This story was okay. I felt Eliyana acted younger than 17, and struggled with that throughout most of the story, that said I did enjoy the story overall enough to overlook her age for the most part.

I am torn with this one a little bit. While the premise was really intriguing I feel like the execution was really lacking and found myself forcing to finish. I honestly couldn't stand El half the time she acted to me more like a 14 or 15 year old not really someone on the verge of turning 18. I wanted to slap her in the face 90% of the time. I was way more interested in background characters than I was in the main characters.

Sara Ella has caused me great distress! Unblemished is a great book. My problem? It's the first in a series! So I have broken a vow to never start a series that is incomplete! Now! Now, I have to wait for the next, and the next and the next, ect!!! I mean, really, how DARE you Sara Ella! I digress!

Unblemished is a fantasy novel that takes place in multiple teams called Reflections. Our heroine is a seventeen years old girl who has her world torn apart and put back together with extra pieces which she needs to figure out how to place in her life. There is love and grief and adventure. And hello poly twist!!!! This novel is well rounded and essentially perfect.

I have a little trouble with a couple names but I think I got it figured out. I hope it doesn't turn into one of those Hermione things 😉. In the Reflections there is a source of good and light, the Verity, and of evil and darkness, the Void (aptly named). Though there are always battles between good and evil, and often they are two sides of the same coin, I wish that the names Verity and Void were a little more different. It's almost a tongue twister in my brain!

Along the awesomeness that is this book, t here are plenty of references to modern advances and current events and cultures that makes this story feel completely relevant.

I am thrilled and honored to have been given the chance to review this book and look forward to a future with the Reflection Chronicles. Congratulations Sara Ella on a great piece of work.

So my little booklings, fantasy loves especially, I highly recommend Unblemished by Sara Ella.

I was given a copy of this book from NetGalley for a fair and honest review.

What an exquisite story! Sara Ella knows how to keep you hooked.
Plus, it's pretty cool when an author creates their own world that still feels realistic and palpable.
El is a very self-conscious character that is a pleasure to watch blossom.
I feel like there's more to see her overcoming, but the author has put lovely characters around her to help her through the journey.
I am looking forward to the second one.

This book is a little something different from my usual fare but I think of it as the perfect palette cleanser. It's a fun read with perhaps less substance than I'd normally like but enjoyable nonetheless.

When El finds out her mom has been keeping secrets about their past, It leads to kidnapping, transportation between worlds and maybe love. A fun teen read for everyone who has felt as if they were meant for more in life.

*More like a 3.5/5*

This is a YA urban fantasy with serious fairy tale vibes. If you are a fan of the show Once Upon A Time, I think you will wholly enjoy this novel. The world of this novel was very unique - it features 7 parallel worlds. I love the development of those places / worlds. There were several places where it felt quite "info-dumpy", and that coupled with how the love story seemed forced sometimes made me feel like a 3.5 rating was accurate. I do think this is a fun book though, and totally worth checking out!

I loved this cover. I was enthralled by it and was thrilled I was able to get a copy via Netgalley.

This is a YA fantasy book.... filled with adventure, romance and the unique writing style kept me interested from start to finish.

3.5 stars from me.

Book Talk…10/13/17
Traci Kenworth

“Sara Ella’s debut novel is a stunning journey into a fascinating new world of reflections. Intricately plotted, the story is complex, but not difficult to follow. Eliyana is a strong heroine, yet also has a vulnerable side that readers will definitely identify with. The other characters are also well-developed and have many hidden secrets revealed throughout the course of the tale. Good vs. evil is the overarching theme, and it’s easy to draw parallels with faith. The book is set up for further installments, and it will be fascinating to see where the author takes the characters next.” —RT Book Reviews, 4 1/2 stars, TOP PIC
Eliyana can’t bear to look at her own reflection. But what if that were only one Reflection—one world? What if another world exists where her blemish could become her strength?
Eliyana is used to the shadows. With a birthmark covering half her face, she just hopes to graduate high school unscathed. That is, until Joshua hops a fence and changes her perspective. No one, aside from her mother, has ever treated her like he does: normal. Maybe even beautiful. Because of Joshua, Eliyana finally begins to believe she could be loved.
But one night her mother doesn’t come home, and that’s when everything gets weird. Now Joshua is her new, and rather reluctant, legal Guardian. Add a hooded stalker and a Central Park battle to the mix and you’ve gone from weird to otherworldly.
Eliyana soon finds herself in a world much larger and more complicated than she’s ever known. A world enslaved by a powerful and vile man. And Eliyana holds the answer to defeating him. How can an ordinary girl, a blemished girl, become a savior when she can’t even save herself?

