Book Review: The Glass Gauntlet

Book Review: The Glass Gauntlet by Carter Roy

Goodreads Description: Ronan Truelove barely survived his first encounter with his father and the Bend Sinister. Now, he’s determined to become one of the Blood Guard, a sword-wielding secret society sworn to protect thirty-six pure souls crucial to the world’s survival.

Eager to prove he’s got what it takes, Ronan is sent on his first mission with his friends Greta and Sammy to visit a weird-sounding school and take a series of tests called the Glass Gauntlet. Paper and pencils and nerdy scholarship—where’s the life-or-death challenge in that?

But the Glass Gauntlet is actually something much more dangerous: head-to-head competitions against ruthless opponents. Nothing and no one are what they seem. Who can he trust, and who will kill him? Ronan has to figure it out fast because his enemies are multiplying, and soon he will have to pass the ultimate test: facing his father again and standing up to those who threaten not only him and his friends but also the world.

My Review: An ARC of the Glass Gauntlet was given to me by MB Communications, but my opinion is entirely my own.

I hit the ground running when reading THE GLASS GAUNTLET as I had not read the first book in the series. I could have taken the time to read the first one, but I more wanted to read TGG on its own to see how well it stood up as its own story. After all, even though we write a series, aren't we told to make each book able to stand on its own? Its with that thought that I dived into these pages, and I gladly wasn't let down.

The beginning of the book is a little bogged down with some telling of what occurred in the previous book. As I had not read the first book, I found this information helpful, though many other readers could quickly grow tired of the explanations. Besides that, the book starts right into action, begginning with training in the Blood Guard's base camp before moving out to the estate of Agatha Glass to compete in some sort of 'test.' At first glass, Agatha's test could be seen as a refinishing of the Hunger Games trope-- a competition with life threatening challenges that runs the majority of the plot. Thankfully, this is not the case, as the "test" is not what the story focuses on, but rather everything going on outside of the test, which was refreshing. The tension and voice kept the story moving fluidly until all the tipping points are in place. It was nice to see that the major complications that Ronan faces in this story is caused by his own actions. Rather than being dragged along as a tool of the plot, Ronan instead makes choices both in the beginning and at the end that greatly shapes the outcomes. I especially liked how his decisions made things worse rather than better, as it keeps the tension high and the main character in the action seat.

The entire book had a definite feel of Rick Riordan's books, and many mirroring ideas. But where Riordan's stories focus more on magic, the GG is more focused on tech. The main mystery focuses around the glass gauntlet, what it can do, and how they were going to make it work. The writing is smooth and rather descriptive without going on for paragraphs and paragraphs. The way Carter Roy described scenes and actions made it very easy to visualize. His writing style keeps the pace swift and with deliberate details that are easy to latch onto.

One of the downsides was the lack of serious character changes or development over the course of the novel. I figure that more characterization of the main three characters took place in the first book, and the second is now more focused on plot than building up characters. It was nice to see some of Ronan's struggles-- how he dealt with thinking of his father and his responsibility to Greta-- but outside of him there's not much there besides showcasing character skills to convey personality. The character I was most interested in was Jack Dawkins, mostly because the mystery of his history and the emotion brought out of him, having to face friends he hadn't seen for many many years.

All in all, The Glass Gauntlet made for an enjoyable and fast-paced read. It definitely feels like a book that would appeal to boys, especially those interested in things like the Percy Jackson series. I did not expect to enjoy this book as much as I did and was delighted with the ideas and plot elements Roy brought to the table.

TL;DR: 3/5 stars. A good adventure story for those who dream of being a hero.

Book Review: The Girl in the Torch

Book Review: The Girl in the Torch by Robert Sharenow

Goodreads Description: At the dawn of the twentieth century, thousands of immigrants are arriving in the promised land of New York City. Twelve-year-old Sarah has always dreamed of America, a land of freedom and possibility. In her small village she stares at a postcard of the Statue of Liberty and imagines the Lady beckoning to her. When Sarah and her mother finally journey across the Atlantic, though, tragedy strikes—and Sarah finds herself being sent back before she even sets foot in the country.

