REVIEW: The Veil by Cory Putman Oakes

Paperback, 308 pages
Published November 1st 2011
Octane Press

Seventeen-year-old Addison Russell is in for a shock when she discovers that she can see the invisible world of the Annorasi. Suddenly, nothing is as it appears to be the house she lives in, the woman who raised her, even the most beautiful boy in town all turn out to be more than what they seem. And when this strange new world forces Addy to answer for a crime that was committed long ago, by parents she has never known, she has no choice but to trust Luc, the mysterious Annorasi who has been sent to protect her. Or so he says . . .

Addy had no idea that turning seventeen meant her life would change and be flipped upside down. All of a sudden she starts seeing things that no one else can see. She can’t really share this information with anyone else because they will just think she is nuts. As she tries to understand what is happening to her, things get even weirder. Her long time crush, Luc, all of a sudden begins to show an interest in her. She’s been waiting for this to happen for a long time, but what she doesn’t know is that Luc has all of her answers. He knows exactly what is happening to her and why. Addy can see through “The Veil’ into a world she never even knew existed. As Addy absorbs what is happening to her, she also finds out a lot about her past, and about her parents.

I love it when I pick up a book not really knowing the writing style of the author, or what exactly the story is about. I find that when I do this the story takes me by surprise. Oakes has created a world that you can easily picture in your head. Her characters are very believable and easy to relate too. The only thing I had an issue with and felt it needed just a little bit more, was the relationship between Luc and Addy. Though I love them both, I just felt there was something missing between the two. I wasn’t quite in love with them as a couple and honestly, I think the story would have been fine if they didn’t fall in love. If they had remained friends, that would have been okay with me. I think the main idea of the story and the characters alone made this story worth reading till the end and very entertaining. Addy’s Grandmother and her little posse were hilarious. You definitely have to read to understand what I am talking about LOL.

Also, Addy’s best friend Nate was a huge mystery and that added to the story. I liked that I had no idea what was wrong with him or what he was going to do. Once you have him all figured out though, you can’t help but love him. There were also plenty of unexpected moments, so that was another plus.

Overall, The Veil is a very enjoyable read and I would like to read the second part. If there is going to be one. Everything ran smoothly and it didn’t feel like there were any gaps in the story. It was a simple story to follow. I recommend this book. :-)

3.5 stars out of 5!

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