Review: Fateful by Claudia Gray

Eighteen-year-old maid Tess Davies is determined to escape the wealthy, troubled family she serves. It’s 1912, and Tess has been trapped in the employ of the Lisles for years, amid painful memories and twisted secrets. But now the Lisle family is headed to America, with Tess in tow. Once the ship they’re sailing on—the RMS Titanic—reaches its destination, Tess plans to strike out and create a new life for herself.

 

Her single-minded focus shatters when she meets Alec, a handsome first-class passenger who captivates her instantly. But Alec has secrets of his own. He’s in a hurry to leave Europe, and whispers aboard the ship say it’s because of the tragic end of his last affair with the French actress who died so gruesomely and so mysteriously. . . .

 

Soon Tess will learn just how dark Alec’s past truly is. The danger they face is no ordinary enemy: werewolves exist and are stalking him—and now her, too. Her growing love for Alec will put Tess in mortal peril, and fate will do the same before their journey on the Titanic is over.

 

In Fateful, New York Times bestselling author Claudia Gray delivers paranormal adventure, dark suspense, and alluring romance set against the opulent backdrop of the Titanic’s first—and last—voyage. (Goodreads)

 

Book Details

Title: Fateful

Author: Claudia Gray

Hardcover: 336 pages

Publisher: HarperTeen

Release Date: September 13, 2011 

ISBN-10: 0062006207

ISBN-13: 978-0062006202

Author’s Website

Source: Self purchase

Review

Let me warn you now if you start Fateful by Claudia Gray make sure you have nothing to do until you finish the book, because that is all you will want to do.

We all know what eventually happens to the Titanic and what it looked like, but the way Claudia Gray painted the Titanic in my mind was so much grander than any picture I have seen. I also feel like I have a much better understanding of the class system in that time. It made me wonder how I would be considered during that time, what type of family I would have been born in? Would I be rich like Alec or poor like Tess?

What an amazingly resilient character Tess is. Tess has done everything she can to save enough money to break away from the Lisles as soon as she reaches America. Tess has lived a hard life working for the Lisles since she was 13. The night before she is to leave on the Titanic she stumbles upon some people she is not supposed to see. The thing I love about Tess is that she is always trying to figure out her next move. Of course, she could never figure Alec into the picture.

I loved Alec from the get go! He saves Tess the very first meeting they have, but he is also with the super evil of the book so it took me a bit to be completely sure how much I could trust him. Alec is dashing and wonderfully swoon worthy. But, there is a dark side that he can’t hide for long and when it come out Tess' reaction surprises him. Their love story, even though it only goes a few days on the Titanic, was beautiful.

Even though I said before that I knew what was going to happen to the Titanic, it made it no less tragic when it started to sink. I could not read fast enough and I could not skip a word. I cried when characters I had grown to care about died because there was nothing more I could do for them. Claudia Gray did an amazing job of showing the character of people in horrific moments like the Titanic sinking.

I don’t know how everyone feels about the ending, I have stayed away from reviews until I could read Fateful myself, but I all kinds of loved the ending. It left you able to hope, and that is all Tess needs. Like I said before she is resilient! 

I highly recommend Fateful! I will actually be pushing/lending out my copy today because it is wanting to be read again I am sure. 

Happy Reading,

 

Loved it! I want to know about everything this author writes.

Recommended For

Teen and up: There is violence, language, kissing, nongraphic sex.