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    Radiance
    Radiance
    Radiance
    Audiobook3 hours

    Radiance

    Written by Alyson Noel

    Narrated by Kathleen McInerney

    3.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Riley has crossed the bridge into the afterlife—a place called Here, where time is always Now. She has picked up life where she left off when she was alive, living with her parents and dog in a nice house in a nice neighborhood. When she's summoned before The Council, she learns that the afterlife isn't just an eternity of leisure. She's been assigned a job, Soul Catcher, and a teacher, Bodhi, a possibly cute, seemingly nerdy boy who's definitely hiding something. They return to earth together for Riley's first assignment, a Radiant Boy who's been haunting a castle in England for centuries. Many Soul Catchers have tried to get him to cross the bridge and failed. But all of that was before he met Riley .

    Radiance is the first book in the Riley Bloom series from bestselling author Alyson Noël.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherMacmillan Audio
    Release dateAug 31, 2010
    ISBN9781427210661
    Radiance
    Author

    Alyson Noel

    Alyson Noël is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of twenty-three novels, including the Immortals, Riley Bloom, and Soul Seekers series. With millions of copies in print, her books have been translated into thirty-six languages and have made numerous international bestseller lists. Born and raised in Orange County, California, she’s lived in both Mykonos and Manhattan and is now settled back in Southern California, where she’s working on her next book. You can visit her online at www.alysonnoel.com.

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    Reviews for Radiance

    3.5/5

    206 ratings37 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Cute book for someone in their teens. Very cute (:
    • 4/5
      This was a very quick read. This is a cute little book. I liked the character of Riley. I thought the subject of death was very well handled in this book.
    • 4/5
      Reason for Reading: I enjoy reading fictional stories that involve death and imagine what the afterlife is like. I have my own unwavering religious beliefs but I can still enjoy the whimsy of what an author creates.I have not read any other books by Alyson Noel. This new series concerns Riley, who was killed with rest of her family, except her older sister, in a car accident. Riley has just made it over the bridge, is settling into life in Here & Now and is given her job. She is to be trained as a Soul Catcher, someone who brings reluctant ghosts over the bridge into the Here & Now where they belong. There is plenty of information given that Riley was one such ghost herself for some time and references are made of that time and her sister Ever, which one presumes is covered in the beginning of The Immortals series, from which this is a spin-off.Riley and her guide/teacher Bodhi do not get on very well causing a lot of friction between the two. Her first mission is to rid a castle in England of a ghost called The Radiant Boy who has been terrifying people who visit there for centuries while Riley and her attitude can't wait to go because this means she gets to go to the Earth plane again.A delightful story. A quick, easy read with fun characters and fun hauntings. Not scary at all but a bit intense and there is some time taken to be serious when discussing how people died, giving them dignity. Altogether a cute, but humorous story sure to please the middle grades with not much of a wait now till the second book comes out in March, 2011
    • 3/5
      Not as good as I'd hoped for. I didn't love the narrator much, and the references to The Immortals Series (still unread then) had me quite confused at times. Then you add to the fact the whole book takes place in two days-ish. I was very mleh.
    • 5/5
      I totally fell in love with this book. It was amazing and I liked how it was quite short so it was really easy and quick to read.
      This book is also very interesting, I've always been interested in the after life and it was nice to read a book about it even though it was just fiction. But I'm sucker for fantasy fiction.
      This book is a lot like Meg Cabot's The mediator series and that is one of my favorite series so I will definitely read every installation to the Riley Bloom series.
      And even though this book was meant for a little younger readers I found it very interesting and mature. Riley certainly seemed to be older than just twelve and that's the thing that made the book so interesting.
    • 3/5
      Riley has crossed the bridge into the afterlife—a place called Here. Her dog has crossed over with her. When she’s summoned before The Council, she learns that the afterlife isn’t just an eternity of leisure. She’s been assigned a job, Soul Catcher.
      It is good IF you like this genre that is "Dead.". I enjoyed the book but personally wouldn't pick the next in the series. I think I have students who will enjoy it.
