Book Review: Forgiven by Jana Oliver

Title: Forgiven

Author: Jana Oliver
Series: The Demon Trappers, #3
Pages: 407
Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books
Date of Publication: 1st March 2012
Source: Publisher*
Synopsis from Goodreads: Riley has made a bargain with Heaven, and now they've come to collect.

Lucifer's finest are ruling the streets and it seems that Armageddon might be even closer than Riley imagined. But with her soul and her heart in play it's all she can do to keep herself alive, let alone save the world. Riley's not afraid of kicking some major demon butt, but when it comes to a battle between Heaven and Hell, she might need a little help...

My Thoughts:
Forgiven is the third book in The Demon Trappers Series by Jana Oliver. It's one of my favourite series, and let me tell you - each book just gets better and better.

I absolutely adored this book - and although I'm in a bit of a reading funk at the moment - when I did actually sit down to read for longer than ten minutes, I flew through the pages. I loved jumping right back into Riley's demon trapping world, and all the action and drama is so exciting, and despite having read the previous book in the summer of last year, I felt as if I had never left.

As usual, Riley was awesome. She's possibly one of my favourite heroines in YA fiction - she's kick-ass, determined and great fun to read about. She really seems like a real teenager, and living in the conditions and situations that she does must be hard, she still finds the time to add just enough snark and sass to the book to lighten the sometimes depressing scenarios (like all the huge demon fight scenes) in which the characters find themselves in.

Her relationship with Beck remains one of my favourite aspects of this book, but at the same time, I hate it. It is possibly the most frustrating relationship in the history of all relationships... AHH they annoyed me SO much. It's completely obvious to absolutely everyone, yet neither character can admit to themselves that they've fallen for each other, and fallen hard.

Speaking of Beck, I love the guy he became in Forgiven. It wasn't that he was different, exactly, but I feel like he's matured a lot and gotten older in the short time in which the book is set. We learn a lot more about him, and I felt he finally gave up some of his pride and admitted things to both himself and to Riley that made him a lot more vulnerable, yet also stronger, in the long run.

The plot, I think, was definitely the best of the three books so far. Right from when it starts on page 1, the action is non-stop, fast-paced and exciting. There's a whole load of demon fights and traps, a huge range of relationship drama and even a battle between Heaven, Hell and the Human Race. There wasn't a single moment when I got bored or I felt the story lagged in momentum - it was all awesome.

All in all, Forgiven was a great addition to The Demon Trappers Series. It's definitely one of my all-time favourites, and I can't wait to read the conclusion, Foretold, when it comes out in August. If you haven't started this series yet, why not?! I'd most definitely recommend to all fans of YA paranormal and dystopian (as it sort of is both), or if you're looking for a fast, exciting read to keep you entertained for hours.

*Huge thanks to Macmillan for sending me this book in exchange for an honest review! In no way has this affected my opinion of the book.