Monday, October 1, 2012

ARC Review: Sanctum by Sarah Fine


Title: Sanctum (Guards of the Shadowlands, #1) 

Author: Sarah Fine 

Rating: 4 Stars 

Release Date: October 16th, 2012 

Sanctum is one of those books where you think you know what you're getting into when you start it, but it manages to surprise you at every turn. You see, I had this craazy idea that Sanctum was a paranormal/fantasy story of sorts about this girl who went into a mysterious land to rescue her best friend; I suppose that, from the surface, that is exactly was this book is. Yet, it's also so much more multi-layered, deep, and provocative than I ever imagined a paranormal/fantasy novel to be. It's a story about death, about loss, about grief, and about depression so acute you don't want to live anymore. It's a story about strength, about forgiveness, about getting back up when you think you can't stand up again. It is, at its very core, a story about holding on, about seeing that light at the end of the tunnel and, of course, about hope. 

On her first day of school, the last thing Lela expects is to become best friends with Nadia, the most popular girl around. Yet, that is exactly what happens and Nadia's friendship transforms Lela from a hopeless case who has been to one-too-many-foster-homes to a girl with a future. When Nadia unexpectedly kills herself though, entering the Suicide Gates, a place Lela almost went to a few years back, Lela knows she has to rescue her best friend - it's the least she can do after all that Nadia did for her. Thus, quite by accident, Lela finds herself at the Suicide Gates and at the mercy of its Captain of the Guard, Malachi. While the Suicide Gates are a dangerous place, with Malachi, Lela may just have a chance to find her friend...and fall in love too. 

Sanctum is a whirlwind journey of adventure, mystery, and dark pasts. Lela is a narrator who took awhile to grow on me, but before long, I was thoroughly invested in her tale. She's stubborn, strong-willed, and has had an extremely painful past, but through it all, she keeps persevering, thus becoming one of the most admirable characters I've come across in literature. Furthermore, the sheer force of her friendship and her conviction that she can rescue her friend is utterly heart-warming, making you wish you had someone like Lela at your back too. Yet, despite all her incredible traits, Lela is a three-dimensional character chock-full of flaws as well and her journey to live past her prior torture and grow into a more trusting individual was remarkably well-written. While her past has shaped who she is in the present, the eventual person she becomes by the end of this story is so different and truly an inspirational figure for those who have suffered at the hands of tormentors or even those who have ever contemplated suicide themselves, like Lela once did. 

In all honesty, Sanctum is a very dark tale. It's set in a world where those who have taken their lives are set to roam in the land within the Suicide Gates until they are ready to go before the Judge and enter the Countryside, or Heaven. While Fine's alternate take on the Heaven/Hell scheme is unique and well-built (although I do have to admit that the world-building took a liiiitle while to kick-off), it never becomes preachy or even mentions God at all. In reality, the world she has created is simply a character of its own which emphasizes the devastating repercussions of suicide and that, contrary to popular belief, suicide is not an escape. I was quite surprised by some of the darker turns this novel took, but ultimately, I am in awe of them. Fine explores the horror of this situation both from the side of the person left behind, helpless and lost about what to do, and the person who committed the act themselves. It's a delicate balance she strikes and this can only be seen during the last few chapters of this novel, but I'm glad it was present and I'm also glad it was only there for a short duration of time - it was long enough to make an impact, but not long enough to turn this tale into a dark and brooding story. 

I must apologize - I've made you all terrified to pick this up because now you all think it's a gritty story, yes? Well, it isn't. While Sanctum explores some very dark themes for sure and Fine allows us to understand suicide like never before, the dialogue in this novel is sharp and witty, the character relationships and vivid and lively, and Lela's voice is simply so much fun to read. In addition, if you needed more persuasion to pick up this novel, the romance is simply to die for. Malachi is a tortured soul himself, although of a completely different degree than Lela, but instead of this making him an irritatingly stereotypical bad-boy, Malachi is utterly decent, sweet, and one of the kindest people you will meet. Yes, he's deadly with his weapons and can probably kill you before you blink, but only if you get on his bad side. Although I do think that Malachi and Lela's romance moved a little quickly, I still found the pace to be perfect considering their situations. Furthermore, I love that Malachi and Lela, despite being attracted to each other physically, were in love only with who the other person was inside. It was a beautifully written romance that truly struck a cord within me and while I know other readers will find things to pick at, I loved it. 

