Review: Auracle by Gina Rosati

Auracle by Gina Rosati 
Publisher-Roaring Brook Press 
Released-Aug 7th 2012
Purchase-Amazon / B&N / Chapters

16 year old Anna Rogan has a secret she's only shared with her best friend, Rei; she can astrally project out of her body, allowing her spirit to explore the world and the far reaches of the universe.
When there's a fatal accident and her classmate Taylor takes over Anna's body, what was an exhilarating distraction from her repressive home life threatens to become a permanent state. Faced with a future trapped in another dimension, Anna turns to Rei for help. Now the two of them must find a way to get Anna back into her body and stop Taylor from accusing an innocent friend of murder. Together Anna and Rei form a plan but it doesn't take into account the deeper feelings that are beginning to grow between them  

My Thoughts: 

Hey now! This book turned out to be quite the unexpected surprise. Don't you just love when books do that?

I've only read one other book that dealt with astral projection, but nothing to this extent. What a wicked concept and so much fun exploring this ability with someone as great as Anna.

This is such a terrific story! Gina Rosati writing is very confident, very smooth. I loved the beautifully done phrases and eloquent descriptions she uses when expressing what's it's like when Anna has in out of body experience. It's fascinating and creative stuff, provoking a new element I'm interested in reading more about.

Auracle is a bit slow moving in the beginning, but it's not dull. It gives us a nice intro into each of these characters roles and who they are to one another. Anna is our main protag who has the ability to astral project, which is a handy little gift considering she has an alcoholic father and needs this much needed escape. 
Rei is the over-protective best friend and all around amazing guy and Seth has trust issues and a bad temper. 
After a fatal incident that involves Seth and a girl from school. Seth is on the run and scared that he will be blamed for Taylor's murder, while Taylor is busy occupying Anna's body...what a wrong time not to be in your body when you witness a death huh? 
Now Anna (who's stuck in different dimension) and Rei have to figure out how to prove Seth's innocence, get Taylor out of Anna's body and grasp the growing attraction between two life long friends.

I really loved all of these characters! Anna's ability is really cool and I would love to be able to witness a supernova or watch a volcano erupt. There is very little reasoning as to the why's of Anna's abilities but since she's such a  likable character it's easy to overlook and just go with the flow.
Rei is one of those incredibly perfect guys that you can't help be charmed by the way he looks out for Anna and Seth and even his family. I thought it was so adorable when he would go into worried and protective mode. Such a sweet character who also gotz some mad skills which is an added bonus.
The romance was very subtle, it's there but it doesn't take over the story-line whatsoever. This would usually bother me, but the friendship bond alone was enough to make me happy.
Taylor was a great villain. Snarky, typical misunderstood mean girl who wants to make a dent in the world but doesn't know how to get the right attention. Apart of me actually felt a little sorry for her. She definitely played her role well.
Funny enough, the only character I could't seem to connect with was Seth. For being the main reason why everyone is in this particular predicament, he's not very well developed and not really present throughout the story and when he's in a scene he's pretty much just angry and brooding. Good purpose. Wrong anchor.

Bottom line, I had a really good time with this one. It has just about everything I look for in an escape. Refreshing and a fascinating plot, irresistible and intriguing characters, a bubbling romance between life long friends and writing that consumed me from minute one to it's cunning conclusion. 
Gina Rosati is definitely an author I'll be looking out for!

Find the author:
Goodreads                                                  

4 Snowflakes