Yet just as Sarah is ushered onto the boat that will send her away from the land of her dreams, she makes a life-or-death decision. She daringly jumps off the back of the boat and swims as hard as she can toward the Lady's island and a new life.

Her leap of faith leads her to an unbelievable hiding place: the Statue of Liberty itself. Now Sarah must find a way to Manhattan while avoiding the night watchman and scavenging enough food to survive. When a surprising ally helps bring her to the city, Sarah finds herself facing new dangers and a life on her own. Will she ever find a true home in America?

My Review:  I was sent an ARC of The Girl in the Torch, but my review is entirely my own opinion.

Right from the beginning of this book, I was pulled into Sarah's struggles and admired the way the author set up each conflict and could make every little problem feel like the end of the world for Sarah. As a new American immigrant arriving around the turn of the century, Sarah faces many varied challenges, from losing her mother, to choosing to jump from the boat to avoid deportation, to scavenging for food and a place to sleep among the Statute of Liberty. Through all of this Sarah remains resilient and hopeful, which is part of what made this book so special. Though Sarah undergoes horrible tragedies, she is always trying to move forward and overcome her next challenge. She doesn't dwell on things and remains optimistic and kind to those around her. Moreso, what made me admire Sarah's character is she was actually smart. The author, Robert Sharenow, didn't have her ignore red flags and walk blindly into danger. She could realize when something wasn't quite right, stand up for herself, and get out instead of allowing herself to be dragged into serious trouble. This is balanced well with a bit of the meekness and naivety that one would expect of a young girl on her own. The balance made her not only a realistic girl, but one that young readers can really look up to.

The pacing of this book is slow at first, but is in no short supply of tension. Each problem that Sarah has to overcome is presented in a way that makes it hard to look away, and each step builds upon itself. The last third of the book runs through like a thrill ride as Sarah has to find a way to rescue her new found friends and family from getting sent to prison because of her, while still find a way to stay in America. It was delightful to see all the pieces come together by the end. The epilogue definitely has a bit of sugary sweet cheesiness to it, but the overall ending to the story was very delightful. I can't think of a better word for it than that, since I was just delighted reading it.

The book had a very diverse flavour to it, since the story is of American immigrants. Sarah rooms with Chinese people and a black couple, befriends an Irish orphan, is rescued by a half-native man, not to mention encounters a variety of cultures settling throughout New York City. It definitely reminded me of something I would have read in school. It would be perfect for young readers to discuss in a classroom setting, as it does touch lightly on things like racism and life for immigrants to the USA.

I highly encourage teachers and librarians to pick this one up for their students. It would also appeal to those who enjoy a historical tale as well.

TL;DR: All in all, 3.5/5 stars. A very sweet and diverse tale, and one to savor.

Book Review: Red Glove

Book Review: Red Glove by Holly Black 

Goodreads Description: After rescuing his brothers from Zacharov’s retribution, Cassel is trying to reestablish some kind of normalcy in his life.

That was never going to be easy for someone from a worker family that’s tied to one of the big crime families—and whose mother’s cons get more reckless by the day. But Cassel is coming to terms with what it means to be a worker, and he’s figuring out how to have friends.

Except normal doesn’t last very long. Soon Cassel is being courted by both sides of the law and is forced to confront his past—a past he remembers only in scattered fragments, and one that could destroy his family and his future. Cassel will have to decide whose side he wants to be on, because neutrality is not an option. And then he will have to pull off his biggest con ever to survive….

My Review: I had picked up Red Glove a long time ago and it took the right mood before I was able to read it. What intrigues me about this series is the world itself, the way the magic works at the touch of a hand and the whole mobster and criminal backing to it, which creates room for a great deal of conflict. Cassel's character has developed quite a bit since the previous book, and the loss of his naivety and innocence really improves the overall feel of the story. What I didn't enjoy about the first book was that Cassel seemed too naive to have grown up around criminals and mob families. After learning everything from the first book, Cassel becomes a bit darker and a bit more reserved, which made for a much more pleasant and believable read.

Along the line of characters, I really enjoyed getting to see Lila and her character progression throughout. She came into her own in a way she didn't-- and probably couldn't-- in the first book. She went from some mysterious and wonderful thing in Cassel's mind to a real character, which was nice to see.

