Transcend by Christine Fonseca



From Goodreads:

 

All seventeen-year-old composer Ien Montgomery desires is an escape from his family's rigid expectations for his life; someone to inspire his music. When he meets a beautiful violin-prodigy, Kiera McDougal, his life music takes on new life. With her, he imagines a future outside of his parents’ control. That is, until a horrible accident tears them apart.

Sent to die in a sanatorium, Ien’s obsession for Kiera grows unbearable. Tortured by thoughts he can’t escape and the truth of his monstrous disfigurement, he flees, desperate to exact revenge on the people that ruined his life – his parents. But, vengeance is empty. Betrayed by those closest to him, Ien discovers that the price for his happiness may be his sanity.

Set amidst the landscape of New York's Gilded Age, and inspired by Phantom of the Opera, TRANSCEND exposes the fine line between love and madness.

My take:

Wow! This book was not what I was expecting and so different from what I normally read. What a beautiful surprise it turned out to be!

There were so many twists and surprises during the story; it keeps you sitting on the edge of your seat and wanting to know what happens to Ian? Who is Sister Anne? Is Erik real?

This was beautifully written. You can actually feel Ian’s emotional and mental struggles.

I love the ending and was completely taken by surprise. It’s left open a continuation or for the story to be told from a different point of view. Would love to read from Mother’s point as she’s raising Ian or during Erik’s death, the explosion, or during the ordeal with Kiera.

I highly recommend this book for those wanting something different then mainstream paranormal or fantasy. I believe readers will enjoy it more if they aren’t familiar with the story or haven’t read the synopsis.