    • 2/5
      A superficial intermediate/ MG book (not YA; after all, Riley is only 12). I can imagine some folks who don't read a lot enjoying this, but I've pretty much seen all the elements included here before, and Noel didn't do anything special with them. Not a bad book; just 'meh.'
    • 3/5
      Review courtesy of Dark Faerie TalesQuick & Dirty: Very cute story with an adorable protagonist, adventure and a fun plot.Opening Sentence: Most people think that death is the end.The Review:Riley Bloom is not your average 12 year old girl. She is dead and after taking a long detour, she finally decided to cross the bridge into a place called the Here and Now. Life is pretty much the same as it was when she was alive, she lives with her parents and is getting ready to start school. But she soon realizes that she really doesn’t know anything about this new life when she is summoned by the council and given a job as a Soul Catcher. She is supposed to return to earth and help lost souls find their way to the bridge that will lead them to the after life. She is assigned a guardian that is suppose to show her the ropes, his name is Bodhi. He seems kind of nerdy at first, but he also is pretty cute. Riley’s first assignment is the Radiant Boy, a ghost that has been haunting a castle for centuries. There have been many Soul Catchers that have tried to help him move on, but all of them have failed and now it is Riley’s turn.Riley is an adorable girl. She is full of spunk and she doesn’t feel like she really fits in at the Here and Now. Everyone seems so serious and all she wants to do is have a good time. She feels cheated that her life was cut so short on earth. So when she gets the chance to go back, even if it is just as a spirit, it is very appealing to her. I thought she was a fun girl that was easy to like. She is young and doesn’t have a lot of life experience, which made it fun to watch her grow. She loves adventure and doesn’t shy away from trying new things. She’s not perfect by any means, but she is a great protagonist and I really enjoyed getting to know her.This was a really quick read for me. It is very light and full of adventure, sarcasm, and humor. It would be the perfect book to give a young girl that’s just starting to get into reading. For an adult, it is an enjoyable read, but nothing too earth shattering. I liked the characters and the plot was totally predicable, but still entertaining. If you were a fan of Noel’s Immortal series, I think that you would really enjoy this spinoff. I would recommend this to anyone that is looking for a light, fast read with a fun protagonist.Notable Scene:I continue to gaze all around, desperate to find someone, anyone, that I might be able to talk to, someone who might be able to clue me in to where we were all heading–and what I was in for once we got there.But–nothing.Most of them wouldn’t even look at me, and the few who did merely smiled politely then quickly looked away. And it left me feeling so lonely and homesick, it felt like I had a vise shoved deep into my middle–one that was clamping down on my insides.Still, I kept moving, placing one foot in front of the other, ignoring my worst fears, while trying to stay hopeful and bright (or at least appear that way), and to just allow myself to see where it led. But deep down inside, I was anxious, nervous, and more hat a little scared, ad all I really wanted was to head home, slip into my PJs. and curl up on my bed with Buttercup by my side.The day I’d been dreading, the day my parents swore would open up a whole exciting new world open up a whole exciting new world, providing all of my favorite things, like art classes, and literature classes, and foreign language classes, and maybe even classes on singing, riding too–the day that was supposed to make me forget all about my old life and happily embrace my new one–well, it was turning out just as I feared:It was awful.FTC Advisory: Square Fish/Macmillan provided me with a copy of Radiance. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
    • 5/5
      "Radiance" is a great book with lots of great mysteries. Looking at the front cover, the first tying I thought was that it was about a young girl and her dog. But, as I read the back cover, I already knew I that this was a good book. As I started reading the first page, I was impressed that this book was one of the best books I've read. This is a great book for someone who likes mysteries!
    • 4/5
      Radiance was absolutely adorable! I loved getting to see what Riley was up to after she moved across the bridge and also getting a peek inside her head. She reminded me a lot of Ever from The Immortals, unsurprisingly, since they're sisters. The storyline was cute but I wish it would've been a little longer, a little more detailed. Overall, though, it was really good and highly recommended to fans of Alyson Noel's The Immortals and new fans alike. Cannot wait for Shimmer!
