The Raising by Laura Kasischke
Year Pubished: 2011
My Rating: 5 stars
496 pages
I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to enjoy this wonderful book!
Craig has been roomed with Perry who comes from a town called Bad Axe. Nicole comes from Bad Axe too and has known Perry all her life, in kindergarten, school and in study groups.
So when Nicole turns up at their door looking for Perry to start a study group, Craig is smitten.
They start to date and Craig is just crazy about her. What he is not crazy about is the sorority she is a part of. But he tries to understand just to keep her happy. There is absolutely nothing Craig won't do for her.
Then tragedy strikes when they end up in a car accident, and Nicole dies. He is devastated and can't even remember what really happened that night. Even after so many counseling sessions. The police don't blame him but Nicole's sorority sisters do.
He is trying to live through his grief and trying to shake the guilt that is consuming him.
Now other people on the campus start seeing Nicole and another dead girl. Are they seeing ghosts or are they hallucinating??
Professor Polsen teaches a class about Death, Dying and the Undead, so she teams up with Perry to write a book about these sightings and other weird things happening.
But things just seem to get complicated for everyone, and everything doesn't seem what it is. So what is really happening??
At the first when I started reading this book, I was confused that it kept going back and forth between characters and the two time periods (Before and After Nicole's death). I felt that the characters where just too much. But that was my initial feeling for the book and I was considering stopping in the beginning..
Then the action started, and I just couldn't put it down. It was AMAZING!!! And the characters where just perfect. Craig was a jerk up until he met Nicole, then he just became the most adorable guy.
The going back and forth was very necessary and I got used to it. It kept you up to date with all the characters at once.
Every time I thought I solved the puzzle, some surprise changes everything.. It is full of unexpected surprises and twists and turns. I can't say enough about this book.. I have finished it and am still thinking about it.. It is from the few books that linger with me even after I finished reading it..
The writing was incredible. This is the first time for me reading for this author and it will surely be the beginning :) I just love her style.
I loved the cover too, it is very expressive!!
It has become one of the favorites for this year!! I'm sure it will be on the top of the bestseller list in 2011.
