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Personal Demons #1
Personal Demons
If you had to choose between Heaven and Hell, which would it be?
Are you sure about that...?
Frannie Cavanaugh is a good Catholic girl with a wicked streak. She's spent years keeping everyone at a distance--even her closest friends--and it seems her senior year will be more of the same...until Luc Cain enrolls in her class. No one knows where he came from, but Frannie can't seem to stay away from him. What she doesn't know is that Luc works in Acquisitions--for Hell--and she possesses a unique skill set that has the king of Hell tingling with anticipation. All Luc has to do is get her to sin, and he's as tempting as they come. Frannie doesn't stand a chance.
Unfortunately for Luc, Heaven has other plans, and the angel, Gabe, is going to do whatever it takes to make sure that Luc doesn't get what he came for. And it isn't long before they find themselves fighting for more than just her soul.
But if Luc fails, there will be Hell to pay...for all of them.
Are you sure about that...?
Frannie Cavanaugh is a good Catholic girl with a wicked streak. She's spent years keeping everyone at a distance--even her closest friends--and it seems her senior year will be more of the same...until Luc Cain enrolls in her class. No one knows where he came from, but Frannie can't seem to stay away from him. What she doesn't know is that Luc works in Acquisitions--for Hell--and she possesses a unique skill set that has the king of Hell tingling with anticipation. All Luc has to do is get her to sin, and he's as tempting as they come. Frannie doesn't stand a chance.
Unfortunately for Luc, Heaven has other plans, and the angel, Gabe, is going to do whatever it takes to make sure that Luc doesn't get what he came for. And it isn't long before they find themselves fighting for more than just her soul.
But if Luc fails, there will be Hell to pay...for all of them.
365 pages, Paperback
First published September 14, 2010
128 people are currently reading
16525 people want to read
About the author
Lisa Desrochers
20 books1,547 followersLisa Desrochers is the USA Today bestselling author of the
A LITTLE TOO FAR
series, courtesy of HarperCollins. Also in stores is her YA
PERSONAL DEMONS
trilogy (Macmillan). Look for her upcoming adult contemporary featuring hot Mafiosi, begining with
OUTSIDE THE LINES
, coming from Penguin in October 2015.
She lives in central California with her husband and two very busy daughters. There is never a time that she can be found without a book in her hand, and she adores stories that take her to new places, and then take her by surprise.
For more info, find her on-line at https://www.facebook.com/LisaDesroche..., or visit www.lisadwrites.com
She lives in central California with her husband and two very busy daughters. There is never a time that she can be found without a book in her hand, and she adores stories that take her to new places, and then take her by surprise.
For more info, find her on-line at https://www.facebook.com/LisaDesroche..., or visit www.lisadwrites.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 912 reviews
September 13, 2010
4.5 out of 5 stars
Dear Luc,
I wasn't supposed to fall for you. You see, you are everything I don't like. I mean let's start with the obvious, shall we Mr. Cain? You are a DEMON. And as a Mundie Mom I prefer my fictional boy interests to be more, you know, angelic?
But then I met you and things changed. I loved how Lisa switched between your point-of-view and Frannie's. I'm glad she didn't show your counterpart's, Gabe's. After all, he is the obvious Good Guy. I didn't want to know anything more about him than what Frannie told me. I know he's pure, can't be tempted and smells (pardon the pun) heavenly.
With the turning of each page, I wanted to know more about you, Luc. When you showed me your home, which just happens to be Hell, my heart ached for you. The heat. The molten rivers. Your fellow demons. I kept thinking what it would be like if I had to live there and work for the Department of Acquisitions tagging souls day in and day out. In fact, I think I did work in a place similar to that, but that's an entirely different story.
Next time you see Lisa please thank her and tell her that Personal Demons is a delicious new entry in the Heaven vs. Hell theme. Now, you may find me in my kitchen cabinet with my eyes closed trying to smell that spice bottle of cinnamon. And Luc dear, I'm sure you know why.
Until next year when Original Sin comes out I remain yours,
-Sophie
P.S. Be sure to thank Lisa for writing that incredible tension between you and Frannie as well as you and Gabe. Please, pass on to her how many times I laughed while reading (there were a lot of chuckles and a few flat out "HAs!"). Also, tell her how very much I loved the character of Frannie's grandpa. Everyone should have a grandpa like that.
Dear Luc,
I wasn't supposed to fall for you. You see, you are everything I don't like. I mean let's start with the obvious, shall we Mr. Cain? You are a DEMON. And as a Mundie Mom I prefer my fictional boy interests to be more, you know, angelic?
But then I met you and things changed. I loved how Lisa switched between your point-of-view and Frannie's. I'm glad she didn't show your counterpart's, Gabe's. After all, he is the obvious Good Guy. I didn't want to know anything more about him than what Frannie told me. I know he's pure, can't be tempted and smells (pardon the pun) heavenly.
With the turning of each page, I wanted to know more about you, Luc. When you showed me your home, which just happens to be Hell, my heart ached for you. The heat. The molten rivers. Your fellow demons. I kept thinking what it would be like if I had to live there and work for the Department of Acquisitions tagging souls day in and day out. In fact, I think I did work in a place similar to that, but that's an entirely different story.
Next time you see Lisa please thank her and tell her that Personal Demons is a delicious new entry in the Heaven vs. Hell theme. Now, you may find me in my kitchen cabinet with my eyes closed trying to smell that spice bottle of cinnamon. And Luc dear, I'm sure you know why.
Until next year when Original Sin comes out I remain yours,
-Sophie
P.S. Be sure to thank Lisa for writing that incredible tension between you and Frannie as well as you and Gabe. Please, pass on to her how many times I laughed while reading (there were a lot of chuckles and a few flat out "HAs!"). Also, tell her how very much I loved the character of Frannie's grandpa. Everyone should have a grandpa like that.
August 23, 2010
First, I would like to thank Goodreads and the author of this novel - Lisa Desrochers - for awarding me an ARC of Personal Demons. I never win anything, so getting this giveaway was extremely exciting. As much as I am grateful, however, I can't bring myself to give the book a rave review.
I am always sad to see authors squander away their great story ideas. So is the case with Personal Demons. It has a great premise - a demon and an angel fighting for the soul of a seemingly ordinary girl. Imagine the possibilities here - a stand-off between good an evil! elaborate, cunning schemes to force a good girl to forfeit her soul (think Succubus books by Richelle Mead)! an irresistible seduction by evil in spite of all common sense (think The Goblin Fruit in Lips Touch: Three Times by Laini Taylor). But alas, my hopes were crushed, as the novel instead embraces every overused cliche of the genre.
There is an obligatory love triangle and hence - the heroine's constant switch from one guy to another; a "titillating seduction" over lab tables and English lit homework; the "evil guy" whose evilness is limited to wearing black T-shirts and a pierced brow; the emphasis on minutiae of every glance and touch; and, of course, the notion that a millennia-old demon will find an ordinary girl attractive. All this in place of solid character development and establishing realistic relationships and conflicts. And my last concern (a pet peeve of mine, actually): why are so many female authors so keen on writing 1st person male POVs? Not only narrative voices of Luc and Frannie are indistinguishable (except Frannie's extensive use of the word "'cause"), but am I supposed to believe a 7000-year old demon cares to describe to us the appearance of an elderly school secretary in these words -Her round body is clad in the uniform of the ancients: turquoise polyester slacks and matching floral blouse neatly tucked in, right on the second page of the book?
I do, however, think that the book has a potential to be enjoyed by the crowd that favors books like: Evermore, Hush, Hush, Fallen, Shiver. There is enough of touching and embracing and kissing and eternal love proclamations to interest such readers. The question is, will Personal Demons reach this crowd, which is easily seduced and impressed by aggressive marketing campaigns and fleshy, deceptively sophisticated covers promising dark, dangerous romances? I think the present cover might not do the trick, even though the writing is on par with that of the books I listed earlier.
I am always sad to see authors squander away their great story ideas. So is the case with Personal Demons. It has a great premise - a demon and an angel fighting for the soul of a seemingly ordinary girl. Imagine the possibilities here - a stand-off between good an evil! elaborate, cunning schemes to force a good girl to forfeit her soul (think Succubus books by Richelle Mead)! an irresistible seduction by evil in spite of all common sense (think The Goblin Fruit in Lips Touch: Three Times by Laini Taylor). But alas, my hopes were crushed, as the novel instead embraces every overused cliche of the genre.
There is an obligatory love triangle and hence - the heroine's constant switch from one guy to another; a "titillating seduction" over lab tables and English lit homework; the "evil guy" whose evilness is limited to wearing black T-shirts and a pierced brow; the emphasis on minutiae of every glance and touch; and, of course, the notion that a millennia-old demon will find an ordinary girl attractive. All this in place of solid character development and establishing realistic relationships and conflicts. And my last concern (a pet peeve of mine, actually): why are so many female authors so keen on writing 1st person male POVs? Not only narrative voices of Luc and Frannie are indistinguishable (except Frannie's extensive use of the word "'cause"), but am I supposed to believe a 7000-year old demon cares to describe to us the appearance of an elderly school secretary in these words -Her round body is clad in the uniform of the ancients: turquoise polyester slacks and matching floral blouse neatly tucked in, right on the second page of the book?
I do, however, think that the book has a potential to be enjoyed by the crowd that favors books like: Evermore, Hush, Hush, Fallen, Shiver. There is enough of touching and embracing and kissing and eternal love proclamations to interest such readers. The question is, will Personal Demons reach this crowd, which is easily seduced and impressed by aggressive marketing campaigns and fleshy, deceptively sophisticated covers promising dark, dangerous romances? I think the present cover might not do the trick, even though the writing is on par with that of the books I listed earlier.
September 15, 2010
There is a lot of buzz for this book and almost all the reviews are glowing – so you know what that means? Me, being my ornery, contradictory self must go against the grain and not like the book.
For me this book hit on almost every cliché in YA right now. From the names: Lucifer, Gabriel, Mary Francis, to Hades High for the HS. We have good – Angel Gabriel vs evil – Demon Luc (both unbearably hot stud muffins of course) and the raging hormones of a teenage girl caught in an unending love triangle.
Luc is a demon sent to tag Frannie’s soul for hell. She has "gifts" that make her a powerful weapon to whichever side (heaven or hell) that can claim her for their own. Frannie falls for Luc instantly and Luc begins to have strange feelings for her too, but he’s bad for her since he’s evil. One problem. He never does anything evil. He’s nice. I always knew Frannie would be safe with him – no drama other than if they will have sex or not. His big bad evil plan? Make Frannie jealous so she will sleep with him. She would have done that anyway buddy…she’s all over you.
It’s not YA without the eternal struggle of good and evil and the lurve triangle so enter equally hot Gabriel who wants to tag her soul for heaven. She loves him too. No wait – Luc. No wait. Gabriel. No wait…..you get the idea. I know Gabriel is supposed to represent all that is good and Luc - evil but Gabe creeped me out and I just didn’t like him. Where Luc was self-sacrificing and loving Gabe was smarmy and petty. And Frannie’s families reaction to Gabe was downright weird. They could have had sex on the living room floor in front of them and they would have cheered it on.
I could go on but really there’s not a lot for me to say. Most people will love this book. It’s got the formula down and it’s really not that bad – I’m just tired of the whole thing. When a girl is that equally hot for two boys within a week I: A) don’t buy that she loves either of them and B) I lose respect for the girl for throwing herself at both of them, sometimes within minutes of each other and C) I lose respect for the guys who are just waiting for the crumbs to be tossed their way and will put up with almost anything in the hopes that she will choose them.
I guess I still did have a lot to say :-)
Also, a note about spices. I don’t want to hear the word ginger again for the next year! You’ll know what I mean if you’ve read this book.
BTW – If you’re a teenage boy who is even moderately good looking – get a piercing and head on over to Hades High! Those girls will be ALL over you – thrusting their breasts in your face and fighting over you within minutes. Good times! I think there is something in the water.
Despite my opinion I think most people will enjoy this book ….so as always ignore me and happy reading!
