Fateful, by Claudia Gray

Release date: September 13th 2011
Published by: Harper Collins Children's Books
Genre: Young Adult
Rating: 5/5 stars












In Fateful, eighteen-year-old maid Tess Davies is determined to escape the wealthy, overbearing family she works for. Once the ship they’re sailing on reaches the United States, she’ll strike out on her own. Then she meets Alec, a handsome first-class passenger who captivates her instantly. But Alec has secrets....

Soon Tess will learn just how dark Alec’s past truly is. The danger they face is no ordinary enemy: werewolves are real and they’re stalking him—and now Tess, too. Her growing love for Alec will put Tess in mortal peril, and fate will do the same before their journey on the Titanic is over. 

My thoughts:

I'd set eyes on this book quite a while ago, but was brave enough to read it months after its release. Oh, well. I'm still hesitant about certain things, and Fateful was on the list. Titanic is my favorite movie ever, paranormal is my favorite genre, romance is my favorite part of a book, and the beggining of the 20th century is a fascinating setting. So my expectations were super high. This book had to be epic and completely breath-taking for me. And it was. 


First, there're the main characteres. Tess is a servant, a sweet girl whose goal is to leave the family she's currently working for, and search a new way of life in America. And for that to become true, she must go on the Titanic. You see, Claudia Gray manages to balance strength and vulnerability perfectly in a character, and Tess was no exception. She’s so caring, polite, and knows her place in society, even if she’s trying to change her position. But at the same time, she’s one of the strongest girls I’ve ever seen. Many times, I was proud of her actions, and urged her to continue having this amazing personality.

Alec is a different matter altogether. He’s a man tormented by the moonlight curse. Being a werewolf is such a heavy burden to carry, and even though he has his father to lean on, Alec still has to struggle every day with himself and people around him. Keeping the beast contained, physically and emotionally, weakens him in spirit, and it was a relief both to him and me when he met Tess. The circumstances weren’t the best – after all, Tess was being chased by the same werewolf, Mikhail, that’s been chasing him – but it was good to see him getting better.

I loved both Tess and Alec, and my heart flipped when the romance erupted. I loved how their love for each other gave them something else to fight for, a reason to keep going, even though it was impossible for them to be together – Alec fighting the best within him, and Tess working harder to achieve her dreams. All that while doing their best to survive Mikhail, whose threats were a constant blow.

Speaking of Mikhail, he’s one of those villains that I wanted to kill with my bare hands. The man was pure evil, and I forgot how to breathe every time he tried to hurt Tess or Alec, in any way.

But that’s not all there is to love in Fateful. The setting of this story was fantastically described, and while reading Claudia Gray’s details about the Titanic, I kept remembering about the movie. This may sound crazy, but I was half expecting for Tessie to meet a guy called Jack, in third class o.O

Aside from the setting, the writing was epic. Of course, being a historical fiction, the English is old-fashioned. I’m not used to this kind of language, having read just one historical fiction before (Haunting Violet, which was pretty good, too). So, I was fascinated by the way people spoke and used my favorite language.

This is a spoiler-free review, but I can’t help but talk about the ending. Every time I watch Titanic, I cry and sob at the ending. I still can’t believe Jack dies, even though I’ve watched this movie, like, a hundred times. Fateful broke my heart just as much in the end. And when I thought everything was over, bang! An enormous surprise. And then, right after that, bang! Another huge surprise. And a wonderful one, that is. I literally jumped on the couch and my face broke into a huge smile as I was reading it. Thank you, Claudia Gray, for not killing one of most amazing main characters I’ve ever met. I owe you one.

Fateful was a roller-coaster of emotions. Fascination for the setting and writing, love for the romance and the characters, and finally, an ending that will leave you breathless. If you’re a paranormal fan, read it. If you’re a romance fan, read it. If you’re a historical fiction fan, read it. You won’t regret it. I know I didn’t.