Unblemished

Format:

Book

Title:

Unblemished

Author:

Ella, Sara author

ISBN:

9780718081010

Publication:

Nashville, Tennessee : Thomas Nelson, [2016]

Physical Description:

369 pages : maps ; 22 cm

Series title(s):

Unblemished ;

Number in series:

BK. 1.

General Note:

Includes discussion questions.

Summary:

Eliyana is used to the shadows. With a hideous birthmark covering half her face, she just hopes to graduate high school unscathed. That is, until Joshua hops a fence and changes her perspective. No one, aside from her mother, has ever treated her as normal. Maybe even beautiful. Because of Joshua, Eliyana finally begins to believe she could be loved. But one night her mother doesn't come home, and that's when everything gets weird. Now Joshua is her new, and rather reluctant, legal Guardian. Add a hooded stalker and a Central Park battle to the mix and you've gone from weird to otherworldly. Eliyana soon finds herself in a world much larger and more complicated than she's ever known. A world enslaved by a powerful and vile man. And Eliyana holds the answer to defeating him. How can an ordinary girl, a blemished girl, become a savior when she can't even save herself?

Subject(s):

Birthmarks -- Juvenile fiction.

Abnormalities, Human -- Juvenile fiction.

Missing persons -- Investigation -- Juvenile fiction.

Mothers and daughters -- Juvenile fiction.

Stalkers -- Juvenile fiction.

Fantasy.

Birthmarks -- Fiction.

Abnormalities, Human -- Fiction.

Genre:

Holds:

Available:*

Library	Call Number	Status
Searching... Silver Falls Library	SF ELLA	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Dallas Public Library	YA Ella, S. Unblemished	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Newberg Public Library	TEEN ELLA	Searching... Unknown

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

"A breathtaking fantasy set in an extraordinary fairy-tale world, with deceptive twists and an addictively adorable cast who are illusory to the end. Just when I thought I'd figured each out, Sara Ella sent me for another ride. A wholly original story, Unblemished begins as a sweet melody and quickly becomes an anthem of the heart. And I'm singing my soul out. Fans of Once Upon a Time and Julie Kagawa, brace yourselves." --Mary Weber, award-winning author of the Storm Siren Trilogy

Eliyana can't bear to look at her own reflection. But what if that were only one Reflection--one world? What if another world exists where her blemish could become her strength?

Eliyana is used to the shadows. With a birthmark covering half her face, she just hopes to graduate high school unscathed. That is, until Joshua hops a fence and changes her perspective. No one, aside from her mother, has ever treated her like he does: normal. Maybe even beautiful. Because of Joshua, Eliyana finally begins to believe she could be loved.

But one night her mother doesn't come home, and that's when everything gets weird. Now Joshua is her new, and rather reluctant, legal Guardian. Add a hooded stalker and a Central Park battle to the mix and you've gone from weird to otherworldly.

Eliyana soon finds herself in a world much larger and more complicated than she's ever known. A world enslaved by a powerful and vile man. And Eliyana holds the answer to defeating him. How can an ordinary girl, a blemished girl, become a savior when she can't even save herself?

"Lyrically written and achingly romantic--Unblemished will tug your heartstrings!" --Melissa Landers, author of Alienated, Invaded, and Starflight

"Self-worth and destiny collide in this twisty-turny fantasy full of surprise and heart. Propelled into a world she knows nothing about, Eliyana learns that the birthmark she despises is not quite the superficial curse she thought it was--it's worse, and the mark comes with a heavy responsibility. Can she face her reflection long enough to be the hero her new friends need? With charm and wit, author Sara Ella delivers Unblemished, a magical story with a compelling message and a unique take on the perils of Central Park." --Shannon Dittemore, author of the Angel Eyes trilogy

"Unblemished is an enchanting, beautifully written adventure with a pitch-perfect blend of fantasy, realism, and romance. Move this one to the top of your TBR pile and clear your schedule--you won't want to put it down!" --Lorie Langdon, author of the Amazon bestselling DOON series

"Unblemished had me from the first chapter--mystery, romance, and mind-blowing twists and turns that I SO did not see coming! The worlds Sara Ella builds are complex and seamless; the characters she creates are beautifully flawed. Readers are sure to love this book and finish it, as I did, begging for more!" --Krista McGee, author of the ANOMALY trilogy

Reviews (2)

Publisher's Weekly Review

A high school coming-of-age tale combining dystopian magical realism, a winsome romance, and a good-versus-evil messiah plot, Ella's debut novel is an ambitiously intricate mashup of genres that never quite comes together. Eliyana Ember, a senior at the prestigious West Prep in New York City, has always been self-conscious of the birthmark on her cheek. Just weeks before her eighteenth birthday, Eliyana is left as the legal responsibility of her twenty-one-year-old next-door neighbor, Joshua, when her artist mom suddenly dies in a fire. When she makes the mistake of going to a party to combat her grief, Eliyana is kidnapped by Ky, a young man with a strange power over her, and transported to the Second Reflection-a parallel world existing within New York that seems familiar to Eliyana from her mother's paintings. The novel struggles to find its footing amidst the many forces at play: building the world of the Second Reflection, introducing the broad cast of characters, weaving together the many plot points, and keeping the romantic tensions lively. The bookis at its best in the quiet moments between battles and explanations, when Eliyana can draw herself out, stop hiding her birthmark, and become proud of what her unique feature could mean. Although her promisingly ambitious debut struggles to maintain a clear focus, Ella has created a captivating, relatable protagonist and never hesitates as she keeps thingsmoving briskly through the many twists and turns. (Oct.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Library Journal Review

A disfiguring facial birthmark has been the source of endless taunting for Eliyana, who hopes to survive high school unscathed. With the exception of her mother, no one treats Eliyana with kindness. Until Joshua. For the three years they have been friends, Eliyana has hoped for more. But then her mother disappears and Joshua becomes her legal guardian and takes Eliyana to an alternate New York City where nothing matters except breaking free from a powerful demon of a man and the horror of the world he has enslaved. Eliyana is an unwitting heroine who finds the internal strength to go beyond her disfigurement and selflessly give of herself in order to save someone else. VERDICT With plenty of YA crossover appeal, this engaging and suspenseful debut urban fantasy features superb worldbuilding and a tightly paced story line. Reading groups will find plenty to discuss concerning self-image, the nature of good vs. evil, and the power of the marginalized to change the world. Suggest to fans of Tosca Lee's Demon or Ted Dekker's Eyes Wide Open. © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.