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Available
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Publication
Sydney : Pan Macmillan , 2010.
Description
Frannie Cavanaugh has always been a bit of a loner. She's spent years keeping everyone at a distance, even her closest friends. That is, until Luc Cain enrolls in her school. He's hot, sarcastic, and dangerous -- and Frannie can't seem to stay away. What she doesn't know is that Luc is on a mission. Because Frannie isn't exactly ordinary. She possesses a skill so unique that the King of Hell himself has taken notice, and he's sent Luc to claim Frannie's soul. It should be easy: All he has to do is get her to sin, and Luc is as tempting as they come. Unfortunately for Luc, Heaven has other plans, and he's just started making progress when the angel Gabriel shows up. Gabe will do anything to keep Luc from getting what he came for, and his angelic charm might just be enough to keep Frannie on the right path. It isn't long before Luc and Gabe find themselves fighting for more than just Frannie's soul. But if Luc fails to win her over, there will be Hell to pay . . . for all of them.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member MissHavoc
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
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.
5/5 Stars!
Frannie is the black sheep in her very religious Catholic family. Never having recovered from a childhood
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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.
5/5 Stars!
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LibraryThing member lawral
Look at that cover again. It seems like Personal Demons could be an overly dramatic teenage bodice-ripper involving "heavenly bodies" with "hellish consequences" (it's a euphemism if it's in quotes) among other things. It's not. True, there are some Very Big Things going on here, and the potential
Told in alternating points of view, Frannie and Luc's, Personal Demons is not only really damn steamy, it's also a refreshing look at the start of a relationship. In YA lit, it seems that we're always treated to the girl side of the equation, and more often than not, that girl is insecure about where the relationship is going. We get that here, and Frannie certainly has a LOT to be worried and insecure about with Luc, but we also get the other side. The parts of the book from Luc's point of view were my favorite. Not only has he had centuries to perfect his wit, making him both funny and insightful, but he's also just as insecure as Frannie. She's supposed to be his mark; he's been sent from the depths of Hell to tag her soul for eternity. He is knocked on his butt by his genuine attraction to and feelings for Frannie. I love seeing a guy in YA go all googly eyed (without turning stalker or otherwise creepy) over a girl...even if this guy is a demon.
There is so much else that Personal Demons has going for it. I don't want to make this unreadable long, so I'll try to just touch on a few other points of greatness here:
* Frannie has awesome friends who threaten to beat up Luc if he messes with her.
* Frannie has hilarious sisters (all named Mary) who aren't so fleshed out that they crowd the story, but are all there and manage to be supportive anyway.
* Frannie's Grandpa! He's great. Just so so great. He's supportive of Frannie in a way that the rest of her family is not. They all want what's best for her (which is wonderful); he trusts her to figure out what that is for herself.
* There are multiple deep discussions about forgiving oneself as well as a serious look at whether or not there is anything that is unforgivable.
* Frannie's discomfort with religion is explored in a sensitive way along with why bad things happen to good people.
* By the end of the book, Frannie, Luc, and Gabe all learn a lot about love and sacrifice.
I really loved Personal Demons, and I wasn't sure I would just by looking at it. It fits in nicely with other paranormal romances (though it's way sexier than most), but it also looks at some more serious issues. The paranormal aspect brings all of Frannie's existing issues (religion, forgiveness, her inability to let her guard down) to the forefront, but the hot demon and sexy angel roaming the halls of her high school do not cause her story to exist.
Book source: Review copy provided by the publisher.
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to be over the top about it is high, but Desrochers manages to make this story focus on Frannie and her inner turmoil about these two guys who suddenly want her, her unwillingness to let people in, and her discomfort around religion in general.Told in alternating points of view, Frannie and Luc's, Personal Demons is not only really damn steamy, it's also a refreshing look at the start of a relationship. In YA lit, it seems that we're always treated to the girl side of the equation, and more often than not, that girl is insecure about where the relationship is going. We get that here, and Frannie certainly has a LOT to be worried and insecure about with Luc, but we also get the other side. The parts of the book from Luc's point of view were my favorite. Not only has he had centuries to perfect his wit, making him both funny and insightful, but he's also just as insecure as Frannie. She's supposed to be his mark; he's been sent from the depths of Hell to tag her soul for eternity. He is knocked on his butt by his genuine attraction to and feelings for Frannie. I love seeing a guy in YA go all googly eyed (without turning stalker or otherwise creepy) over a girl...even if this guy is a demon.
There is so much else that Personal Demons has going for it. I don't want to make this unreadable long, so I'll try to just touch on a few other points of greatness here:
* Frannie has awesome friends who threaten to beat up Luc if he messes with her.
* Frannie has hilarious sisters (all named Mary) who aren't so fleshed out that they crowd the story, but are all there and manage to be supportive anyway.
* Frannie's Grandpa! He's great. Just so so great. He's supportive of Frannie in a way that the rest of her family is not. They all want what's best for her (which is wonderful); he trusts her to figure out what that is for herself.
* There are multiple deep discussions about forgiving oneself as well as a serious look at whether or not there is anything that is unforgivable.
* Frannie's discomfort with religion is explored in a sensitive way along with why bad things happen to good people.
* By the end of the book, Frannie, Luc, and Gabe all learn a lot about love and sacrifice.
I really loved Personal Demons, and I wasn't sure I would just by looking at it. It fits in nicely with other paranormal romances (though it's way sexier than most), but it also looks at some more serious issues. The paranormal aspect brings all of Frannie's existing issues (religion, forgiveness, her inability to let her guard down) to the forefront, but the hot demon and sexy angel roaming the halls of her high school do not cause her story to exist.
Book source: Review copy provided by the publisher.
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LibraryThing member angelgirl122193
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
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
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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.
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LibraryThing member katiedoll
Personal Demons is a sexy, intense and action-packed thrill ride that takes us back and forth between light- the sweet angel, Gabe. And dark- the dangerous and seductive demon, Luc.
This novel definitely balances all of the things that paranormal fans will go gaga over; handsome angels, sexy demons,
The one thing, and probably the only thing, that threw me off about this book was Frannie’s back and forth jumping between Luc and Gabe. She loves Luc one day, possibly loves Gabe the next, hates Luc and then loves him all over again .. it left me so dizzy at times. I did enjoy her conflicted feelings, because it even gave me conflicting feelings of what team I wanted to be on, but I felt like the dance between the two could’ve been knocked down a few levels.
Overall, Personal Demons is an intense page-turner that’s sinfully sexy and edgy and passionate and gah. The lines between good and evil are blurred in this wonderfully written debut, and I urge all of my fellow paranormal fans to pick this one up immediately!
This novel definitely balances all of the things that paranormal fans will go gaga over; handsome angels, sexy demons,
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intense intimacy, suspenseful action and love triangle to top all love triangles. And let’s not forget that Frannie is a kick-ass character who refuses to take her newly dubbed fate laying down. I really enjoyed her persistency to keep herself grounded, even with an angel and a demon pulling her in two different directions that could mean the end of normalcy for her.The one thing, and probably the only thing, that threw me off about this book was Frannie’s back and forth jumping between Luc and Gabe. She loves Luc one day, possibly loves Gabe the next, hates Luc and then loves him all over again .. it left me so dizzy at times. I did enjoy her conflicted feelings, because it even gave me conflicting feelings of what team I wanted to be on, but I felt like the dance between the two could’ve been knocked down a few levels.
Overall, Personal Demons is an intense page-turner that’s sinfully sexy and edgy and passionate and gah. The lines between good and evil are blurred in this wonderfully written debut, and I urge all of my fellow paranormal fans to pick this one up immediately!
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LibraryThing member pollywannabook
Review courtesy of AllThingsUrbanFantasy.blogspot.com
What’s not to love in a story about a girl torn between two guys: the angel who would give up his wings to save her, and the demon is bound to damn her? Both are fighting against their natures as the demon begins to wonder what the sweetest sin
If there’s a Hell on Earth, it’s high school. And if there’s anyone distinctly qualified to make that statement, it would be me. – First line from PERSONAL DEMONS.
The world of angels and demons in PERSONAL DEMONS adds some interesting new facets to the traditional mythology, including the goal of angels and demons to ‘tag’ souls for Heaven or Hell after which they can begin to coerce a human’s will. My favorite addition, however, is that demons can actually smell sin:
The bell rings as I make my way out the door into the now bustling halls, and the scents of the sea of teenage humanity hit me in waves. There’s the tangy citrus of fear, the bitter garlic of hate, the anise of envy, and ginger—lust. Lots of potential. - PERSONAL DEMONS
It adds a sensory experience to the story and gives another layer of enjoyment to the demons in the midst of sin. Add that to the excellent writing which resonates perfectly with the age of the protagonists without coming across as juvenile in any way, and we get a story that delivers on almost every level.