For me this book hit on almost every cliché in YA right now. From the names: Lucifer, Gabriel, Mary Francis, to Hades High for the HS. We have good – Angel Gabriel vs evil – Demon Luc (both unbearably hot stud muffins of course) and the raging hormones of a teenage girl caught in an unending love triangle.
Luc is a demon sent to tag Frannie’s soul for hell. She has "gifts" that make her a powerful weapon to whichever side (heaven or hell) that can claim her for their own. Frannie falls for Luc instantly and Luc begins to have strange feelings for her too, but he’s bad for her since he’s evil. One problem. He never does anything evil. He’s nice. I always knew Frannie would be safe with him – no drama other than if they will have sex or not. His big bad evil plan? Make Frannie jealous so she will sleep with him. She would have done that anyway buddy…she’s all over you.
It’s not YA without the eternal struggle of good and evil and the lurve triangle so enter equally hot Gabriel who wants to tag her soul for heaven. She loves him too. No wait – Luc. No wait. Gabriel. No wait…..you get the idea. I know Gabriel is supposed to represent all that is good and Luc - evil but Gabe creeped me out and I just didn’t like him. Where Luc was self-sacrificing and loving Gabe was smarmy and petty. And Frannie’s families reaction to Gabe was downright weird. They could have had sex on the living room floor in front of them and they would have cheered it on.
I could go on but really there’s not a lot for me to say. Most people will love this book. It’s got the formula down and it’s really not that bad – I’m just tired of the whole thing. When a girl is that equally hot for two boys within a week I: A) don’t buy that she loves either of them and B) I lose respect for the girl for throwing herself at both of them, sometimes within minutes of each other and C) I lose respect for the guys who are just waiting for the crumbs to be tossed their way and will put up with almost anything in the hopes that she will choose them.
I guess I still did have a lot to say :-)
Also, a note about spices. I don’t want to hear the word ginger again for the next year! You’ll know what I mean if you’ve read this book.
BTW – If you’re a teenage boy who is even moderately good looking – get a piercing and head on over to Hades High! Those girls will be ALL over you – thrusting their breasts in your face and fighting over you within minutes. Good times! I think there is something in the water.
Despite my opinion I think most people will enjoy this book ….so as always ignore me and happy reading!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 14, 2011
1.5 stars
Honestly, I found this novel just too tacky for my tastes.
A few quick thoughts ~ things that didn't work for me:
Frannie says she never swoons over guys and within the next two chapters all she's doing is swooning. Within the first few chapters four hot guys are falling all over Frannie. It made me feel sceptical and weary from the outset.
The alternating POV was quite unconvincing in Luc's chapters. It didn;t read like a male POV, much less one of a character who is meant to have lived for a LONG time. He was also unconvincing as a DEMON, instead he was like a HOT teenage bad boy. His chapters read the same as Frannie's narration, except Frannie's was different because she narrates by using the word 'cause' a lot and Luc's was different because he thinks lustful thoughts all the time fairly frequently.
I cringed in a lot of the descriptions. Many mentions of "obsidian eyes" and "sapphire eyes" ~ it seemed a bit fanfic and it really didn't make me feel attracted to the characters.
I also found all the jokes/references to heaven and hell like reading the bad pun section of the newspaper, haha. Luc was always wearing black, driving black, black house/furniture, etc. Inversely, Gabe was always in white, etc, etc, and it just seemed too obvious and very one dimensional.
The love triangle, I think, was poorly handled and became quite painful for me to read. I don't get why either supernatural (and ancient) beings suddenly both "loved" Frannie? Also, Luc and gabe didn't read like immortal beings ~ they seemed quite high school to me (apart from Luc's sexual fantasy's which were beyond high school, IMO). As for Frannie ~ she was very wishy-washy wavering between the two as chapters alternated without rhyme or reason (okay, well apart from wanting to make out with whoever she happened to be with because they were so HOT and she was so horny).
The premise wasn't too bad and I honestly went into this expecting it to be a guilty pleasure/escapism at best ~ ready to just have fun with it. Ahh, didn't happen. I am a little incredulous as to the popularity of these books ~ but really it just goes to show we all have different tastes in books :)
Honestly, I found this novel just too tacky for my tastes.
A few quick thoughts ~ things that didn't work for me:
Frannie says she never swoons over guys and within the next two chapters all she's doing is swooning. Within the first few chapters four hot guys are falling all over Frannie. It made me feel sceptical and weary from the outset.
The alternating POV was quite unconvincing in Luc's chapters. It didn;t read like a male POV, much less one of a character who is meant to have lived for a LONG time. He was also unconvincing as a DEMON, instead he was like a HOT teenage bad boy. His chapters read the same as Frannie's narration, except Frannie's was different because she narrates by using the word 'cause' a lot and Luc's was different because he thinks lustful thoughts
I cringed in a lot of the descriptions. Many mentions of "obsidian eyes" and "sapphire eyes" ~ it seemed a bit fanfic and it really didn't make me feel attracted to the characters.
I also found all the jokes/references to heaven and hell like reading the bad pun section of the newspaper, haha. Luc was always wearing black, driving black, black house/furniture, etc. Inversely, Gabe was always in white, etc, etc, and it just seemed too obvious and very one dimensional.
The love triangle, I think, was poorly handled and became quite painful for me to read. I don't get why either supernatural (and ancient) beings suddenly both "loved" Frannie? Also, Luc and gabe didn't read like immortal beings ~ they seemed quite high school to me (apart from Luc's sexual fantasy's which were beyond high school, IMO). As for Frannie ~ she was very wishy-washy wavering between the two as chapters alternated without rhyme or reason (okay, well apart from wanting to make out with whoever she happened to be with because they were so HOT and she was so horny).
The premise wasn't too bad and I honestly went into this expecting it to be a guilty pleasure/escapism at best ~ ready to just have fun with it. Ahh, didn't happen. I am a little incredulous as to the popularity of these books ~ but really it just goes to show we all have different tastes in books :)
March 24, 2010
Whatever you do, don't lump PERSONAL DEMONS in with all the other paranoraml or urban fantasy love triangles out right now. Trust me, it's so, so much more.
PERSONAL DEMONS is clever, heartwrenching, fun, intriguing, intense, and sexy. Frannie is a well developed protagonist with flaws and feelings and a brain (thank God) and Luc is, by all means, both a love interest and a villain, who never crosses the line into "creepy" as so many characters like him could easily do.
I loved this book for its complexity. For the fact that it was truly unpredictable. And I could NOT stop reading.
When this book comes out in September PLEASE GO BUY IT!!!!! SEriously, you will NOT regret it.
And now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go wait on the sequel. *waits*
PERSONAL DEMONS is clever, heartwrenching, fun, intriguing, intense, and sexy. Frannie is a well developed protagonist with flaws and feelings and a brain (thank God) and Luc is, by all means, both a love interest and a villain, who never crosses the line into "creepy" as so many characters like him could easily do.
I loved this book for its complexity. For the fact that it was truly unpredictable. And I could NOT stop reading.
When this book comes out in September PLEASE GO BUY IT!!!!! SEriously, you will NOT regret it.
And now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go wait on the sequel. *waits*
October 8, 2010
Is this book for real? Frannie is disgusting! Not only does she switch from Gabe to Luc every other minute, but she's also exremely selfish and shows no compassion or love for anyone, except her grandpa and her dead brother. She claims to love Luc, yet, after this absurd declaration, she proceeds to make out/cuddle with Gabe IN FRONT OF LUC! And, of course, vice versa, throughout the ENTIRE BOOK. And then, if Luc so much as GLANCES at another girl, she flips out of her mind and threatens to murder him with her bare hands. Hypocrite? You tell me.
So, when she's not stringing both Gabe and Luc along, she's whining about how she killed her brother (gimme a break), or passing out for no apparent reason, since she's extremely weak/pathetic, or insulting one character or another, or crying (which she does LITERALLY, and I do mean LITERALLY in every single scene of the book). One of her faves is to insult Luc/Gabe, but especially Luc, simply because she's mad at herself. She's just so unpleasant and mean. She does NOT love Luc. Really. She says she does, and I think the author thinks she does, but that is not how she would act if she loved him. She would not insult him every minute of the day. She would not show him absolutely no compassion whatsoever. She would not show him no affection at ALL. She acts like he's just some random stranger. Frannie repeatedly says how she only wants Luc for his body, which pissed me off.
And, of course, everyone's all "Don't hurt Frannie" blah blah blah, yet she's the one who hurts Luc over and over and over and makes out with other people in front of him and treats him like crap on the bottom of her shoe. What. The. Heck!?
Another thing that bothered me: Luc/Gabe, but especially Luc, live only for Frannie. Luc has no life outside of her, no interests--nothing! His life revolves completely around her, whereas she has her own life and barely gives one fart about him. No, wait, she doesn't care about him at ALL! I hate books like that, where the guy has no life. He breathes only for the girl. WHY!? Honestly.
And back to Frannie. She's such an immature little buttface. Her favorite word is "whatever," which she uses constantly, and it always makes her sound so frickin' mean. Also, when Luc asks her to lock her window (since demons are out to get her) she flips and wants to rip his head off. Why!!?? Because he doesn't want her to die!!!??? Really!!!???
Side note: Luc does not act like a 4k year old demon. He acts like a teenage guy. Gabe acts like an old woman.
Errr, this book is soooo annoying! I kept wishing Frannie would just die or something. Whyyy is there always an annoying girl who makes EVERYONE love her and uses all the boys who come across her path and, of course, fall at her feet with melting love? Can't she frickin' pick one person!? It's not fair that she gets to make out with several guys, yet the guys are fully in love with her, so much so that they wouldn't dream of even looking at another person?
A summary of this book:
Frannie cries.
Luc falls in love with Frannie for no apparent reason, since she doesn't have a single likable quality.
Frannie cries.
Gabe falls in love with Frannie for no apparent reason, since she doesn't have a single likable quality.
Frannie cries.
Frannie makes out with Gabe, who enjoys it for no apparent reason.
Frannie cries.
Frannie makes out with Luc for no apparent reason.
Frannie cries.
A random demon attacks Frannie, and Luc, for no apparent resason, since she has no redeeming qualities, saves her worthless hide.
Frannie cries.
Frannie gets pissed off at Luc for no reason at all.
Frannie makes out with Gabe again.
Frannie cries.
Luc reeaallly loves Frannie, like, reeeeaaallly, again, why!?
Frannie cries.
Frannie makes out with Gabe and Luc, one right after the other, then gets a little more Gabe action, followed by some more Luc, and some more Gabe.
Frannie swoons like an elderly woman and cries.
Frannie is attacked. Luc, unfortunately and for no apparent reason, saves her.
Frannie cries.
Frannie cries.
Frannie feels sorry for herself, and cries some more.
Luc has a revelation. Frannie cries. Oh, and then she cries.
Luc is an invincible robot, since it is clearly impossible for him to be injured, but even when he is injured, he's still fine. "Oh, what's that? I have a knife in my shoulder and deep claw marks all over my chest?" *Shrugs* "No biggie." *Crumples to the floor, dead* "Umm. Oops. Guess maybe I'm not okay after all." *Comes back to life* "OH, YEAH! I forgot! I'm omnipotent! WEEE!" Then again, it wouldn't matter if he was, since Frannie would show him no sympathy. No, she'd just scream and cry and hug Gabe.
Frannie cries.
Frannie cries.
Frannie cries.
Frannie sniffles, puts on a dramatic show of tears, and gets on with her woe is me production.
THEN.....DUNDUNDUN!!!!!!!!
Get this: Frannie CRIES!!!!!!!!
AND THEEENNN: Frannie gets drunk.
And then Frannie makes Luc apologize for being angry with her because she CHEATED ON HIM.
Then Frannie passes out drunk.
Then Frannie does something she has never done before: SHE C.R.I.E.S.!!!