Eliyana’s mother has died leaving her alone except for her guardian, Joshua, a boy hardly older than her. Eli’s had a crush on Joshua ever since she could remember but something’s happened and he’s been distant with her for months now. She hopes to figure out why and convince him of her feelings for him but then she overhears him and another talking about other worlds and her importance in them. She follows the other guy only to lose him and find herself in another’s shadow.
When he uses paralysis on her, she finds herself captive. Joshua and the other guardian fight to get her back but she is injured and winds up in the hands of the rebels whom her captor warns her have motives of their own. Can she solve the puzzle of who she is and safe a kingdom? Or will she fall under the weight of it all?

I LOVED this story! The world is so well drawn and the characters all shine! I loved Kye and maybe even Joshua. El is so much more important than she gives herself credit for! I think the author took her time with each of these characters and it shows. Even the minors brook notice. I would hope there’s not a villain as dastardly somewhere out there in other reflections of our worlds, though it seems even he must pay a price. I will definitely look out for the next books in this trilogy!
*****

El's birthmark. It's an issue, like being overweight when you just can't loose it, her mark makes her so self-conscious. Then things start to change, dramatically. What if your worst issue becomes your best asset?
I read these books out of order, but loved them! The romance is good and I love that it's a clean read as well. Come on third book in the series, I'm waiting for it.

My copy came from Net Galley. My thoughts and opinions are my own. This review is left of my own free volition.

Unblemished by Sara Ella is a wonderful sci-fi, fantasy novel full of romance, alternate realities, action, adventure, faith, heartache, joy and redemption.

Ms. Ella did a wonderful job of world building in this engaging novel. The twists and turns in this plot were exciting and kept me on the edge of my seat throughout the whole story. Her characters were well developed, unique to the world and story she built. Her imagery was inspiring ~ it left me feeling as if I was actually there!.

All in all, Unblemished is a GREAT read and I can't wait to dive into the next book in this series, Unraveling. 4.5 Stars!

I received this book for free. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are my own. Thank you to Ms. Sarah Ella, Thomas Nelson publishing and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

My thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson--FICTION for an eARC of this book to read and review.

All I can say is that this book, the first 25 pages and the bits I skipped ahead to and read, were a big ball of confusion for me. Now, please keep in mind, I read an ARC, not a finished copy, so maybe that makes a bit more sense, but this did not.

This book has the dreaded, to me, trope of "parent and child are hiding, unbeknownst to the child, from a group trying to hunt them down and hurt them. The parent refuses to tell the child the truth to "protect them", when not telling the child , usually a teenager, results in them being caught". Hate it. I can see not telling a small child the truth, but a teenager? They really should know who to look out for and why they are in danger.

Also, the blurby talks about how this girl only has two people who treat her normally despite the weird birthmark on half of her face, her mom and this guy, talks about this guy over a fence, yadda yadda yadda, yet the book starts off with her mother's memorial ceremony. The mom has been missing for TWO WEEKS, no body, yet EVERY assumes she is DEAD? Say WAAAAT???

And the female MC has a "BFF" she terms as her frenemy. So other females are shown in a bad light to illustrate how schpecial our MC is. She's also a vegetarian and can't stop going on and on AND ON about how meat is gross and murder, etc., whenever food is brought up in the book.

Also, TSTL MC. She overhears two people talking about how she is in danger and needs to be moved that night somewhere else that is safer, so she evades her guardian to go out into the night of NYC to follow a stranger she thinks may be her father for answers. And strange figures follow her and when her guardian finds her, she's going to go partying with her frenemy and even though he is invited, he doesn't go with them?!? Isn't he supposed to PROTECT her?!? How can he do it when not WITH her?!?

