YA 79K Urban/Fantasy-Seeking Beta/and/or feedback. Inquire within.

Hello,
I've just passed the 50 mark and wanted to post something. I'm looking around and trying my hand at critiques in different forums, but I realized that I myself don't just want a critique.

I have written a 79K Urban fantasy that I believe fits the YA standards, if not the norm then the upper end of that spectrum. I understand that I should have it like whittled down to what I consider perfection before I solicit a beta, but I feel that I genuinely need another writer(s) to take a look at it and let me know what works and what doesn't. I've been writing and rewriting this novel for four years, so I think I'm too close to it for objectivity without a little help.

I'm looking for someone to read the novel and give me their honest--constructive--opinion. I'm thick-skinned. I encourage you to sharpen your knives and cut, cut, cut. The story does have a prologue and an epilogue (I'm aware that many hate those), but if those don't work, I can rework them or delete them if it makes the novel better. I'm going to paste a description of the novel (not a query) below this paragraph so that if you're interested you can see what you're getting in to.

In a city that’s lost its soul, one demon fights for its redemption as well as his salvation. Haunted by a past he cannot remember and living a false identity, Joshua lives in a world of solitude and thankless sacrifice until Abigail enters his dreams. A gifted but tortured psychic, Abigail is a prisoner of the very evil that has hunted Joshua for more than eight hundred years. As Joshua’s past and present collide the answers to his questions begin to piece together a history he may not want to remember. With time running out, Joshua must save Abigail before one of mankind’s greatest enemies unleashes Hell on earth. As the road to redemption or damnation blurs, Joshua is brought face to face with the truth of his memory, and it is on the shoulders of a demon that the future of man rests.


I'm hoping that I can communicate a few times a week with my beta(s) to develop a good understanding of the progress and fresh thoughts they have.
If you've made it this far--you're awesome even if you don't contact me--and want to take me up on this offer, you can PM, E-mail, IM, post a message offering to read and ask me to PM YOU, or use any other preternatural way of getting my attention that you may have at your disposal.
In closing: Looking for a beta to read Reaper's Hollow, comment on characters, plot, logistics, wording, general thoughts, etc. If you're a black-belt beta awesome. If not, still awesome; wanna build your resume?

Thanks again.
-Receding Waters

Forgot a BIG POINT. SORRY:


I am not one to just take, so If you would like to read mine, I would love to read yours. Despite no publishing history, I am very serious about writing, and hope to truly get "somewhere" with my material someday. This is a partnership I'd love to keep up even beyond this novel--and the one I read of yours. We can do a test run with the first chapter or two of our work, and test the waters before we commit.

Again, thanks for taking a look at this.

-Receding Waters-