    • 4/5
      'Radiance' by Alyson Noel is the beginning of what will be a series starring Riley, a 12 year old ghost. You may remember Riley in Noel's 'Evermore' series. All in all, 'Radiance' was a fun read. At 183 pages, this is also a very quick read. Plot points are laced together well and rapidly. The characters are likable and a bit mysterious, at least in the case of Riley's guide in all things spirit catching, Bodie.


      Noel has a unique take on the afterlife and Riley's voice is engaging. She sounds like a twelve year old, albeit a sarcastic twelve year old. I like the character of Bodie. He could really be interesting. 'Radiance' introduces readers to the character, but I'm sure there's a lot more going on with him than meets the eye.


      For those listening to the audio version of this, a few words. The voices are done by one woman. She embody's the voice of a twelve year old well, but personally, I think I prefer reading the book to listening to the CD's.


      If you're looking for a quick read perfect for a pre-teen and up audience, this this is it. 'Radiance' gets 4 out of 5 stars.
    • 5/5
      ~radiance~Riley Bloom died before her 13th summer. Soon she enters afterlife, where she meets Bodhi, a soul catcher guide. She soon becomes a soul catcher, were she is allowed to go back to Earth. This is the first book of the Riley bloom series, and i recommend them all. This book is supernatural, romancy and a really great thrill to read. 5/5 stars, a good read for everyone~<3
    • 4/5
      It was a great Young Adult's book, a quick read, and captivating.Riley, a 12 year old year old girl, is struggling to get used to the afterlife. She continually misses the earth plane and wishes she was back, feeling she got a bad deal by dying so young. Then she finds out that even in the afterlife you have work and jobs. She is very excited to find out she is a Soul Catcher, and is sent back to earth to try and convince souls to move on to the afterlife. It is a great journey with Riley, Buttercup (her dog), and Bodhi (her guide).
    • 4/5
      I was anxious to read this book because Alyson Noël, along with Jessica Brody, Mary E. Pearson, and Gabrielle Zevin, visited our school in October and conducted a book talk with over 300 of our students. This event was a huge boost to circulation, and our readership is only growing!Radiance is the first book in the Riley Bloom series, which is a spin-off of Noël's Ever series (Ever is Riley's older sister). At the beginning of the story, Riley has been killed in a car accident at only 12 years old, and although she is able to join both of her parents in the afterlife, she misses her old life, her old school, and her sister, who although also dead, has a different calling and is still a part of the "earth plane." After having to account for the events of her life on Earth, during which she realizes that she was the annoying little sister Ever often accused her of being, Riley desires to accomplish more with her new opportunity as a "soul catcher," an inhabitant of "Here" who accompanies her guide back to Earth so that she can persuade other souls to let go of their attachment to the earth plane and cross the bridge into the afterlife.The lessons here are pretty clear: your parents usually know what's best for you, others deserve to be judged on more than just their appearance, and often the best way to find out more about yourself is to turn your attention to the needs of others.Although the story is simple, I understand why this series is as popular as it is among middle schoolers. Riley is smart and honest and often not as humble as she should be, but she is fair in her ability to admit her own faults and to feel compassion for others. Her voice as the narrator is very strong and spot on, and her shortcomings actually make her likable, rather than obnoxious.Suggested audience: 9-12 year olds. Some older teens might appreciate the breeziness of this read, but as students get older, they tend to look for more to sink their teeth into than this story offers.