So, when she's not stringing both Gabe and Luc along, she's whining about how she killed her brother (gimme a break), or passing out for no apparent reason, since she's extremely weak/pathetic, or insulting one character or another, or crying (which she does LITERALLY, and I do mean LITERALLY in every single scene of the book). One of her faves is to insult Luc/Gabe, but especially Luc, simply because she's mad at herself. She's just so unpleasant and mean. She does NOT love Luc. Really. She says she does, and I think the author thinks she does, but that is not how she would act if she loved him. She would not insult him every minute of the day. She would not show him absolutely no compassion whatsoever. She would not show him no affection at ALL. She acts like he's just some random stranger. Frannie repeatedly says how she only wants Luc for his body, which pissed me off.
And, of course, everyone's all "Don't hurt Frannie" blah blah blah, yet she's the one who hurts Luc over and over and over and makes out with other people in front of him and treats him like crap on the bottom of her shoe. What. The. Heck!?
Another thing that bothered me: Luc/Gabe, but especially Luc, live only for Frannie. Luc has no life outside of her, no interests--nothing! His life revolves completely around her, whereas she has her own life and barely gives one fart about him. No, wait, she doesn't care about him at ALL! I hate books like that, where the guy has no life. He breathes only for the girl. WHY!? Honestly.
And back to Frannie. She's such an immature little buttface. Her favorite word is "whatever," which she uses constantly, and it always makes her sound so frickin' mean. Also, when Luc asks her to lock her window (since demons are out to get her) she flips and wants to rip his head off. Why!!?? Because he doesn't want her to die!!!??? Really!!!???
Side note: Luc does not act like a 4k year old demon. He acts like a teenage guy. Gabe acts like an old woman.
Errr, this book is soooo annoying! I kept wishing Frannie would just die or something. Whyyy is there always an annoying girl who makes EVERYONE love her and uses all the boys who come across her path and, of course, fall at her feet with melting love? Can't she frickin' pick one person!? It's not fair that she gets to make out with several guys, yet the guys are fully in love with her, so much so that they wouldn't dream of even looking at another person?
A summary of this book:
Frannie cries.
Luc falls in love with Frannie for no apparent reason, since she doesn't have a single likable quality.
Frannie cries.
Gabe falls in love with Frannie for no apparent reason, since she doesn't have a single likable quality.
Frannie cries.
Frannie makes out with Gabe, who enjoys it for no apparent reason.
Frannie cries.
Frannie makes out with Luc for no apparent reason.
Frannie cries.
A random demon attacks Frannie, and Luc, for no apparent resason, since she has no redeeming qualities, saves her worthless hide.
Frannie cries.
Frannie gets pissed off at Luc for no reason at all.
Frannie makes out with Gabe again.
Frannie cries.
Luc reeaallly loves Frannie, like, reeeeaaallly, again, why!?
Frannie cries.
Frannie makes out with Gabe and Luc, one right after the other, then gets a little more Gabe action, followed by some more Luc, and some more Gabe.
Frannie swoons like an elderly woman and cries.
Frannie is attacked. Luc, unfortunately and for no apparent reason, saves her.
Frannie cries.
Frannie cries.
Frannie feels sorry for herself, and cries some more.
Luc has a revelation. Frannie cries. Oh, and then she cries.
Luc is an invincible robot, since it is clearly impossible for him to be injured, but even when he is injured, he's still fine. "Oh, what's that? I have a knife in my shoulder and deep claw marks all over my chest?" *Shrugs* "No biggie." *Crumples to the floor, dead* "Umm. Oops. Guess maybe I'm not okay after all." *Comes back to life* "OH, YEAH! I forgot! I'm omnipotent! WEEE!" Then again, it wouldn't matter if he was, since Frannie would show him no sympathy. No, she'd just scream and cry and hug Gabe.
Frannie cries.
Frannie cries.
Frannie cries.
Frannie sniffles, puts on a dramatic show of tears, and gets on with her woe is me production.
THEN.....DUNDUNDUN!!!!!!!!
Get this: Frannie CRIES!!!!!!!!
AND THEEENNN: Frannie gets drunk.
And then Frannie makes Luc apologize for being angry with her because she CHEATED ON HIM.
Then Frannie passes out drunk.
Then Frannie does something she has never done before: SHE C.R.I.E.S.!!!
December 14, 2023
Love triangle? Check.
Mary Sue? Check.
Every single annoying YA trope? Check.
Personal Demons started out with lots of promise. The summary seemed promising. The cover looked promising. I've always been a fan of paranormal romance, so even the title was promising.
But boy, this book was such a letdown.
I was tugged on a rollercoaster when I read this book. I went into it with high hopes, but was slightly disappointed when it started to drag, extremely annoyed for a while because of the love triangle, and finally, glued to the last 20 or so pages when the plot picked up again. But overall, this book came off bland and recycled for me. It's like every level of cliche that the YA genre has ever had. There's nothing to distinguish it from any other paranormal romance book.
Frannie, the MC, (what kind of name is Frannie anyway? sounds like a grandmother's name tbh) was the literal definition of a snowflake and it wasn't long before she started to annoy me no end. She spends the whole book vacillating between Luc and Gabe, kissing one in front of the other, and claiming that she normally "lets" her best friend Taylor have the guys but this time she wants to keep both. If she's not stringing three guys along at once (there's one more ex-boyfriend who wants her back), she's whining about not having a normal life after finding out she's the most special of the special snowflakes. Ring a bell? It should. We've seen this trope played out countless times before. It gets old.
Halfway through the book I was completely put off by the love triangle. I'm not one of those diehard love-triangle-antis - I actually enjoy it once in a while. And so I didn't mind at first, but after a while, when the love triangle began to replace the plot, I got bored easily and quickly. The story began to drag because it was mostly about Frannie's angst over which boy to choose instead of advancing the plot.
I generally wouldn't recommend picking up this. The book just gets increasingly boring, and there are really too many cliches that are glaringly easy to spot. Which is a shame because there was actually one point I thought I might rate it higher. But Lisa Desrochers apparently can't write her story out of the box.
Mary Sue? Check.
Every single annoying YA trope? Check.
Personal Demons started out with lots of promise. The summary seemed promising. The cover looked promising. I've always been a fan of paranormal romance, so even the title was promising.
But boy, this book was such a letdown.
I was tugged on a rollercoaster when I read this book. I went into it with high hopes, but was slightly disappointed when it started to drag, extremely annoyed for a while because of the love triangle, and finally, glued to the last 20 or so pages when the plot picked up again. But overall, this book came off bland and recycled for me. It's like every level of cliche that the YA genre has ever had. There's nothing to distinguish it from any other paranormal romance book.
Frannie, the MC, (what kind of name is Frannie anyway? sounds like a grandmother's name tbh) was the literal definition of a snowflake and it wasn't long before she started to annoy me no end. She spends the whole book vacillating between Luc and Gabe, kissing one in front of the other, and claiming that she normally "lets" her best friend Taylor have the guys but this time she wants to keep both. If she's not stringing three guys along at once (there's one more ex-boyfriend who wants her back), she's whining about not having a normal life after finding out she's the most special of the special snowflakes. Ring a bell? It should. We've seen this trope played out countless times before. It gets old.
Halfway through the book I was completely put off by the love triangle. I'm not one of those diehard love-triangle-antis - I actually enjoy it once in a while. And so I didn't mind at first, but after a while, when the love triangle began to replace the plot, I got bored easily and quickly. The story began to drag because it was mostly about Frannie's angst over which boy to choose instead of advancing the plot.
I generally wouldn't recommend picking up this. The book just gets increasingly boring, and there are really too many cliches that are glaringly easy to spot. Which is a shame because there was actually one point I thought I might rate it higher. But Lisa Desrochers apparently can't write her story out of the box.
April 6, 2010
I loved PERSONAL DEMONS! Frannie is a kind, smart girl who questions the world around her and made for a very interesting narrator. She really holds her own in a story filled with powerful, supernatural creatures. The other narrator... Oh my. Finally! A bad boy done RIGHT! Luc is sexy and written with a realistic male voice, and he and Frannie have so much depth to their characters. I was never bored once while reading this and only put it down once. The exciting overall story arc has me itching for the sequels! I can't wait to read ORIGINAL SIN!
August 19, 2010
Luc, so hot! I love a bad boy, but when that said bad boy is trying to redeem himself? Even hotter! Anyway, great new book about fighting one's destiny against the forces of Heaven and Hell.
Frannie is the black sheep in her very religious Catholic family. Never having recovered from a childhood accident, she blames herself for the life lost and finds Hell knocking on her door.
Enter Luc. Cool, swave, break-your neck kinda hot. He's out to tag Frannie for Hell, and he'll stop at nothing to claim her as his prize. But it turns out, she's not so easy. Somewhere along the way, Luc notices himself changing. Softening to her and finding himself in a very uncomfortable situation.
Gabe, an angel from Heaven, swoops in to save the day, only to realize, like Luc, there's more than meets the eye when it comes to Frannie.
With Hell fast on their heels, the three form a somewhat unconventional team to save Frannie from herself, Hell and a destiny she wants nothing to do with.
A great beginning to a very original new series. Can't wait for the next installment. Though there are three main characters, the story thus far is told from alternating POVs, Frannie and Luc's. Now I'm team Luc, so I'm hoping the series will stay it's course, but maybe, for you Gabe fans out there, Original Sin (July 2011) will level out the playing field.
Frannie is the black sheep in her very religious Catholic family. Never having recovered from a childhood accident, she blames herself for the life lost and finds Hell knocking on her door.
Enter Luc. Cool, swave, break-your neck kinda hot. He's out to tag Frannie for Hell, and he'll stop at nothing to claim her as his prize. But it turns out, she's not so easy. Somewhere along the way, Luc notices himself changing. Softening to her and finding himself in a very uncomfortable situation.
Gabe, an angel from Heaven, swoops in to save the day, only to realize, like Luc, there's more than meets the eye when it comes to Frannie.
With Hell fast on their heels, the three form a somewhat unconventional team to save Frannie from herself, Hell and a destiny she wants nothing to do with.
A great beginning to a very original new series. Can't wait for the next installment. Though there are three main characters, the story thus far is told from alternating POVs, Frannie and Luc's. Now I'm team Luc, so I'm hoping the series will stay it's course, but maybe, for you Gabe fans out there, Original Sin (July 2011) will level out the playing field.
November 12, 2010
I was giddy with excitement as I started this book and I read it straight through in one sitting, ok, with a few random 'OMG' tweets between pages and chapters. This book definitely did not disappoint. I love most of all, since it seems to be becoming a pattern in book recently, that the ending did not have a cliff-hanger. There is definitely enough opening for a second novel but I wasn't left with that 'stolen puppy' feeling and my mouth hanging open.
I am unable to eloquently break this book down by characters, writing, and plot because it was all amazing...so...I am going to tell you what I loved and didn't love.
Let's start with what I did not love. I did not love that Gabe didn't get his own point-of-view. I would have loved to have known what was going on in his sexy head. I totally think he should have had his own POV from the beginning of the book, that way I can feel justified for wanting to be on Team Gabe, because he would have then actually stood a chance. I also did not like that Frannie was so...selfish (couldn't think of a better word, more on that later), I think a decision for good would have been obvious...but it is a book....so I will relax.
Ok. What I did love. *psh* Where to start? I love that this book has a nice comfortable paranormal romance feel someone intertwined with a bigger-than-life feel. This book is about the sway of good and evil, heaven and hell, I would say that is pretty important. I love that Frannie is a strong independent women and knows what she wants, in life and in her man...I can totally appreciate her wanting to live her own life without being controlled but at the same time (see comment above).
I love the raw sexual energy seeping from the pages of this book, it is hot, and so very right. I think teenagers spend about 95% of their time thinking about sex, and the other 5% for day-to-day functioning. I also loved the concept of the smells associated with emotions, don't we always say animals can smell fear, but...what does fear smell like? Read this book and find out! As for me, I have developed a liking for cinnamon.
I am unable to eloquently break this book down by characters, writing, and plot because it was all amazing...so...I am going to tell you what I loved and didn't love.
