Predestined - Review

Predestined (Existence Trilogy #2)

By: Abbi Glines

Published: March 29, 2012 by

213 pages

Source: Personal Kindle Library

(Goodreads / Amazon)

Summary:
You would think after helping save her boyfriend from an eternity in Hell that things would go back to normal. Well, as normal as life can be when you can see souls and your boyfriend is Death. But for Pagan Moore, things are just getting weirder. 

The high school quarterback and reigning heartthrob, Leif Montgomery, is missing. While the town is in a frenzy of worry, Pagan is a nervous wreck for other reasons. Apparently good ‘ol Leif isn’t your average teenage boy. He isn’t even human. According to Death, Leif doesn’t have a soul. The quarterback may have skipped town but he’s still showing up in Pagan’s dreams... uninvited. 

Dank has known from the beginning Leif wasn’t human. But he hadn’t worried about a simple soulless creature. Now, he realizes he made a grave mistake. Pagan’s soul has been marked since birth as a restitution, to a spirit so dark not even Death walks near it. Dank knows saving Pagan’s soul won’t be easy but Pagan is his. And he’s already proven he’ll defy Heaven to keep her. If Hell wants a piece of him too, then bring it on.

After the shocking revelation at the end of book 1 Existence, book 2 picks up about one month later.  Leif Montgomery is missing and people are starting to forget he was ever there in the first place, except for Pagan who begins to have dreams of memories from her childhood where a mysterious boy is always there.  In book two, Pagan continues to make incredible selfless sacrifices to protect the ones she loves.  This is one of the reasons Death fell in love with her.  When she finds out the truth about who Leif is, she is faced with yet another decision to make, especially when she realizes that Leif has been there for her all throughout her life and has only ever wanted the best for her.  But how can she sacrifice her love for Death to protect everyone else?

We also get to see more of Gee, the schizophrenic girl from the mental hospital in Existence, in book 2.  Her snarky, fiesty character is a great addition to the story.

I enjoyed the New Orleans's setting in this book - and trying to remain spoiler free for those who haven't read the series yet, let me just say that this part of the setting of the story and all that goes along with it was one I haven't read much about in other books.

And of course there is Dank Walker, i.e. Death.  It's so strange to say I love "Death" but I do.  Not just his rocker human form either.  The relationship he has with Pagan is helping him learn to feel things he's never felt before.  If possible for an eternal being, he is learning to love and to be loved.  Yeah, he's basically amazing.

Though I am totally rooting for Dank and Pagan....I also really love Leif and feel incredibly sorry for him...because of who is father is, because of what he is faced to give up.  The saying "if you really love someone you'll let them go" comes to mind.

Favorite Quotes:

"What Death protects can't be harmed and baby, ...you're the only thing I protect."

"I'm Death, baby.  Remember that."

"I wondered how long it was going to take you to stop staring at your rocker boyfriend like a worshipful puppy dog and notice little 'ol me."

"...please tell me you aren't trying to be subtle with your lustful looks because you have failed.  That boy knows you want his body."

"Dear Lord, have mercy, I think I may swoon."

"My beautiful soul was once again sacrificing herself."

"Then Pagan had entered my world and she'd made everything right.  She'd made the emptiness leave and given me a reason to exist."

Very enjoyable second installment....and I immediately went and purchased book 3 because I MUST know what happens next!

Final Rating - 4.5 stars!