Most of my sighs in this book just comes down to fundamentals. I feel like Holly Black spends too much time trying to build up the mystery and doesn't leave enough time to let the resolution of it hit home. The entire book the plot focuses around this woman in red gloves who murdered Cassel's brother, and the resolution to that plot is shoved into half a scene at the end. There was no satisfaction to the resolution because it almost felt tacked on, a secondary thought to the plot between Lila and Cassel, which ends on a tense note.

Which leads me to another annoyance. I have yet to make any conclusions until I read the final installment, but that final scene between Lila and Cassel felt like the most exciting part of the book, which made the rest feel like fodder and set up for the finale. I suppose that's my own grievance more than anything else.

The writing style is very straight to the point, and at times, I find rather bland. Because of this, when the author describes anything, it becomes painfully obvious that it's going to play a part in the story, even just a minuscule one, as opposed to describing an entire scene and leaving the 'smoking gun' hidden among other details. It makes the narrative feel predictable at times.

All in all, Red Glove is an easy, smooth read, though not at all "dark" or "noir," unless you consider PG13 noir. I'll be looking forward to the finale, at least to see how this all comes together.

TL;DR: 3/5 stars. An interesting idea but a not so interesting execution.

Book Review: Mister Death's Blue Eyed Girls

Book Review: Mister Death's Blue Eyed Girls by Mary Downing Hahn 

Goodreads Description: Based on an actual crime in 1955, this YA novel is at once a mystery and a coming-of-age story. The brutal murder of two teenage girls on the last day of Nora Cunningham's junior year in high school throws Nora into turmoil. Her certainties, friendships, religion, her prudence, her resolve to find a boyfriend taller than she is - are shaken or cast off altogether.

Most people in Elmgrove, Maryland, share the comforting conviction that Buddy Novak, who had every reason to want his ex-girlfriend dead, is responsible for the killings. Nora agrees at first, then begins to doubt Buddy's guilt, and finally comes to believe him innocent - the lone dissenting voice in Elmgrove.

My Review: It's taken me a bit to actually write this review, mostly because Mister Death's Blue Eyed Girls left me in such a funk. It's an incredible book and so different from what I'm used to seeing in YA that it was a stark breath of fresh air. The story followed Nora in the days leading up to and the weeks after her friends' murder. The whole town is abuzz, certain that one of the girl's ex-boyfriend, Buddy, was behind it, though Nora isn't quite so sure. Aside from the fact that this story is based on a true crime, the events feel so starkly real. Not in the murder or the reactions of people, which were all very well done, but in the little minute details most writers easily overlook. We get to see our MC "fall" for nearly every guy who pays her the time of day, we see our MC and her friend badmouthing their murdered friends before they realize what has happened to them. We get to see the complexities of emotion-- like how Charlie really likes Nora, and yet can't be around her after the incident due to the conflicting feelings and memories. Yes, all of these little tidbits may look unfavorable on a character, but the reason they stood out so strongly is because they were true to being human. Teenage girls don't meet "the one" off the first bat. They fall in love with anyone, (or at least that's what it felt like), they turn to sharp words easily because they don't realize the lasting effect, and most of all, the feeling of confusion and uncertainty remains strong throughout the teenage years. The little negative characteristics creeping out really brought that dose of reality in. The character felt like real people because of, not just what they experience, but how they experienced it.

Mister Death is a powerful loss of innocence tale and a strong period piece. Through every moment in that book, the time period bled in and didn't let you forget it. Records are playing. Long shorts have been introduced. The girls talk about how it sucks that James Dean passed away. Some writers may think they're being overbearing when trying to set a scene or time period, but this book only proves that you simply cannot overdo it. Adding more to instill scenery or setting really has a big impact. Aside from the time period, even just the way the author described the town and the summer heat left a lasting impression and made the setting come alive like another character. As well, the loss of innocence is stark. The first few chapters we get to see our MC, Nora, and all her friends living their lives as normal, which allows for the sharp contrast to what happens when the murders take place. Because of this, most of the characters can come off as a little bit like boy-crazy bimbos in the beginning, but I believe this is more reflective of the time period and their naivety than anything else.