Let's start with what I did not love. I did not love that Gabe didn't get his own point-of-view. I would have loved to have known what was going on in his sexy head. I totally think he should have had his own POV from the beginning of the book, that way I can feel justified for wanting to be on Team Gabe, because he would have then actually stood a chance. I also did not like that Frannie was so...selfish (couldn't think of a better word, more on that later), I think a decision for good would have been obvious...but it is a book....so I will relax.
Ok. What I did love. *psh* Where to start? I love that this book has a nice comfortable paranormal romance feel someone intertwined with a bigger-than-life feel. This book is about the sway of good and evil, heaven and hell, I would say that is pretty important. I love that Frannie is a strong independent women and knows what she wants, in life and in her man...I can totally appreciate her wanting to live her own life without being controlled but at the same time (see comment above).
I love the raw sexual energy seeping from the pages of this book, it is hot, and so very right. I think teenagers spend about 95% of their time thinking about sex, and the other 5% for day-to-day functioning. I also loved the concept of the smells associated with emotions, don't we always say animals can smell fear, but...what does fear smell like? Read this book and find out! As for me, I have developed a liking for cinnamon.
July 26, 2010
Review ComingPersonal Demons centres around Frannie (Mary Francis to be exact) & Lucifer Cain (Luc for short). Frannie’s family are heavy into religion, Frannie questions it after a loss.. so much so she gets thrown out of Catholic School in grade 7. Frannie is now 17 & when Luc enrolls in her High School she wants him. Luc wants Frannie to, but for a different reason.
Luc happens to work in Acquisitions for Hell & he has came to make Frannie’s soul for Hell as she has a unique ability & the King of Hell wants her. But so do the Angels & they send Gabriel (Gabe). Both Luc & Gabe appeal to Frannie on different levels & she doesn’t know who to choose. But Frannie has to decide soon Heaven or Hell, Gabe or Luc before it’s too late.
Personal Demons is the first in a three book series & all I can say is Thank Heaven & Unholy Hell for Personal Demons!Honestly, one of the best YA’s I have read all year. Lisa Derochers writes one hell of a novel my friends & she doesn’t talk down like I find with many YA’s. Meaning teens & adults can enjoy this wickedly sinful novel.
There is a love triangle (no it’s not like that other YA, not at all..it’s BETTER!) The tension in the relationships is so real, it sizzles. There’s emotion, real emotion that flows wonderfully off the pages. Speaking of pages, the action was something else, the pages flew by. I can’t wax enough about how much I loved every single character in the book, from Frannie to one of her best-friends Taylor. Though I love a bad boy & Luc was my kind of Demon. I’d also be remiss not to mention the laughs, there are plenty but Personal Demons thrives on the passion & action which there is a plenty.
Personal Demons is sugar & spice, with some shockers thrown in for good measure. Lisa Derochers has done YA a service with such a fabulous debut.
Luc happens to work in Acquisitions for Hell & he has came to make Frannie’s soul for Hell as she has a unique ability & the King of Hell wants her. But so do the Angels & they send Gabriel (Gabe). Both Luc & Gabe appeal to Frannie on different levels & she doesn’t know who to choose. But Frannie has to decide soon Heaven or Hell, Gabe or Luc before it’s too late.
Personal Demons is the first in a three book series & all I can say is Thank Heaven & Unholy Hell for Personal Demons!Honestly, one of the best YA’s I have read all year. Lisa Derochers writes one hell of a novel my friends & she doesn’t talk down like I find with many YA’s. Meaning teens & adults can enjoy this wickedly sinful novel.
There is a love triangle (no it’s not like that other YA, not at all..it’s BETTER!) The tension in the relationships is so real, it sizzles. There’s emotion, real emotion that flows wonderfully off the pages. Speaking of pages, the action was something else, the pages flew by. I can’t wax enough about how much I loved every single character in the book, from Frannie to one of her best-friends Taylor. Though I love a bad boy & Luc was my kind of Demon. I’d also be remiss not to mention the laughs, there are plenty but Personal Demons thrives on the passion & action which there is a plenty.
Personal Demons is sugar & spice, with some shockers thrown in for good measure. Lisa Derochers has done YA a service with such a fabulous debut.
August 2, 2010
Sympathy for the Devil? Not so much. But sympathy for a demon? Absolutely. In Personal Demons, Frannie, a world-toughened Catholic girl with faith problems winds up in the middle of a tug-of-war between heaven and hell, with an angel and a demon both fighting for her soul. Of course, they quickly find themselves fighting over more than that.
Luc (the demon) and Gabe (the angel) both make for intriguing leading men. In fact, some of the most riveting scenes in the book are the ones where the two are sparking off each other, with smartassery and well-placed glares. The plot moves ahead quickly but smoothly, and Frannie really grows on you. Probably because she has a spine and a mind and wants a life of her own. Good things.
However, I felt myself outraged at the frankly demonist attitudes portrayed in the book. Poor Luc was persecuted at every turn. In today's society, for people to treat someone so poorly just because he's a horrible, soul-sucking, fiendish piece of hellspawn...how rude!
Obviously I'm joking. Well, mostly. Personal Demons is a great read. Original Sin can't come out soon enough! And don't overlook the hellhounds. So cute!
Luc (the demon) and Gabe (the angel) both make for intriguing leading men. In fact, some of the most riveting scenes in the book are the ones where the two are sparking off each other, with smartassery and well-placed glares. The plot moves ahead quickly but smoothly, and Frannie really grows on you. Probably because she has a spine and a mind and wants a life of her own. Good things.
However, I felt myself outraged at the frankly demonist attitudes portrayed in the book. Poor Luc was persecuted at every turn. In today's society, for people to treat someone so poorly just because he's a horrible, soul-sucking, fiendish piece of hellspawn...how rude!
Obviously I'm joking. Well, mostly. Personal Demons is a great read. Original Sin can't come out soon enough! And don't overlook the hellhounds. So cute!
August 2, 2010
Don't place this book in with the rash of paranormal romances directed at teens lately. This has everything and more than any adult novel out today has to offer. There is romance, tension and intrigue all with a PG rating. I think that the author had to work twice as hard to write this one since the story line didn't rely on sexual situations to get to the point. All I can say is that Frannie is one feisty character. She doesn't do what she is supposed to and doesn't act the way she should. She has her own mind which is a wonderful trait these days.
I fell in love with all of the characters...this covers the fight of good and evil with age old personas of angels and demons. I read this one straight through in one night and I think you will probably do the same. There are some references of drugs, alcohol and sex, but not much more than any television show. This story is best suited for older teens (and yes, adults are going to love this one). Now, where is the next book in the series? I was kinda left hanging here.
I fell in love with all of the characters...this covers the fight of good and evil with age old personas of angels and demons. I read this one straight through in one night and I think you will probably do the same. There are some references of drugs, alcohol and sex, but not much more than any television show. This story is best suited for older teens (and yes, adults are going to love this one). Now, where is the next book in the series? I was kinda left hanging here.
January 27, 2010
Lisa Desrochers' debut is fantastic, full of shivers, surprises, and sultry romance. You'll be laughing one moment and shrieking the next - such a great read!
September 14, 2010
Personal Demons by Lisa Desrochers
Paranormal Romance - September 14th, 2010
4 ½ stars
This was a fun and exciting new series with darker tones about how one girl can change the fate of Heaven and Hell.
Frannie is a good Catholic girl. But she has a secret. She doesn’t believe in God. Ever since her brother died she knows he doesn’t exist. On a downward spiral Frannie is wondering if being a good girl is really worth it….
Dark, dangerous and sinfully delicious. Luc AKA Lucifer has come to Frannie’s school to corrupt her. If he can get her to sin and open herself up to her darker side he can ‘tag’ her for Hell. Luc has never failed a mission and he doesn’t intend to this time. But what he doesn’t expect is Frannie’s allure. And a conscience he doesn’t realize he has. He doesn’t want her to get her hurt. But Luc knows if he fails then a demon with less scruples will be coming….
I loved this book. It alternates between Frannie’s and Luc’s point of views. Because of this I felt the main characters really come out. I found them easy to relate to and very appealing. Frannie and Luc have a lot of depth. This book really drew me in. The suspense as representatives from Heaven and Hell battle it out, as Frannie as the ‘prize’ was thrilling to read. In fact, an equally attractive angel named Gabriel comes down to compete with Luc and Frannie is caught between 2 very hunky guys! Oh, yeah! Frannie’s attraction for both of them is hot and fun to read. I especially liked Frannie no nonsense attitude and Luc sudden confusion over his ‘mark.’ I won’t reveal why but Frannie is very special and depending how she chooses she can change history. I have to note that this book appears to be part of a series because it doesn’t end conclusively. Because there are expectations for Frannie…
A thrilling read with enough romance and dark fantasy. It kept me turning the pages in record time. This is a winner and I am definitely getting the next (?!) book!
Reviewed by Steph from the Bookaholics Romance Book Club
Paranormal Romance - September 14th, 2010
4 ½ stars
This was a fun and exciting new series with darker tones about how one girl can change the fate of Heaven and Hell.
Frannie is a good Catholic girl. But she has a secret. She doesn’t believe in God. Ever since her brother died she knows he doesn’t exist. On a downward spiral Frannie is wondering if being a good girl is really worth it….
Dark, dangerous and sinfully delicious. Luc AKA Lucifer has come to Frannie’s school to corrupt her. If he can get her to sin and open herself up to her darker side he can ‘tag’ her for Hell. Luc has never failed a mission and he doesn’t intend to this time. But what he doesn’t expect is Frannie’s allure. And a conscience he doesn’t realize he has. He doesn’t want her to get her hurt. But Luc knows if he fails then a demon with less scruples will be coming….
I loved this book. It alternates between Frannie’s and Luc’s point of views. Because of this I felt the main characters really come out. I found them easy to relate to and very appealing. Frannie and Luc have a lot of depth. This book really drew me in. The suspense as representatives from Heaven and Hell battle it out, as Frannie as the ‘prize’ was thrilling to read. In fact, an equally attractive angel named Gabriel comes down to compete with Luc and Frannie is caught between 2 very hunky guys! Oh, yeah! Frannie’s attraction for both of them is hot and fun to read. I especially liked Frannie no nonsense attitude and Luc sudden confusion over his ‘mark.’ I won’t reveal why but Frannie is very special and depending how she chooses she can change history. I have to note that this book appears to be part of a series because it doesn’t end conclusively. Because there are expectations for Frannie…
A thrilling read with enough romance and dark fantasy. It kept me turning the pages in record time. This is a winner and I am definitely getting the next (?!) book!
Reviewed by Steph from the Bookaholics Romance Book Club
August 23, 2010
Ug I really hate to do this, but I have to be completely honest. I really didn't care for this book. The story itself sounded very intriguing, but the execution was not up to par.
The story is told from two perspectives Frannie, a mortal with extraordinary gifts, and Luc, a demon sent to tag her soul for Hell. Of course Luc is hot and Frannie is instantly drawn to him. Well then we meet Gabe, the angel sent from Heaven to tag her soul, and the love triangle begins. The story intrigues me with both sides trying to grab her soul and the inevitable throw down between Heaven and Hell and I think that the author could have accomplished her goal if she would have focused more on the central plotline and less on the triangle. The romance in it was just not believable to me. One minute Frannie loves Gabe and then the next she loves Luc without anything but her hormones to blame. Also in the end we find out that Frannie, having the gift of Sway pretty much willed Luc to love her which again shows that the romance is not right.
I would have liked to have known more about her parents intuition about Luc and the shield around their house. Maybe this will be explained in later installments, but this is something that would have been nice to have explored. Also why is Frannie The One? I have so many questions that I think could have been answered if given the right approach.
I would like to thank Goodreads and Lisa Desrochers for gifting me this ARC and I am truly sorry that it didn't work out for me.