The almost being Frannie’s two girlfriends who were pretty over the top catty in that stereotypical boy crazy way, specifically Taylor. As well as the slut patrol who seemed to be made up of every single girl at Haden High school all of whom practically went into heat whenever Luc and Gabe showed up. It was a little over the top for me.
Overall, If you liked Hush, Hush and Fallen, you are going to love PERSONAL DEMONS. It blends first love, first lust, and war for one girl’s soul all into one excellent paranormal YA debut. The next book in the Personal Demons series is called Original Sin and will be released in July 2011. It’s too bad it’s not available to pre-order yet.
Sexual Content: Kissing. References to sex. A few scenes of mild sensuality.
What’s not to love in a story about a girl torn between two guys: the angel who would give up his wings to save her, and the demon is bound to damn her? Both are fighting against their natures as the demon begins to wonder what the sweetest sin
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is after all, and the angel comes dangerously close to falling himself. PERSONAL DEMONS is wickedly romantic, divinely compelling, and devilishly good.If there’s a Hell on Earth, it’s high school. And if there’s anyone distinctly qualified to make that statement, it would be me. – First line from PERSONAL DEMONS.
The world of angels and demons in PERSONAL DEMONS adds some interesting new facets to the traditional mythology, including the goal of angels and demons to ‘tag’ souls for Heaven or Hell after which they can begin to coerce a human’s will. My favorite addition, however, is that demons can actually smell sin:
The bell rings as I make my way out the door into the now bustling halls, and the scents of the sea of teenage humanity hit me in waves. There’s the tangy citrus of fear, the bitter garlic of hate, the anise of envy, and ginger—lust. Lots of potential. - PERSONAL DEMONS
It adds a sensory experience to the story and gives another layer of enjoyment to the demons in the midst of sin. Add that to the excellent writing which resonates perfectly with the age of the protagonists without coming across as juvenile in any way, and we get a story that delivers on almost every level.
The almost being Frannie’s two girlfriends who were pretty over the top catty in that stereotypical boy crazy way, specifically Taylor. As well as the slut patrol who seemed to be made up of every single girl at Haden High school all of whom practically went into heat whenever Luc and Gabe showed up. It was a little over the top for me.
Overall, If you liked Hush, Hush and Fallen, you are going to love PERSONAL DEMONS. It blends first love, first lust, and war for one girl’s soul all into one excellent paranormal YA debut. The next book in the Personal Demons series is called Original Sin and will be released in July 2011. It’s too bad it’s not available to pre-order yet.
Sexual Content: Kissing. References to sex. A few scenes of mild sensuality.
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LibraryThing member Readingfanatic1
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, ...more I stopped reading Personal Demons twice.
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.
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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.
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LibraryThing member dasuzuki
I have to admit at first I was turned off by this book due to its cover. It just did not grab me and I know they say you should not judge a book by its cover. Fortunately Lisa Desrochers is coming out here for a book signing and I had the opportunity to get a copy to review. Thank goodness things
The Characters
The book alternates from Frannie’s point of view to Luc’s point of view. It was strange not to have Gabriel’s point of view as he is the third main character.
Frannie was an interesting character as she is obviously the black sheep in her ultra-religious family. The one thing that did irk me about her was how she would claim to love Luc but also feel in love with Gabriel and wanting to make out with both guys even while she appears to be committed to one or the other. But to give her the benefit of the doubt it cannot be easy being around both an angel and a sexy as heck demon.
Luc, sigh, what can I say about a sexy, sweet, smokin’, hot, ummm…did I mention good looking demon? I loved watching him fall for Frannie and struggling with his assignment to tag Frannie for Hell. He had a great sense of humor and you just have to smile reading some of his lines.
Gabriel on the other hand just never grew on me and I actually found myself disliking his character. I have to admit feeling a little guilty about disliking an angel but I think his character suffered because we never really get to see inside his head. Other than him being an angel I don’t see why Frannie really seemed to fall in love with him and what made it so hard to choose between him and Luc. In fact, at some points he just comes off as a jerk. When at one point he admits he would be willing to give up his wings for Frannie that just seems to come totally out of the blue. I did not feel like there was any indication that she was anything more than an assignment to him.
The Romance
The chemistry between Frannie and Luc was steamy and you could feel the romantic tension between the two. I loved seeing them together and the conflict each feels about their feelings towards one another. Like I mention above I just did not get the romance between Gabriel and Frannie. I really wish there were more there.
The Story Line
The story line was amazing as we find out that Frannie has a power that is likened to that of what people like Moses and Hitler possessed and both Heaven and Hell want control of that power. I cannot go into too much detail here without revealing too much but I definitely did not want to put this book down once I started reading.
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worked out the way it did because I really enjoyed this book!The Characters
The book alternates from Frannie’s point of view to Luc’s point of view. It was strange not to have Gabriel’s point of view as he is the third main character.
Frannie was an interesting character as she is obviously the black sheep in her ultra-religious family. The one thing that did irk me about her was how she would claim to love Luc but also feel in love with Gabriel and wanting to make out with both guys even while she appears to be committed to one or the other. But to give her the benefit of the doubt it cannot be easy being around both an angel and a sexy as heck demon.
Luc, sigh, what can I say about a sexy, sweet, smokin’, hot, ummm…did I mention good looking demon? I loved watching him fall for Frannie and struggling with his assignment to tag Frannie for Hell. He had a great sense of humor and you just have to smile reading some of his lines.
Gabriel on the other hand just never grew on me and I actually found myself disliking his character. I have to admit feeling a little guilty about disliking an angel but I think his character suffered because we never really get to see inside his head. Other than him being an angel I don’t see why Frannie really seemed to fall in love with him and what made it so hard to choose between him and Luc. In fact, at some points he just comes off as a jerk. When at one point he admits he would be willing to give up his wings for Frannie that just seems to come totally out of the blue. I did not feel like there was any indication that she was anything more than an assignment to him.
The Romance
The chemistry between Frannie and Luc was steamy and you could feel the romantic tension between the two. I loved seeing them together and the conflict each feels about their feelings towards one another. Like I mention above I just did not get the romance between Gabriel and Frannie. I really wish there were more there.
The Story Line
The story line was amazing as we find out that Frannie has a power that is likened to that of what people like Moses and Hitler possessed and both Heaven and Hell want control of that power. I cannot go into too much detail here without revealing too much but I definitely did not want to put this book down once I started reading.
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LibraryThing member TerryWeyna
Personal Demons started out in such a way that reminded me of one of those Christian romances I devoured like potato chips when I was in high school – the ones where a hot date meant getting together to read the Bible. Frannie, the high school girl who is the principal viewpoint character, comes
Fortunately, Lisa Desrochers completely surprised me by giving Frannie a mind of her own that is all modern teenager. When she first meets Luc Cain (please note the name), her first reaction is that he is hot, especially since he seems somehow dangerous. In fact, he is well nigh irresistible, and there isn’t a girl in the school who doesn’t want to make a play for him But it’s Luc’s job to seduce Frannie, for reasons unknown to him – but he’s seduced high school girls over and over again, thus “tagging” them for Hell. It doesn’t appear that he will have any more trouble getting his job done this time than he has on countless other assignments.
But Frannie is wanted not only by Hell; Heaven also wants to tag her. Gabe – short for Gabriel, naturally – also shows up at Frannie’s school, also seems very interested in her, and is also extraordinarily gorgeous. Frannie’s circle of friends can’t figure out why these two very appealing guys are both so attracted to her; it’s not like she’s a great beauty or an outstanding personality or the most popular girl in school. What’s the attraction?
It turns out that Frannie is special in a frightening way, and that her tagging would give a major advantage to whichever supernatural power she chose to align with. In fact, her power is so strong that it causes real problems for both Luc and Gabe, and interferes with their abilities to do their jobs. And when that happens, both Heaven and Hell unleash their fury, and it’s all Frannie can do to survive. And really, all she wants is to make out with these two fabulous guys.
Personal Demons turned into a much more interesting book than I originally expected. While Frannie is a blushing virgin, she isn’t the pure and innocent creature suggested by that description; she just knows what she wants. Her Catholicism, while a major theme in the book, is very much a modern American Catholicism; conservative Catholics would say she isn’t even close to following her faith, but it’s a realistic depiction of an average teen. High school is depicted in rather more glowing terms than the reality for most of us, but that’s not a problem for a book that focuses on the supernatural’s invasion of reality rather than on reality itself.
Once Frannie realizes that her plight is much more serious than merely choosing between two hot guys, it becomes more like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and less like Sabrina the Teen-Aged Witch. And just as I enjoyed Buffy, I enjoyed this novel. The moral dilemmas posed here are worked out with as much care and interest as they were in that television series, and the supernatural effects are equally well thought-out.
