Review: Don't Die, Dragonfly by Linda Joy Singleton

To any and all people in New England -- that was one hell of a snowstorm, no?  Schools in CT are STILL closed today, even though the sun is out and shining and the roads are clear, but I am back to work.  There is about three feet of snow on the ground.  I wish I had brought my camera to work today, the snow on the brownstone church is beautiful, like something out of an old-fashioned picture.  But it's also bitterly cold out today -- not sure of the temp., but definitely cold enough that I don't want to go out in it!

My "snow day" yesterday was great.  I got to relax my poor spine, and finish three of the four books on my "currently reading" list on GoodReads.  I also started two new ones (I like to have a little variety on my plate when I read).  So I'm going to review one of the books today, and the other one probably tonight (when the husband is at his EMT class) or tomorrow.  Here goes.

Another free book from Amazon.com.  I downloaded Don't Die, Dragonfly by Linda Joy Singleton a few days ago, not expecting much from it.  I'm not a huge fan of the current YA literature.  I loved the Harry Potter series, I loathe Twilight, and I don't understand why 90% of the YA literature currently out is about vampires.  This book was blissfully devoid of vampires or the living dead, so I decided to give it a shot.  It's the first book in the "Seer Series" by Singleton, so I figured if I liked it, I'd give the others a shot.

I didn't like it.

The synopsis from GoodReads is this: After getting kicked out of school and sent to live with her grandmother, Sabine Rose is determined to become a "normal" teenage girl. She hides her psychic powers from everyone, even from her grandmother Nona, who also has "the gift." Having a job at the school newspaper and friends like Penny-Love, a popular cheerleader, have helped Sabine fit in at her new school. She has even managed to catch the eye of the adorable Josh DeMarco.  Yet, Sabine can't seem to get the bossy voice of Opal, her spirit guide, out of her head . . . or the disturbing images of a girl with a dragonfly tattoo. Suspected of a crime she didn't commit, Sabine must find the strength to defend herself and, later, save a friend from certain danger. 

The difficult part for me was in relating to the characters.  I don't think that, at 27, I am too far-removed from my teenage years to understand where an emo 16-year-old is coming from.  I couldn't relate to Sabine and I found it hard to give a crap about what she was thinking or doing, or her plight.  It's also really obvious that Singleton had Edward Cullen of "Twilight" in mind when she invented the character of Dominic.  Sullen, mysterious, and with a strange knack for always being there when Sabine needs him.  Although Sabine and Dominic don't hook up in Dragonfly, it's pretty obvious that Singleton is setting them up for true love in the next few books of the Seer series.

...which it doesn't look like I'll be reading.  The one thing I can say about this book is that it's quick; I read it from cover to cover in under two hours.  But it doesn't do anything for me.  I feel like I should keep this blog balanced, and read some more YA or contemporary fiction, so don't worry -- it's not all going to be history or historical fiction.  But I'll be steering clear of the rest of this series.

Rating: **