The story is told from two perspectives Frannie, a mortal with extraordinary gifts, and Luc, a demon sent to tag her soul for Hell. Of course Luc is hot and Frannie is instantly drawn to him. Well then we meet Gabe, the angel sent from Heaven to tag her soul, and the love triangle begins. The story intrigues me with both sides trying to grab her soul and the inevitable throw down between Heaven and Hell and I think that the author could have accomplished her goal if she would have focused more on the central plotline and less on the triangle. The romance in it was just not believable to me. One minute Frannie loves Gabe and then the next she loves Luc without anything but her hormones to blame. Also in the end we find out that Frannie, having the gift of Sway pretty much willed Luc to love her which again shows that the romance is not right.
I would have liked to have known more about her parents intuition about Luc and the shield around their house. Maybe this will be explained in later installments, but this is something that would have been nice to have explored. Also why is Frannie The One? I have so many questions that I think could have been answered if given the right approach.
I would like to thank Goodreads and Lisa Desrochers for gifting me this ARC and I am truly sorry that it didn't work out for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 30, 2010
I must say I have read alot of vampire and werewolf books, but angels and demons was new for me. I thought the book was very well written, with the expception of the overuse of 'cause, and this mostly bothered the English teacher in me! LOL
Personal Demons is about a high school girl, Frannie, and the struggles she faces while trying to overcoming the guilt she has from her past as well as being fought over by two very attractive males. Unbeknownst to her, the two very attractive males just happen to be fighting over who will "tag" her--heaven or hell. Luc, working for the devil, shows up first to tag Frannie. He soon finds, however, that the feelings he has for her keeps him from doing his job. Gabe shows up shortly after the arrival of Luc to try to protect Frannie from the devil, and go ahead and tag her for heaven while he is at it. As Luc and Frannie's feelings for one another grows, problems drop in from every direction for the two. You must read the book to see what those problems might be...and to learn about Frannie's special gift that makes the devil do just about anything to get her tagged for Hell.
The book was gripping and eventful from beginning to end. The characters were well rounded and very intriguing. I like that the author went back and forth between Luc and Frannie narrating the story. It would be fun to have Gabe as a narrator as well to get his insight on the whole thing! LOL I look forward to the next installment of the trilogy! Not sure I can wait until next Summer to see where Luc and Frannie end up!
Personal Demons is about a high school girl, Frannie, and the struggles she faces while trying to overcoming the guilt she has from her past as well as being fought over by two very attractive males. Unbeknownst to her, the two very attractive males just happen to be fighting over who will "tag" her--heaven or hell. Luc, working for the devil, shows up first to tag Frannie. He soon finds, however, that the feelings he has for her keeps him from doing his job. Gabe shows up shortly after the arrival of Luc to try to protect Frannie from the devil, and go ahead and tag her for heaven while he is at it. As Luc and Frannie's feelings for one another grows, problems drop in from every direction for the two. You must read the book to see what those problems might be...and to learn about Frannie's special gift that makes the devil do just about anything to get her tagged for Hell.
The book was gripping and eventful from beginning to end. The characters were well rounded and very intriguing. I like that the author went back and forth between Luc and Frannie narrating the story. It would be fun to have Gabe as a narrator as well to get his insight on the whole thing! LOL I look forward to the next installment of the trilogy! Not sure I can wait until next Summer to see where Luc and Frannie end up!
January 6, 2021
1 out of 10
It had started as an okay book but was getting worse and worse with every page. My eyes were hurt, my brains could die if not for Shadow and Bone's healing sessions. Maybe I'll tell you what this book was about later, just to save your time and nerves. Right now just believe me, you don't want to read this epitome of delusion.
November 8, 2010
Quick & Dirty: Unfortunately, Personal Demons delivers unlikable and clichéd characters, which does nothing to help the formulaic and underdeveloped plot.
Opening Sentence: If there’s a Hell on Earth, it’s high school.
The Review:
Luc Cain is on a mission. Luc is a First Level, 7,000 year old demon sent from the underworld to tag Frannie Cavanaugh’s soul. Frannie, a “good” catholic girl is going through a rebellious phase, battling her “wicked” streak. She’s ripe for the picking. As events unfold, Frannie soon discovers that she’s not just an average teenage girl. With her ability to shift the balance of power between good and evil, Frannie has the celestials and the infernals vying for her soul. Gabriel is an angel sent to foil Luc’s attempts to tag Frannie’s soul so that he can tag her soul himself for the good cause. Frannie quickly becomes enamored with both angel and demon, making it hard for her to function, and for them to do their respective jobs. Tag, you’re it!
Personal Demons turned out to be a rather disappointing read. I was initially intrigued when I first heard about this series. I loved the premise and thought that the setup would make for a compelling story. The first two chapters setup what appeared to be a titillating, seductive, and all-consuming read. Unfortunately, Mrs. Desrochers settles into a dull and clichéd rhythm, which leads to a series of painfully predictable moments. Personal Demons starts out with a sizzle, but quickly turns into a fizzle.
Personal Demons is told in first person narrative with alternating POV’s between Luc and Frannie. The narrative voices aren’t particularly distinct from each other, making it hard to really care about or feel attached to the characters. Luc doesn’t ever seem worldly let alone evil. I certainly didn’t expect a 7,000 year old demon to be so immature and unsure of himself. I initially thought the idea of incorporating scents with emotions was great, but it quickly turned annoying as I couldn’t remember them all. These are just some that I remembered to flag as I read along: Anise = Envy, Bitter Garlic = Hate, Black Pepper = Fury, Chocolate = Love, Citrus = Fear, Ginger = Lust. But uncharismatic characters and contrived scenes aren’t Personal Demons’ greatest sins.
There’s nothing dark or dangerous about this story. On the surface we are told what could happen and about the “evil” beasties involved, yet it’s not clearly shown to the reader. Fundamentally, this story lacks that sense of real danger and fear given the fact that the “evil” overlord himself has sent various henchmen to tag Frannie’s soul.
Frannie isn’t terribly sympathetic or likable, and the frequent use of the words: “‘Cause”, “Whatever”, and “Mmm” literally drove me mad. Frannie is driven by lust and paralyzed by ambivalence when it comes to making her own decisions. I don’t have an issue with her sudden lustful fits and teenage angst because it’s actually one of the only believable aspects of the book. The major issue is that there isn’t ANYTHING else to Frannie. Her character is completely vacuous and superficial on every level. But for the fact that Frannie’s “innocence” is mentioned in the book, she would be known as the town bicycle. Her constant falling all over and making out with Luc and Gabe at seemingly the most random moments felt shallow. I never felt that necessary romantic and emotional connection. Beyond the fact that Frannie is just a horny, annoying, selfish, and immature person, she’s just not that interesting. I simply couldn’t find one redeemable quality about her.
It’s a shame that Luc turned out to be such a lackluster character because he had the most potential to be interesting. Luc is supposed to be an “evil” demon sent to seduce Frannie and lead her down a sinful path so that he can tag her soul for his boss, but he NEVER does anything evil. Imagine watching a movie about a serial killer who never kills anybody. Preposterous, right? Luc is probably one of the most pitiful characterizations of “evil” that I’ve ever read.
Gabriel and Luc are essentially one in the same, where any “hot” guy will fill that lust void for Frannie. The “love triangle” in this book is basically non-existent. Gabriel is yet another severely under developed character whose chief draw to Frannie is that he’s unbelievably “HOT”.
Overall, I found Personal Demons to be a deeply flawed novel, with little character depth and development. Ms. Desrochers fails to adhere to the realities within the fantasy she created. She writes about a conflict between good and evil, but never presents us with anything remotely evil, or particularly sinful. Other than Frannie’s sexual frustrations and sudden boy obsession, and a poorly constructed love triangle, this story doesn’t seem to have any real purpose.
Notable Scene:
Finally, my head starts to clear, and I reach my sanctuary: the sliver of Hell from my wall mural. I walk along the cragged banks of the Lake of Fire until I reach the southernmost tip, where the lake meets the Walls of Hell, and the river Styx flows in from the south. Here, the distant shrieks of the damned and the mirthful laughter of the infernal blend and echo off the high walls like a dissonant choir. This is my cathedral.
Sitting on the pitted lava outcropping over the Lake of Fire, I let the music of Hell welcome me home for the last time. I stare out over the lake at the glossy black hulk of Pandemonium, perched above all of Hell on Flame Island. I admire the orange and red roiling molten lake swirling around the large crags of brimstone, pointing like accusing fingers at Heaven. Its accompanying light show–flickering scarlet and indigo with blue and white flame eruptions–is like Hell’s fireworks. And as the clouds of sulfuric gas emanating from those eruptions engulf me, I breathe them in, savoring the smell of brimstone as it stings my human nose. It’s easy to forget how beautiful home is, at least to us demons.
The Personal Demons Series:
1. Personal Demons
2. Original Sin
3. Hellbent
FTC Advisory: Tor Teen provided me with a copy of Personal Demons. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review. In addition, I don’t receive affiliate fees for anything purchased via links from my site.
Opening Sentence: If there’s a Hell on Earth, it’s high school.
The Review:
Luc Cain is on a mission. Luc is a First Level, 7,000 year old demon sent from the underworld to tag Frannie Cavanaugh’s soul. Frannie, a “good” catholic girl is going through a rebellious phase, battling her “wicked” streak. She’s ripe for the picking. As events unfold, Frannie soon discovers that she’s not just an average teenage girl. With her ability to shift the balance of power between good and evil, Frannie has the celestials and the infernals vying for her soul. Gabriel is an angel sent to foil Luc’s attempts to tag Frannie’s soul so that he can tag her soul himself for the good cause. Frannie quickly becomes enamored with both angel and demon, making it hard for her to function, and for them to do their respective jobs. Tag, you’re it!
Personal Demons turned out to be a rather disappointing read. I was initially intrigued when I first heard about this series. I loved the premise and thought that the setup would make for a compelling story. The first two chapters setup what appeared to be a titillating, seductive, and all-consuming read. Unfortunately, Mrs. Desrochers settles into a dull and clichéd rhythm, which leads to a series of painfully predictable moments. Personal Demons starts out with a sizzle, but quickly turns into a fizzle.
Personal Demons is told in first person narrative with alternating POV’s between Luc and Frannie. The narrative voices aren’t particularly distinct from each other, making it hard to really care about or feel attached to the characters. Luc doesn’t ever seem worldly let alone evil. I certainly didn’t expect a 7,000 year old demon to be so immature and unsure of himself. I initially thought the idea of incorporating scents with emotions was great, but it quickly turned annoying as I couldn’t remember them all. These are just some that I remembered to flag as I read along: Anise = Envy, Bitter Garlic = Hate, Black Pepper = Fury, Chocolate = Love, Citrus = Fear, Ginger = Lust. But uncharismatic characters and contrived scenes aren’t Personal Demons’ greatest sins.
There’s nothing dark or dangerous about this story. On the surface we are told what could happen and about the “evil” beasties involved, yet it’s not clearly shown to the reader. Fundamentally, this story lacks that sense of real danger and fear given the fact that the “evil” overlord himself has sent various henchmen to tag Frannie’s soul.
Frannie isn’t terribly sympathetic or likable, and the frequent use of the words: “‘Cause”, “Whatever”, and “Mmm” literally drove me mad. Frannie is driven by lust and paralyzed by ambivalence when it comes to making her own decisions. I don’t have an issue with her sudden lustful fits and teenage angst because it’s actually one of the only believable aspects of the book. The major issue is that there isn’t ANYTHING else to Frannie. Her character is completely vacuous and superficial on every level. But for the fact that Frannie’s “innocence” is mentioned in the book, she would be known as the town bicycle. Her constant falling all over and making out with Luc and Gabe at seemingly the most random moments felt shallow. I never felt that necessary romantic and emotional connection. Beyond the fact that Frannie is just a horny, annoying, selfish, and immature person, she’s just not that interesting. I simply couldn’t find one redeemable quality about her.
It’s a shame that Luc turned out to be such a lackluster character because he had the most potential to be interesting. Luc is supposed to be an “evil” demon sent to seduce Frannie and lead her down a sinful path so that he can tag her soul for his boss, but he NEVER does anything evil. Imagine watching a movie about a serial killer who never kills anybody. Preposterous, right? Luc is probably one of the most pitiful characterizations of “evil” that I’ve ever read.
