Crossroads by Mary Ting

Claudia Emerson has a good friend who shares the same first name and last name. That friend unfortunately dies in a tragic accident during homecoming dance. Claudia is distraught at the loss of her friend, but is even more disturbed by her dreams, which seem to take her to another place called Crossroads. Unknown to her, Crossroads is like a second heaven, a place between heaven and earth. It is where the souls of humans in comas or near death experiences may wander. Where, Claudia meets Michael, a nephilim, a half angel, half human, whom she often meets in her dreams. It turns out that this isn’t her first visit to Crossroads, which is an enigma for no human can ever travel there until Claudia.

Now the fallen and demons are after her, suspecting she must be special and it is up to Michael and the other nephilims to protect her. Her dream becomes a nightmare as more secrets are revealed, about who she really is, and the true identities of the people she loves most. Can Michael fight his growing feelings for Claudia and protect her as a guardian angel should?

Goodreads Summary

This novel is incredibly engrossing.  Claudia has an odd ability...foresight through her dreams.  She dreams of a girl with her exact same name dying in a horrible way...and she is right.  Claudia is thrown into an unknown reality after the similar girl's death.  Her friends and family are much more concerned with her whereabouts and safety and she meets a love interest, Michael-a boy who turns out to be much more than he seems.  The book takes off right from the first chapter.

Claudia is a fun character to read about.  She is likable to the reader, easy to connect to.  She has many of the qualities that are desirable in a heroine; she is compassionate, brave, and intelligent.  The love interest, Michael, is charismatic, handsome, and protective.  They complement each other perfectly.  The secondary characters, especially Claudia's friends and family, are a fairly large part of the novel (refreshing) and very nice to read about.

The plot is different-finally a paranormal that isn't about some type of "monster." The events are fast-paced, the book is hard to put down.  A young adult/teen/adult would definitely enjoy this book.

5 Stars