REVIEW: UNBLEMISHED BY SARA ELLA

*Disclaimer: I was provided an ARC from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. As always, all opinions are my own.
Expected Publication: October 11, 2016 from Thomas Nelson.
Goodreads Description

     I sincerely feel privileged that Sara Ella put me on the list to receive this Advanced Review Copy. We became friends through Booktube (YouTube channels that feature bookish content) and I've been following her progress. Young Adult and I often have a fraught relationship (which she is fully aware of) so it was a vote of confidence that she still let me review her labor of love! Thankfully, Sara Ella navigates this novel brilliantly, deftly avoiding the tropes I find troublesome with her rich characters and strong writing. Also,
God bless her, the girl gave us a map. For those familiar with my reviews, this always gets bonus points.

   My mom died of cancer a little over a year after the author lost her mom. The dedication was simple and perfect. I appreciated how the protagonist Eliyana portrays the ever recurring sense of shock at her mom's untimely death. There is a small part of me that legitimately can't come to terms with the death permanence. It seems like mom will have to show up at some point in my life, because the forever-ness of it is too hard to understand. The "every consolation from a complete stranger invites a fresh wave of sobs" feeling- been there, and in some instances, still there.

    There was complex world building with parallels to ours. This made the story feel relatable with actual NYC landmarks (one of my favorite places to visit), but also removed enough with the "Reflections" that we can enjoy this world for the Fantasy that it is. I greatly enjoyed the Tromes, and would live in one if someone would be interested in constructing a model for me!

   It's evident the author enjoys Fairy Tales and is putting her own spin on the concept of the good vs.evil story. The light being truth and darkness representing evil has Christian undertones. An enormous benefit to this book is that it has NO profane content, so is safe for anyone capable of reading this level of chapter book. The pervasive message of being worth more than your appearance and not undervaluing yourself is such an important theme in Young Adult. I wish there had been this variety when I was a teenager. It makes me happy that young girls will learn these lessons through Eliyana's struggles. 

     This was a great reading experience. I would recommend this even if I were completely unaware of the author. However, it makes it all the more special to have seen all her "Past the Pages" videos on the editing and writing process, hear about some influencer books, and get little glimpses into her family life. The journey to being published is often arduous, and a labor of love (for most anyway!) and I wish her all the success with this series. I hope I don't have too long of a wait for the second installment!