Gabriel and Luc are essentially one in the same, where any “hot” guy will fill that lust void for Frannie. The “love triangle” in this book is basically non-existent. Gabriel is yet another severely under developed character whose chief draw to Frannie is that he’s unbelievably “HOT”.
Overall, I found Personal Demons to be a deeply flawed novel, with little character depth and development. Ms. Desrochers fails to adhere to the realities within the fantasy she created. She writes about a conflict between good and evil, but never presents us with anything remotely evil, or particularly sinful. Other than Frannie’s sexual frustrations and sudden boy obsession, and a poorly constructed love triangle, this story doesn’t seem to have any real purpose.
Notable Scene:
Finally, my head starts to clear, and I reach my sanctuary: the sliver of Hell from my wall mural. I walk along the cragged banks of the Lake of Fire until I reach the southernmost tip, where the lake meets the Walls of Hell, and the river Styx flows in from the south. Here, the distant shrieks of the damned and the mirthful laughter of the infernal blend and echo off the high walls like a dissonant choir. This is my cathedral.
Sitting on the pitted lava outcropping over the Lake of Fire, I let the music of Hell welcome me home for the last time. I stare out over the lake at the glossy black hulk of Pandemonium, perched above all of Hell on Flame Island. I admire the orange and red roiling molten lake swirling around the large crags of brimstone, pointing like accusing fingers at Heaven. Its accompanying light show–flickering scarlet and indigo with blue and white flame eruptions–is like Hell’s fireworks. And as the clouds of sulfuric gas emanating from those eruptions engulf me, I breathe them in, savoring the smell of brimstone as it stings my human nose. It’s easy to forget how beautiful home is, at least to us demons.
The Personal Demons Series:
1. Personal Demons
2. Original Sin
3. Hellbent
FTC Advisory: Tor Teen provided me with a copy of Personal Demons. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review. In addition, I don’t receive affiliate fees for anything purchased via links from my site.
Read
February 26, 2011Unfortunately I had to DNF Personal Demons. I found the writing a bit too ho-hum and the whole play on the angel and demon scenario wore thin very quickly. And when your main characters act more like immature kids better suited in grade school and not thousand plus year old supernatural creatures, along with a heroine who is considered to be a rebel on the sole basis of her thinking naughty thoughts, you can’t help but wonder what the author is trying to get across. This is a very tame, lacking tween love triangle that strides too hard and fails.
The basis of the plot is that Luc Cain (how about that play on words?) has been sent to Earth as a teenager to tag Frannie Cavanaugh’s soul. Frannie comes from a large family with parents who are devout Catholics. Frannie is not into her religion as her parents and some of her siblings are, and was kicked out of Catholic school for questioning the existence of God since her beloved brother, Matt was killed. She goes to Haden High aka Hades High (note the play on the words again) and is partnered up with Luc in her English class. He rubs her the wrong way since he comes across as a bit egotistical, dark (in the literal sense from his hair and his clothes), and too handsome for his own good. And yet she’s strangely attracted to him (dare I note the Twilight comparison here?)
But Frannie, who I can’t help but compare to a Mary Sue, because she’s written that way, has many boys in school who like her. The drama, the angst of who she should pick to kiss and hang out with! She has no clue that Luc has devious plans for her that he can’t fail at, or he’ll mostly likely burn for all eternity. Things become even more difficult when Gabe (think of the angel Gabriel) shows up to protect her from Luc’s tagging. These two boys… or men since they’re older than dirt, vie for Frannie’s soul while falling in love with her.
Sorry to say, but Personal Demons comes across as too tame, to dull in the sense we’ve seen this all before in the vast amount of Paranormal YA’s that are being published. The writing lacks that originality to make it stand out. The characters, or rather I should say caricatures, are too one-dimensional and have a very been there, done that in the sense of their personality and characteristics. Seriously, do all bad boy demons must wear black, drive hot classic cars and have a piercing or two? I also found Frannie too wishy washy with no sense of direction.
Personal Demons may interest more of the tween reader under the age of twelve, but most likely won’t appeal to older teens and adults.
The basis of the plot is that Luc Cain (how about that play on words?) has been sent to Earth as a teenager to tag Frannie Cavanaugh’s soul. Frannie comes from a large family with parents who are devout Catholics. Frannie is not into her religion as her parents and some of her siblings are, and was kicked out of Catholic school for questioning the existence of God since her beloved brother, Matt was killed. She goes to Haden High aka Hades High (note the play on the words again) and is partnered up with Luc in her English class. He rubs her the wrong way since he comes across as a bit egotistical, dark (in the literal sense from his hair and his clothes), and too handsome for his own good. And yet she’s strangely attracted to him (dare I note the Twilight comparison here?)
But Frannie, who I can’t help but compare to a Mary Sue, because she’s written that way, has many boys in school who like her. The drama, the angst of who she should pick to kiss and hang out with! She has no clue that Luc has devious plans for her that he can’t fail at, or he’ll mostly likely burn for all eternity. Things become even more difficult when Gabe (think of the angel Gabriel) shows up to protect her from Luc’s tagging. These two boys… or men since they’re older than dirt, vie for Frannie’s soul while falling in love with her.
Sorry to say, but Personal Demons comes across as too tame, to dull in the sense we’ve seen this all before in the vast amount of Paranormal YA’s that are being published. The writing lacks that originality to make it stand out. The characters, or rather I should say caricatures, are too one-dimensional and have a very been there, done that in the sense of their personality and characteristics. Seriously, do all bad boy demons must wear black, drive hot classic cars and have a piercing or two? I also found Frannie too wishy washy with no sense of direction.
Personal Demons may interest more of the tween reader under the age of twelve, but most likely won’t appeal to older teens and adults.
September 22, 2010
I stopped reading Personal Demons twice. In the beginning, it was full of your typical teenage drama- new hot guy, jealous best friend, newer hot guy, love triangle, raging hormones, etc. Even when you add in the part that the new hot guy is a demon, the newer hot guy is an angel and the potential love triangle has epic implications; I found the story boring. Because of my boredom with the book, I put it down twice and had no desire to continue to read it.
Fast forward to a couple of days ago. I was encouraged to continue with the book by another reviewer’s high review and praise of the book. I always trusted her reviews so I thought I would not stop now. Therefore, I gave the book another chance.
I LOVED IT. There is some magic barrier; it is around the 100-page mark. You pass that page and the book transforms into a fascinating story about redemption, forgiveness, and love. I do not know why it takes 100 pages or so for the story to develop into a great book, but it does. I found myself cheering for Luc, the demon, in the story even though I thought he was a jerk and selfish in the beginning. Frannie, a character who seemed over the top and unbelievable at the beginning, turned into a girl full of love but living a life of guilt. Gabe was the character that left the book, the same way he came into the book. I thought he was bland, but I could see how he was necessary to the story.
Overall- a great book. 2 stars- first 25% of the book/ 5 stars- last 75% of the book- overall- 4 stars.
Fast forward to a couple of days ago. I was encouraged to continue with the book by another reviewer’s high review and praise of the book. I always trusted her reviews so I thought I would not stop now. Therefore, I gave the book another chance.
I LOVED IT. There is some magic barrier; it is around the 100-page mark. You pass that page and the book transforms into a fascinating story about redemption, forgiveness, and love. I do not know why it takes 100 pages or so for the story to develop into a great book, but it does. I found myself cheering for Luc, the demon, in the story even though I thought he was a jerk and selfish in the beginning. Frannie, a character who seemed over the top and unbelievable at the beginning, turned into a girl full of love but living a life of guilt. Gabe was the character that left the book, the same way he came into the book. I thought he was bland, but I could see how he was necessary to the story.
Overall- a great book. 2 stars- first 25% of the book/ 5 stars- last 75% of the book- overall- 4 stars.
December 18, 2010
WOW! So much smexy hotness in one book, I’m surprised the book didn’t burst into flame!
Frannie is the "rebel" middle sister in a Catholic family. By rebel I mean, she doesn’t go to Catholic school (actually she was asked to leave) and she definitely doesn’t believe in God. After a tragic loss when she was a child, Frannie keeps everyone at a distance and doesn’t believe in love…until Luc Cain enrolls at Haden (Hades) High that is. Luc is as tempting as they come, and Frannie, well she can’t stay away. Then there’s Gabe, a blue eyed, golden boy, who also shows up out of nowhere. Let’s just say there’s a bit more at stake than who Frannie should date.
Personal Demons has a lot going for it: a smart, strong, take no nonsense leading lady, parents that are present and involved in their children’s lives, two awesome love interests, angels, demons, snarky best friends, action, and romance. The story sucked me in from the beginning with Luc’s commentary about going back to another high school and kept me hooked right until the last sentence. The basic premise of good verses evil isn’t new, but Ms. Desrochers put such a unique spin on it that it felt like an entirely new concept.
One of the best parts of Personal Demons is the characters. Frannie is a great example of a girl that has brains and strength, both physical and emotional. But she wasn’t intimidating as a character; you know those characters that are just too perfect, that if they were real people, you might be too intimidated to talk to, totally the opposite of Frannie. She was instantly relatable and it felt like she could be a really great friend (I went to Catholic school all the way through high school, so to me Frannie felt like a long lost school mate). Luc was a tough guy to really pin down. It was clear from the start that he was more than just a demon doing a job and his character arc was the most fun to witness. Gabe, what can I say about Gabe, except that I wish there was more of him. But, seriously, it was easy to see that he was the good guy, who maybe didn’t always want to go by the rules. The secondary characters were just as fascinating as the main three and really helped to fill out the story.
I have to take a moment and talk about Frannie’s family. I love that Ms. Desrochers included a family where the parents are present and seen more than once. Even though they did not have big parts in the story, it was clear that they loved their children and cared what happened to them. Their suspicions about Luc and overwhelming pro-Gabe feelings let the reader know that they were more perceptive than Frannie would have liked them to be. And Frannie’s grandfather was possibly my favorite character in the whole book. His relationship with Frannie was wonderful and it really made her a more complete character.
Throughout the book, Frannie had a few tough decisions to make, one of which was of course the choice between Luc and Gabe. This choice really was more than just the choice of which boy to date. By choosing between the, Frannie was really choosing a side, good or evil. For most of the book she’s pretty much set on one guy (um, yeah not going to tell you who) but the other guy, she still had feelings for him too. She does make a decision at the end of the book, but it will be interesting to see what happens in the rest of the series.
Normally, I’m not crazy about books that have more than one point of view, but having both Frannie and Luc’s points of view really works in Personal Demons. You get to see certain high stakes situations from both sides, plus it’s fun to see into both Frannie and Luc’s heads. But, it also makes me wonder about Gabe and his thoughts, especially towards the end.
Overall, Personal Demons was an excellent book. I really enjoyed reading it and can't wait for the next book in the series! If you're into paranormal books or like books with lots of action with some romance, definitely read Personal Demons. Even if you're not, you should read Personal Demons anyway.
Frannie is the "rebel" middle sister in a Catholic family. By rebel I mean, she doesn’t go to Catholic school (actually she was asked to leave) and she definitely doesn’t believe in God. After a tragic loss when she was a child, Frannie keeps everyone at a distance and doesn’t believe in love…until Luc Cain enrolls at Haden (Hades) High that is. Luc is as tempting as they come, and Frannie, well she can’t stay away. Then there’s Gabe, a blue eyed, golden boy, who also shows up out of nowhere. Let’s just say there’s a bit more at stake than who Frannie should date.
Personal Demons has a lot going for it: a smart, strong, take no nonsense leading lady, parents that are present and involved in their children’s lives, two awesome love interests, angels, demons, snarky best friends, action, and romance. The story sucked me in from the beginning with Luc’s commentary about going back to another high school and kept me hooked right until the last sentence. The basic premise of good verses evil isn’t new, but Ms. Desrochers put such a unique spin on it that it felt like an entirely new concept.
