The Alchemy of Forever by: Avery Williams

The Alchemy of Forever by: Avery Williams

Publication Date: January 3, 2012

Publisher: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers

Page Count: 256

Format: Hardcover

Series: Incarnation #1

Buy the Book: Amazon

Summary from Goodreads:

After spending six hundred years on Earth, Seraphina Ames has seen it all. Eternal life provides her with the world's riches but at a very high price: innocent lives. Centuries ago, her boyfriend, Cyrus, discovered a method of alchemy that allows them to take the bodies of other humans from jumping from one vessel to the next, ending the human's life in the process. No longer able to bear the guilt of what she's done, Sera escapes from Cyrus and vows to never kill again.Then sixteen-year old Kailey Morgan gets into a horrific car accident right in front of her, and Sera accidentally takes over her body while trying to save her. For the first time, Sera finds herself enjoying the life of the person she's inhabiting--and falling in love with the boy who lives next door. But Cyrus will stop at nothing until she's his again, and every moment she stays, she's putting herself and the people she's grown to care about in danger. Will Sera have to give up the one thing that's eluded her for centuries: true love?

My Review:

I wasn't expecting this book to be so short! At first, I thought I may not like it as much because of that, but it turned out to be a great mix of paranormal and contemporary that I sped through quickly.

The idea of alchemy was new to me, as far as reading material goes. It was interesting to read that everything magic could be explained by science in a book categorized as paranormal. The way Cyrus and Seraphina created the coven and stayed alive was grim and thrilling all at once.

Sera struck me from the beginning as a very strong and brave person. She refused to keep killing people just so she could live another ten years. Even though that meant her death was eminent, she knew what was right and was determined, despite Cyrus's overprotective hold on her. Her plan to escape had been long in the making, and she was cunning and smart about seeing it through, until things went terribly wrong.

It struck me as a bit strange and unrealistic that Kailey's family didn't notice a change in their daughter once Sera inhabited her body. Surely they would notice some changes, right? Or maybe they liked the changes.

Noah was kind of bland, in my opinion. He seemed like a good guy and I loved the fact that Kailey had been friends with him since they were little kids. He lacked some personality, in my opinion.

As a character, I think Sera goes through a great journey in this book. She starts out wanting to end her countless lives and find out what lays beyond the human world, then she meets Kailey's family, friends, and Noah. The more time she spends with them, the more she realizes what she hasn't ever had the chance to have, in all her years after her first life; a true family that loves her.

Official Rating:

Four Un-Birthday Cakes!