This book is strongly character driven and best when you're in more of a reflective mood. Aside from the murders, there isn't a whole lot of action that goes on, and it is a story of a personal journey and discovery. The only thing I would complain about is having a bit more closure with the actual killers. The book spends time alternating between POVs and we get the chance to see things through the killer's eyes. However, I felt like it was left a little unfinished and would've liked to see one or two more scenes from them. Other than that, the relationships in this story are really what's gold, my personal favourite being the relationship between Buddy and Nora. There's something really beautiful in their scenes together, and not in a lovey-dovey way, but in a way that speaks to the truth and mystery in human relationships.

I would greatly encourage anyone to pick this up, especially if you've ever faced some sort of tragedy. Though not a lot happens, the pace is swift and makes for a quick and invested read.

TL;DR: 4/5 stars. A great period piece and a strong loss of innocence story with some intense ideas explored.

Book Review: Zodiac

Book Review: Zodiac by Romina Russell

Goodreads Description: Rhoma Grace is a 16-year-old student from House Cancer with an unusual way of reading the stars. While her classmates use measurements to make accurate astrological predictions, Rho can’t solve for ‘x’ to save her life—so instead, she looks up at the night sky and makes up stories.

When a violent blast strikes the moons of Cancer, sending its ocean planet off-kilter and killing thousands of citizens—including its beloved Guardian—Rho is more surprised than anyone when she is named the House’s new leader. But, a true Cancerian who loves her home fiercely and will protect her people no matter what, Rho accepts.

Then, when more Houses fall victim to freak weather catastrophes, Rho starts seeing a pattern in the stars. She suspects Ophiuchus—the exiled 13th Guardian of Zodiac legend—has returned to exact his revenge across the Galaxy. Now Rho—along with Hysan Dax, a young envoy from House Libra, and Mathias, her guide and a member of her Royal Guard—must travel through the Zodiac to warn the other Guardians.

But who will believe anything this young novice says? Whom can Rho trust in a universe defined by differences? And how can she convince twelve worlds to unite as one Zodiac?

My Review: Warning: Spoilers and swearing ahead!

Confession time: I'm terrible for covers. I will often judge a book by its cover and pretty ones make me go grabby hands. That's why as soon as I saw ZODIAC by Romina Russell I had to grab it. The story looked intriguing, and plus, Space! Who the hell doesn't love sci-fi? You? You're lying.

I was severely disappointed.

The beginning of Zodiac starts off pretty strong. We step into a pretty typical high school experience (save for taking place on one of cancer's moons) and we're introduced to Rho Grace and her friends, all part of a band. The beginning did an excellent job of introducing a lot of necessary information. In fact, all throughout the book, the author really excelled at weaving information into the story so nothing felt terribly bogged down. Through the first several chapters, I realized there was a lot of information being relayed, but it didn't feel heavy or bogged down, which is essential when you're building your own world. To add to that, the beginning really drew me in, especially by the time our initial calamity sets in. When the moons of cancer collided, I could really feel it. The way the author describes the terror and tragedy really hits home, which is especially important, as we don't get enough time to see and get attached to the world before it's destroyed. I didn't know the characters much, as the story starts with the tragedy, but the author managed to get in some real empathy from me, just through the way she described the loss and pain the characters felt. All of this was without feeling too bogged down by "woe is me" which is nice.

Along with being skilled with laying information into the narrative (both plot wise and world building), the author really excels at world building. The system of Psy energy, how the constellations came to be and existed together all felt pretty well put together. It felt solid, and each time the characters landed on a new world was the best part of the book. I'm a sucker for world building and Zodiac had it in spades. However, that is where this book's strengths end.