A warning for parents: sex is treated as desirable in this book. Frannie takes her choice of who to sleep with very seriously and with the expectation that it will have lasting consequences, but she is nonetheless making that choice as a high schooler. This is depicted as normal and proper, and not as immoral. This seems like real life to me, but the more conservative among you might object.
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from a large Catholic family and seems, at first, to be intent on remaining true to every bit of her Catholicism. In my own large Catholic family, that would most definitely include allowing no boy to touch me between my neck and my knees before my wedding night. So I settled in for what I thought would be a conservative young adult novel that would make its points about morality by having the persuasive swain be, literally, a devil.Fortunately, Lisa Desrochers completely surprised me by giving Frannie a mind of her own that is all modern teenager. When she first meets Luc Cain (please note the name), her first reaction is that he is hot, especially since he seems somehow dangerous. In fact, he is well nigh irresistible, and there isn’t a girl in the school who doesn’t want to make a play for him But it’s Luc’s job to seduce Frannie, for reasons unknown to him – but he’s seduced high school girls over and over again, thus “tagging” them for Hell. It doesn’t appear that he will have any more trouble getting his job done this time than he has on countless other assignments.
But Frannie is wanted not only by Hell; Heaven also wants to tag her. Gabe – short for Gabriel, naturally – also shows up at Frannie’s school, also seems very interested in her, and is also extraordinarily gorgeous. Frannie’s circle of friends can’t figure out why these two very appealing guys are both so attracted to her; it’s not like she’s a great beauty or an outstanding personality or the most popular girl in school. What’s the attraction?
It turns out that Frannie is special in a frightening way, and that her tagging would give a major advantage to whichever supernatural power she chose to align with. In fact, her power is so strong that it causes real problems for both Luc and Gabe, and interferes with their abilities to do their jobs. And when that happens, both Heaven and Hell unleash their fury, and it’s all Frannie can do to survive. And really, all she wants is to make out with these two fabulous guys.
Personal Demons turned into a much more interesting book than I originally expected. While Frannie is a blushing virgin, she isn’t the pure and innocent creature suggested by that description; she just knows what she wants. Her Catholicism, while a major theme in the book, is very much a modern American Catholicism; conservative Catholics would say she isn’t even close to following her faith, but it’s a realistic depiction of an average teen. High school is depicted in rather more glowing terms than the reality for most of us, but that’s not a problem for a book that focuses on the supernatural’s invasion of reality rather than on reality itself.
Once Frannie realizes that her plight is much more serious than merely choosing between two hot guys, it becomes more like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and less like Sabrina the Teen-Aged Witch. And just as I enjoyed Buffy, I enjoyed this novel. The moral dilemmas posed here are worked out with as much care and interest as they were in that television series, and the supernatural effects are equally well thought-out.
A warning for parents: sex is treated as desirable in this book. Frannie takes her choice of who to sleep with very seriously and with the expectation that it will have lasting consequences, but she is nonetheless making that choice as a high schooler. This is depicted as normal and proper, and not as immoral. This seems like real life to me, but the more conservative among you might object.
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LibraryThing member thebookwormsorg
Hot, HOT, HOT! Personal Demons was the sexiest and most enticing book I think I've ever read and to be honest, it has moved up my list to my #1 favorite book! The story is so unique and it draws you in on the first page of the book. I couldn't stop reading it, I didn't want to stop reading it!
Gabe and Luc are here for one reason and that reason happens to be to tag Frannie's soul - for Heaven or Hell, whoever gets her first. Frannie has a special something and both sides want it desperately.
Frannie was different than what I would have expected. I liked that she wasn't 100% innocent and that she could kick butt. I enjoyed learning about her internal struggles with life as well as what's happening with Gabe and Luc, it adds something special to the book and something the reader's could possibly relate to.
Luc Cain is smokin' hot! I know I said that three times already, but the word hot just isn't enough to describe Luc Cain and his relationship with Frannie. Luc is a demon sent to complete his latest mission to tag Frannie, but he starts to question his intentions with her.
Gabe is the sweet one, he's an angel - literally! Gabe's is hard to resist too, but in a completely different way. I wish I could have learned a bit more about Gabe, but I think he will show up more in the books to come, which I can't wait for!
I really enjoyed how Lisa wrote from the perspectives of Frannie and Luc. It kept the story fresh and never boring. I really loved reading from Luc's perspective, it's awesome to be in the mind of the demon! ;)
I was completely absorbed by Personal Demons and I recommend this read to anyone (older teens and up) and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
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There were no cliffhangers and honestly I was surprised by how it turned out...and that's a great book!Gabe and Luc are here for one reason and that reason happens to be to tag Frannie's soul - for Heaven or Hell, whoever gets her first. Frannie has a special something and both sides want it desperately.
Frannie was different than what I would have expected. I liked that she wasn't 100% innocent and that she could kick butt. I enjoyed learning about her internal struggles with life as well as what's happening with Gabe and Luc, it adds something special to the book and something the reader's could possibly relate to.
Luc Cain is smokin' hot! I know I said that three times already, but the word hot just isn't enough to describe Luc Cain and his relationship with Frannie. Luc is a demon sent to complete his latest mission to tag Frannie, but he starts to question his intentions with her.
Gabe is the sweet one, he's an angel - literally! Gabe's is hard to resist too, but in a completely different way. I wish I could have learned a bit more about Gabe, but I think he will show up more in the books to come, which I can't wait for!
I really enjoyed how Lisa wrote from the perspectives of Frannie and Luc. It kept the story fresh and never boring. I really loved reading from Luc's perspective, it's awesome to be in the mind of the demon! ;)
I was completely absorbed by Personal Demons and I recommend this read to anyone (older teens and up) and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
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LibraryThing member kassyavon
About~ Frannie Cavanaugh is a good Catholic girl with a bit of a wicked streak. She has spent years keeping everyone at a distance---even her closest friends---and it seems as if her senior year is going to be more of the same . . . until Luc Cain enrolls in her class. No one knows where he came
What she doesn’t know is that Luc is on a mission. He’s been sent from Hell itself to claim Frannie’s soul. It should be easy---all he has to do is get her to sin, and Luc is as tempting as they come. Frannie doesn’t stand a chance. But he has to work fast, because if the infernals are after her, the celestials can’t be far behind. And sure enough, it’s not long before the angel Gabriel shows up, willing to do anything to keep Luc from getting what he came for. It isn’t long before they find themselves fighting for more than just Frannie’s soul.
But if Luc fails, there will be Hell to pay . . . for all of them.
My Review~ This book was so good. I got hooked in the first chapter. It’s been about two months since I last read this book. I have just been so busy with school work that I have forgotten all about writing a review for it. So here I am writing about the things I remember best.
The first thing I remember best are the characters; Luc, Gabriel and Frannie. Frannie is the girl who both guys need to tag her soul. Luc needs to tag her soul for Hell and Gabriel needs to tag her soul for Heaven. And soon enough, both guys want her, but not just for her soul. And Frannie can’t help but feel the same way. But now she has to choose between them. Luc or Gabriel? Heaven or Hell? If I was in Frannie’s shoes, I would have a pretty hard time choosing between Luc and Gabe too…
This book is told from two different perspectives. One of them is Frannie and the other is told form Luc. I have to say though, I loved reading more from Luc’s perspective more then I did with Frannie’s. Although, it would have been nice to read through Gabriel’s point of view too. It would have been interesting to read how he saw Frannie, how he felt for her, and what he thought of the situation with Luc and all.
What surprised me the most was of course, the ending. I loved it, hated it, and everything in between. I loved what happened, hated some characters, and felt so many emotions pass by. I am proud to say that this was the first book I have read, that included demons and such, and I LOVED it!!! I can’t wait till the next book Original Sin comes out. But for now I recommend readers to read the book because they won’t be able to put it down…
Plot: ♥♥♥♥♥
Characters: ♥♥♥♥
Ending: ♥♥♥♥
Cover Art: ♥♥♥♥♥
Pages in Novel: 365
ISBN: 978-0-7653-2808-3
Other book in the Series: N/A
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from, but Frannie can’t seem to stay away from him.What she doesn’t know is that Luc is on a mission. He’s been sent from Hell itself to claim Frannie’s soul. It should be easy---all he has to do is get her to sin, and Luc is as tempting as they come. Frannie doesn’t stand a chance. But he has to work fast, because if the infernals are after her, the celestials can’t be far behind. And sure enough, it’s not long before the angel Gabriel shows up, willing to do anything to keep Luc from getting what he came for. It isn’t long before they find themselves fighting for more than just Frannie’s soul.
But if Luc fails, there will be Hell to pay . . . for all of them.
