Review: Branded by Keary Taylor

Jessica's got a secret...she becomes dead people.

Jessica's had the nightmares for as long as she can remember. Nightmares of being judged for people who have died, of being branded by the angels. Her friends and family think she's a crazy because of it all. Yet she carries the mark of the condemned, seared into the back of her neck, and hides it and herself away from the world.


But when two men she can't ignore enter her life everything changes, including the nightmares. The two of them couldn't be more different. She will do anything to be with one of them. Even tell him the truth about angels, why she never sleeps, and the scar on the back of her neck. But one of the two has set events into motion what will pull her toward her own judgment and turn her into the object of her greatest fear.
The Review:
I adore Cole.


This was a good Indy book. I make that distinction because there is a difference between mainstream and indie, and it's not hard to tell them apart. But that's not the point the point is, it is a good book.

The story took a little too long to get to the meat and potatoes. the filling part wasn't until a little after half way almost to the 3/4ths mark. As this book was about sleep I kept finding myself in need or wanting to take a nap.

The the slow pace had me putting down the book, often times yawning the characters had me picking the book back up. Alex was a perfect YA boy and I enjoyed the Insta-love. Yes, the book has insta-love. It doesn't bother me and I rather enjoy the trope if you do have an issue with insta-love and you push through the slow build of the story once you get to about the 85% mark of the book, you won't be able to put it down. And if you do, the characters and story will stick in your mind. The plot is a very unique twist and addition to the angel theme. I liked it.

Like all great YA novels the boys carry it. Cole and Alex are perfectly awesome. Jessica was almost not memorable, I even had to go back to the book to find her name for this review. I am hoping she comes into her own in the next book or I may start to wonder what Alex or Cole sees in her.

Cover whore: The cover has been redone. I like old cover, which is why I bought book. I am glad my book marks are of the old cover or I'd burn them. New cover? I hate. If it had this cover when I found it, I wouldn't even look twice at it. It actually makes me want to throw up in my mouth a little bit.