Fateful by Claudia Gray-Review

Fateful by Claudia Gray

I just finished reading Fateful by Claudia Gray for my Young Adult Book Club.  I like that we read some historical YA fiction.  Here is the goodreads description:

A tragic tale about falling in love on the world’s most infamous ill-fated sea voyage as heroine, Tess, discovers darker secrets that lie beneath the doomed crossing… and a hidden brotherhood that threaten to tear her lover from her forever. The RMS Titanic is the most luxurious ship ever built, but for eighteen-year-old Tess Davies it’s a prison.
Travelling as a maid for the family she has served for years, Tess is trapped in their employ amid painful memories and family secrets. When she meets Alec, a handsome upper class passenger, Tess falls helplessly in love. But Alec has secrets of his own… and soon Tess is entangled in a dangerous game. A sinister brotherhood that will do anything to induct Alec into their mystical order has followed him onboard. And Tess is now their most powerful pawn.
Tess and Alec fight the dark forces threatening to tear them apart, never realising that they will have to face an even greater peril before the journey is over… New York Times best-selling author Claudia Gray delivers adventure, dark paranormal suspense, alluring romance, and a truly surprise ending, set against the opulent backdrop of the Titanic's first — and last — voyage.

I didn't love the book... but I did like reading a book that takes place on the Titanic. How fun. Ok not fun for people on the Titanic but a nice change of pace for books I read. I have to agree about the movie Titanic. I did kinda start to feel that way. The love of a third class passenger and a first class passenger. I do wish there had been more detail about the Titanic. I did rely on my memory of the movie to see the details around the ship.

 What was the odd birth control that Tess knew about? She kept saying she and Alec knew how to be safe... which in 1912 was what? I did enjoy the werewolves in this book. I typically don't like werewolf books but this one did a pretty good job here I thought. The secret society of the Bortherhood was cool to me too. I thought the villain was perfect. Though I do wish we could've known more back story on the Brotherhood. I thought we were going to find out more by the end of the book but we didn't. I too didn't love that the couple got to live happily ever after.. but there was no way the author was going to let Alec die. I just knew it.

 I did like reading from Tess' point of view. I can totally imagine people treating the help like that. I love reading the information at the end when the author used a little of Upstairs Downstairs. I love that show. And Downton Abbey too of course. I think the problem with Tess is that she is a modern woman character who's placed into a 1912 novel. I just don't think that's how women would've acted.

If only Leo had been a werewolf.. that would've be soooo EPIC!!

 

Also... please feel free to stop by the book club for the Q&A with Claudia Gray! 


And... my crystal ball says..........