So despite only reading about 25 pages of this book, I had to throw in the towel and call it a day. It was painful picking it up. For this reason and the reasons listed above, I had to give it 1 star.

I don't consider any of this spoiler territory, as it's all in the first 25 pages of the book and no further.

Not a book I enjoyed, but if you like contemporary YA with a twist and special snowflake of a female MC and an alternate Earth with magic, you may enjoy this.

Unblemished is a YA, urban fantasy novel written by Sara Ella. In this debut, we follow a girl named Eliyana. Eliyana's birthmark covers half her face. She's never been fond of said birthmark. She's always tried to cover it up but later comes to realize that this birthmark is much more than it seems.

When I picked up this book, I hadn't been enjoying most of the books I was reading. Little did I know that this book would pull me out of my reading slump. It didn't reach 5 stars but still managed to exceed my expectations.

It's hard to pinpoint what prevented this book from reaching 5 stars. My main complaint was that it took a while to get into. But once I got into the story, that was no longer a problem. There were some confusing parts, especially near the end.

There was a part at the beginning where some information was revealed. And I thought Sara Ella revealed too much, but as the story went o I realized there was still more to the story and the world that we don't know. Throughout the story, we figure things out at the same pace as the main character. This made Eliyana relatable. The other characters were great but I want to specifically mention Eliyana because she's a great female protagonist. She's not one of those female leads who are physically strong and have no inner struggle. She had her struggles and her weaknesses. This made her more realistic and all the more inspiring.

I gave Unblemished a solid 4/5 stars. I would recommend it to fairytale lovers because, although it's not a retelling, it has major fairytale vibes.

Special thanks to NetGalley for sending me a copy of this book.

Unblemished by Sara Ella

Eliyana is used to the shadows. With a birthmark covering half her face, she just hopes to graduate high school unscathed. That is, until Joshua hops a fence and changes her perspective. No one, aside from her mother, has ever treated her like he does: normal. Maybe even beautiful. Because of Joshua, Eliyana finally begins to believe she could be loved.

But one night her mother doesn’t come home, and that’s when everything gets weird. Now Joshua is her new, and rather reluctant, legal Guardian. Add a hooded stalker and a Central Park battle to the mix and you’ve gone from weird to otherworldly.

Eliyana soon finds herself in a world much larger and more complicated than she’s ever known. A world enslaved by a powerful and vile man. And Eliyana holds the answer to defeating him. How can an ordinary girl, a blemished girl, become a savior when she can’t even save herself? (from publisher)

The story starts slow but those willing to stick through the first few chapters will be rewarded. Eliyana is a strong character, who although does not view herself in this light, allows the reader to see beauty goes beyond the physical. The reader learns though Eliyana's journey that  even though you see yourself as not beautiful or capable of accomplishing much, it is what is what is on the inside and who you truly are that makes you able to accomplish things you never thought you could.  

For those readers who like fantasy and a little romance, this novel will feel comfortable. As stated previously, the novel started slow and was confusing when it went into an alternative world, but as the story progressed it became clearer to the reader. The author slowly built the characterizations and the plot had several twists that this reader did not anticipate. Hand this read to any teen reader who likes fantasy or who devoured Cassandra Cass's Selection series. Readers will anticipate the next in the series .



Note: I was given an electronic copy via Net Galley and the publisher, Thomas Nelson for an honest review.

This book hit me in all the right places. Fantasy mixed with real drama, I was set out to like this book and ended up loving it! It was such a fun read, quick, didn't drag on or have boring lengthy fill in chapters, and really kept me reading until the very last page. I didn't want to set this down for a second. It was honestly that great.

I am not going to review this book as I normally do. In fact, I am not even going to give it a star rating. I appreciate the publisher and NetGalley for giving me access to this book. It was a book that I "wished for" on Netgalley, but didn't realize that I would automatically be approved and expected to write a review.

I don't feel like any rating I would give would be fair to this book, because I just could not get into it. It is a young adult book, and while I do enjoy some YA books, this one didn't seem to be for me.

Long story short, after reading a few chapters, I believe this would be a good series for some young adult readers, but it just wasn't for me.

