Review: Becoming Alpha

Becoming Alpha by Aileen Erin

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, this book seriously blew me away. I read *a lot* of paranormal romance, and probably about 50% of it is YA. There's some cookie cutter books out there, but this wasn't one of them. This book had some real heart and some truly unique storylines. The characters were richly developed and had a "realness" to them that had me clamoring for more. I was torn between speeding through the book just to see what happened next and wanting to savor it so I could have a teeny bit more enjoyment time. In the end, I still ended up finishing this book and dying for more! Where is the next book? I need it *now* -- not because of any cliffhanger (there wasn't one), but because I want to spend more time in Tessa's world.

Where to begin? I guess I'm still "book drunk" from the awesomeness. Tessa is a girl who is already not so normal. She inherited the ability to get visions when she touches either people or objects. This has seriously cramped her high school social life and led to a lot of school changing. Her BFF/brother, Axel, has supported her for a while, but he's on his way off to college. This seemed to coincide with their father getting a job that allows them to relocate from LA to Texas, conveniently near where her hippie witch cousins live. Still with me? I promise, it is probably a lot clearer than I'm making it out to be.

After Tessa starts her new school, she ends up running into a hottie named Dastien. They are both seemingly drawn together, which eventually ends up dragging her into a world filled with all sorts of paranormals. So much happens that I really can't distill it down, but the events are punctuated by really great characters in the form of Tessa's new friends -- Chris, Meredith, Adrian, even Shannon -- and of course Dastien. There is action, romance, some sizzling kisses, and lots of unique lore. The world that this book built was addictive and entertaining.

I can't say enough good things about this book. It takes a lot to get a 5 star rating out of me, especially if it is a YA read, but this book really exceeded my expectations. It has totally made my "re-read" list. I can't wait for more!



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