“Anew” by Chelsea Fine was highly entertaining, witty, sarcastic, tragic and upbeat all at once.  The urban fantasy is about  a girl whose past lives bring her to discover who she is and what the people in her new life mean to her.

Seventeen-year-old Scarlet woke up with no memory in the middle of the forest two years previously. In her small town, Avalon, she meets a boy her age that seems familiar in a way she can’t place, and she feels an  connection to him that just adds more confusion, since she has no recollection of her past. Soon after, she discovers that he has a twin brother, who seems to be keeping her at a distance for an unknown reason involving a curse and a previous life.

This book was difficult to put down not only because of the intriguing plot, but also because of the author’s simple, but elegant and realistic writing style that makes you feel as if you knew the characters yourself. The characters were hilarious and intriguing, from the brave, independent Scarlett, her quirky and sarcastic best friend, Heather, and of course the two overprotective, and selfless brothers who seem to know more about Scarlett than she does.

Fine knows how to create a world that you will not want to leave. It takes place in the real world but with the added element of  past lives that shape the way the characters are now.

This book is perfect for readers looking for a mix of romance, mystery, action, and a little bit of historical fiction. Book two, “Awry,” is available now, and book three, “Avow” was released in December, so you won’t have to wait a painfully long time for each book to come out after finishing the previous one.  Get started on this series if you want to know what curse from Scarlett’s past has come back to haunt her.