Book Review: Significance by Shelly Crane

Title: Significance

Author: Shelly Crane

Series: #1

Pages: 330

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Release Date: June 12^th 2011

Maggie is a seventeen year old girl who's had a bad year. She was smart and on track, but then her mom left, her dad is depressed, she's graduating - barely - and her boyfriend of almost three years dumped her for a college football scholarship. Lately she thinks life is all about hanging on by a thread and is gripping tight with everything she has.

Then she saves the life of Caleb and instantly knows there's something about him that's intriguing. But things change when they touch, sparks ignite. Literally.

They imprint with each other and she sees their future life together flash before her eyes. She learns that not only is she his soul mate, and can feel his heartbeat in her chest, but there is a whole other world of people with gifts and abilities that she never knew existed. She herself is experiencing supernatural changes unlike anything she's ever felt before and she needs the touch of his skin to survive.

Now, not only has her dad come out of his depression to be a father again, and a pain as well, but Caleb's enemies know he's imprinted and are after Maggie to stop them both from gaining their abilities and take her from him.

Can Caleb save her or will they be forced to live without each other after just finding one another?

Up until Sunday I had not heard of this series. I can’t even remember how I found it. I intended to use it for my Wishlist Wednesday this week but as I kept reading the blurb I just couldn’t wait.

I wasn’t disappointed. From the beginning I was completely drawn into Maggie’s world.

Maggie is just a normal teenager. But after her mum picks up and leaves, her dad goes into a depression and her long time boyfriend dumps her, she loses her way. She stops hanging around with her friends, she is forced to get an after school job to support her and her father and her school work suffers. Come graduation day she has no idea what she is going to do anymore, she didn’t even apply for college. Her friend Kyle Jacobson asks if she wants to hang out with him after graduation, and after turning him down so many times in the past, Maggie reluctantly agrees.

On her way to Kyle’s house she saves a guy from walking out onto the road in front of a truck. They have an instant connection, only to find out that Caleb is Kyle’s cousins. Kyle couldn’t be more annoyed! But when Caleb and Maggie touch for the first time Maggie feel her blood freeze and her future with Caleb flashes before her eyes.

Maggie is thrown into a world that she never knew existed; full of Aces, powers, abilities, rival clans and offensive marks. All because of the imprinting; a process in which two people find their soul mate, binding them as one, forever. Maggie finds that she is unable to stay away from Caleb. She is physically, mentally and emotionally drawn to him, and when they touch she can feel his heart beat inside of her.

Caleb’s family couldn’t be more excited about the imprint; it seems that Maggie and Caleb are the first in a very long time. When rival clan, the Watson’s learn of the imprint, they know that Caleb and Maggie will now ascend in the family and gain their powers. After living in the shadow the Jacobson’s and their superior abilities for too long, they will stop at nothing to prevent the ascension.

Shelly Crane … what can I say? It was amazing! I was sucked into the world. I fell in love with it all and I couldn’t put it down. It absolutely consumed my life. Every time I put the book down my head would be swarming with thoughts and questions.

The love that Caleb and Maggie share is beautiful. Having imprinted they are able to hear each others thoughts, as well as feel each others feelings. Caleb can feel Maggie’s heartbeat next to his own so therefore can sense when she is in trouble. Every time they read each others mind I would literally melt. They could share visions and memories with each other. It is truly magical.

Caleb’s family is so warm and loving, they believe that family is the most important thing, and would do anything for each other. Gran was one of my favourite characters, she is hilarious and I loved her. Beck, Maggie’s best friend, is a bit more complex. I’m still not sure that I fully understand her. Maybe I’ll find out more about her later. Kyle is a little annoying. While I appreciate his resentment … I mean his cousin is now soul mates with a girl he has been crushing on for ever. He isn’t exactly very understanding of it all, which is the contrary to the rest of his family. He supposedly really likes Maggie, but he isn’t being a very nice friend to her. Chad, Maggie’s ex-boyfriend, is very annoying. I didn’t like him at all. He dumps her at the being of the school year, because he knows that he is leaving for college at the end of the year and it would ‘be easier’ for them both. That I don’t understand. Obviously he didn’t really love her very much. It isn’t until he sees her with Caleb and gets jealous, that he decides he wants her back.

If this review hasn’t made you want to read the book then you are missing out. I suggest you go and read them now! I promise you will not be able to put them down. It is truly amazing, I am already half way through the next one and I don’t see myself stopping until the very end!

Favourite Quotes from the book:

“You don’t love people for what they can give you. You don’t love them because of what they do for you or how good you make them look. Love is blind, love does not boast, love is not vain.” – Maggie

“I’m not a baker, so I’m not about to sugar coat if for you.” – Gran

“Gran, I’m only gonna ask this once. Please don’t have sex talks with me, ok? Especially with Maggie in the room. Do you think we could do that?” – Caleb

“It’s my job as a best friend to make sure he’s not a serial killer. Or an English major, not sure which one’s worse” - Beck