Sacred
Author: Elana K. Arnold
Author: Elana K. Arnold
Published: November 13th, 2012
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Goodreads Summary: "Growing up on Catalina Island, off the California coast, Scarlett Wenderoth has led a fairly isolated life. After her brother dies, her isolation deepens as she withdraws into herself, shutting out her friends and boyfriend. Her parents, shattered by their own sorrow, fail to notice Scarlett's pain and sudden alarming thinness. Scarlett finds pleasure only on her horse, escaping to the heart of the island on long, solitary rides. One day, as she races around a bend, Scarlett is startled by a boy who raises his hand in warning and says one word: "Stop."
The boy—intense, beautiful—is Will Cohen, a newcomer to the island. For reasons he can't or won't explain, he's drawn to Scarlett and feels compelled to keep her safe. To keep her from wasting away. His meddling irritates Scarlett, though she can't deny her attraction to him. As their relationship blossoms into love, Scarlett's body slowly awakens at Will's touch. But just when her grief begins to ebb, she makes a startling discovery about Will, a discovery he's been grappling with himself. A discovery that threatens to force them apart. And if it does, Scarlett fears she will unravel all over again."
Concept/Ideas: 4/5
Storyline/Plot: 4/5
Characters: 4/5
Writing Style: 4/5
Sacred was a beautiful, heart wrenching, and mysterious read. I really enjoyed Arnold's novel, and I wasn't expecting it to be as good as it was. The number one thing I loved about this book? The setting. The fact that the novel took place on Catalina island off the coast of California was an intriguing concept, and left for a lot of imagination for this book's scenery and small town feel.
At first, I found the main character to be unlikable. She came across as whiny, and had that whole "boohoo, poor me" attitude. But as the book progressed, I found her to be more and more likable, and she seemed to grow a backbone and improved and flourished as a person. You can feel what Scarlett was going through, and I became extremely sympathetic to her pain. She only got more relatible, stronger, and likeable as the novel goes on (don't judge her on the first half of the book, guys ;) I promise she get's better!).
The characters were all likable too, and I loved that Scarlett's best friend (who for the life of me, I can't remember the name of -- it's been awhile) was always there for her, despite her steretyped personality. She was always right behind her, and helped her to get better throughout the novel. She was what every girl would want in a best friend.
Will wasn't my favorite to say in the least. I found him to be underdeveloped, and didn't have a lot of personality to him. I can understand why he's more on the mysterious side for this book, but hopefully he comes out of his shell more in the next installment. But Will just didn't do it for me in this one. I couldn't see the like.
The pain that is experienced throughout the novel was absolutely heart-breaking. It was something that took up a good chunk of the book, but at the same time, didn't stall the book from having a bigger point to it either. This book was a perfect balance of sadness, joy, excitment, mystery, and I loved it. A reccommended read for sure!
Storyline/Plot: 4/5
Characters: 4/5
Writing Style: 4/5
Sacred was a beautiful, heart wrenching, and mysterious read. I really enjoyed Arnold's novel, and I wasn't expecting it to be as good as it was. The number one thing I loved about this book? The setting. The fact that the novel took place on Catalina island off the coast of California was an intriguing concept, and left for a lot of imagination for this book's scenery and small town feel.
At first, I found the main character to be unlikable. She came across as whiny, and had that whole "boohoo, poor me" attitude. But as the book progressed, I found her to be more and more likable, and she seemed to grow a backbone and improved and flourished as a person. You can feel what Scarlett was going through, and I became extremely sympathetic to her pain. She only got more relatible, stronger, and likeable as the novel goes on (don't judge her on the first half of the book, guys ;) I promise she get's better!).
The characters were all likable too, and I loved that Scarlett's best friend (who for the life of me, I can't remember the name of -- it's been awhile) was always there for her, despite her steretyped personality. She was always right behind her, and helped her to get better throughout the novel. She was what every girl would want in a best friend.
Will wasn't my favorite to say in the least. I found him to be underdeveloped, and didn't have a lot of personality to him. I can understand why he's more on the mysterious side for this book, but hopefully he comes out of his shell more in the next installment. But Will just didn't do it for me in this one. I couldn't see the like.
The pain that is experienced throughout the novel was absolutely heart-breaking. It was something that took up a good chunk of the book, but at the same time, didn't stall the book from having a bigger point to it either. This book was a perfect balance of sadness, joy, excitment, mystery, and I loved it. A reccommended read for sure!
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