My Review~ This book was so good. I got hooked in the first chapter. It’s been about two months since I last read this book. I have just been so busy with school work that I have forgotten all about writing a review for it. So here I am writing about the things I remember best.
The first thing I remember best are the characters; Luc, Gabriel and Frannie. Frannie is the girl who both guys need to tag her soul. Luc needs to tag her soul for Hell and Gabriel needs to tag her soul for Heaven. And soon enough, both guys want her, but not just for her soul. And Frannie can’t help but feel the same way. But now she has to choose between them. Luc or Gabriel? Heaven or Hell? If I was in Frannie’s shoes, I would have a pretty hard time choosing between Luc and Gabe too…
This book is told from two different perspectives. One of them is Frannie and the other is told form Luc. I have to say though, I loved reading more from Luc’s perspective more then I did with Frannie’s. Although, it would have been nice to read through Gabriel’s point of view too. It would have been interesting to read how he saw Frannie, how he felt for her, and what he thought of the situation with Luc and all.
What surprised me the most was of course, the ending. I loved it, hated it, and everything in between. I loved what happened, hated some characters, and felt so many emotions pass by. I am proud to say that this was the first book I have read, that included demons and such, and I LOVED it!!! I can’t wait till the next book Original Sin comes out. But for now I recommend readers to read the book because they won’t be able to put it down…
Plot: ♥♥♥♥♥
Characters: ♥♥♥♥
Ending: ♥♥♥♥
Cover Art: ♥♥♥♥♥
Pages in Novel: 365
ISBN: 978-0-7653-2808-3
Other book in the Series: N/A
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LibraryThing member brandileigh2003
Personal Demons is a quick and exciting read. There are mouth watering guys, a fiesty main character, and a well paced plot. This is the age old good verses evil tale told in a relatable, suspensful, touching and funny story.
I really enjoyed Frannie, she was a strong character and I liked hearing
There is a love triangle, but Gabriel never felt right, like he was a valid option in my opinion. I am glad that he was there for protection and guidance, and I understand that the quickest way to have him connect with Frannie and gain her trust is that attraction.
Luc was always the choice for me. He is the ultimate bad boy who is changed and transformed by love. It really made me smile to watch him change, question the view points he once though ingrained. All of the heaven and hell jibes and jokes were amazing too!
Also, I just wanted to put in that I am a cover fanatic, and for a while was put off by the cover(s) of this book. DO NOT let that deter you if you, like me, are not crazy about it. There is an awesome story behind it! Now that I have read the book, I have actually found things about the cover that I like and appreciate, but it did originally turn me off.
Frannie's journey to finding love, forgiving herself, healing from her brother's death of which she blames herself, and ultimately taking control of her life is a wonderful story. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and I recommend that you give it a try.
I really enjoyed Frannie, she was a strong character and I liked hearing
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things from her point of view. I like that she questioned her feeling and didn't just blindly accept Luc and Gabriel's presence in her life or how they made her feel. I also like that she wants to have control over her life and has valid reasons for the decisions she makes.There is a love triangle, but Gabriel never felt right, like he was a valid option in my opinion. I am glad that he was there for protection and guidance, and I understand that the quickest way to have him connect with Frannie and gain her trust is that attraction.
Luc was always the choice for me. He is the ultimate bad boy who is changed and transformed by love. It really made me smile to watch him change, question the view points he once though ingrained. All of the heaven and hell jibes and jokes were amazing too!
Also, I just wanted to put in that I am a cover fanatic, and for a while was put off by the cover(s) of this book. DO NOT let that deter you if you, like me, are not crazy about it. There is an awesome story behind it! Now that I have read the book, I have actually found things about the cover that I like and appreciate, but it did originally turn me off.
Frannie's journey to finding love, forgiving herself, healing from her brother's death of which she blames herself, and ultimately taking control of her life is a wonderful story. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and I recommend that you give it a try.
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LibraryThing member MargK
Let’s begin with the plot. It was rather simple, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, since it makes for a light, breezy read. Sadly the downside is that for the first half of the book, nothing really happens. The three main characters have varying interactions with one another but not in any
The love triangle felt very artificial. The romance altogether was rather shallow and heavy-handed. I will admit that I’m probably biased when it comes to the subject of love. I certainly don’t believe in “love at first sight.” For me love is something that develops over time; its roots taking hold and growing deeper with nourishment. In this story, Frannie “falls in love” in a span of just a few days, and her heart jumps back and forth between the two guys with hardly any effort. She barely has one meaningful conversation with either one of these guys and learns virtually nothing about them, before she falls head-over-heels and ends up spending countless pages obsessing over which one makes her heart beat faster. Frannie goes on and on (and on) about how hot they are, about the naughty dreams they invoke, and about the tingling sensations she experiences in certain unmentionable areas of her body. Yeah, that’s not love, that’s lust. At the midway point of the book, the romance did improve and gain more depth…at least in regards to Luc’s reasons for caring about Frannie. Nonetheless, I still could not emotionally connect with any part of the love triangle and found myself not caring who Frannie chose.
Then there are the characters. I did like Luc quite a bit. He had some funny and snarky lines that made me chuckle. Despite being kinda stereotypical, he was probably the only character that truly developed and grew as the story progressed. On the other hand, Gabe, the other contender for Frannie’s heart and soul, was rather two-dimensional. For the first half of the book, he had zero personality and no meaningful purpose or involvement in the story. Frannie was also a disappointment. At the start of the book, she spoke her mind, stood her ground, studied Judo, was a good student, and had some admirable goals & aspirations. I was psyched. I said to myself, “Finally! Here’s a strong-willed, smart, ambitious young heroine that can kick butt.” And then the guys entered the picture. As I flipped the pages, Frannie was reduced to a horny, immature, whiny adolescent that was either crying or obsessing over the hotness that is Luc and Gabe. She became a rather crappy friend to her two supposed besties. She almost completely forgot about school. Also, despite years of martial arts training and a 6-degree black belt, Frannie did very little butt kicking. More often than not, she was the damsel in distress in need of being protected and rescued.
Bottom Line:
I could not relate to the characters and was unable to get emotionally invested in the story. I think there was a lot of wasted potential. The concept of a devil and an angel competing for the heart and soul of mortal holds so much promise of suspenseful conflict, emotional turmoil, and engrossing character evolution. I feel that the author only explored the surface of this. I needed more—more substance, more depth, more challenges, more consequences, etc.
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truly meaningful or riveting way that made me want to care. Sure, there was a lot of flirting, raging hormones, glaring, obsessing, and kissing, but no real substance. When the action did pick up and Frannie was finally faced with some serious conflicts and dangerous situations, it all happened at warp speed with not much built-up of suspense and almost immediate resolution.The love triangle felt very artificial. The romance altogether was rather shallow and heavy-handed. I will admit that I’m probably biased when it comes to the subject of love. I certainly don’t believe in “love at first sight.” For me love is something that develops over time; its roots taking hold and growing deeper with nourishment. In this story, Frannie “falls in love” in a span of just a few days, and her heart jumps back and forth between the two guys with hardly any effort. She barely has one meaningful conversation with either one of these guys and learns virtually nothing about them, before she falls head-over-heels and ends up spending countless pages obsessing over which one makes her heart beat faster. Frannie goes on and on (and on) about how hot they are, about the naughty dreams they invoke, and about the tingling sensations she experiences in certain unmentionable areas of her body. Yeah, that’s not love, that’s lust. At the midway point of the book, the romance did improve and gain more depth…at least in regards to Luc’s reasons for caring about Frannie. Nonetheless, I still could not emotionally connect with any part of the love triangle and found myself not caring who Frannie chose.
Then there are the characters. I did like Luc quite a bit. He had some funny and snarky lines that made me chuckle. Despite being kinda stereotypical, he was probably the only character that truly developed and grew as the story progressed. On the other hand, Gabe, the other contender for Frannie’s heart and soul, was rather two-dimensional. For the first half of the book, he had zero personality and no meaningful purpose or involvement in the story. Frannie was also a disappointment. At the start of the book, she spoke her mind, stood her ground, studied Judo, was a good student, and had some admirable goals & aspirations. I was psyched. I said to myself, “Finally! Here’s a strong-willed, smart, ambitious young heroine that can kick butt.” And then the guys entered the picture. As I flipped the pages, Frannie was reduced to a horny, immature, whiny adolescent that was either crying or obsessing over the hotness that is Luc and Gabe. She became a rather crappy friend to her two supposed besties. She almost completely forgot about school. Also, despite years of martial arts training and a 6-degree black belt, Frannie did very little butt kicking. More often than not, she was the damsel in distress in need of being protected and rescued.
