Eternal (Hardcover)

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Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 9 Up–This dark romance is told in alternating chapters from the perspectives of 17-year-old Miranda and her guardian angel, Zachary, in an alternate America in which vampires and werewolves exist. Early in the novel, Zachary falls from grace as punishment for materializing in his full radiance in a failed attempt to save Miranda from being bitten by a vampire. The tale resumes a year later with the now-vampire Miranda a revered princess living among vampire royalty and feasting regularly on humans. Zachary, meanwhile, has sunk into a life of aimless debauchery and is resigned to never regaining his wings when an archangel suddenly gives him the opportunity to become Miranda's personal assistant. Determined to save his former ward, with whom he has fallen in love, Zachary takes the job. Miranda finds herself drawn to him, and the murders she has carelessly committed begin to weigh on her conscience. With his help, she is determined to find a way to redeem herself and help him return to grace. The plot is occasionally choppy and frequently grisly, and the dialogue seems forced in places. Neither Miranda nor Zachary is particularly likable, and the ending, while logical, is not one that romance fans will favor. The story lacks the elegance of Stephenie Meyer's hugely popular novels, but serious vampire buffs will undoubtedly add the novel to their must-read list.–Leah J. Sparks, formerly at Bowie Public Library, MD
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Review

"The pace of this entertaining romp is quick and the action plentiful." --Kirkus Reviews, January 15, 2009

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Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Candlewick (February 10, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0763635731
• ISBN-13: 978-0763635732
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.5 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #466,273 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not What I thought it would be........ (contains Spoilers), February 15, 2009

By	Twilight Junkie (USA) - See all my reviews

Being an avid Twilight/L.J.Smith fan, I thought Eternal was going to be a love story between an angel and a human. I was surely wrong. The book was completely diffrent to what I had in mind.

The book basically follows a young girl named Miranda and her transformation into a vampire, due to her guardian angel's interference. Miranda is transformed into a vampire and lives in a castle with the man who changed her, known as "Father." Her guardian angel Zachary has had his wings clipped due to his personal interest in Miranda's life. As Miranda adapts to her new life of royalty, she engages in acts that are not like her old self. Later on an angel gives Zachary the task of redemming his wings again by saving Miranda's soul. The story goes on to Zachary getting a job in her castle, and leading a revolt.

Do not read this book expecting to be swept up in a love story. This book is far from a love story. As 307 pages it lacked charachter relationships, and plot. I would not recommend this book for those who are seeking a love story. I really do not know who to recommend this book to....

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Vampires and Angels with a twist..., February 23, 2009

By	Ashley Pasco - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Eternal is the second book in a series of three. Eternal is a book following a girl who has been turned into a Vampire and her guardian angel who is worried about her "lost" soul, or if she still has one. Miranda had everything going for her, but that all changed in one single moment in time and she lost everything it was to be human and fell off of her guardian angel's radar. In one night Miranda's world is changed and she is turned into a vampire. Is her soul lost forever? Can her guardian angel rescue her? Or is she doomed to an immortal life with consequences? I recommend this to any fan of Twilight or other Vampire series. Along with this I also recommend Cynthia's first book in this series, Tantalize.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Courtesy of Teens Read Too, March 4, 2009

By	TeensReadToo.com "Eat. Drink. Read. Be Merrier." (All Over the US & Canada) - See all my reviews

Angels are everywhere, especially those who guard human beings.

Zachary is Miranda's guardian angel, or GA within the heavenly realm. He has watched and protected Miranda since she was a child. He is forbidden from revealing his heavenly presence to Miranda, but can secretly guide, suggest, and influence the course of her life.

Zach thought he was doing a great job, until Miranda falls into the hands of an eternal - or vampire, as they are more commonly known. Zachary is immediately stripped of his wings and powers, and is forced to find redemption on terra firma.

Zach may not have been able to save Miranda from a vampire, but there may be a chance of saving her soul from eternal damnation.

ETERNAL was an excellent read! I enjoyed how Cynthia Leitich Smith alternated the narrative between Zachary and Miranda. It was refreshing to see and hear the perspectives of both characters. Smith has also cleverly woven bits of Stoker's Dracula, Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities, and Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet into the plot. As an English teacher, it thrills me to see contemporary authors alluding to classic pieces of literature.

This novel is definitely a page-turner. It is filled with danger, deception, humor, love, sadness, and hope. I think that I was most surprised with the ending. Readers, including myself, will be saddened by what happens between Zachary and Miranda, but Smith also leaves us with a glimmer of hope.

That idea of hope is what will bring readers back again and again to Smith's work.

Reviewed by: LadyJay