Gillian Shields

Falling in love with the mysterious Sebastian, Evie Johnson, a scholarship student at the Wyldcliffe Abby School, is haunted by a sisterlike figure that seems to be sending her a warning.

Waters dark and deep

Briar's Reviews

Immortal by Gillian Shields is a fantasy YA novel focused on witches.

I really enjoyed the first book in this series (aka this book, Immortal). The take it has on witches was different than what I had read about before, and I enjoyed it's uniqueness. It wasn't on my top list of YA books I read years ago, but it's still a good book.

Gillian Shields is a skilled writer, and I really want to pick up more books from her. This novel isn't an A+ book, but I can only imagine how much she has grown since she first wrote this book. With so much potential, it's hard to believe she won't write an even better book in the future.

I did think there was a pinch too much romance in this book. If there was more focus on the plot line and witches I think it could have peaked up to an even higher rating on my end. I'll have to pick up the rest of the books in the series again to see if it gets any better or if my ratings change from when I first read this series. It also features some cliche characters and plot lines...

So, for me, it's a little bit boring. 

It's still a sweet book, and I think there's lots of room to grow for Gillian. Hopefully she has more books out because I absolutely LOVED her writing style within this. Her books are easy to read and move at a relatively fast paced!

Three out of five stars.

Elizabeth Neill

Loved this book.I had to go out and buy the next book asap.

Wyldcliffe Abbey School for Young Ladies, housed in a Gothic mansion on the bleak northern moors, is elite, expensive, and unwelcoming. When Evie Johnson is torn away from her home by the sea to become the newest scholarship student, she is more isolated than she could have dreamed. Strict teachers, snobbish students, and the oppressive atmosphere of Wyldcliffe leave Evie drowning in loneliness. Evie's only lifeline is Sebastian, a rebellious, mocking, dangerously attractive young man she meets by chance. As Evie's feelings for Sebastian grow with each secret meeting, she starts to fear that he is hiding something about his past. And she is haunted by glimpses of a strange, ghostly girl—a girl who is so eerily like Evie, she could be a sister. Evie is slowly drawn into a tangled web of past and present that she cannot control. And as the extraordinary, elemental forces of Wyldcliffe rise up like the mighty sea, Evie is faced with an astounding truth about Sebastian, and her own incredible fate. Gillian Shields's electrifying tale will dazzle readers with suspense, mysticism, and romance.

Immortal

Immortal er første bok i Immortal-serien som handler Evie Johnson. I begynnelsen av boka er hun på vei til Wyldcliffe Abbey School for Young Ladies (jeg elsker navnet på skolen!!) -- en boarding school nord i England. Boka inneholder de samme karakterene som de fleste YA-bøker: den mystiske gutten (Sebastian), de snille vennene (Sarah og Helen) og “the mean girls” (Celeste, India og Sophie). Det hadde ikke blitt det samme uten!
 
Jeg elsker -- som dere kanskje allerede vet -- boarding school-bøker, så jeg skjønte fort at jeg kom til å like denne også. Men det var mer enn bare settingen som jeg likte. For det første så elsket jeg dagbokinnleggene fra Agnes som levde på 1800-tallet. Og det var flott hvordan forfatteren knyttet sammen Agnes og Evie med overgangene fra dagbokinnlegg til de vanlige kapitlene som er fortalt fra Evies perspektiv.
 Her er et eksempel:
 På slutten av kapittel: “There would be time to find out everything.”
 Begynnelse av dagbokinnlegg: “I need to find out everyting…”
 Slutt av dagbokinnlegg: “What would my dear father say…”
 Begynnelse av neste kapittel: “…Dad would not be happy if he knew the truth.”
 Jeg har ikke sett noe sånt før, så jeg syntes det var ganske genialt og man forstår mer hvorfor ting er så likt for Agnes og Evie utover i historien.
 
Jeg fikk ikke helt sansen for Sebastian, men kanskje andre lesere vil det. Mot slutten ble det forklart mye og det var også spennende partier. Ingen cliffhanger-slutt, men jeg har fortsatt veldig lyst til å lese oppfølgeren!