    • 3/5
      I wasn't quite sure what to expect with this spin-off of Alyson Noel's Immortals series, but I really liked Riley's character in Evermore and decided to give it a shot. First of all, let me just say that this was definitely geared to a much younger target audience. (I think maybe 8-12 year olds.) However, it did answer the question of, "What's on the other side of the bridge?". (although through the eyes of a rather spoiled 12 year old) In Radiance, Riley finally goes to her new school in the "Here & Now" and discovers that she has no idea what's going on or what she's supposed to do. Then, after watching a run-through of her life on earth on the big screen, she discovers that she's best suited for soul-catching - or convincing ghosts on the earth-plane to cross the bridge. She receives a guide/teacher and sets out on her first assignment. For me, these big difficult problems she faced were extremely simple, and the solutions were weird and even more simple. Everything wrapped up extremely quickly and neatly. Overall, I think this might have basically been an intro into the rest of the series. It almost seemed like this must have just been the quickest way to explain Riley's situation. It only took about an hour and a half to read, so I don't feel that I wasted too much time, but I doubt I'll pick up the rest of the books in the Riley Bloom series. (unless they happen to have them at my public library.) Recommended for 3-6th graders.
    • 3/5
      As an adult, I found this book to be lacking; however, it would be fine for a younger reader (Grade 3 to 6). The cover of this novel and the synopsis provided on the back drew me in. I was looking forward to reading a good paranormal story. The premise was good, but the actual encounter with the Radiant Boy was short-lived and lame. I couldn't connect with any of the characters and found the story to be very superficial. Overall, a disappointing read. Maybe the future books in the series will improve on this "introduction" to Riley Bloom. Would make a great Saturday morning Disney series.
    • 2/5
      I have not read The Immortals series by the author, which is about Riley’s older sister, Ever, so I walked into this series with a clean slate. It took me some time to warm up to Riley, and I’m not sure I ever did. She is a young protagonist (age 12) and therefore, her maturity level shines bright. I read a ton of YA and some Middle Grade books, so I’m very used to young protagonist. However, Riley’s whiney, tween-like behavior was a lot to take in. Reading the story from her POV became an uphill battle on many occasion. I think Riley as the narrator is what really did me in and I couldn’t really enjoy the story as much as I may have otherwise. It was also a short, quick read and since I’ve not read The Immortals series, I did not have time to get to know Riley.That being said, the story had some merit. I find Riley’s new otherworldly job as a Soul Catcher very interesting. To me, she is a therapists of sorts, as she provides much needed counseling to these spirits that are stuck in Limbo. Riley’s first case was quite difficult. However, she shows courage and perseverance (and possibly stubbornness) throughout her trials and tribulations.I adored Buttercup, Riley’s yellow lab. I was happy that Riley had a companion in the Here & Now. There is a scene where he learns to use one of his newly attained abilities as a spirit, and I smile through it all. It was an adorable moment. There was also a very interesting scene with a dead mother who was literally stuck in her own personal hell, full of grief and despair. Riley was sucked into the world through her eyes and it was quite eerie and heartbreaking.All in all, I think this book is a great paranormal starter for younger kids!
    • 2/5
      I have to admit I was disappointed in this quick novel. I was excited to pick it up being that it sounded like an adventure! It turned out boring at times and I found it hard to push through. It was a very easy read though, as it is targeting ‘tweens’.Riley is 12 years old and didn’t quite make it to 13. She feels alive—actually quite alive at that—but there’s just one problem. She’s dead as dead can be. She now resides in the Here & Now. Riley was called into the council and stuck with the job of Soul Catching, which is to bring ‘ghosts’ over the bridge from the Earth Plane to the Here & Now.Riley was kind of funny and definitely a bit too judgmental. She also has her dog, Buttercup, hanging out with her and she’s guided by a greasy haired nerd named Bodhi. Riley and Bodhi don’t seem to get along at all and it started to get a bit annoying. I found myself hoping Riley would give up the judgmental act and get over it.It was an interesting concept and I really loved that it was a witty ghost adventure, but it just didn’t live up to what was expected and maybe hype is to blame. I really wish I would’ve enjoyed Radiance more!If you don’t like books that target a younger teen audience, I don’t suggest this book to you. If you are a parent looking for a paranormal adventure for your child, I think it would be a good one to pick up.
