Forsaken by Jana Oliver

Genre: Demons

Paperback: 422 Pages

Published: December 13, 2010

Series: The Demon Trapper's Daughter

            1. Forsaken

            2. Forbidden

            3. Forgiven

            4. Foretold

Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

            Riley Blackthorne just needs a chance to prove herself—and that’s exactly what the demons are counting on...

          Seventeen-year-old Riley, the only daughter of legendary Demon Trapper, Paul Blackthorne, has always dreamed of following in her father's footsteps. The good news is, with human society seriously disrupted by economic upheaval and Lucifer increasing the number of demons in all major cities, Atlanta’s local Trappers’ Guild needs all the help they can get—even from a girl. When she’s not keeping up with her homework or trying to manage her growing crush on fellow apprentice, Simon, Riley’s out saving distressed citizens from foul-mouthed little devils – Grade One Hellspawn only, of course, per the strict rules of the Guild. Life’s about as normal as can be for the average demon-trapping teen.
          But then a Grade Five Geo-Fiend crashes Riley’s routine assignment at a library, jeopardizing her life and her chosen livelihood. And, as if that wasn’t bad enough, sudden tragedy strikes the Trappers’ Guild, spinning Riley down a more dangerous path than she ever could have imagined. As her whole world crashes down around her, who can Riley trust with her heart—and her life?

My Review:     

          Forsaken is a really solid book. Seldom did I find anything not interesting or confusing in this book. It's fast paced, with great world building, and clever characters. The writing style was creative and it introduced the concept of demons beautifully. The imagery was very vivid and it let your imagination run wild. One of the things I really liked about this book was the creation of the characters. The female lead, Riley was strong, didn't have a cocky know-it-all attitude and wasn't afraid to admit she made mistakes. She's a fighter and wants to prove she can be one hell of a demon hunter, like her dad. I respect that in a character and can't wait to see how each one grows.

          My favorite character is Beck. He's a lot older for a YA book, but he's hilarious and sarcastic with an easy-going attitude. Which I happen to love in male characters. Who wants a male lead to be arrogant and cocky? And Denver Beck is anything, but cocky. Riley and Becks relationship starts off a little ruff. Beck is morally obligated to look after Riley after her fathers death. He takes it upon himself to make sure she has enough money and is safe (how sweet is that). He keeps away from Riley as much as he can unless when she needs help, but Riley is determined to tell him how she feels. Out of respect for his former mentor, Riley's father, Beck forces himself to suppress his feelings for Riley. By doing so, there is major tension created between Riley and Beck throughout the series. 

          The plot itself was very rich and new. This was my first demon novel so I found the idea of demons intriguing. My favorite part of the book was how all the demons were categorized by rank on how dangerous they are (1 being harmful  and 5 being deadly). Plus adding names to the numerous demons made the story more fun to read. My favorite was the Klepto-Fiends with their little bags and how they're attracted to shiny objects. I definitely recommend this series if you are looking for something cool to read.