
Young Adult
Source: Author (won!) + in exchange for an honest review
Overall: Fabulous!
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Luc Cain was born and raised in Hell, but he isn’t feeling as demonic as usual lately—thanks to Frannie Cavanaugh and the unique power she never realized she had. But you can’t desert Hell without consequences, and suddenly Frannie and Luc find themselves targeted by the same demons who used to be Luc’s allies.
Left with few options, Frannie and Luc accept the protection of Heaven and one of its most powerful angels, Gabe. Unfortunately, Luc isn’t the only one affected by Frannie, and it isn’t long before Gabe realizes that being around her is too…tempting. Rather than risk losing his wings, he leaves Frannie and Luc under the protection of her recently-acquired guardian angel.
Which would be fine, but Gabe is barely out the door before an assortment of demons appears—and they’re not leaving without dragging Luc back to Hell with them. Hell won’t give up and Heaven won’t give in. Frannie’s guardian exercises all the power he has to keep them away, but the demons are willing to hurt anyone close to Frannie in order to get what they want. It will take everything she has and then some to stay out of Hell’s grasp.
And not everyone will get out of it alive.

This review may contain minor spoilers or story line indication for Personal Demons, book number 1 in this trilogy.

My Thoughts:

Told from three points of view we are reintroduced to Frannie, Luc and Gabriel in Original Sin.  Though I must warn you the three points of view are not that of Frannie, Luc and Gabriel.  The main of the plot is still the same but this time, keep Frannie's soul from being tagged for Hell, and it is layered with several layers of emotions, action and obstacles. I knew there had to be some new situations where Frannie, Luc and Gabriel were concerned but I had no clue that it would be in the form of demons coming out in small but extremely strong and persuasive numbers messing with more than just Frannie.  It seems as if none of our characters went untouched this time around.    

Frannie, our main character who is wanted by both Heaven and Hell, is still the kick-ass, strong willed object she was in Personal Demons.  While I love how strong Frannie is and commend her on her ability to literally kick butt and handle situations beyond her wildest dreams, it seems as if Frannie has become more of an object in this book being tossed between Luc and Gaberiel once again.  While Frannie's love did big things for Luc, literally changing him, I wish her heart would choose between Luc and Gabriel...well more than she has already claimed she has.  It is only book two and I'm already tired of her flip flopping.  She's in love with and lusting over Luc when she's with him but the moment she's with Gabriel her heart is pounding for him and she is lusting just the same.  Her emotions are tiring and slightly contradictory when it comes the two guys.  While I think Frannie is a great main character her indecision and what it is doing to others is slowing wearing on me.  We can only hope Lisa Desrochers doesn't leaving us hanging at the end of book three and all of our love-triangle-woes and put to rest.

Luc is still Luc despite his transformation in Original Sin.  I get the excitement and swooning over Luc's new-found salvation and freedom from his previous life, although he truly never is free of his past, but his true colors do end up showing in Original Sin and I'm glad for that.  I understood the situation for what it was and to Luc's defense not everything is at it seems but even I saw through the situation before we were given much detail about it.  It is still up in the air for me about whether Luc's loyalty is something anyone has beyond Luc himself.  I'm not sure where all of my reluctance comes from regarding look but despite it all and his bad boy image and inability to trust him, especially after Original Sin's ending, I still am able to see through to his personal growth and the heart that he does have even if it is slightly tarnished and bent a little.  I guess though, for a demon, or a was-demon, or a gonna-be-demon (again) that he does pretty well protecting Frannie and attempting to put her best interest at heart.

The story isn't complete without Gabriel.  Gabriel takes a back seat during most of Original Sin.  It is all just too much to bear for him which I totally agree with.  Frannie is stringing the guys along and when you have a heart like Gabriel's I can't imagine it is easy to watch the girl you love throw herself into the arms of a demon, let alone a guy that even if he were a mere mortal he would still be considered a demon by most the population.  In my opinion Gabriel is still the same as he was in Personal Demons but slightly more mature and more considerate and level headed than Frannie and Luc put together.  I'm definitely hoping Gabriel is more of a fixture in the upcoming last book.  For some reason I related to Gabriel the most out of the characters and I am not a guy nor an angel.  I think everyone has their one favorite character and so far Gabriel hasn't given me reason to take the title away from him despite not getting much from him this go around.

To touch on the plot of Original Sin, while it was action packed and at times would make your heart skip a beat, or two, it was slightly predictable where the biblical references came in.  Despite the predictability it didn't seem to deflate the impact that the twists and turns of the story had on me.  I was still clutching the pages tight, reluctant to look up from the book and definitely not wanting to put it down until the end.  

Biblical based or not, Lisa Desrochers' has an ability to make a story her own and with Original Sin, like Personal Demons, she did just that.  Lots of times when I read a story with an angel named Gabriel they all seem to morph into one character that hops from book to book but in the case of the Lisa Desrochers' books that just isn't the case.  The pace, although fast, was pretty consistent as well was the writing.

There is one thing about series books that I really do not enjoy and that comes in the form of cliffhangers.  Sometimes I wish that a book would tie up nicely leaving me satisfied yet wanting more.  Unfortunately with Original Sin that is not the case.  We aren't just faced with any cliff hanger, we are faced with a story changing cliff hanger of the biggest sort, twice over, which deserves several reads while you attempt to digest and understand what you just read.  There was absolutely no way after leaving me hanging the way Lisa Desrochers did that I am letting her off of the hook.  I am expecting full on fabulousness from the next book.  With or without the the cliffhanger there really is no way of expecting anything less though after Original Sin.  

Overall, Original Sin is sinfully fabulous making the Personal Demons series one I think just about everyone would enjoy.  It definitely has a little bit of everything for everyone and it has me anxiously anticipating book number three, the last book in the trilogy.  Fast paced and writing that accurately captures the teen voice (especially that of the ever wavering emotions,) and action packed, Original Sin is a great follow up to Personal Demons, one that is a definite must read.

Purchase:
Personal Demons | Amazon |
Original Sin | Amazon |