Review - Illuminate

by Aimee Agresti
publisher: Harcourt Children's Books
date of publication: March 6, 2012
format: ARC
pages: 534
source: from the publisher for review
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From Goodreads:

Haven Terra is a brainy, shy high school outcast. But everything begins to change when she turns sixteen. Along with her best friend Dante and their quiet and brilliant classmate Lance, she is awarded a prestigious internship in the big city— Chicago—and is sent to live and work at a swanky and stylish hotel under the watchful eyes of a group of gorgeous and shockingly young-looking strangers: powerful and alluring hotel owner Aurelia Brown; her second-in-command, the dashing Lucian Grove; and their stunning but aloof staff of glamazons called The Outfit.

     As Haven begins falling for Lucian, she discovers that these beautiful people are not quite what they seem. With the help of a mysterious book, she uncovers a network of secret passageways from the hotel’s jazz-age past that leads her to the heart of the evil agenda of Aurelia and company: they’re in the business of buying souls. Will they succeed in wooing Haven to join them in their recruitment efforts, or will she be able to thwart this devilish set’s plans to take the souls of her classmates on prom night at the hotel?

     Illuminate is an exciting saga of a teen’s first taste of independence, her experience in the lap of luxury, and her discovery she may possess strength greater than she ever knew.

What I Thought

Illuminate, the story of an awkward teenage girl who finds herself in an extraordinary situation, is much more than I had originally expected.  Set against a lush backdrop of glitz and glamor, this story has an exceptional amount of menace and mystery.  The full scope of the situation at hand in this book is something that must be seen to be believed.  This story of self-discovery and danger will have you on the edge of your seat.

Haven is one of those characters that you will find yourself mentally pleading with, berating, and cheering on.  Even in her most frustrating moments, I found myself liking her.  She doesn't easily lose sight of the big picture and lives up to the intelligence she is credited with having.  She is the perfect foil to Aurelia in all her mercenary glory.  Both characters are the perfect example of things never being as they may first seem.

Illuminate did move along at a somewhat slow pace, at times.  Taking place over a 3-4 month period of time, there is much information to digest.  At some points it felt as though there was a bit too much information, making the story nearly come to a grinding halt at inopportune moments.  However, the overall plot is a great one and I really enjoyed the sense of mystery, danger, and glamor that was injected into the story.  I found myself fully drawn into Haven's adventures as she sets out to discover the truth behind the luxurious facade.

Overall, I really enjoyed Illuminate and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to readers who like their paranormal reads chock full of mystery and menace.  Illuminate is a nail-biter with rich imagery and a top-notch main character.  The villains are truly insidious and the development of all of the primary characters is handled very well.  Despite its potentially overflowing information, Illuminate is a fun read that will provide you with hours of thrills, chills, and intrigue.

 
Obligatory legal statement: This ARC was provided to me free of charge by the publisher in exchange for a fair and unbiased review. Many thanks to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for the opportunity to read and review this book.