Bottom Line:
I could not relate to the characters and was unable to get emotionally invested in the story. I think there was a lot of wasted potential. The concept of a devil and an angel competing for the heart and soul of mortal holds so much promise of suspenseful conflict, emotional turmoil, and engrossing character evolution. I feel that the author only explored the surface of this. I needed more—more substance, more depth, more challenges, more consequences, etc.
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LibraryThing member Bookswithbite
Heaven or Hell? Which would you choose??? This question does not inlude me. I know which I would choose. Heaven, of course. But still, two hott guys from two different places and you can only pick one.
I like that this is once again a different type of book. Demons and Angels fighting for one thing.
The book was written perfectly. I love how Ms. Desrochers was able to write both sides really well. She was able to capivate me, hooking to both Heaven and Hell. The fight for Frannie's soul is just divine! I love how she was pulled in every direction and of course all the choices she has. This book also proves that no matter what side your on, you always have a choice.
The plot, the drama and the way everything tied in was great. Personal Demons was a great October read and left me hanging for more. Though the question stands, what are your personal demons???
I like that this is once again a different type of book. Demons and Angels fighting for one thing.
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A girl that has the fate of the world in her hands. And if you ask me, that is a whole lot of pressure. Frannie is suddenly bombarded by two guys with the same cause. She is completely unaware of what they are both after, her soul. Both need her soul to be tagged. Which will tagged her first?The book was written perfectly. I love how Ms. Desrochers was able to write both sides really well. She was able to capivate me, hooking to both Heaven and Hell. The fight for Frannie's soul is just divine! I love how she was pulled in every direction and of course all the choices she has. This book also proves that no matter what side your on, you always have a choice.
The plot, the drama and the way everything tied in was great. Personal Demons was a great October read and left me hanging for more. Though the question stands, what are your personal demons???
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LibraryThing member Bookaliciouspam
Let me start by just saying I am firmly in Team Hell. Yes you heard me right I am pulling for Team Hell. What is Team Hell you ask? Well Lisa Desrochers has created an epic battle for the love of one amazing young girl and the boys are one hot delicious demon named Luc, and one wildly gorgeous
Frannie is your average apple pie, catholic school girl until a new boy strolls into class knowing all the answers and sitting beside her smoldering in his sexiness. Frannie cannot take her eyes off of Luc and when Gabriel blows into town she has double the hotness trouble.
Derochers paints a battle for the girls soul, Luc however is a bit concerned he won’t be able to tag her soul for hell because he starts getting feelings for Frannie, feelings a demon should never feel. He has to decide to either ignore these feelings and get on with his job so that he doesn’t end up suffering in the fiery pit, or take an eternity of sulfur and brimstone to save Frannie from Lucifer himself. For Luc being a Pride Demon that is a hard decision to make.
The story is told in alternating PoV between Frannie and Luc. I was a bit concerned not having Gabe’s voice available to me as well as falling from heaven and loving a mortal are kind of a big deal and I am sure Gabe was suffering, however I got the chance to talk to Lisa about that decision at the NCIBA Author Reception.
Now I get it! Gabe will have a voice but it will be much later in the series. This is one steamy book to get you through those long cold winter nights. Pick it up now and lust along with those who have chosen whether they are Team Heaven or Team Hell while we wait on the sophomore book from Desrochers entitled Original Sin.
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angel that you may have heard of, Gabriel.Frannie is your average apple pie, catholic school girl until a new boy strolls into class knowing all the answers and sitting beside her smoldering in his sexiness. Frannie cannot take her eyes off of Luc and when Gabriel blows into town she has double the hotness trouble.
Derochers paints a battle for the girls soul, Luc however is a bit concerned he won’t be able to tag her soul for hell because he starts getting feelings for Frannie, feelings a demon should never feel. He has to decide to either ignore these feelings and get on with his job so that he doesn’t end up suffering in the fiery pit, or take an eternity of sulfur and brimstone to save Frannie from Lucifer himself. For Luc being a Pride Demon that is a hard decision to make.
The story is told in alternating PoV between Frannie and Luc. I was a bit concerned not having Gabe’s voice available to me as well as falling from heaven and loving a mortal are kind of a big deal and I am sure Gabe was suffering, however I got the chance to talk to Lisa about that decision at the NCIBA Author Reception.
Now I get it! Gabe will have a voice but it will be much later in the series. This is one steamy book to get you through those long cold winter nights. Pick it up now and lust along with those who have chosen whether they are Team Heaven or Team Hell while we wait on the sophomore book from Desrochers entitled Original Sin.
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LibraryThing member pacey1927
Wow. This book is basically 300+ pages of failed potential. The plot is intriguing enough. A teenage girl (Frannie) finds herself in a love triangle between two new boys in school. One is a demon named Luc (Lucifer, OMG) Cain (get it Cain...as in Abel?) and an angel named...get ready for it...Gabe.
Where the book wins: Well it doesn't `win' much but I liked Frannie's Grandpa and the story did move along at a brisk pace. Again, the basic plot is nice in theory.
Where the book fails: For a demon Luc is never very demonic. I also had trouble believing after a millennia without love, Luc would suddenly find love with someone like Frannie. Gabe, the angel, doesn't have much personality at all. And Frannie just isn't likeable. It bothered me how Frannie was madly in love with Luc but the minute she was near Gabe she was madly in love with him instead or still or whatever. Not to mention that towards the beginning of the novel, we are told that Frannie doesn't believe in love.
I quickly became annoyed by the overused phrases describing Frannie as "tickling" or tickling `down there' to describe when one of the boys got her turned on. Since Frannie is hot and bothered 90% of the book, you can imagine how quickly this phrase became unbearable. By the last quarter of the book I was snickering each time I ran across it. Frannie is in such a rush to get rid of her virginity, its hard to believe she was a virgin to begin with. Frannie is written as being perfect at a great many things and yet we never see her do anything but think about boys. She is mean and disrespectful to her friends. We are told that she is a good person inside and that she is going to do big things with her life but we never see anything to back that up. Even her gift to `sway' people seems like a joke. And her guilt over her brother's death years ago feels forced.
Overall the book isn't terrible, just terribly annoying. There is more sex talk and innuendo that in similar YA novels. Fans of Twilight may or may not go for this title.
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Gabe wants to tag Frannie for Heaven....Luc wants to tag her for the burning down under. The story alternates between Luc and Frannie's points of view. Where the book wins: Well it doesn't `win' much but I liked Frannie's Grandpa and the story did move along at a brisk pace. Again, the basic plot is nice in theory.
Where the book fails: For a demon Luc is never very demonic. I also had trouble believing after a millennia without love, Luc would suddenly find love with someone like Frannie. Gabe, the angel, doesn't have much personality at all. And Frannie just isn't likeable. It bothered me how Frannie was madly in love with Luc but the minute she was near Gabe she was madly in love with him instead or still or whatever. Not to mention that towards the beginning of the novel, we are told that Frannie doesn't believe in love.
I quickly became annoyed by the overused phrases describing Frannie as "tickling" or tickling `down there' to describe when one of the boys got her turned on. Since Frannie is hot and bothered 90% of the book, you can imagine how quickly this phrase became unbearable. By the last quarter of the book I was snickering each time I ran across it. Frannie is in such a rush to get rid of her virginity, its hard to believe she was a virgin to begin with. Frannie is written as being perfect at a great many things and yet we never see her do anything but think about boys. She is mean and disrespectful to her friends. We are told that she is a good person inside and that she is going to do big things with her life but we never see anything to back that up. Even her gift to `sway' people seems like a joke. And her guilt over her brother's death years ago feels forced.
Overall the book isn't terrible, just terribly annoying. There is more sex talk and innuendo that in similar YA novels. Fans of Twilight may or may not go for this title.
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LibraryThing member spottedhorse23
Title: Personal Demons
Author: Lisa Desrochers
Genre: Fantasy, YA
Publisher: Tor Teen
Publication Date: September 2010
Paperback: 364 pages
Book Summary: Frannie Cavanaugh is a good Catholic girl with a bit of a wicked streak. She's spent years keeping everyone at a distance—even her closest
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.
**BEWARE THERE MAY BE SPOILERS**
Book Review Review: When Luc comes from hell to tag Frannie's soul he ends up falling in love. Something that is supposed to be impossible for a demon. Things get even more complicated for Frannie when Gabe a dominion angel comes to tag her soul for heaven. It's fight for both good and evil, angel vs. demon, and of love. Luc finds out the real reason that Frannie is wanted so much by hell. I'm gonna leave the rest unsaid, so go read the book. I absolutely loved this book. The whole demon vs .angel thing was great. I liked how it was written and the whole plot of the story was really well done. I thought that Luc was the best leading male character. He had the whole bad boy thing going and he was interesting. I also liked how part of the book was done from his part of view, for this gave me a better connection with the characters. I thought that Gabe was a little too good and I didn't like how he was so sure that Frannie believed in God and all that. Also he was a little boring. This wasn't a big deal and I actually thought this made the book better. Frannie was an amazing leading female character. I loved reading about how she was dealing with the death of her dead brother even though it was a long time ago. I also liked how she had her struggles and her share of flaws. This detail made her more believable. I also liked how with this book you could really connect with the characters on a personal level. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes fantasy/ teen romance novels. Overall I thought this was one of my favorite books that I have ever read. It had a little bit of everything. Romance, action ect. The Hell vs. Heaven was the very best part of it. The epic battle of the ongoing war between good and evil. JUST AMAZING!!
