Her lives are always cut short. Will she ever uncover the key to eternal happiness and lasting love?
Winner 2017 INDEPENDENT PRESS AWARD Distinguished Favorites2019 Readers’ Favorite Silver Medal Winner in the Young Adult – Fantasy – General genreTragedy seems to follow Harmony like a rain cloud. After five long years mourning the loss of her soulmate, she meets her own tragic demise. But she’s … cloud. After five long years mourning the loss of her soulmate, she meets her own tragic demise. But she’s surprised to awake in the afterlife, flooded with memories of former lives, each ending in accidental deaths…
As a student of the hereafter, she works with her spirit guide to find answers to the troubling pattern. And Harmony is perplexed by the clues that point to a charming classmate and a fateful promise to tie their destinies.
Can Harmony reveal the deeper truth behind her star-struck love affairs and put an end to her unlucky streak?
Enlightened is the first book in a fascinating YA paranormal fantasy series. If you like emotional journeys, memorable characters, and enduring romance, then you’ll adore Billie Kowalewski’s mind-bending novel.
Buy Enlightened to reincarnate into a romantic adventure today!
more
The concept of “Enlightened” was so original, I felt instantly immersed in the story. Harmony, the protagonist, poses a question: “What if the Earth is one big school and we’re here solely to learn certain lessons before we return to our real home?” and then tells a story which you won’t be able to put down once you start. The dynamics of Harmony’s and Kaleb’s relationship was so much fun to follow each of their lives on Earth; I laughed at their mishaps and cried together with our heroes when yet another tragedy hit. I also enjoyed the scenes set at “home” – a place, created by the author’s vivid imagination and presented in such detail that I felt like I was actually there.
Intriguing concept, beautiful execution, reincarnations, soulmates – all these components make a great story that you will hate to part with. Five stars!
It is quite easy to see why Billie Kowalewski won the 2017 Independent Press Award Distinguished Favorites. Enlightened was well, for lack of a better word, enlightening. The subject of the book made me really think. Not sure if that is what Billie was going for. Alas, that is what it did for me.
Enlightened is a book that deals in fantasy but it’s a fantasy that some may have thought of before.
What if this life we have on earth is not our true lives? What if it’s just a school where we learn what we truly need to? What if we are to keep coming back to life and being reincarnated until we learn the lessons we need? These are just a few of the questions that come to mind with Enlightened.
Harmony and Kaleb are two students who over many lives on Earth find that they are destined to always be each others true soul mates. They find each other during every life. Harmony has already found out that her very existence relies on Kalebs. So what happens when one of them goes to Earth without the other?
This story holds so many questions. Beautifully written and completely thought provoking. Find some of your answers and if you’re like me you will find more questions.
6
See, this book’s main idea is that what, Earth is a school to which we all “souls” come and learn and then when die,we go back to our “real home” and to our real life.This plot line is so thoughtful and original and raw.The protagonist of this story are Kaleb and Harmony. Harmony is having a hard time and she always end up having short life on Earth.Somehow,Kaleb is always behind it.Harmony is getting frustated with Kaleb for this, but there is another reason behind this.Get your copy to know more.I dont know if i summarised it well,coz this book is such a beast and it was really hard to summarise it without giving spoilers.
.
Rating: 4/5,
.
My verdict:
-The main problem with the book is that you can’t read it in a single go.The narration is really confusing in starting,but this book needs your patience,coz the story coming forward gets better only.
-The cover is just so beautiful and the scene depicted connects well to the story and those who have read it, will know what I mean.
-The story is monotonous at the beginning,but some good plot twits will arrive at the end and will leave you asking for more.
-There was unnecessary romance which could have been avoided.
-The narration is in POV of Harmony and Kaleb.Yeah,it was smooth for most of the time.
-There were really some good quotes,i am not mentioning them here,it was really hard to pick one.
-Character development is done well.
.-The best part is that i can stay longer with the characters in the next two parts in the series.
.
All over it was a nice and smooth read,you all should give it a try for once.Also, thanks to Billie for sending me candy bars, lovely postcards and special bookish merch along the first two parts in the trilogy.
.
3 Stars
A good story
I enjoyed Enlightened by Kowalewski. It follows a good plot line, however, it does start off a little slow, and probably at the wrong spot, but eventually everything falls into place. It does have an interesting premise, and how life and death, with the universe all falls into place. It has more than just earthly characters, but also souls on a higher level in the afterlife. The characters had some depth to them, and a connection to each other, and whatever comes next. I look forward to what will come next to this story, as it didn’t feel concluded.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Spoilers ahead.
Enlightened is the first book in a series by author Billie Kowalewski. The very first pages of this book will leave you hooked. The story takes you through life on earth and in heaven, which is referred to as “home” throughout the book. Home is the place where souls come to rest and review what they have learned from their time on earth. Each time a soul is sent to earth they take on a different body. Veronica the protagonist finds herself constantly running into her classmate Kaleb on earth. Each time the two meet on earth, it ends in disaster, oftentimes both experiencing untimely deaths. Once back home, Veronica discovers that they are actually soulmates and must always be sent to earth together or they will risk being erased from life. Veronica cannot share this information with Kaleb, as in heaven, everyone must learn things through their own experiences. Kaleb does not understand why Veronica does not want him to go to earth without her while she takes on a new role at home. So as not to be a burden to Veronica, Kaleb decides to go down to earth with his classmates and leave Veronica behind. The results are disastrous.
The premise of this book grabbed me. Having lost a loved one myself, reincarnation and the thought of eternally intertwined souls is heartwarming. The author captures so many of those emotions it moved me in many ways.
The beginning was a bit harsh, but understandably so. Going through such a traumatic loss is devastating. The thought of Kowalewski’s afterworld, however, is an interesting take on spirituality that I thoroughly enjoyed.