Sanctum truly is one of the most unexpected debuts I've read this year. I hadn't heard of it until very recently and although my expectations for this novel were turned upside down, it was in the best possible way imaginable. I love the world Fine has created, the manner in which it serves as an analogy to the themes in this novel, and the characters in this tale were phenomenal. It wasn't one of those it-blew-me-away stories - I doubt anything could be considering I read The Lost Girl and The Scorpio Races recently - but it was a novel I was thoroughly invested in and came away loving. Would I recommend Sanctum? Hell, yeah! (No pun intended, of course!) ;)

An enormous thank you to Amazon Children's Publishing Group for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 

32 comments:

  1. I am sold! I really haven't paid this book much attention but now I want to find out more about this book. I'm intrigued by the world, it sounds unique!

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    1. It is definitely extremely unique, Mandee, so I hope you enjoy it when you pick it up! I'm glad I was able to convince you about this one! :D

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  2. Wow there are some seriously awesome debuts out this year! I didn't even know that this was a debut! Rachel absolutely loved this too, so I'm glad it exceeded your expectations too! Fab review! :)

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    1. Thanks Jasprit! Yes, there really are so many fantastic debuts this year! I hope you get the opportunity to pick this one up soon - I loved it! :D

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  3. A dark story you say? LOVE IT! I like that it's not too dark though, and that the dialogue is sharp and witty and gives you something to distract you from some of the darkness before you plunge back in. I've been seeing this book around a lot lately, and I just don't think it's one I can afford to miss. Beautiful review as always Keertana!

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    1. Thanks Jenny! I think you'll love this one as it's wonderfully romantic, funny, and manages to tackle on some series issues. It definitely isn't one you can miss and I can't wait to see what you think of it, dear! :D

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  4. Wow, you definitely have me curious about this one now! I love that you clarified that it's not all dark and gritty. Not that that turns me off, but it scares me a little. It seems like I end up with a lot of books that get downright depressing. It's nice when there's some lightness added in.

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    1. Yay! I'm glad I was able to convince you about this one, Candace! I agree with you - all dark and gritty stories tend to scare me off a little too, so lightness is perfect and just what is needed really! :)

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  5. Brilliantly written review Keertana! Thats fantastic this story is both dark and humorous. ;) lela sounds like a fantastic hero, I love stubborn fierce characters. Can't wait to read Santum even more now. The intro describing what made this book special was amazingly written! Always remember to have hope! :)

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    1. I think you'll really enjoy this one Rachel! It was so well-written and the characters and romance were fantastic as well, so I can't wait to read your thoughts on this one when it releases! :D

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  6. LOOOOL Keertana -- cheesy puns forever! <3

    I LOVE the sound of this book! I'd never even heard of it before but I'm so in the mood for a dark and intricate novel like this one. Lela sounds like an amazing character already and I'm in awe of her loyalty before having even met her. Do you see how brilliant your review is? I'm already thinking that I admire characters when I've only heard second-hand of their lives, haha :)

    And omg, The Lost Girl and The Scorpio Races? I read TSR a couple of weeks ago and... I DIE. That book was pages and pages of STUNNING LITERATURE. If The Lost Girl is of the same calibre? SIGN ME UP!

    Thanks so much for the spectacular review, Keertana! I am super excited to get my hands on this one :)

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    1. Yayy! I'm so glad I've made you so excited about this one, Sonia! :D It really is such an incredible novel and Lela is a fantastic character too. The Scorpio Races is amazing, so doubt about it, and The Lost Girl is SO GOOD as well, so definitely pick it up. I think you'll love them as well as this one! :D

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  7. Even though it sounds like it took a bit to get into, it seems like a really awesome book. I really love darker, grittier books that have a lot of depth to them. This is the first review I have seen for this book and I totally want to read it now. Awesome review!

