Predestined (Existence #2) by Abbi Glines

TITLE: Predestined

AUTHOR: Abbi Glines

RATING: 4 STARS

PUBLISHED: March 2012 - Abbi Glines

SERIES: Yes; Series Still in Progress:

• Existence (December 2011)
• Predestined (March 2012)
• Ceaseless (September 2012)

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"You would think after helping save her boyfriend from an eternity in Hell that things would go back to normal. Well, as normal as life can be when you can see souls and your boyfriend is Death. But for Pagan Moore, things are just getting weirder.

The high school quarterback and reigning heartthrob, Leif Montgomery, is missing. While the town is in a frenzy of worry, Pagan is a nervous wreck for other reasons. Apparently good ‘ol Leif isn’t your average teenage boy. He isn’t even human. According to Death, Leif doesn’t have a soul. The quarterback may have skipped town but he’s still showing up in Pagan’s dreams... uninvited.

Dank has known from the beginning Leif wasn’t human. But he hadn’t worried about a simple soulless creature. Now, he realizes he made a grave mistake. Pagan’s soul has been marked since birth as a restitution, to a spirit so dark not even Death walks near it. Dank knows saving Pagan’s soul won’t be easy but Pagan is his. And he’s already proven he’ll defy Heaven to keep her. If Hell wants a piece of him too, then bring it on."

MY REVIEW:
Okay. Honestly, I wasn't the biggest fan of Existence, the first novel in the Existence trilogy. I liked it, but I didn't go gaga over it or anything. It was a good story, but I had a few issues with it. I thought that Pagan was a tad overdramatic, Dank was too mysterious, and that Pagan and Dank's relationship was a little superficial. My need to solve the mystery that is Dank, my love for Gee, and the conclusion of Existence encouraged me to continue this series, mainly the conclusion. After that unexpected, shocking cliffhanger, I had to see what would happen next, and I am VERY glad that I decided to read Predestined.

Predestined was bad ass! Abbi Glines weaved Leif and Dank into Pagan's history and explained Pagan's role in Leif and Dank's lives. She filled in a lot of the back story, clarified Leif and Dank's paranormal roles, and helped me better understand Leif, Dank, and Pagan. Most importantly, my issues with Existence were nonexistent in Predestined.

Pagan was a brand new girl. I mean, I REALLY liked her in this novel. She matured a lot. She stood up for herself, she made her own choices, she developed a personality, and she lost her drama queen, let's-hide-out-in-rehab qualities. She completely stole the show in Predestined. 

I also learned a lot about Dank in this novel. I still don't have him completely figured out, but I got to know him a lot better in this novel. I saw his vulnerable side, and I saw how much he loved Pagan. He's Death, but when it comes to Pagan, he's protective, loving, possessive, and supportive. I must admit that I have a huge crush on him now, even though he's still a bit of a conundrum.

I also started to believe in Pagan and Dank's relationship in this novel. I didn't just hear about their feelings for one another, I saw and felt their feelings for one another. In this novel, they didn't waste time trying to make one another jealous; they were open and honest with each other about their feelings. I felt like their relationship really matured since Existence.  

I fell for Gee in Existence. Luckily, she's back and has a bigger role than before. Gee has a louder than life personality; she demands attention. She's a great addition to this series.

My feelings for Leif are torn. I feel like I'm supposed to hate him, but I don't. I feel bad for him. I hate his dad. I hate what he is. But, I don't really hate him. I would never in a million years want Leif and Pagan to be together - I'm Team Dank all the way, but I couldn't bring myself to hate Leif.

I gave Predestined (Existence #2) by Abbi Glines 4 STARS. This novel was fabulous. It was a beautifully written, creative story that was entertaining from beginning to end! I can't wait to read the third and final novel in this series, Ceaseless.