Radiance by Alyson Noel

Radiance: A Riley Bloom Novel
By Alyson Noel
Publisher: Square Fish, 2010
178 pages, paperback
Date Finished: 20/ 11/ 2010
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Coming of Age, Adventure

~First Line of Book: "Most people think that death is the end."
~Last Line of Book: "Occasionally gazing down at the earth plane as I soared through the clouds, knowing that just like all of the people rushing around right below me, I too had somewhere important to be."

Review: This was the first time that I had ever read a novel by Alyson Noel, and from how I enjoyed this one, I am sure I will enjoy others as well.

Radiance was about a girl named Riley Bloom who has recently died and crossed the bridge to the perfect afterlife. She and Bodhi, the dorky-looking ghost who is now her guide, go on a crazy visit to the earth plane to rid a mansion of a "Radiant Boy" and, eventually, that same boy's mother.

This novel had some awesome characters. Riley and bodhi, the main two, were definitely my favorites. The plot was really awesome. I liked how the place between the afterlife and the earth plane was called "Summerland." From what Noel described, it was a very pretty Summerland indeed. I can't wait to get my hands on Shimmer, the sure-to-be-epic sequel :).



Quotes from the Book:

"That's what they call it, 'Here.'
And if you're dumb enough to ask what time it is, they'll say,'Now.' "

"And now that I was settled it was time for my first day of school (yes, we have school Here -- it's not all cloud lounging and harp playing, you know)."

"I couldn't say I saw all that much. Ot at least nothing important anyway. Nothing that could be considered heart stopping (and no, my heart doesn't really beat anymore, it's just a figure of speech.)."

" 'Based on your accumulated history and your strong attachment to the earth plane, you will train as a Catcher. Any questions?'
Train as a what? A question that was soon followed by a gazillion others just like it.
'A Soul Catcher,' Samson said. 'A catcher of souls.' As if that made any more sense."

"The reasoning of some ghosts was beyond me. Some of them just didn't make the slightest bit of sense."