    • 5/5
      I read this book because I am fascinated with people's beliefs about the afterlife, AND because my daughter wanted to read it, so I picked it up in the evening and did not let go of it til I was done!!! The only thing I didn't like, but couldn't really do much about, was the fact that I had to wait for Shimmer to be released :)
    • 2/5
      This is the first book I have read by Alyson Noel and I think I would have appreciated it more if that hadn't been the case. Although I am curious enough to want to read The Immortals Series (of which this book is a spin-off), it just didn't seem like anything really happened. Riley dies and goes to Here, where she learns a bit about what she is going to do Now. Well, she doesn't so much find out what she is going to do as she wanders aimlessly and confused with no one to help her until, at last, she is given an assignment.The assignment was interesting but I kept feeling that there could have been more. I think my problem connecting with Riley was that she was written for such a young audience (9-12) but even with that being the case I feel there could have been more going on. Riley kept presuming things about her situation that were completely wrong (for example: the intentions of people around her) and some of this I thought was just too obvious.The thing that Radiance did well was to build a strong foundation for the next book to stand on (again I think I would have enjoyed it more if it wasn't the first book I read by Noel because I would have had that background connection) and since the ARE included an excerpt from Book 2 I was able to see that it looks like it is going to be a much more exciting story. I think there is a good chance it will make everything Radiance laid out worth the read.
    • 4/5
      This is a companion novel to the Immortals series. It explains what happens to Riley after her death. It could easily turn into a series on it's own, but I don't think Immortal followers will embrace it quite as heartily since it is missing the romance factor.
    • 4/5
      Radiance is a middle grade story that deals with a topic that is hard to broach with this age group: death. It can be difficult to talk about death with children, particularly in cases where the person who dies is very close to a child or where the person who dies is very young.The main character of this story, Riley (only twelve years old), has just died along with her parents and dog. She references her life on the "Earth Plane" briefly, but does not appear to dwell on his previous life too much. Instead, her days are filled with Here and Now. She has the ability to manifest whatever she desires--clothes, money, food, excitement and entertainment. But, the novelty of this ability does not last long. Quickly, she looks for something to do. And it's not long before the The Council comes looking for her to give her a job.She's paired with Bodhie, a teen whom she describes as "dorky," but who seems to have been cool at one time. Bodhie takes everything a little too seriously for Riley's taste, and she spares no time in telling him just how lame he is. Their conflict feels more like a sibling rivalry than a thinly disguised flirtation, which is nice in a middle grade story.On their first mission together as "Soul Catchers,"where they try to convince souls who have remained on the Earth Plane to cross over to the other side. Riley's first assignment is one no other Soul Catcher has been able to crack, despite hundreds of attempts. Lucky for her, it involves spirits of the annoying ten year-old boy variety, a demographic she's dealt with extensively on the Earth Plane. I won't tell you what happens, but it is one of my favorite scenes!I don't always love to read middle grade novels, but this audio book appealed to me because of the subject matter and its relevance to my life right now. My mother-in-law just passed away on Wednesday after a long battle with a variety of cancers. I listened to this book thinking that it might be of some comfort to the pre-teen nieces in my family. I think that, once they've had time to deal with their grandmother's passing, they will find solace in a vision of heaven where the elderly get to pursue all of their interests and dreams.The reader for this novel is Kathleen McInerney and she does a wonderful job. It must be hard to find a reader who can capture the spirit and energy of a twelve year-old, but McInerney does it well. Also, this book is a quick listen at less than four hours. I can see this book being a staple of middle school libraries. I bet middle grade readers will identify with Riley and maybe even relate to some of what she goes through in the book.