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    1. Thanks Amy! I think you'll enjoy this one since you're a huge romance fan and definitely the darker aspects will appeal to you, so I can't wait to see what you think when you finally read this one! :)

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  8. Ooh I like that this book is so unpredictable! I'm glad that Lela grew on you, it can be annoying if the characters does the total opposite! This sounds like a fantastic book and wonderful review as always. :D

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    1. Thanks Elena! I really think you'll enjoy this one and it is simply SO good. I hope you like it when you pick it up!(:

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  9. How have I not heard of this book before?!

    This one is SO going on my TBR. It sounds gritty, but I love how there's witty (I'm a poet and I know it! ;)) banter with the characters. And the romance! I'm not typically a huge fan of romance in books, but it makes me so thrilled that you loved the romance in this one Keertana. I'm sure I'm going to love it as well!

    I also think it's super interesting that the author chose to talk about suicide throughout this book. Because it's such a huge problem in our society today, ya know? I think it's important, and I also love how the author could talk about the consequences in a non-preachy way. It always makes me uncomfortable when religion and stuff like that pops up in books. I think religion is a line that shouldn't be crossed in books, because after all, it's what we believe personally. So it makes me ecstatic to hear that this book doesn't cross that line.

    Fabulous review Keertana! You have totally thrown this book into my radar. I can't wait to pick it up!

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    1. Yay! I can't wait to see what you think of this one, Aneeqah! I agree - suicide is a HUGE problem in society and it's tough to understand as well, but Fine did such a fantastic job with it that I really adored this book. I also feel so uncomfortable when religion comes up, so I'm glad this one was able to handle that topic well too. Overall, it was just such a good book and the romance really is fantastic. I hope you enjoy it, dear! :D

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  10. Damn, Keertana. I've definitely been intrigued by this ever since seeing Brigid Kemmerer recommended it on twitter and Goodreads. So now reading your raving review... I'm FRANTIC to get a copy!! So fascinated by the whole suicide aspect, an element that sounds like it's handled really well. I love that you say it's not a story about death, loss, etc, but rather one of hope and forgiveness. And of course, I'm particularly eager to meet Malachi ;)

    Thank you for making this book jump leaps and bounds to the front of my wishlist. AMAZING review for what sounds like an amazing book!

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    1. Yayy! I'm so glad I've made you so keen to get your hands on this book, Brodie! I loved it and I hope you enjoy it too. I know you're simply going to adore Malachi, not to mention the dark themes this novel addresses, so I can't WAIT to see what you think! :D

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  11. I never would have guessed, honestly, that this story is so dark and that the worlbuidling is so rich. The cover can lead to this conclusion, but I've long ago stopped judging books by their covers. I never even considered reading this until I read your review, but you made it sound so imaginative that I simply must find time for it soon.
    Amazing is what you are. :)

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    1. Thanks Maja! I hope you can find time for this one too as I simply adored this novel. It really has more to it than what it appears to contain, so I think you'll enjoy this one for sure, dear. ESPECIALLY Malachi! ;)

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  12. Ooooh, Keertana, you haven't put me off reading or terrified me at all. This. Sounds. FREAKING AMAZING.

    I wasn't sure what to expect, but this heaven/hell/suicide gates thing is just... wow.

    I was kind of going to pass on this before (I SUCK!) uh... totally revaluating that now :D

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  13. Yay! I'm so glad I convinced you to pick this one up, Sarah! I loved it and I can't WAIT to see what you think of it! :)

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  20. I really liked this book. At first I read it now and then, but at some point I could not put it down. It started out normal and then became very creepy once she decided to go find her friend. I love the humor and the love story. Not quite sure about the ending however, I thought the Judge was hilarious.

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  21. Overall I would recommend this book to anyone who likes YA and who just enjoys a fun, interesting, story with great characters.

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