Rating: A++ amazing
Author: Lisa Desrochers
Genre: Fantasy, YA
Publisher: Tor Teen
Publication Date: September 2010
Paperback: 364 pages
Book Summary: Frannie Cavanaugh is a good Catholic girl with a bit of a wicked streak. She's spent years keeping everyone at a distance—even her closest
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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.
**BEWARE THERE MAY BE SPOILERS**
Book Review Review: When Luc comes from hell to tag Frannie's soul he ends up falling in love. Something that is supposed to be impossible for a demon. Things get even more complicated for Frannie when Gabe a dominion angel comes to tag her soul for heaven. It's fight for both good and evil, angel vs. demon, and of love. Luc finds out the real reason that Frannie is wanted so much by hell. I'm gonna leave the rest unsaid, so go read the book. I absolutely loved this book. The whole demon vs .angel thing was great. I liked how it was written and the whole plot of the story was really well done. I thought that Luc was the best leading male character. He had the whole bad boy thing going and he was interesting. I also liked how part of the book was done from his part of view, for this gave me a better connection with the characters. I thought that Gabe was a little too good and I didn't like how he was so sure that Frannie believed in God and all that. Also he was a little boring. This wasn't a big deal and I actually thought this made the book better. Frannie was an amazing leading female character. I loved reading about how she was dealing with the death of her dead brother even though it was a long time ago. I also liked how she had her struggles and her share of flaws. This detail made her more believable. I also liked how with this book you could really connect with the characters on a personal level. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes fantasy/ teen romance novels. Overall I thought this was one of my favorite books that I have ever read. It had a little bit of everything. Romance, action ect. The Hell vs. Heaven was the very best part of it. The epic battle of the ongoing war between good and evil. JUST AMAZING!!
Rating: A++ amazing
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LibraryThing member mt256
I mentioned on twitter that I was going to put this book on my TBR list. Almost immediately I received a response from Momo over at Books Over Boys and Katie from Call Me Crazy YA Book Reviews singing this book's praises. A few weeks later I was in a bookstore shopping for Christmas presents when I
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came across Personal Demons and bought it. A week or two later I was finally able to read it. Now I'm able to tell you that I will start singing with Momo and Katie. This book is fantastic!!! Frannie, the main character is spunky, smart, and she can take someone out with her Judo moves. Frannie is also having doubts about her faith. I liked this element of the story because I think it's something everyone can relate to. The story is told through the eyes of Frannie and Luc. I liked this aspect of the book. It was interesting to see the different points-of-view. Luc is a spawn of the devil. He's evil, conniving and hot in every sense of the word. Then there is Gabe. Gabe is well, Heavenly. He makes Frannie feel safe and secure. Frannie is being hunted by both Heaven and Hell. She has untapped powers that she doesn't even know about. Frannie is also plagued by a traumatic event from the past. All of these elements made a phenomenal, fast passed, don't want to put it down, story. I loved seeing the internal struggles of all the characters. One thing in particular that I appreciated about this story is that Frannie had parents that were present in her life. So many times I've read novels and the parents are nonexistent. I also hope in the next book we get to see a little bit more of Gabe. There were parts of this story that had me screaming "NOOOOO!" and there where parts of this story that made me want to cry. I love books that evoke my emotions. On a side note, when I started to read Personal Demons, Lisa Desrochers tweeted me saying she hoped I liked it. I am happy to say that I really did. Now comes the hard part....... waiting on the next book Original Sin. Show Less
LibraryThing member librarianm
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
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
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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.
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LibraryThing member lissarbry
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 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
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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!
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LibraryThing member Paper_Dreams
Leading up to the release of the sequel, Original Sin, I really began hearing so much hype for this series. My curiosity was piqued, so I began looking for information about this book. All of the reviews I came across were good, if not raving. I was convinced, so I picked up a copy at one of the
I completely enjoyed reading this book. At first I was a bit thrown because I was not expecting it to be written in alternating viewpoints. However, I think it was that element turned out to be one of my favorite parts of how the book was written. The ability to get inside not only Frannie’s mind, but also Luc’s helped me to better appreciate him as a character. His journey over the course of the story was fantastic. It was interesting to see how he grew and changed as his relationship with Frannie began to have an effect on him. Frannie was just awesome! Her abilities were really cool and I cannot wait to see how they play out over the course of the series. Then there was Gabriel. This is a book that’s a perfect example of a good love triangle. I fell in love with Gabriel almost as much as I fell in love with Luc. I think if had been able to get inside his head as well it would have been impossible for me to decide which boy I loved more. There were still moments as I was reading that I was not sure.
This is an emotional, fast-paced read. It took me less than a day to read it because I had such trouble putting it down. From the characters to the supernatural elements everything is constantly developing and changing. As previously mentioned, the decision to write from both the viewpoints of Frannie & Luc was a brilliant decision that helps the book stand out even more.
All in all this was an exciting and romantic read. I will warn that it is probably best for older teens and readers due to some of the more steamy moments. This is a must read for fans of a good supernatural romance!
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Borders going-out-of-business sales.I completely enjoyed reading this book. At first I was a bit thrown because I was not expecting it to be written in alternating viewpoints. However, I think it was that element turned out to be one of my favorite parts of how the book was written. The ability to get inside not only Frannie’s mind, but also Luc’s helped me to better appreciate him as a character. His journey over the course of the story was fantastic. It was interesting to see how he grew and changed as his relationship with Frannie began to have an effect on him. Frannie was just awesome! Her abilities were really cool and I cannot wait to see how they play out over the course of the series. Then there was Gabriel. This is a book that’s a perfect example of a good love triangle. I fell in love with Gabriel almost as much as I fell in love with Luc. I think if had been able to get inside his head as well it would have been impossible for me to decide which boy I loved more. There were still moments as I was reading that I was not sure.
This is an emotional, fast-paced read. It took me less than a day to read it because I had such trouble putting it down. From the characters to the supernatural elements everything is constantly developing and changing. As previously mentioned, the decision to write from both the viewpoints of Frannie & Luc was a brilliant decision that helps the book stand out even more.
All in all this was an exciting and romantic read. I will warn that it is probably best for older teens and readers due to some of the more steamy moments. This is a must read for fans of a good supernatural romance!
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LibraryThing member missyreadsreviews
I have been meaning to get to this book for quite some time, but had put it on hold for many reasons including other reviews. However, I was sent its sequel by Tor to review so I thought it was in my best interest to read this one first. I'm glad I did.
I will go ahead and get the obvious con of
With that out of the way, I can say that everything else I really liked in this novel. Frannie is a great character that is very much a teenage girl, which I like, but she also has some spunk that sets her apart from other YA female characters. Her wish-wash lust for both Luc and Gabe is really the only thing I can see as far as character flaws go, but that's not necessarily a character flaw for everyone – just me and my personal morals, really. Luc and Gabe are both equally swoon-worthy. I found their names (Lucifer and Gabriel) to be quite amusing considering where they're both from, but they both lived up to those names... except one little thing. Gabe, who is an angel no less, has this weird habit of saying “sh-t” on several occasions. This just seems a little out of place to me and had me scratching my head as to why the angel from Heaven was the one that had an issue with a potty mouth. But, again, it amused me more than anything. I want to talk about another character but I can't because I'm afraid that will give some unwarranted spoilers to the story, so I will just say that I'm glad he came along and I want to know more about his mysterious issues that he has with Luc. And just so you know, Frannie's grandpa rocks. The villains were pure evil and I liked that their characters didn't sway. I sometimes wish they were a little more evil and vile, but maybe that will come with the next book – or that's me just letting my mind go a little morbid for a YA series.
The story is good. The plot was well thought out, with many twists that I didn't expect and I'm excited to see where this trilogy is going. If you're a paranormal lover with a thing for angels and demons, this is definitely one you will have to pick up if you haven't already.
