Radiance by Alyson Noel

Title: Radiance

Author: Alyson Noel

Series: A Riley Bloom Book

Publisher: Square Fish

ISBN: 9780312648251

More Information: http://www.alysonnoel.com/radiance/

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Riley Bloom lost her life in a car accident at the age of 12 and crossed the bridge to the Here & Now.  Missing her sister and earth, she tried her best to get used to her new life.  In the Here & Now, everyone has a place and Riley’s place was to be a Soul Catcher.  A Soul Catcher’s job was to convince ghosts still on earth to move on.  Her first job was to coax a several-hundred-years ghost to go over the bridge.  With Bodhi, her guide, and her dog, Buttercup, Riley was going to do what no other Catcher was able to achieve. 

The length and tone of the story appear geared for pre-teens.  Although I’m in mid-20s, surprisingly enough, I enjoyed Riley’s story way more than the Immortal series.  Why?  There are a few reasons.  First, Riley was not as depressing and angsty as her older sister.  Riley was hilarious and still hasn’t lost her spunk.  Dying young, Riley felt cheated of experiencing her life but I admired her strength on putting a good front and in overcoming obstacles thrown her way.  The atmosphere was more light-hearted but still captured the emotional issues of death.  Secondly, the story has a pretty straightforward storyline.  Nothing overwhelming for Riley’s debut story but disappointingly short and the ending, a bit lackluster.

Would I continue to follow Riley into her next case?  Maybe.  The only reason I bought this book in the first place was because it was a great deal and was planning on reading it someday.  It was entertaining, but not a keeper.  I would suggest Radiance to anyone who likes a quick, slightly humorous read, without too much emotional drama.  And if you like the Immortal series, you will probably find this book a little boring.  There is not much action and romance.  So, this might not be your cup of tea.