Into a Million Pieces by Angela V. Cook

Synopsis
Allison McKready is a succubus. So is her twin sister. But while Allison spends her summer break hiding in the library behind her Goth makeup, Jade fools around as often as she can.

Allison can’t believe Jade would ignore their mother’s fatal example so recklessly, but concealing a cursed bloodline and its dangerous effects is far from Allison’s only problem.

Mean girl Julie’s snob mob is determined to ruin her summer, and Aunt Sarah’s Bible thumping is getting louder. Only her new friend, Ren Fisher, offers safe haven from the chaos of her life.

When one of Jade’s risky dates leads to humiliation and sudden tragedy, Allison reels, and Ren catches her. But as her feelings for him grow, so does her fear that she’ll hurt him—or worse—in an unguarded moment.

The choice is coming—love him or save him—but Allison might not live to make it. One way or another, the curse will have its due.

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My Review
I’ll admit going into this, I had no idea what a succubus was. Yes, I know… But I really didn’t. Paranormal isn’t my normal genre. Sure, I read the Twilight series, but after that, I’d kind of had my fill and only pick up a handful of of paranormal stories a year. But this one, with the twin sisters and the bible-thumping aunt, caught my attention. As the mother of twins, I’m fascinated by stories about twins.

Allison tries to fly under the radar. She’s a succubus, and falling in love just isn’t for her. So by dressing like a goth girl, she attempts to keep people, particularly boys, at arms’ length. Somehow Ren sees through the facade to the beautiful girl inside, but they can never be anything more than friends. Or can they? Allison’s and Ren’s relationship moves beyond the friend-zone with consequences, but Ren is willing to take the risk, even if Allison isn’t. When her twin sister, Jade’s, riskier behavior comes back to bite her, it also affects Allison, resulting in tragedy. But Ren is there for Allison, taking their friendship to yet another level.

While the story starts off slower than I would have liked, it picks up about a third of the way in when it takes a twisted detour into tragedy. That was difficult to get through, but once I did, the story gripped me and never let go. Into a Million Pieces is a paranormal romance, but it reads far more like contemporary with a paranormal twist. That twist is responsible for creating a forbidden love that was so angsty, I could almost physically feel it at times. It’s also a bit of a mystery, which I didn’t see coming, although once I knew what had happened, I did figure out pretty quick who did it. That didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the book, though, because at it’s core, it’s not a mystery.

World Building
The world building is very subtle, but utterly believable. The whole succubus thing is woven through the story without overpowering it. The story is about the romance between Allison and Ren. She just happens to be cursed with a gift that could kill the boy she loves if she ever has sex with him. If that isn’t the world’s best birth control for teens, I don’t know what is. But rather than a story about the world of succubi (is that the plural of succubus?), it’s about a girl, who just happens to be a succubus, falling in love with a boy.

Plot
The main plot is definitely the romance of Allison and Ren and it’s extremely well done. The teenage angst is as good as any I’ve read, and I felt the emotional pull far more than I ever did with Edward and Bella. The subplot revolving around Jade is strong and weaves through the main plot, touching every aspect of Allison’s relationship with Ren. Other than the slow start, I thought the plot was strong and there were a couple of really well-done twits.

Characters
Allison and Jade are both well-developed as is the aunt. Ren is a little more than just two-dimensional, but I never felt like I got as good of a sense of who he is as I could have. He’s got some issues in his past as well, which are brought out, but I still felt like a little more development could have been done. However, if this is the first book in a series (please, please, please let this be the case) then it’s fine that the author has left this for a later book.

The Writing
The writing is solid. Cook excels at scene setting and creating an incredible amount of heat between her characters without ever getting graphic. I wish more authors would do this, because it’s not easy, but it’s so much more intense to read.

The Ending
The ending wrapped up all the main plot points, but left enough for another book (see above begging) if the author feels inclined. The conclusion is satisfying and hopeful without needing to create the perfect happily ever after. Because succubus and human.

Top Five Things I Loved About Into a Million Pieces
1. Twins. Because who doesn’t love stories about twins?

2. Ren. He’s sweet and the way he cares for Allison makes him a perfect book boyfriend.

3. Ren’s Grandmother. She’s an amazing woman who supports both Ren and Allison as only a grandmother can.

4. The mud fight. I actually smiled as I pictured the whole thing.

5. Allison’s integrity. The fact that she never gives into her desire in order to protect Ren is one of the things I love most about her.

Bottom Line
Into a Million Pieces is a different kind of paranormal romance with a hint of a mystery that left me wanting more.

Disclaimer
I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review

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About the Book
Title: Into a Million Pieces
Author: Angela V. Cook
Publisher: Red Adept Publishing, LLC
Release Date: January 27, 2015
Pages: 206
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal Romance
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Stars
Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | GooglePlay

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Author Angela V. Cook

About the Author
Angela V. Cook lives a very unexciting, but never boring, life with her husband and two children just outside of Detroit. Like most writers, she’s been making up stories for as long as she can remember and can’t imagine a life that doesn’t involve creating worlds.

Angela loves to write novels for teens because it’s the best outlet for her sarcastic personality, immature sense of humor, and love of romantic firsts. Her idea of the perfect day involves a quiet house, a good book, and a piece of cheesecake. Or two.

Where to Find Angela V. Cook
Goodreads | Website | Facebook | Twitter | RAP
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