IMMORTAL by Gillian Shields

IMMORTAL
Author: Gillian Shields

• Reading level: Young Adult
• Hardcover: 368 pages
• Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books; 1 edition (August 4, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061375802
• ISBN-13: 978-0061375804

SUMMARY:

Wyldcliffe Abbey School for Young Ladies, housed in a Gothic mansion on the bleak northern moors, is elite, expensive, and unwelcoming. When Evie Johnson is torn away from her home by the sea to become the newest scholarship student, she is more isolated than she could have dreamed. Strict teachers, snobbish students, and the oppressive atmosphere of Wyldcliffe leave Evie drowning in loneliness. 

Evie’s only lifeline is Sebastian, a rebellious, mocking, dangerously attractive young man she meets by chance. As Evie’s feelings for Sebastian grow with each secret meeting, she starts to fear that he is hiding something about his past. And she is haunted by glimpses of a strange, ghostly girl—a girl who is so eerily like Evie, she could be a sister. Evie is slowly drawn into a tangled web of past and present that she cannot control. And as the extraordinary, elemental forces of Wyldcliffe rise up like the mighty sea, Evie is faced with an astounding truth about Sebastian, and her own incredible fate. 

MY THOUGHTS:

Evie has been shipped off to the elite and mysterious Wyldcliffe boarding school after her Grandmother, who has raised her since her Mother’s death, falls ill.  Her Father is being deployed and signs her up at the Gothic style boarding school.  Upon arrival to the town where the school is located, she comes face to face with Sebastian.  They form a secret relationship and meet at night.  She thinks she has found the perfect romance to take her mind off of the bullies and strict rules of the school.  As you read further into the book, you start to realize that Sebastian is hiding many secrets, ones he is not proud of, and the book explodes with suspense, mystery and supernatural experiences.

At first, I was a little confused with the book.  It kept switching from present time to a past life of the owners of the Wyldcliffe Mansion.  It was a bit predictable, yet it captured my interest.  As I kept reading, more of the mystery started to unravel and make sense.  It’s a bit of a stretch of a story, but the author does well weaving it together into a whole. Even though the ending felt abrupt and left much to be desired, the characters give you the chill factor of creepy and mysterious.  Not too bad if you are looking for a quick and spooky read around this time of year.

MY RATING: