Book Review: Aura by Rebecca Lynn Talley

Aura follows the awakening of Crystal, a girl who has moved around so much that she’s never fit in. Now, when she finally has a boyfriend, a best friend, and a successful part in the school play, she’s realizing that she’s more special than she ever knew. Crystal’s parents have tried to hide the truth from her, though they always raised her to live a good life. Crystal has a special talent, The Light, which allows her to overcome the tempting power of demons.

The beginning of the book focuses on Crystal’s main dilemma: whether to sleep with her boyfriend after prom. Though Crystal definitely doesn’t want to, she feels pressured by Nate’s sweet behavior and the encouragement of her best friend. But the decision gets easier when Nate seem possessed—and it turns out he actually is. Crystal becomes aware of demons that possess people’s bodies in exchange for the promise of something they desire. For Nate, it was the restoration of his college scholarship. And for some reason, they’re all after Crystal.

So far, however, Crystal has been able to live a good life and resist temptation. When she meets Alec and his family, she learns that there is an entire organization dedicated to fighting demons. They recognize a great power in Crystal—the same power that has made her the target of multiple demons—and decide to train her to serve their ranks.

This book has a great message. Without being dogmatic, it encourages teenagers to make the right decisions despite peer pressure. The book was told primarily through first-person point of view, though there were some intercut chapters in third person through the perspective of the head demon. I liked the suspense created by the shifting perspectives, but the point of view shift was always a little jarring at the start of the chapter. Still, I enjoyed the story and its positive message, and the last half of the book is heavily plot-centered, making it a quick read. I would definitely recommend this book to my high school students. Even the racy or violent scenes were kept extremely appropriate for a younger audience, allowing the message to shine through.

I reviewed this book as part of a blog tour. There’s a Rafflecopter giveaway you can enter for the next few days. Check it out here: a Rafflecopter giveaway