I guess I was kind of annoyed at how long it took her to finally take some action! And, when she ended up doing that, I began to enjoy her character much more! She was clever, brave, & hardworking, but I never felt a connection. Haven, our main character, was a girl who I never connected with. And, let me tell you, Illuminate was over way too quickly! (Maybe I was just really in the mood for some action!) But, towards the end Illuminate finally managed to catch my attention. I felt like I was just flipping through pages listening to Haven go on about her daily hotel duties while not doing much. Actually, to be truthful, I found it slow & a bit dull. OK, so I was not a fan of the beginning of Illuminate. Illuminate is an exciting saga of a teen’s first taste of independence, her experience in the lap of luxury, and her discovery she may possess strength greater than she ever knew. Will they succeed in wooing Haven to join them in their recruitment efforts, or will she be able to thwart this devilish set’s plans to take the souls of her classmates on prom night at the hotel? With the help of a mysterious book, she uncovers a network of secret passageways from the hotel’s jazz-age past that leads her to the heart of the evil agenda of Aurelia and company: they’re in the business of buying souls. Along with her best friend Dante and their quiet and brilliant classmate Lance, she is awarded a prestigious internship in the big city- Chicago-and is sent to live and work at a swanky and stylish hotel under the watchful eyes of a group of gorgeous and shockingly young-looking strangers: powerful and alluring hotel owner Aurelia Brown her second-in-command, the dashing Lucian Grove and their stunning but aloof staff of glamazons called The Outfit.Īs Haven begins falling for Lucian, she discovers that these beautiful people are not quite what they seem. But everything begins to change when she turns sixteen. Haven Terra is a brainy, shy high school outcast.

Illuminate by Aimee Agresti