    • 3/5
      Radiance is book one in the Riley Bloom series by Alyson Noel. As most of you know, this is a spin off from her Immortals series. I did enjoy this book, but I will say this right now: it is nothing like the Immortals (accept for Riley and Buttercup of course). I didn't have a problem with this, but I know some people are hesitant because of the differences between he series. The Immortals series is much darker and mysterious. While this new series has it's own sort of mystery, it is much lighter and childish (after all, she is only twelve years old). If you are okay with the differences, you will enjoy this novel.Radiance follows the life, or should I say, afterlife of Riley Bloom; a spunky, twelve year-old girl who died way before her time. After lingering in the human plane for much longer than normal, she makes her way over the bridge and into Here where everything happens now. Riley has alot to change before she can fully accept life in Here. For starters, she has to learn to control her thoughts, because this everyone-can-here-everyone-else's-thoughts thing is not working out for her. I thought the plot of this story was enjoyable, but that didn't even compare to how much I loved Riley. She was just so real. She is a twelve year-old girl, and she acts like one. She is stubborn, self-assured, funny and observant. Her life was cut off just months before her thirteenth birthday, so yes, she is angry as well because she has to spend the rest of eternity as a tween and not a teen. Everything she felt was backed up with reason, and for me at least, everything she felt was relatable. I would give this story a "Liked It" (four stars) on Riley alone, but I am giving it a "Okay" (three stars) because the plot was more set up for later books than it was its own story. With that said though, I did enjoy this story and I will most definitely be looking out for future installments (Shimmer comes out March 15, 2011). I would recommend this book to people who are okay with the more childish tone, especially pre-teens themselves. Riley's story may seem a bit silly, but it touches on feelings of all children during their "awkward" phases and that emotional leap from child to young adult.
    • 4/5
      Title: RadianceAuthor: Alyson NoelPublisher: Macmillan :: SquarefishFormat: PaperbackLength: 192pgsRating: 4/5As a long time reader of Alyson Noel’s novels (especially the Immortals series), when I found out she was doing a companion series based off of Ever’s younger sister, Riley, I was excited.As much as I like the Immortal series, Radiance, was refreshing. Radiance follows Riley, Ever’s younger sister. In the first novel of the Immortal series we met her as a ghost, or spirit, having passed away, but yet to have left the earth plane. When we meet her again in Radiance, she has finally crossed over and is trying to be at home in the Here and Now (the afterlife). Everyone in the Here and Now has a place, has a thing they must do, and it is time Riley found out what her’s is.Overall I really enjoyed reading Radiance, in some aspects I liked it more than the Immortal series thus far. I think what I liked is that it diverged from what you see in a lot of currently popular paranormal fiction – which is the vampire/werewolf/faeries/angels. There isn’t a lot of ghost/spirit fiction out there (at least to my knowledge, if you know of any let me know). The afterlife fiction I have read all have different takes on what it’s like after you cross over (or don’t in some cases), which I believe is the other draw to this novel. Life after death is fascinating, and something many people think about.If I had anything negative about the novel was probably how annoying Riley could be. Now, remember, I really liked this novel. The annoyance I had with Riley was more of a double-edged sword situation. While I got annoyed with some of her inner monologues (and outer, really), I had to remember that she is only 12 years old; she hasn’t had that much time to mature. While Riley gets annoying, her voice is very real at the same time, which I enjoyed. So while Riley grated on my nerves, she couldn’t be any more than that, the annoying little sister, which I think to many is very relatable (in being one and having to live with one – I say that with a smile, love you Sky!).If anyone is interested in a quick read, I recommend this novel – as of right now you can read it even if you haven’t read the Immortals series (I'm not sure if this will change in the future with later books). It briefly mentions some background information about her sister, Ever, and her family at the beginning, but it can easily be read without the other series. Any fans of Alyson Noel’s novels should definitely take the time to read this, I believe you will be pleasantly surprised.
    • 2/5
      "Radiance" was my first Noel novel, and it was okay. I think it would mean more to the teens who have read "Evermore" and are avid fans of that series, as "Radiance" follows the adventures of Ever's younger sister Riley after the car crash that left Ever pretty much all alone in the world.Riley is understandably upset that her life has been cut short because she wasted the time spent on Earth hounding her sister, and now she will never have boobs. That's kind of this book in a nutshell.Riley is learning how to be dead, which is remarkably like being alive, except that you can materialize shit and have whatever kind of awesome wardrobe you want. Really, I found this book somewhat depressing."Don't worry about your life getting cut short. You still get to go to SCHOOL in heaven! & you get assigned a JOB! It's pretty much all of the soul-sucking shit people hate on Earth, but it's NEVER-ENDING because you're dead now!"Yay?Anyway, Riley was probably a realistic tween, which means that she got on my nerves. She was impulsive, disrespectful, and somehow, amazingly good at everything, anyway.I don't really recommend "Radiance" unless you're a big fan of the "Evermore" Immortals series and want to round out your collection.