One of the best parts of Personal Demons is the characters. Frannie is a great example of a girl that has brains and strength, both physical and emotional. But she wasn’t intimidating as a character; you know those characters that are just too perfect, that if they were real people, you might be too intimidated to talk to, totally the opposite of Frannie. She was instantly relatable and it felt like she could be a really great friend (I went to Catholic school all the way through high school, so to me Frannie felt like a long lost school mate). Luc was a tough guy to really pin down. It was clear from the start that he was more than just a demon doing a job and his character arc was the most fun to witness. Gabe, what can I say about Gabe, except that I wish there was more of him. But, seriously, it was easy to see that he was the good guy, who maybe didn’t always want to go by the rules. The secondary characters were just as fascinating as the main three and really helped to fill out the story.
I have to take a moment and talk about Frannie’s family. I love that Ms. Desrochers included a family where the parents are present and seen more than once. Even though they did not have big parts in the story, it was clear that they loved their children and cared what happened to them. Their suspicions about Luc and overwhelming pro-Gabe feelings let the reader know that they were more perceptive than Frannie would have liked them to be. And Frannie’s grandfather was possibly my favorite character in the whole book. His relationship with Frannie was wonderful and it really made her a more complete character.
Throughout the book, Frannie had a few tough decisions to make, one of which was of course the choice between Luc and Gabe. This choice really was more than just the choice of which boy to date. By choosing between the, Frannie was really choosing a side, good or evil. For most of the book she’s pretty much set on one guy (um, yeah not going to tell you who) but the other guy, she still had feelings for him too. She does make a decision at the end of the book, but it will be interesting to see what happens in the rest of the series.
Normally, I’m not crazy about books that have more than one point of view, but having both Frannie and Luc’s points of view really works in Personal Demons. You get to see certain high stakes situations from both sides, plus it’s fun to see into both Frannie and Luc’s heads. But, it also makes me wonder about Gabe and his thoughts, especially towards the end.
Overall, Personal Demons was an excellent book. I really enjoyed reading it and can't wait for the next book in the series! If you're into paranormal books or like books with lots of action with some romance, definitely read Personal Demons. Even if you're not, you should read Personal Demons anyway.
August 28, 2010
I was so thrilled to get this ARC when I went to ALA. Lisa D is a very friendly and charitable author in the writing community. She's also very humble and approachable, which I think is a essential trait for writers. I would recommend Personal Demons to anyone!!
I loved the character of Frannie, or Mary Francis. She is the anti-bella. Very strong, very opinated, has her own interests outside of guys. I loved the character of Luc or Lucifier. I love, love a reformed bad boy or a bad boy that the love of a good gal can alter! It was really refreshing watching his transformation over the course of the novel from demon sent to take Frannie's soul, to him wanting to save her and even loving her. Even though I have a YAUF with guardian angels, I never rooted for Frannie and Gabe. Sure, he was a divinely hot angel, but you could always see that Gabe had his eye on the prize aka trying to secure Frannie's soul for the higher good. But his scenes where he was tempted to let go and go with his feelings were awesome...but it was also funny to see him put Luc in his place for being a horndog.
It was interesting the way Frannie was from a staunch Catholic family but totally questioned God and her faith. We learn why as well the title of the book takes on an entirely new meaning when the story of Frannie's twin brother Matt unfolds. We learn that when they were children(5 or 6 I think), they were climbing a tree, and Matt fell to his death. Since that day, Frannie has struggled with the guilt that she caused his death b/c she pulled on his foot so she could win. It's something that her mother still has not gotten over. However, she learns that it wasn't her fault and that she has to forgive herself in order to not only move on with her life, but to do what she has been called to do. My heart literally soared at the end when Matt appears to be her guardian angel. Their reunion is AWESOME! *sobs*
I also loved that there is a real life, supportive family in this book. I loved how her mom was always making her leave the door open when Luc was over. Her sisters, "the Marys", lol, were awesome too. It was just very freshing to see a fantasy novel with a strong family. Oh, and how I loved the grandfather. I was kinda my grandfather's favorite, so the scenes where Frannie helped him with the car were awesome.
And there is some amazing heat and chemistry coming from Frannie and Luc....I think I fogged my book up reading some of it! LOL
The only thing I didn't like was the very beginning of the book. The POV shifted too much for me, and it was a little too much about heat and attraction in the beginning. I would have liked a little more introduction and set up.
Overall tho, I loved it, and I can't wait for the sequel! I'll probably buy a copy myself since I'm giving my arc away for GotYA
I loved the character of Frannie, or Mary Francis. She is the anti-bella. Very strong, very opinated, has her own interests outside of guys. I loved the character of Luc or Lucifier. I love, love a reformed bad boy or a bad boy that the love of a good gal can alter! It was really refreshing watching his transformation over the course of the novel from demon sent to take Frannie's soul, to him wanting to save her and even loving her. Even though I have a YAUF with guardian angels, I never rooted for Frannie and Gabe. Sure, he was a divinely hot angel, but you could always see that Gabe had his eye on the prize aka trying to secure Frannie's soul for the higher good. But his scenes where he was tempted to let go and go with his feelings were awesome...but it was also funny to see him put Luc in his place for being a horndog.
It was interesting the way Frannie was from a staunch Catholic family but totally questioned God and her faith. We learn why as well the title of the book takes on an entirely new meaning when the story of Frannie's twin brother Matt unfolds. We learn that when they were children(5 or 6 I think), they were climbing a tree, and Matt fell to his death. Since that day, Frannie has struggled with the guilt that she caused his death b/c she pulled on his foot so she could win. It's something that her mother still has not gotten over. However, she learns that it wasn't her fault and that she has to forgive herself in order to not only move on with her life, but to do what she has been called to do. My heart literally soared at the end when Matt appears to be her guardian angel. Their reunion is AWESOME! *sobs*
I also loved that there is a real life, supportive family in this book. I loved how her mom was always making her leave the door open when Luc was over. Her sisters, "the Marys", lol, were awesome too. It was just very freshing to see a fantasy novel with a strong family. Oh, and how I loved the grandfather. I was kinda my grandfather's favorite, so the scenes where Frannie helped him with the car were awesome.
And there is some amazing heat and chemistry coming from Frannie and Luc....I think I fogged my book up reading some of it! LOL
The only thing I didn't like was the very beginning of the book. The POV shifted too much for me, and it was a little too much about heat and attraction in the beginning. I would have liked a little more introduction and set up.
Overall tho, I loved it, and I can't wait for the sequel! I'll probably buy a copy myself since I'm giving my arc away for GotYA
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 26, 2010
The subject matter alone should have been enough to dissuade me from taking this book, because I do not DO scary. But man, I love me a good bad boy story. And a demon? Talk about the ultimate bad boy. Plus, I have a particular fixation with angels (the other paranormal in PERSONAL DEMONS), so, I wasn’t NOT going to read it.
Still, I didn’t dive in. I waded, keeping my guard up. But before I knew it, I was sucked in anyway. The book simply devoured me. Quite easily. The writing, for one, is spectacular. And the voice? So sharp, beautifully genuine and captivating. Though there were times I wanted to slap Frannie upside the head for being so seventeen (OMG, that makes me feel old and stodgy); and more than once, I was itching to drop kick Luc for being so…devilish. BUT, that was part of what made these characters so very real. I reacted to them as if they were real teens I knew with strengths and flaws and attitude and desires…and oh my word, was there desire. Dripping, red hot passion. I half expected steam to rise up from my pages. The romance in this is so sizzling that even at the beginning, before the characters begin to change and grow, I was rooting for them. Honestly, I found myself wanting Frannie to end up with this…demon. It’s not that I wanted her to go to Hell. But I found myself wanting her to act on that chemistry between them and, um, “sin” with Luc just short of Hell-worthy. So, this sort of freaked me out. Because I’m not supposed to LIKE demons.
PERSONAL DEMONS was a bit scary—a goosebump-raising, stealth-creepy kind of scary, but not overly so. There were a lot of elements of suspense, but the demons weren’t really any scarier than most vampires or werewolves in YA (at least not on paper—movies? All bets are off). No, my main concern was that it was messing with my head—damn it, I was falling in love with Luc myself. And he’s a demon, people. A DEMON. Not. Cool. So hubs told me: “Just stop reading if it’s freaking you out.” To which I replied, “Are you CRAZY! It’s too good. And I have to know how it ends.”
And really, how often do you get that emotionally invested in a book, enough that even when it freaks you out, you want to keep reading? It’s remarkable. Indeed, I was completely taken by every single word. It’s just so layered conceptually and thematically. It’s funny and sexy, poignant and sad, scary and profound—an ultimate story of love and redemption. I won’t tell you how it ends, of course, but I’ll tell you that it’s a brilliant finale—a good vs. evil smackdown that will have you whipping through those final pages, reading like a speed demon.
Still, I didn’t dive in. I waded, keeping my guard up. But before I knew it, I was sucked in anyway. The book simply devoured me. Quite easily. The writing, for one, is spectacular. And the voice? So sharp, beautifully genuine and captivating. Though there were times I wanted to slap Frannie upside the head for being so seventeen (OMG, that makes me feel old and stodgy); and more than once, I was itching to drop kick Luc for being so…devilish. BUT, that was part of what made these characters so very real. I reacted to them as if they were real teens I knew with strengths and flaws and attitude and desires…and oh my word, was there desire. Dripping, red hot passion. I half expected steam to rise up from my pages. The romance in this is so sizzling that even at the beginning, before the characters begin to change and grow, I was rooting for them. Honestly, I found myself wanting Frannie to end up with this…demon. It’s not that I wanted her to go to Hell. But I found myself wanting her to act on that chemistry between them and, um, “sin” with Luc just short of Hell-worthy. So, this sort of freaked me out. Because I’m not supposed to LIKE demons.
PERSONAL DEMONS was a bit scary—a goosebump-raising, stealth-creepy kind of scary, but not overly so. There were a lot of elements of suspense, but the demons weren’t really any scarier than most vampires or werewolves in YA (at least not on paper—movies? All bets are off). No, my main concern was that it was messing with my head—damn it, I was falling in love with Luc myself. And he’s a demon, people. A DEMON. Not. Cool. So hubs told me: “Just stop reading if it’s freaking you out.” To which I replied, “Are you CRAZY! It’s too good. And I have to know how it ends.”
And really, how often do you get that emotionally invested in a book, enough that even when it freaks you out, you want to keep reading? It’s remarkable. Indeed, I was completely taken by every single word. It’s just so layered conceptually and thematically. It’s funny and sexy, poignant and sad, scary and profound—an ultimate story of love and redemption. I won’t tell you how it ends, of course, but I’ll tell you that it’s a brilliant finale—a good vs. evil smackdown that will have you whipping through those final pages, reading like a speed demon.
September 2, 2010
Personal Demons was so unique and amazing. The idea behind the book was very original, with Heaven and Hell fighting for Frannie's special soul. Nothing in the story was predictable and I found myself gasping at new revelations and surprises!
Frannie was such a joy! I loved how she was the rebel in her goody-goody Catholic family. I found it extremely amusing that her and her sisters had the same first name, Mary. What kind of crazy parents would do this to their poor daughters?! Talk about confusing! Frannie also happens to be a 5'2 judo black belt who can throw not-so-small guys to the ground! Talk about amazing!! She has such a fresh voice and is a very relatable teen. Well, besides the fact that she has Heaven and Hell fighting for her soul! I really enjoyed her interactions with Luc. One minute she's hot for him, the next minute she can't wait to have him out of her sight! Their relationship was very hot and cold, though mostly hot with Luc involved!
Luc was so steamy (literally)! He was sarcastic, full of himself, and such a bad boy! Personal Demons would not have been the same had Lisa Desrochers chosen not to have part of the book in his point of view. I could really understand his motives better and I felt sad at times for his situation. I loved reading about Luc, the very, very bad demon who slowly falls in love with Frannie. He was very hot headed but could also be such a sweetie. There was so much character development with Luc, until the very last page of the book. I can't wait to see what is in store for him in the sequel to Personal Demons.
