Monday, 7 April 2014

Monday's Review ~ Sanctum by Author Sarah Fine

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Review of Sanctum
Rating: 4 stars

Lela the main character is hard and unwilling to let anyone into her life until she befriends the popular girl Nadia, who seems to have it all, but Lela soon finds she has an addiction to drugs and tries to help. With both girls applying to college and Lela shocking herself by getting in she goes to Nadia to tell her the good news, but finds her friend in some sort of daze and feels angry that’s she not excited. Soon after Nadia kills herself, leaving Lela feeling somewhat responsible for her death.

Lela has been plagued by dreams of hell since she tried to take her own life when she was younger. These dreams in hell are her always hovering just on the outskirts of it.  But when she tries to find her friend she ends up dying and going to heaven only to see the suicide Gates in the distance and knowing her friend would be there, so she goes into hell in search of her friend.

The world building of hell was amazingly done and the idea was so unique to me. I had never read anything like Sanctum. The creatures in hell put the hair standing on the back of my neck. Their innocent faces hide the true monsters inside. Old people running on all fours like animals just gave me the creeps but the concept was amazing.
As Lela tries to find her friend she’s captured by the guards of hell and taken to their headquarters where she meets Malachi, he is amazing. Strong, a skilled fighter and just gorgeous. I love the tension that the author built between these two and it had me turning pages so quickly (or I mean clicking next on my Kindle) just to see what would happen. It was such an amazing love story. Malachi was so protective over Lela but helps her to find her friend Nadia and keeps her from the grasp of something far worse in hell.

As we follow Lela and Malachi on their search, Lela’s horrific story from her childhood is told and it’s so very disturbing, but you understand the hard person we meet at the start and Malachi’s reason for being in hell is just as sad yet fascinating.

The whole concept and story is dark yet love brings so much light to it.

I would highly recommend this to all fantasy lovers.