Book Review: Rae of Hope by W.J. May

Rae of Hope
The Chronicles of Kerrigan #1
Author: W.J. May
Reading Level: YA
Genre: Paranormal
Released: September 5th 2011
Review Source: Author
Available: Amazon

Summary: (from goodreads) How hard do you have to shake a family tree to find out the truth of the past? 

Fifteen-year-old Rae Kerrigan has never questioned her family’s history. That is until she accepted a scholarship to Guilder Boarding School in England. Guilder is a very unique, gifted school.

Rae has no idea what she is getting herself into or that her family’s past is going to come back and taunt her. She learns she is part of an unparalleled group of individuals who become marked with a unique tattoo (tatù) on their sixteenth birthday. The tatù enables them to have supernatural powers particular to the shape of their marking.

Both her parents were marked though Rae never knew, as they passed away when she was young and never told her. Learning about her family’s past, her evil father and sacrificial mother, Rae needs to decide if there is a ray of hope for her own life.

How do I even begin to describe this wonderful world of magic that W.J. May has created with all the amazing characters and a great suspenseful story line that leaves you astonished with the bombshell she delivers at the end. Totally mind blowing!! I immediately fell in love with the Rae. She’s strong willed, Independent and truth worthy but soon she discovers that she can not trust everyone. Rae’s room mate, Molly is a fashionista, who’s hilarious, charismatic and a chatter-box. She’s the perfect match to Rae and they quickly become the best of friends in the short period they room together. The story is so well written that I am able to read through out the story not having to stop or reread and I was able to enjoy every minute of my reading. I read the entire book in one day!! I could not stop reading!

The story begins when Rae receives a letter of acceptance to the Guilder Boarding School of England, that she never applied to. Having put it past her uncle and aunt to have applied her to this school she never questioned it. Having moved in with her uncle and aunt in New York at the age of six and never returning to England due to the accident that took away her parents, she’s not happy about the acceptance either. But she’s even more upset when she begins to unravel the REAL truths about her being in Guilder and the fact that the whole school knows more about her family’s history then she does and to make matter’s worse she discovers that on her sixteenth birthday, she’s supposed to receive this magic tattoo (tatu) that would symbolize the type of power she will possess. You think having to live with this on a daily basis is bad, try having the whole staff specifically the dean and headmaster watching her every move especially on the day of her birthday!! WHOA! that’s a lot to cope with but Rae is strong and will stop at nothing to prove everyone wrong of their assumptions.

The story line is great, creative and unique. The characters are fantastically written and enjoyable and the entire time I read, I pictured the girl in the cover as Rae. I can not deny that this book will sit on my “favorite books pile” and I will be anxiously waiting for book 2. I highly recommend this story!!!