The Cover: This cover tells you what this book is going to be about, mostly. It screams vulnerable girl who needs a guy to protect her. It's kiiiiind of true but not entirely. Eila happens to be very brave and good at standing up and making the hard choices. I really wish that this cover showed more of that. It shows too much dependence for my liking. It's dark though, which does fit well with the story. I like the title font but I think I'd like it better without the reflection. And I'm not a big fan of the angled blurb on his bicep. I'm all for blurbing but it seems awkward on an angle while the others are horizontal. I mean I know you're trying to draw attention to attractive guys' bicep but still. 5 out of 10.

The Story: This story starts of like a normal YA book, a teen moving to a new city. However, that's about as normal as it gets. Eila was given a house on Cape Cod that's so old and well-known. At her new school she meets a couple friends who seem normal but are anything but. Danger threatens Eila as she begins to learn more about her past and it threatens to repeat itself. Raef becomes a protector for her and one of her friends (also she has a sizable crush on him because who wouldn't in that situation). But how well can Raef protect her when she learns the truth about her past and who she is?

Undertow for me a combination of a lot of different books, in a good way. The supernatural aspect of it was something that I haven't read before. It was refreshing to not read another vampire or werewolf supernatural YA book. It's nice to know authors can still spread their wings in that genre. But anyways, Undertow has some flashbacks and snippets of history that remind me of Cassie Clare's The Infernal Devices. The way that K.R. is able to work the past into the present storyline is well done so that the reader doesn't feel like they're being shoved in opposite directions.

Another comparison some people might make this book to is Twilight. It's not really the same except for the immortal aspect and the apparent main character “damsel in distress”. But! Eila is not a damsel in distress like Bella. It takes a little time but her character adjusts to this new world that she didn't know existed. Although she does have Raef looking over her, she makes an effort to try and learn to protect herself. While she is still scared, in the end she makes some insanely brave and difficult decisions that save the day. Let's see Bella Swan do that. Haha.

Undertow wasn't my favorite book that I've read this year (I honestly don't know if I could even pick one of those), but it is definitely a good read. It will keep you interested, the storyline never gets boring. (Oh & there's plenty of swoony romantic moments that make you “Awww!”) There's enough going on to keep you reading and then once you finish it you become so satisfied with the ending that you can't wait for the next one. For that, I give it 4 out of 5.