3.5 stars. The premise was good--I liked the multiple worlds (reflections) that exist simultaneously. I also liked some of the characters and felt that the pacing was good. However, some of the book seems needlessly complicated and contradictory: is she/isn't she, does he/doesn't he and flip-flopping back and forth (sorry for the lack of specifics, but I'm trying to avoid spoilers). And the whole birthmark thing--again, contradictory to the point that it doesn't make sense any more. Also, Eliyana and Joshua, two of the main characters, were somewhat annoying. I think with some good editing to resolve the issues I mentioned, it would be a really good book--the basics are there. It's sort of a cross between (or maybe moving from one to the other) urban fantasy and straight-up fantasy, so give it a try if you like either of those genres. The things that kind of bugged me may not bother others at all.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me a free e-ARC of this book.

Wonderful book -- can see why this was nominated for award.

Unblemished is the author Sara Ella's first novel, and it has an excellent premise. It really, really does. However, Unblemished did not wow me as much as I hoped. Today I'm going to be doing my review a little bit different; I'm going to be sectioning off this review under concept, characters, and writing. I hope you like it! Without further ado, here we go!

CONCEPT

The concept! The idea behind Unblemished is pretty great, and unique. In Unblemished, there are "mirror worlds". They're not necessarily alternate worlds, but rather different Earths that are their own individual world. Eliyanah, the main character, gets literally thrown into the deep end very early on. She goes to a reflection of our world. Essentially, the structure of the world is the same (as goes for mountains and continents) but the infrastructure, politics, and beings of the world are different! In the reflection El goes to, there are shapeshifters and magic. I loved how imaginative the different worlds were!
However, this concept was also the books downfall. While the idea behind Unblemished was unique, the book itself was bland. I couldn't connect with the characters, and the worldbuilding wasn't intricate enough. There was always an underlying layer of confusion when I was reading Unblemished, and it heightened in the last 10 percent of the book. Some huge things were revealed, but it took me much too long to actually grasp what was happening and what it meant. It seemed to me that Sara Ella bit off more than she could chew.

CHARACTERS

The characters were the main reason why I didn't enjoy the book. I need a good plot to hook me in to a book, but the characters are what make me care and continue to read. To be honest, I didn't like any of these characters. There was only one that stuck out from the crowd, and that was Kyaphus, an ally and sometimes enemy of El in the mirror world. He was a pretty gray character, and I liked that he just wasn't solidly good or completely bad. The whole story has themes of light vs. dark, and Kyaphus was the only character who fit in the haze of not being a hero and not being a villain either. The others were all sanctioned into being good and bad, and it just made all the interactions among characters boring and predictable.

WRITING

I also think that the writing needs more improvement as well. Now don't get me wrong, an author has skill if they are published, and that itself is a feat I can't begin to imagine reaching. On a critical standpoint though, this just didn't shape up to the other debut works I have read in the past. I didn't empathize for the characters. I didn't think about this book when I wasn't reading it. I wasn't looking forward to reading this. Sara Ella's writing was just lacking that "oomph" that made me fall in love with reading. Unfortunately, the writing was descriptive in the wrong places, and lacking in the right for me. Most of the writing was telling, and not showing as well. Instead of saying "When El thought her mother was dead, it was the worst time of her life," make it less obvious. Mention little tidbits throughout the book, like having the character's laugh fade off at the end with a forced chuckle because they realize they don't remember the last time they laughed. That shows the despair the character went through without saying "Billy bob was really sad." It wasn't as bad as that, and Sara Ella did have her moments of beautiful writing, but I wish it wasn't moments. I wish it was consistent.

I think that's all I have for today. Unblemished isn't horrible, but I wouldn't recommend it. Five years ago, I would have thought this book was the best thing ever. If you are not going to look at this book with a critical eye, than there is a good chance that you will enjoy this more than I. Like I mentioned above, Sara Ella does have some great "once in a blue moon" moments where her skills as a writer truly shine. Because of this, and the wonderful imagination Ella has, I wouldn't be against reading more from her. However, I won't be reading more of this series.

With that, I give this book
1.5 out of 5 Stars!