Caught in a FAB Romance (@TheLoveJunkee)

PJV Quickie: Why did I wait so long to read Poison Princess?  This book was like riding one of those theme park "super coasters": I wasn't sure I wanted to get on, but once I was buckled in and the coaster started moving it was an amazing ride, and once it was finished I didn't want to leave! 

Review:  Evangeline Green is a wealthy, popular 16-year-old girl with some serious problems:  her mother admitted her to a psychiatric hospital for the summer, her boyfriend is pressuring her to have sex,  the irritating (and sexy) new Cajun transfer student is consuming her thoughts, and she's having hallucinations and hearing voices. When her hallucinations come true and the apocalypse changes life as she knows it, Evie struggles to make sense of her hallucinations and the continuing voices that are urging her on a journey of epic design.  She doesn't know if she can go it alone, but when Jack Deveaux shows up on her doorstep, she knows it's time for her journey to begin.

Jackson Deveaux is a hard-drinking, sweet-talking Cajun from the wrong side of the levee.  When he passes the sexy girl hanging all over her boyfriend on the way to his new school, something in his blood ignites.  In class he torments her, this spoiled rich girl, but in secret he wants her.  Once the apocalypse hits, he realizes the things he's seeing are the same as the things Evie had drawn in her journal and he goes to her looking for answers.

What happens next is a story that pulls you in and holds on tight.  As Evie and Jack attempt to travel to North Carolina to find her grandmother, they come across smatterings of survivors - some might be friendly, some are definitely deadly, and some are not what they appear to be.

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I put off reading Poison Princess for the longest time: I kept hearing great things about it but didn't think this would be a good story for me.  Rachel reviewed it in 2012 here and gave it 5 stars, but we don't always agree on books (especially since I require romance and she does not) so I kept putting it off.  Then, the other day I was looking for audiobooks at the library to listen to in the car (I drive a lot) and thought "why not?"  Why not indeed.  I haven't been able to stop thinking about this book for four days.  Ms. Cole takes an old idea, the apocalypse, and adds a new twist, the Arcana (I'm not going to spoil it, but if you want to know, look up the definition of Arcana in the dictionary).

I had some problems with Evie, but the beauty of Kresley Cole's writing is that even being annoyed with Evie, I had to read on.  By the end of the book I was pleased with her character, but it took me awhile to get there - I found that she was not 'Too Stupid To Live', but rather 'Too Stubborn To Live'.  I understand that she didn't want to believe her hallucinations before the apocalypse, but afterwards, she steadfastedly refused to believe that they might be real, and in several situations it almost got her and Jackson killed; there were several spots where I wanted to grab her and shake her for it.

Jackson, oh Jackson - there's a Cajun in my heart and his name is Jackson Deveaux! Jackson is the stereotypical alpha male, but instead of taking a 'my way or the highway' attitude, he listens to Evie and compromises.  Don't get me wrong - he's a hot-headed bad boy, but you can tell that underneath that tough-talking exterior he's got a sweet heart.

The cast of characters that Kresley Cole writes into this story are fascinating and add layers that leave you wondering who Evie can trust and what's going to happen next.  I am not exaggerating when I say I was finding excuses to drive just so I could listen to the book.  (Once I realized I had previously purchased it for my kindle I couldn't help myself and read ahead.) When it ended on what I would consider a cliffhanger, I just sat there with my mouth hanging open, not processing that I'd have to wait 4 more days until my library got the next book in.

Recommendations:  I am absolutely recommending Poison Princess to fans of YA, dystopia, and paranormal romance.  If you're looking for something a little different, I'd suggest giving Poison Princess a try.

Other books you might like, similar to 'Poison Princess':

• Enclave by Ann Aguirre
• Paranormalcy by Kiersten White