Finally FINALLY a supernatural YA novel that held my interest, with a romance that didn't make me want to barf and heave!
The deal: Nastasya (Nasty to her friends) has, in her own words, been around the block a few times. That's bound to happen when you're 450 years old. Been there, done that, been there again, did that and that and THAT till she passed out, etc. Immortality sounds like a blast (who wouldn't want to be young, pretty and almost invunerable forever?) but the truth is it gets old (heh). With all the time in the world, Nastasya finds it easier not to get attached to anyone -- regular humans are too...fragile.
Even so, when her best friend, Incy, uses dark magick to snap the spine of their cabbie, Nastasya decides she's had enough of the immortal party scene. She decamps to River's Edge, a sort of immortals rehab retreat in the backwoods of Massachusetts. River tries to help her kind rekindle a respect and appreciation both for life and for time itself. Nasty's not so sure she's cut out for the simple, introspective routine, and neither are some of the other residents of River's Edge. Especially Reyn: sullen, taciturn, and of course, smoking hot. He gets under Nastasya's skin and brings bad, bad memories to the surface.
Here's the thing. Nothing really happens in Immortal Beloved. There are no action scenes, super-dramatic standoffs, last-ditch-save-the-world heroics, or even that much flashy magick. It's just Nastasya getting her sh*t together and figuring out what kind of person she wants to be brave enough to be. But following her path, where she starts to value simpler things and to care about the people around her, makes the reader care too. It's both comforting and completely absorbing -- I could not put this book down and was kind of late for work one day.
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