I will go ahead and get the obvious con of
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this novel that I saw – the love triangle. Yes, I was a teenager once and yes, I had a lot of boyfriends... but I never led to guys on at the same time. It just seems wrong to me because, inevitably, someone is going to get hurt – either you, or one of the guys. And either way, it's something that's completely avoidable as long as you don't follow your hormones. Just sayin'....With that out of the way, I can say that everything else I really liked in this novel. Frannie is a great character that is very much a teenage girl, which I like, but she also has some spunk that sets her apart from other YA female characters. Her wish-wash lust for both Luc and Gabe is really the only thing I can see as far as character flaws go, but that's not necessarily a character flaw for everyone – just me and my personal morals, really. Luc and Gabe are both equally swoon-worthy. I found their names (Lucifer and Gabriel) to be quite amusing considering where they're both from, but they both lived up to those names... except one little thing. Gabe, who is an angel no less, has this weird habit of saying “sh-t” on several occasions. This just seems a little out of place to me and had me scratching my head as to why the angel from Heaven was the one that had an issue with a potty mouth. But, again, it amused me more than anything. I want to talk about another character but I can't because I'm afraid that will give some unwarranted spoilers to the story, so I will just say that I'm glad he came along and I want to know more about his mysterious issues that he has with Luc. And just so you know, Frannie's grandpa rocks. The villains were pure evil and I liked that their characters didn't sway. I sometimes wish they were a little more evil and vile, but maybe that will come with the next book – or that's me just letting my mind go a little morbid for a YA series.
The story is good. The plot was well thought out, with many twists that I didn't expect and I'm excited to see where this trilogy is going. If you're a paranormal lover with a thing for angels and demons, this is definitely one you will have to pick up if you haven't already.
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LibraryThing member danijohns
Wow. Personal Demons blew me away. I am in love with this book. Personal Demons kept me franticly turning pages and staying up way too late, but in a good way. A stunning debut from Lisa Desrochers and definitely one of my new favorite series.
What can I say about Personal Demons? I spent a day
At first, I was worried that this book would have a religious tone since it is a battle between heaven and hell for Frannie’s soul and because Frannie is from a very religious family. However, though the plot is focused on the battle for Frannie’s soul, I felt the story was more focused on the characters and the characters internal struggle more then anything else. I loved that the characters and the choices they have made and make through out the book drove the plot and book. The characters were such great characters and really three dimensional it was hard for me not to like them or relate to them. While Luc is a demon, he has that cocky, bad boy attitude, but he begins to question himself and his mission throughout the book and I love seeing him battle his own “personal demons” along with Frannie battling other personal demons and real ones. Frannie was a very complex character and I loved being able to see what was going on in her head and why she felt so guilty. Lisa Desrochers did a great job writing great characters that were interesting and fun to read.
I could go on and on about my love for this book (and my love for certain characters) but I won’t. This book left me wanting a lot more. While the ending of the book didn’t answer all the questions I had while reading, I hope the next book in this series will answer them. I cannot wait to find out more about Frannie and her power that makes her soul such a valuable commodity, about Luc, who I loved, and his relationship with Frannie. Personal Demons is one of my favorite books published this year. I’m excited to see where Lisa Desrochers takes us next in this series with these wonderful characters.
What can I say about Personal Demons? I spent a day
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when I was sick reading this whole book. I was addicted. I love the whole concept of Personal Demons with demons and angels vying for a person’s soul. I’m so glad this book focused on demons as well as angels; demons deserve some more attention in YA lit in my opinion. While I’m usually not a fan of dual point of view, having split point of between Frannie and Luc worked so well. I really enjoyed seeing the story unravel from both Frannie and Luc’s point of view since they were such different characters. Frannie and Luc were also well developed characters and each had their own voice that made the dual point of view really work. I felt Luc was a strong character than Frannie and better developed but it makes sense for Frannie to be a bit less developed since Frannie is battling her own “personal demons” and very torn on who she is. Overall, I felt the book was completely spot on with narration throughout and I found myself enjoying the two different point of views more then I thought. At first, I was worried that this book would have a religious tone since it is a battle between heaven and hell for Frannie’s soul and because Frannie is from a very religious family. However, though the plot is focused on the battle for Frannie’s soul, I felt the story was more focused on the characters and the characters internal struggle more then anything else. I loved that the characters and the choices they have made and make through out the book drove the plot and book. The characters were such great characters and really three dimensional it was hard for me not to like them or relate to them. While Luc is a demon, he has that cocky, bad boy attitude, but he begins to question himself and his mission throughout the book and I love seeing him battle his own “personal demons” along with Frannie battling other personal demons and real ones. Frannie was a very complex character and I loved being able to see what was going on in her head and why she felt so guilty. Lisa Desrochers did a great job writing great characters that were interesting and fun to read.
I could go on and on about my love for this book (and my love for certain characters) but I won’t. This book left me wanting a lot more. While the ending of the book didn’t answer all the questions I had while reading, I hope the next book in this series will answer them. I cannot wait to find out more about Frannie and her power that makes her soul such a valuable commodity, about Luc, who I loved, and his relationship with Frannie. Personal Demons is one of my favorite books published this year. I’m excited to see where Lisa Desrochers takes us next in this series with these wonderful characters.
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LibraryThing member AverysBookNook
***May contain spoilers***
While I had seen this book here and there in the blogosphere world for some silly reason I never had any inclination to read it, however when I saw a few glowing reviews of both it and its sequel a few weeks back I was convinced. And now after having read it, I can only
While this book possesses some characteristics that almost always drive me crazy when reading YA paranormal books (ie. love triangles, the female lead constantly playing with both boys hearts, a somewhat slutty best friend, etc.), I did not find that these bothered me one bit. Why? Because Lisa did everything in an entirely unique and un-cliched way.
Frannie was such a well-developed character (unlike those mindless female leads which seem to pop-up in YA books more than I would like) and could hold her own (seriously, after reading about her kick-buttness I kinda want to study Judo). As for Luc? Well, I think that he is definitely up there with Jace, Dimitri, and Jay (and I must admit that typically I am all over angel-boys, so to like demon-boy more than angel-boy? Inconceivable!) . I love when male leads are unafraid to show their emotions and boy, was he full of them!
If I had to pick one thing to criticize about this book it would have to be Gabe's personality. While he did have one, I personally didn't feel that it was quite as developed/ in-your-face as Luc's. I just had a bit of difficulties seeing why Frannie was so attracted to him when, in my opinion, he showed so little of himself.
All in all, this is by far the best YA book I have ever read that involves angels (and let me tell you, I have read quite a few. Angel obsession? You bet!). I cannot express to you how much I loved this book. You must read it (and once you start it I guarantee that it will only take you a few hours to finish because you will be unable to put it down!).
While I had seen this book here and there in the blogosphere world for some silly reason I never had any inclination to read it, however when I saw a few glowing reviews of both it and its sequel a few weeks back I was convinced. And now after having read it, I can only
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shake my head at my earlier stupidity. This book exceeded all of my expectations and is hands down one of the most satisfying books I have read in quite some time. While this book possesses some characteristics that almost always drive me crazy when reading YA paranormal books (ie. love triangles, the female lead constantly playing with both boys hearts, a somewhat slutty best friend, etc.), I did not find that these bothered me one bit. Why? Because Lisa did everything in an entirely unique and un-cliched way.
Frannie was such a well-developed character (unlike those mindless female leads which seem to pop-up in YA books more than I would like) and could hold her own (seriously, after reading about her kick-buttness I kinda want to study Judo). As for Luc? Well, I think that he is definitely up there with Jace, Dimitri, and Jay (and I must admit that typically I am all over angel-boys, so to like demon-boy more than angel-boy? Inconceivable!) . I love when male leads are unafraid to show their emotions and boy, was he full of them!
If I had to pick one thing to criticize about this book it would have to be Gabe's personality. While he did have one, I personally didn't feel that it was quite as developed/ in-your-face as Luc's. I just had a bit of difficulties seeing why Frannie was so attracted to him when, in my opinion, he showed so little of himself.
All in all, this is by far the best YA book I have ever read that involves angels (and let me tell you, I have read quite a few. Angel obsession? You bet!). I cannot express to you how much I loved this book. You must read it (and once you start it I guarantee that it will only take you a few hours to finish because you will be unable to put it down!).
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LibraryThing member DarkFaerieTales
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
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
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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.
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LibraryThing member TrishNYC
Okay if this continues for too much longer, I will soon be over my very recent YA craze. What is with the obligatory love triangle in every YA book? I mean its getting really old and just annoying and makes the heroine unlikable and seem fickle. Is there a rule book somewhere that every YA author
Despite each's dedication to fulfilling his mission, neither realizes the way in which Frannie will affect them. Though Luc has spent many centuries roaming earth and the nether world, he finds himself oddly drawn to Frannie and this compromises his ability to get his job done. Gabe also finds himself concerned with more then just Frannie's safety and despite his best intentions, he is falling for her. So what is to become of Frannie, her soul, her gift and the one she loves?