    • 2/5
      This is a book about a dead girl who has to recover the lost soul of the Radiant Boy. However that actual event only takes up what seems 5% of the book. It was a little disappointing. However the event after that is pretty touching and exciting. But that was also short. The majority of the book deals with her discovering the afterlife. The description isn’t overly creative.This book is the first in a series and was meant for 8-12 years olds. I think for that age group this book could work. The main character I think can come across as cute, humorous and witty. However I found her to be a little annoying at times. My main fault with the book is that I don’t have a clear view on what the narrative will be. Reviewed by Wally for Book Sake.
    • 3/5
      I’ll start off by saying that I’ve never read anything by Alyson Noel before, but I adore Middle Grade fiction. The cover of Radiance is also gorgeous… so props to the department that put it together. Very eye-catching.But for me, the cover was one of the best aspects of the book. Gasp, horror, I know, how could I say such a thing? Well… I didn’t really like the main character, and I found the voice a little inconsistent. I wanted more development in Riley, more emotion. I think there was more emotion from her dog. But it’s not all bad! It’s a sweet book, with some notable flaws.The sentences in the story are brief, choppy (in a good way!), and Riley definitely comes across as a snarky 12-year-old who thinks she knows everything. I get that – I was twelve once, and while I definitely didn’t have the confidence that Riley has, it’s clear that Noel has spent time with young girls and knows how they speak and think. This is great!However… 12-year-old girls are also very squeal-y, are deeply affected by their emotions (it’s the hormones that start to come out around this time), and struggle to balance themselves between still being a young girl and becoming an adult. Now, since I haven’t read Evermore, I don’t know whether we see this in Riley elsewhere (Radiance is a spin-off MG novel from a YA series). But here, I found it strange that Riley accepted her death so easily, and took to being dead without much fuss.Riley also had odd moments of rather extensive vocabulary that pulled away from her voice… that was a bit distracting. However, I loved the fact that she had her dog with her during the whole story, and the anecdotes about the dog getting used to the afterlife were adorable.Finally, I found that the main plot took too long to get going… by the time Riley and Bodhi got going with their assignments, we were halfway through the book. Then we whipped through the main plot (Riley’s assignment and then Radiant Boy) faster than you could say ‘Boo!’ and the issue was resolved literally without hindrance. I kept thinking ‘it couldn’t have been that easy… it’s all going to go wrong on the next page and she’ll have to really work for it’ but… that didn’t happen.For me, the lack of development in Riley and then the rushed resolution spoiled the story for me. At the end, I got the sense that this is intended to be a series, so maybe Noel plans to further explore Riley’s character in future books. As I said, I’ve not read Noel’s previous YA series where Riley is also featured, so I didn’t come into this one with any background knowledge. Maybe that would have helped.Ultimately, I’m disappointed that I didn’t enjoy this one more… but I’ve seen many other good reviews for it, so I think it may be a matter of personal preference for the author. If you’ve enjoyed her other series, pick this one up and give it a shot. Otherwise, maybe you’ll like it if the description piques your interest, but it just wasn’t for me.
