Review: Auracle By: Gina Rosati

Title: Auracle

Author: Gina Rosati

Published: August 7th, 2012

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Goodreads Summary:

16 year old Anna Rogan has a secret she's only shared with her best friend, Rei; she can astrally project out of her body, allowing her spirit to explore the world and the far reaches of the universe.

When there's a fatal accident and her classmate Taylor takes over Anna's body, what was an exhilarating distraction from her repressive home life threatens to become a permanent state. Faced with a future trapped in another dimension, Anna turns to Rei for help. Now the two of them must find a way to get Anna back into her body and stop Taylor from accusing an innocent friend of murder. Together Anna and Rei form a plan but it doesn't take into account the deeper feelings that are beginning to grow between them.

My Thoughts: 

Gina Rosati has created an story that was full of ups and downs, full of fun, and also a mixture of the supernatural, and I absolutely loved it!

Anna has a special gift, she can astrally project, which honestly when I read about it from the beginning sounded completely awesome. She could leave her body and her spirit could explore anywhere in the world that she wanted to go. I mean who wouldn't want a chance to go to so many beautiful places that you might otherwise not have the chance to visit. The only other person who knows her secret is her best friend and next door neighbor Rei, they have an amazing friendship with each other and it was adorable and completely endearing. Anna is astrally projecting when her body is taken over by a girl from school Taylor, who has died in accident and now Anna cannot get back in, on top of all that her friend Seth is accused with murdering Taylor. So, it is up to Rei and Anna to figure out how to clear Seth's name and get Anna her body back. 

Anna was such a great main character, she has this amazing ability but her life isn't anywhere close to perfect. Her dad is an alcoholic and her mom enables him  along with working and being gone a lot, Anna is left to care for her dad and her ability to project really seems like an escape for her and gives her the opportunity to explore a different life for herself. I could not imagine being kicked out of your own body and having to see someone essentially become you. At times it was so funny to read about Taylor being Anna because before entering her body they weren't friends and she really didn't know anything about Anna and she was trying to be her. Even though Anna only had a spirit she was still able to make herself seen to Rei and even without her body you could really see how a childhood friendship was growing and changing and how devoted they both were for being there for each other no matter what. 

Rei, Anna's best friend was also such a dynamic character. He was super smart, did aikido, a health nut, and was also the best friend any girl could have. Whenever I was reading parts with Anna and Rei together I was almost jealous at how perceptive and compassionate he was for a guy, sometimes I couldn't imagine a teenage boy being that way but, it just made his character that much more special. Without Rei, Anna and her life would have been completely different. 

Overall, this book was such a fun read, more fun that I had even expected and when I finished it definitely left a smile of my face. I really enjoyed the idea of astral projection and I felt that Auracle is a new and refreshing addition to the YA genre, definitely give it a try!

Happy Reading!

Kristin