I really don't know what to feel about Gabe. He really never stood a chance with Frannie, at least to me, compared to Luc. Maybe I would have felt more of a connection to Gabe, had his point of view been told from in Personal Demons, but he just didn't make me feel all warm and fuzzy like Luc. Though his moments with Frannie were sweet, I didn't feel much chemistry between Gabe and Frannie, atleast compared the the sparks that were flying off the page whenever Luc and Frannie were together!
The ending to the book left me wanting so much more! I need to know what else is in store for Frannie, and what will happen involving the twist at the end of Personal Demons! I loved Personal Demons and would recommend it to anyone looking for an amazing YA paranormal read.
Frannie was such a joy! I loved how she was the rebel in her goody-goody Catholic family. I found it extremely amusing that her and her sisters had the same first name, Mary. What kind of crazy parents would do this to their poor daughters?! Talk about confusing! Frannie also happens to be a 5'2 judo black belt who can throw not-so-small guys to the ground! Talk about amazing!! She has such a fresh voice and is a very relatable teen. Well, besides the fact that she has Heaven and Hell fighting for her soul! I really enjoyed her interactions with Luc. One minute she's hot for him, the next minute she can't wait to have him out of her sight! Their relationship was very hot and cold, though mostly hot with Luc involved!
Luc was so steamy (literally)! He was sarcastic, full of himself, and such a bad boy! Personal Demons would not have been the same had Lisa Desrochers chosen not to have part of the book in his point of view. I could really understand his motives better and I felt sad at times for his situation. I loved reading about Luc, the very, very bad demon who slowly falls in love with Frannie. He was very hot headed but could also be such a sweetie. There was so much character development with Luc, until the very last page of the book. I can't wait to see what is in store for him in the sequel to Personal Demons.
I really don't know what to feel about Gabe. He really never stood a chance with Frannie, at least to me, compared to Luc. Maybe I would have felt more of a connection to Gabe, had his point of view been told from in Personal Demons, but he just didn't make me feel all warm and fuzzy like Luc. Though his moments with Frannie were sweet, I didn't feel much chemistry between Gabe and Frannie, atleast compared the the sparks that were flying off the page whenever Luc and Frannie were together!
The ending to the book left me wanting so much more! I need to know what else is in store for Frannie, and what will happen involving the twist at the end of Personal Demons! I loved Personal Demons and would recommend it to anyone looking for an amazing YA paranormal read.
February 8, 2012
This was my first book by this author and I can see she'll get better with her upcoming books. But this book wasn't it. Even though, it added a unique spin to the usual angel demon story, I still had some issues with it:
Frannie seemed like a sensible girl till she got involved in a love triangle.
The two alternating POVs made things interesting but Luc's side of the story didn't sound like it was being told by a guy.
The names- Luc, Gabriel and Hades High- did sound cheesy.
The attraction between Gabe and Frannie confused me. At times, it sounded like it was some angel mojo while at others, she really seemed to like him.
Frannie's parents' intuition was never explained and I hope it is touched in the next books.
Frannie seemed like a sensible girl till she got involved in a love triangle.
The two alternating POVs made things interesting but Luc's side of the story didn't sound like it was being told by a guy.
The names- Luc, Gabriel and Hades High- did sound cheesy.
The attraction between Gabe and Frannie confused me. At times, it sounded like it was some angel mojo while at others, she really seemed to like him.
Frannie's parents' intuition was never explained and I hope it is touched in the next books.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 19, 2010
For those who have ever asked the question "What do demons think about?", Personal Demons will answer it for you. It's sexy, fun, and creepy in all the right ways. There are 5 things I look for/need in a 5 star book:
-romance (check!)
-swoon worth guy (check!)
-drama (check/check!)
-keeps my interest/keeps me reading (check!)
-has me craving for more (check/check/check!)
I want the sequel, and this book hasn't even hit shelves yet!
*full review to come*
-romance (check!)
-swoon worth guy (check!)
-drama (check/check!)
-keeps my interest/keeps me reading (check!)
-has me craving for more (check/check/check!)
I want the sequel, and this book hasn't even hit shelves yet!
*full review to come*
September 19, 2010
I loved this book -- absolutely LOVED it. At first I was dissapointed that we never hear from Gabe (the narrative is 1st person through Luc and Frannie) but that is explained as the story progresses.
I can't wait for future installments in this series. Luc, hands down, stole my heart. He's hot, sexy, and dangerous as sin.
I can't wait for future installments in this series. Luc, hands down, stole my heart. He's hot, sexy, and dangerous as sin.
September 22, 2010
Why I read this: The cover, the blurb, availability through a tour site - made it a winner to me.
How is the novel driven: Character mainly - Frannie, Luc and Gabe are the stars of this book. Yes there are dark forces at work and mayhem to be found, but the true story is in the characters and whether it really is good versus evil and whether evil can change.
My thoughts: Okay I try to stay objective in my reviews and not sound like a raving fan girl or someone younger than myself, but I have to say that this book is "hawt"! I can't help it, you'll just have to forgive me this time, but I don't know how else to describe it. The tension and attraction between Frannie and Luc and Frannie and Gabe is just too amazing to describe. And the plot, the plot starts fast and continues that way to the end. I felt so involved with the characters that I hated for the book to end.
So what else can I say - it's a great story of good versus evil and making choices. Everyone has choices even demons. Loved the angel and demon aspect with Frannie right there in the middle. Frannie is part of a devout Catholic family but she has questions about her religion. Luc is the bad boy and Gabe is the good boy, so which one should she choose. It all makes it a fascinating book. Gabe and Luc are at war for Frannie's soul, but things can change and people can too, so how will Frannie decide and can she come to terms with her own demons as well.
See - I mean how can that not be a fascinating story. There is so much going on and the interactions are amazing. Another thing I really liked - Frannie's parents were involved in her life and watching out for her. They didn't like Luc which would be normal reactions for parents. They were in her life just enough to make them good parents, they did let her make some of her own decisions though and were there for her when she needed them.
Great love triangle, great romance, good versus evil, angels, demons, high school angst, muscle cars and so much more. Personal Demons is full of great things, great characters and great plot. I look forward to more of Lisa's books in the future!
And I just went to her website and saw that she will have two more books coming out - Original Sin in July 2011 and Hellbent in May 2012 - I can't wait!
My Rating: 4.75/5.0
How is the novel driven: Character mainly - Frannie, Luc and Gabe are the stars of this book. Yes there are dark forces at work and mayhem to be found, but the true story is in the characters and whether it really is good versus evil and whether evil can change.
My thoughts: Okay I try to stay objective in my reviews and not sound like a raving fan girl or someone younger than myself, but I have to say that this book is "hawt"! I can't help it, you'll just have to forgive me this time, but I don't know how else to describe it. The tension and attraction between Frannie and Luc and Frannie and Gabe is just too amazing to describe. And the plot, the plot starts fast and continues that way to the end. I felt so involved with the characters that I hated for the book to end.
So what else can I say - it's a great story of good versus evil and making choices. Everyone has choices even demons. Loved the angel and demon aspect with Frannie right there in the middle. Frannie is part of a devout Catholic family but she has questions about her religion. Luc is the bad boy and Gabe is the good boy, so which one should she choose. It all makes it a fascinating book. Gabe and Luc are at war for Frannie's soul, but things can change and people can too, so how will Frannie decide and can she come to terms with her own demons as well.
See - I mean how can that not be a fascinating story. There is so much going on and the interactions are amazing. Another thing I really liked - Frannie's parents were involved in her life and watching out for her. They didn't like Luc which would be normal reactions for parents. They were in her life just enough to make them good parents, they did let her make some of her own decisions though and were there for her when she needed them.
Great love triangle, great romance, good versus evil, angels, demons, high school angst, muscle cars and so much more. Personal Demons is full of great things, great characters and great plot. I look forward to more of Lisa's books in the future!
And I just went to her website and saw that she will have two more books coming out - Original Sin in July 2011 and Hellbent in May 2012 - I can't wait!
My Rating: 4.75/5.0
July 27, 2011
Oh my spluttering God. Who is this Lisa Desrochers and where did she come from? And why oh why did everyone else know about her genius before I did? You’d quite rightly assume that I am absolutely in love with Personal Demons. Not only was the old skool ‘demon and angel on your shoulders’ concept absolutely, perfectly executed, but the main characters were utterly captivating.
Written in easy, modern prose with healthy helpings of vivid and beautiful imagery throughout, Personal Demons drew me in from the first sentence. The story is told from two perspectives – Luc and Frannie’s. The plot itself builds in an entertaining crescendo as Luc and Gabe fight over Frannie’s soul, finding themselves pulled deeper into her world than they ever expected to be; swimming murky and emotional waters because of her. From there the story arc grows more complicated as the mystery of Frannie unfolds and we’re introduced to more of Heaven and Hell’s minions (does Heaven have ‘minions’?) and the grander plot.
As for the characterisation, Desrochers characters have made their way on to my top shelf with the likes of Rose and Dimka (VA), Katniss and Peeta (HG), Claire and Shane (MV), Clary and Jace (MI). First let’s take a look at Luc since the story opens with his narrative. Ah I’m in love. Luc is brilliantly three dimensional; he’s cocky, arrogant, too sexy for his own good, hilarious, idiotic, and a demon with a bad case of the humanity flu - I can’t help but love the bad boy with a vulnerable side.
Although we don’t get a chance to be inside Gabe’s head, I still found myself crushing on him. He’s an angel with a sense of humour, and he’s got the protective hot best-friend-who-could-be-more thing down pat.
And then there is Frannie. How can you not love Frannie? She’s mighty complex but that’s what I found so brilliant. A tragic past, a guarded heart, a no-nonsense attitude, untapped supernatural powers and a Black belt in Judo make for a compelling heroine. Best of all… the chemistry between the characters is sizzling (in Luc’s case quite literally).
Suffice to say I devoured this book with the ferociousness of a hell hound. Personal Demons is edgy (this YA is aimed at more mature teens), action-packed, suspenseful and chock full of sinfully delicious romance.
Cannot wait to get my hands on the sequel Original Sin!
Five Massive Massive Stars!
Written in easy, modern prose with healthy helpings of vivid and beautiful imagery throughout, Personal Demons drew me in from the first sentence. The story is told from two perspectives – Luc and Frannie’s. The plot itself builds in an entertaining crescendo as Luc and Gabe fight over Frannie’s soul, finding themselves pulled deeper into her world than they ever expected to be; swimming murky and emotional waters because of her. From there the story arc grows more complicated as the mystery of Frannie unfolds and we’re introduced to more of Heaven and Hell’s minions (does Heaven have ‘minions’?) and the grander plot.
As for the characterisation, Desrochers characters have made their way on to my top shelf with the likes of Rose and Dimka (VA), Katniss and Peeta (HG), Claire and Shane (MV), Clary and Jace (MI). First let’s take a look at Luc since the story opens with his narrative. Ah I’m in love. Luc is brilliantly three dimensional; he’s cocky, arrogant, too sexy for his own good, hilarious, idiotic, and a demon with a bad case of the humanity flu - I can’t help but love the bad boy with a vulnerable side.
Although we don’t get a chance to be inside Gabe’s head, I still found myself crushing on him. He’s an angel with a sense of humour, and he’s got the protective hot best-friend-who-could-be-more thing down pat.
And then there is Frannie. How can you not love Frannie? She’s mighty complex but that’s what I found so brilliant. A tragic past, a guarded heart, a no-nonsense attitude, untapped supernatural powers and a Black belt in Judo make for a compelling heroine. Best of all… the chemistry between the characters is sizzling (in Luc’s case quite literally).
Suffice to say I devoured this book with the ferociousness of a hell hound. Personal Demons is edgy (this YA is aimed at more mature teens), action-packed, suspenseful and chock full of sinfully delicious romance.
Cannot wait to get my hands on the sequel Original Sin!
Five Massive Massive Stars!
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