I found this book maddening. At first I really thought that Frannie was going to be a strong character and one who would have a hold on her emotions but alas, a false hope indeed. One minute she is pinning away for Luc and cannot understand why he does not want her, the next she is making out with Gabe. Then for a girl who proudly proclaims her disbelief in love, she thinks she might love Gabe, by the way this is after just about two or three encounters and all the while she is thinking of Luc and how much she wants him. Then when Luc finally seems to be coming around she is making out with him like there is no tomorrow and voila, she is definitely in love with him. We then pass a refreshing amount of time with Luc and Frannie happily together and just when you think that is finally established, Gabe kisses her in a weak moment and she reciprocates and she is confused and does not know how that happened cause Luc is the one she loves. Lord, it was exhausting. I am tired of reading these books where the woman seems to have no back bone as well as being allowed to play around with people's emotions. I want to ask this question, if a hero was placed in these circumstances and he was going between two girls, seemingly confused, I somehow doubt that everyone would be eating it up. People would be up in arms calling him unprintable names but somehow it has been decided in the YA genre that this is all the rage for the heroine? I wanted to like Frannie, I really did but I walked away from this shaking my head and loosing respect for her with each make out incident. And these men, seriously, grow a back bone as well. Walk away, if she is that confused, give her some time to see how it turns out when you are gone. Oh and don't get me started on Frannie's parents. Their behavior is downright disturbing. They hate Luc on sight because according to them there is something just not right about him. But they love Gabe immediately. I swear it almost seemed like they would not mind leaving for the weekend with Gabe and Frannie alone in the house. It was just bizarre and made them seem irrational. One very disturbing incident is when Gabe brings Frannie home the morning after graduation obviously hung over and her mother thinks its the most normal thing in the world and is literally gushing. By the way this same daughter nearly gave you a heart attack when she made out with her boyfriend Luc in front of you and the whole graduating class. Even if you hate said boyfriend, don't you at least worry what kind of person your daughter is becoming going from one guy to the next in a matter of hours? But her mothers just stands there beaming like Frannie just brought home the Pulitzer? Weird and disturbing do not begin to cover their behavior.
But as annoyed as I was with the aforementioned, I did enjoy this book. I was very intrigued by the idea of the struggle between good and evil, heaven and hell. Having read Hush, Hush and Crescendo(a most satisfying series with nary a love triangle), I was intrigued by the idea of angels and in this case demons also being thrown into the case. Luc is the best character in this book. Despite many parts of his initial introduction being cliche, he was a well fleshed character whose growth and transitions through the book felt believable and real. As he began to question his mission and doubt the job he has done for so long without qualms, you root for him. I just wish he had better taste in women. Poor guy. Gabe as a character was a cookie cutter good guy. He was sweet, earnest, wanted the best for Frannie, bla, bla, bla. Nothing against him, I would have liked him better if his sole function was not to create some false love triangle despite the fact that Frannie's affection obviously lay elsewhere. Also the story is told mostly from the perspective of Frannie and Luc, so Gabe does not have as much a role that allowed me to get to know him as anything but the third wheel. And though it seems otherwise, I did not hate Frannie. I just wish she was a better character that lived up to her initial potential. Hey maybe Frannie will get pregnant in the final book and her and Luc's offspring will fall in love with Gabe and that will make it all better. As you can tell, this book had me in all directions emotionally. But since I have recently developed an addiction to YA, I will definitely be waiting for the next installment. However, if there is there any more of this forced love triangle stuff in there, that may be my last swing at this series.
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is reading from and rule number one in this book is "There must be a love triangle"? Gosh its exhausting and is really making me question why I am reading YA. Okay rant semi over lets get to the meat of the book...Frannie is in her last stretch on her path to graduation from high school and just when she thinks she has it all figured out, UCLA in the Fall and a life spent dealing with international crises, in walks Luc. Of course he is drop dead gorgeous(because lets be honest The Hunchback of Notre Dame would not suffice here). Frannie is immediately drawn to him and cannot get him out of her head. Luc is of course a bit jerky to her at times but Frannie cannot help herself, she wants to get to know him. At almost the same time she is meeting Luc, Gabe shows up, of course straight off the pages of an Abercombie and Fitch catalogue. And before you can say hail Mary, Frannie has the hots for both guys. But there is more than meets the eye with each gentleman. Luc is on a mission to get Frannie's soul for hell while Gabe aspires in the other direction. Apparently Frannie is the possessor of a great talent that both heaven and hell want to get their hands on. Despite each's dedication to fulfilling his mission, neither realizes the way in which Frannie will affect them. Though Luc has spent many centuries roaming earth and the nether world, he finds himself oddly drawn to Frannie and this compromises his ability to get his job done. Gabe also finds himself concerned with more then just Frannie's safety and despite his best intentions, he is falling for her. So what is to become of Frannie, her soul, her gift and the one she loves?
I found this book maddening. At first I really thought that Frannie was going to be a strong character and one who would have a hold on her emotions but alas, a false hope indeed. One minute she is pinning away for Luc and cannot understand why he does not want her, the next she is making out with Gabe. Then for a girl who proudly proclaims her disbelief in love, she thinks she might love Gabe, by the way this is after just about two or three encounters and all the while she is thinking of Luc and how much she wants him. Then when Luc finally seems to be coming around she is making out with him like there is no tomorrow and voila, she is definitely in love with him. We then pass a refreshing amount of time with Luc and Frannie happily together and just when you think that is finally established, Gabe kisses her in a weak moment and she reciprocates and she is confused and does not know how that happened cause Luc is the one she loves. Lord, it was exhausting. I am tired of reading these books where the woman seems to have no back bone as well as being allowed to play around with people's emotions. I want to ask this question, if a hero was placed in these circumstances and he was going between two girls, seemingly confused, I somehow doubt that everyone would be eating it up. People would be up in arms calling him unprintable names but somehow it has been decided in the YA genre that this is all the rage for the heroine? I wanted to like Frannie, I really did but I walked away from this shaking my head and loosing respect for her with each make out incident. And these men, seriously, grow a back bone as well. Walk away, if she is that confused, give her some time to see how it turns out when you are gone. Oh and don't get me started on Frannie's parents. Their behavior is downright disturbing. They hate Luc on sight because according to them there is something just not right about him. But they love Gabe immediately. I swear it almost seemed like they would not mind leaving for the weekend with Gabe and Frannie alone in the house. It was just bizarre and made them seem irrational. One very disturbing incident is when Gabe brings Frannie home the morning after graduation obviously hung over and her mother thinks its the most normal thing in the world and is literally gushing. By the way this same daughter nearly gave you a heart attack when she made out with her boyfriend Luc in front of you and the whole graduating class. Even if you hate said boyfriend, don't you at least worry what kind of person your daughter is becoming going from one guy to the next in a matter of hours? But her mothers just stands there beaming like Frannie just brought home the Pulitzer? Weird and disturbing do not begin to cover their behavior.
But as annoyed as I was with the aforementioned, I did enjoy this book. I was very intrigued by the idea of the struggle between good and evil, heaven and hell. Having read Hush, Hush and Crescendo(a most satisfying series with nary a love triangle), I was intrigued by the idea of angels and in this case demons also being thrown into the case. Luc is the best character in this book. Despite many parts of his initial introduction being cliche, he was a well fleshed character whose growth and transitions through the book felt believable and real. As he began to question his mission and doubt the job he has done for so long without qualms, you root for him. I just wish he had better taste in women. Poor guy. Gabe as a character was a cookie cutter good guy. He was sweet, earnest, wanted the best for Frannie, bla, bla, bla. Nothing against him, I would have liked him better if his sole function was not to create some false love triangle despite the fact that Frannie's affection obviously lay elsewhere. Also the story is told mostly from the perspective of Frannie and Luc, so Gabe does not have as much a role that allowed me to get to know him as anything but the third wheel. And though it seems otherwise, I did not hate Frannie. I just wish she was a better character that lived up to her initial potential. Hey maybe Frannie will get pregnant in the final book and her and Luc's offspring will fall in love with Gabe and that will make it all better. As you can tell, this book had me in all directions emotionally. But since I have recently developed an addiction to YA, I will definitely be waiting for the next installment. However, if there is there any more of this forced love triangle stuff in there, that may be my last swing at this series.
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Language
Original publication date
2010-09-14
Physical description
368 p.; 20 cm
ISBN
9780330404013
Local notes
Frannie Cavanaugh is a good Catholic girl with a bit of a wicked streak. She has spent years keeping everyone at a distance, until Luc Cain enrols in her class. What she doesn’t know is that Luc is on a mission. He’s been sent from Hell itself to claim Frannie’s soul.