    • 3/5
      I have been curious about Alyson Noel's The Immortals series, but because of mediocre reviews haven't wanted to commit to such a long series. When I saw that Noel had released a short novel that was a spin-off of the series I thought it would be a great way to get a feel for her writing and see if I wanted to read more by her. This book was okay, but the character's were a bit flat and immature for me.Riley is dead and is living in the Hear and Now. Her parents are there and her house is there. Everything is kind of the same as it was when she was alive. Then on her first day of school things go wrong, she can't find her place...her job... in the Here and Now. When she is called before the Council they decide she should be a Soul Catcher and assign super-geek Bodhi to be her guide. Now Riley has to try and travel back to the land of the living to complete her assignment.As far as ghost stories go, this one didn't really add anything to the genre that hadn't been done before. Riley is basically somewhere in between the land of the living and Heaven and is having trouble accepting that. I think this book is written at a lower age level than The Immortals because it is being told from Riley's perspective (she is thirteen years old).The writing style for this book is okay, if a bit juvenile. It is readable and engaging. My biggest problem with this book are the characters. None of them are all that likable and they are also stereotypical. Riley is shallow, obnoxious, and whiny. Right away she starts giving Bodhi a hard time because he looks geeky; then later when he has his geeky glasses off she is all like "Oh, swoon he is so hot." I mean really how shallow can you be? Bodhi as a character isn't much better, although the fact that he even tolerates Riley says he's got more going on than she does. I think Riley is supposed to come off as snarky; but in reality she is irritating and obnoxious...even she realizes this at points...but she makes no effort to change.Overall not a book I enjoyed much. The biggest thing this book had going for it is that the dialogue was natural sounding and readable (if obnoxious) and it was a really short book. Personally I wouldn't waste my time on this book unless you are a serious die-hard fan of the Immortals series. There wasn't much story here, not much creativity, and the characters were obnoxious. This book convinced me to give credence to the mediocre reviews I have been seeing for The Immortals; I don't think this author is for me. It does look like Noel is planning to write additional novels with Riley and Bodhi; so if you do enjoy this book you should have more of the same to look forward to in the future.
    • 5/5
      Radiance is the first book in a spin-off of the immortals series. Although I enjoy the immortals series, I have to admit that I was a little skeptical starting out with this book, as I thought Riley's voice would be too young for me. Boy, was I sure proved wrong by little miss Riley!I absolutely loved her voice and her inner monologue. She regrets the fact that she died so young but slowly realizes that there is even more to experience after death. Bodhi, her 14 year old guide, is pretty swoon worthy! He's not the nerd that he dresses like, far from it actually! There is a lot of chemistry between Riley and Bodhi that makes the book that much more enjoyable! I loved their bickering with each other! It was great when Riley finally earned Bodhi's respect.I really enjoyed reading about the Here and Now from Riley's perspective. The descriptions were vivid and I could imagine exactly what the Here and Now would look like. It sounds like the afterlife would be a great time, even better than real life!I loved reading about Riley discovering who she is and finding her way through the afterlife as a Soul Catcher. Riley still has a lot of growing up to be but she was off to a great start in this book. She finds that she doesn't have to be a replica of her sister, but to just be herself. I think this teaches a good lesson to younger siblings out there who struggle to mold themselves into their older siblings. I know that I struggled with the same problem and wanted to be exactly like my older sister. It only took me until I was 13 to realize that it was better to just be myself and that I would be accepted for whoever I was. Thank you, Ms. Noël for putting a lesson like this in the story.Overall, this was a light, fun read and I would recommend it to any tweens and young teens that love paranormal books! I am eagerly anticipating the next Riley book and I hope it will be just as good as Radiance.
    • 3/5
      This review is going to be short and sweet, kinda like this book. Radiance, was a super quick read. I was able to fly through it in no time at all. The plot started out slow and took a little over half the book to get to the good stuff, but since the book was so short that really didn't matter much. Radiance had a sweet storyline about young Riley and her life after she moves on to the Here and Now, and how's she's trying to accept that and deal with her early death.I liked Riley's character most of the time, although she was pretty whiny. I really liked the idea of the Here and Now. Where are we? "here", what time is it? "now". You can be anywhere you want, dressed anyway you want, with just a thought. The ending of the book was a sweet conclusion. Overall this book was just so-so for me. It may have just been a little too much for the younger age group than I prefer, but it was still enjoyable.