Leave it to Maryah Woodsen to break the one rule that will screw up eternity: Never erase your memories.
Before entering this life, Maryah did the unthinkable—she erased. Now, at seventeen years old, she’s clueless that her new adoptive family has known her for centuries, that they are perpetually reincarnated souls, and that they have supernatural abilities. Oh, and she’s supposed to love (not despise) Nathan, the green-eyed daredevil who saved her life.
Nathan is convinced his family’s plan to spark Maryah’s memory is hopeless, but his love for her is undying. After spending (and remembering) so many lifetimes together, being around an empty version of his soulmate is heart shattering. He hates acting like a stalker, but has no choice because the evil outcast who murdered Maryah in their last lifetime is still after her.
While Maryah’s hunter inches closer, she and Nathan make assumptions and hide secrets that rip them further apart. Maryah has to believe in the magic within her, Nathan must have faith in the power of their love, and both need to grasp onto the truth before they lose each other forever—and discover just how lonely eternity can be.
One of the first reviews I did for A Midsummer Night’s Read was for Hooper’s well plotted and excellently written Mer-story, Tangled Tides. (If you haven’t read it, you can check out my 5 Bard review here…and you can purchase a copy here) I was a bit apprehensive about Grasping at Eternity because there have been a number of reincarnation novels coming out (Incarnate being the first I can think of), and I was really hoping Hooper’s next release would be the follow up to the wonderful Tangled Tides.
All that being said, Grasping at Eternity exceeded my expectations and I cannot believe that I was not more excited to read something by Hooper–who has proven herself as one of the best young adult authors currently in the field.
Some reincarnation stories are simply: you die, you come back again and retain your memories (or have deja vu). Hooper’s story has put a new twist on the idea of reincarnation and the process. In the narrative, the whole concept of reincarnation is based on the selection of specific souls by the dudes upstairs, and typically they come in pairs (soul mates). Many of these souls in Grasping at Eternity have been around for over six centuries, all except Maryah–who erased her memories prior to her most recent incarnation. Another interesting aspect of the reincarnation process in Eternity is that the souls get to select their birth parents for each cycle, and therefore can choose what life they are born into (to an extent). Then, upon aging, the familiar souls rejoin one another in their Kindrily (family unit). Oh, and did I mention that they each have specific supernatural gifts they have developed over their lives?
Anyway, there are no holes in the plot–which I appreciate because sometimes certain points are left as a loose ends–and there is a swoon worthy male lead and a slow burning romance. No insta-love here (Woo!), and the main characters all have such a rich history that there are tons of possibilities for spin offs or for follow ups.
Eternity isn’t just about soul mates or love, but also about the dark souls that have chosen to serve under a soul-dictator–who is out collecting the most powerful souls for his own dark purpose.
I am proud to give Hooper’s sophomore novel a 5 Bard review, and I encourage you all to purchase Grasping at Eternity.
Moving! 