Synopsis
Splendor, the stunning sequel to Sacred, is a story about changing friendships, family, romance, passion, the study of Kabbalah, and self-discovery.
Sometimes the answers we seek aren’t ours to find. . . .
Scarlett loves her boyfriend, the dashing, mysterious Will Cohen. But now he’s gone east for college, and Scarlett is stuck home on Catalina Island. Senior year should be a breeze, but between dealing with her parents’ separation and her wild best friend, Lily, things are off to a rocky start. And then there’s Gunner. Dangerous, dark, ferociously attractive Gunner. Lily’s potential boyfriend, Gunner . . .
Scarlett distracts herself by spending time with her horse and delving into ecstatic mysticism, a way to practice Kabbalah. Through this practice, she hopes to learn to control her emotions, and begin to make sense of her place in the world. But Scarlett’s world is increasingly unrecognizable.
Are Lily and Scarlett becoming too different to stay friends? Is Will still the love of Scarlett’s life, even though she has feelings for Gunner? Does being in love mean only being attracted to one person? The more Scarlett questions, the fewer answers there seem to be.
Praise for Splendor:
"As in Arnold’s earlier Sacred, teens will gravitate toward Scarlett and her problems. Arnold has painted a very realistic picture of teenage girls and their conflicting emotions. . . . Fans of the first novel will appreciate continuing Scarlett’s story and finding some closure with this sequel. Readers unfamiliar with Sacred will still be able to enjoy Splendor.”—VOYA
Praise for Sacred:
"Will appeal to many teens, especially fans of the Twilight series."--Booklist
"Filled with tension and angst. . . . Readers will be looking for the next installment."--School Library Journal
"A poignant novel of loss and grief, but also of hope."--VOYA
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Review
Splendor by Elana K Arnold is a fantastic YA book with a very interesting story that had my attention from the very beginning.
Scarlett Wenderoth is a beautiful young girl whose life has been turned upside down when her older brother, Ronny passed away. It was a very emotional rollercoaster ride for Scarlett and her family and things were never the same since. Scarlett still lives with her father on Catalina Island in a Bed & Breakfast that they own, while her mother lives on the main land. Will Scarlett be able to forgive her mother for leaving them? Is there a chance of Scarlett and her mother reconciling their mother and daughter relationship?
This is the beginning of Scarlett’s life journey. She will be a senior in high school when school starts and her boyfriend, Will Cohen, will be leaving to go to College on the East Coast. She will try to go on with her life the best way she can with everything that has happened. There will be a lot of changes in Scarlett’s life. She will have a new interest in Kabbalah that she doesn’t know a whole lot about but is willing to learn. She will meet new people that will help teach her and help her understand it. Will their love for each other be enough to keep their relationship together and survive the long distance from each other? What will Scarlett think about Kabbalah and will she stay with it to learn more?
As I was reading, I could feel all the emotions that Scarlett was feeling about what has happened in her life, her relationship with her mother and with her boyfriend Will.
Elana K Arnold has done a fantastic job. Splendor is the sequel to Sacred. It is the first book that I have read by Elana and I am looking forward to reading Sacred to find out how Scarlett’s story began. It is a must read and I definitely recommend my friends to check it out.
I give this book 4 Dandy's!!
Author Bio:
ELANA K. ARNOLD completed her M.A. in Creative Writing/Fiction at the University of California, Davis. She grew up in Southern California, where she was lucky enough to have her own horse--a gorgeous mare named Rainbow--and a family who let her read as many books as she wanted. She lives in Long Beach, California, with her husband, two children, and a menagerie of animals. She is represented by Rubin Pfeffer of the East/West Literary Agency. Sacred is her debut novel.
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Hi there!
ReplyDeleteI'm nominating you for a Liebster Award! You can find my questions at http://lostinabooknook.blogspot.com/2013/11/i-was-nominated-for-liebster-award.html.
Cheers!
-Nichole
You can do it together or each of you can do it...if you accept. :)
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