Let's start with the characters. I'm not normally one who pickets for strong female characters, but Rho pissed me off by how passive and pathetic she was. Throughout the whole book, she does absolutely nothing. It's her idea to warn other signs of the coming danger and what happened on her home world, yet no one believes her or she gets blown off. She has some skills with Psy energy (which she doesn't EVER need to practice, because she's a SUPER SPECIAL SNOWFLAKE.). And she faces Ochus at the end, a battle that ends in a tie because she was able to use her Super Special Powers That She Never Has to Actually Learn to beat him back just enough to survive. The story involves Rho being picked and given power because "It's in the stars" and what's a YA book without a goddamn speshul widdle princess. She then runs around to a bunch of other planets, all in an attempt to show off more of the author's world, to convince people that their version of the boogeyman is real. Meanwhile, despite planets BLOWING UP, all the official adults are too stupid to actually do something about it. Then when she finally convinces them (which she doesn't even do, they're swayed by the fact that SHIT KEEPS BLOWING UP) they all run off to a battle which they have little to no plan for (other than using our Speshul Princess as bait for the baddie), and then get beaten. Big surprise.

I would be a bit more forgiving if Rho actually did small heroic things throughout the book. You don't have to blow up a baddie or save a planet to be a hero. Sometimes our heroes are those who help out children, go out of their way to do something they know is right, or even just speaking up and telling people what they think. There are no small chances for Rho to show off what an "awesome" person she is. (I certainly couldn't figure it out, but every other character wouldn't stop telling her how fabulous she was, so there must have been SOMETHING there.) Even when there is a chance to rescue some people on Virgo, instead the author chooses to have the people they were going to rescue (mind you, this wasn't even Rho's idea) die instead. Just to make her look worse. Well, congrats, mission accomplished. There was nothing about Rho that made me like her, let alone cheer her on as a hero.

The other characters in this are no better. Hysan is probably the most forgiving, but too many parts had me rolling my eyes (especially when he talks about how speshul Rho is despite her NEVER HAVING DONE ANYTHING.) Mathias was eye-roll worthy, and the only thing that made me like him was when he died at the end. Which I don't foresee as sticking, since we don't get to see his corpsey body. Boo.

Ultimately, this book would have been wonderful had it had a completely different plot and characters. There was nothing to sympathize with with the characters, their motivations and actions often seemed stupid and unreasonable (such as Mathias Tasing guards in one of the Houses. You know, that shouldn't get you in trouble or anything.) Plus the plot felt so formulaic that it made me sick. Here's a tragedy. Here's our MC getting chosen. Here they are with their plan to save the day. Here's the two boys that make a love triangle. And then yaaay, the special snowflake saves the day without making any difficult decisions. Everything about this book was wonderfully creative-- except the parts that matter.

TL;DR: 1.5/5 stars. Unless you enjoy the cliched love triangles and a plot you can foresee blindfolded, don't bother.

Book Review: The Bodies We Wear

Book Review: The Bodies We Wear by Jeyn Roberts

Goodreads Description: People say when you take Heam, your body momentarily dies and you catch a glimpse of heaven. Faye was only eleven when dealers forced Heam on her and her best friend, Christian. But Faye didn’t glimpse heaven—she saw hell. And Christian died.

Now Faye spends her days hiding her secret from the kids at school, and her nights training to take revenge on the men who destroyed her life and murdered her best friend. But life never goes the way we think it will. When a mysterious young man named Chael appears, Faye's plan suddenly gets a lot more complicated. Chael seems to know everything about her, including her past. But too many secrets start tearing her world apart: trouble at school, with the police, and with the people she thought might be her friends. Even Gazer, her guardian, fears she's become too obsessed with vengeance. Love and death. Will Faye overcome her desires, or will her quest for revenge consume her?

 

My Review:  A lot of my experience with this book could be summed up with simply: Ugh.

I was drawn to THE BODIES WE WEAR by its beautiful cover and interesting title. The hook didn't grab me much-- the tale of a streetwise punk hunting down dealers to get revenge for her best friend's murder. The idea was okay, but nothing about it made me shout 'ooh!' It was rather I wanted to see what the author did when dealing with teen drug use/abuse, the stigma associated, and how revenge and the street life affect someone as a person.

The beginning stood out strong, and by this I really mean only the opening scene with Faye standing in the rain with the preacher who calls her out. Some of these ideas brought up I really liked-- the conflict between religion and addicts, which was well done in the opening scene, as well as the question of the afterlife and what living really meant. It almost felt like the beginnings of some really awesome ideas that didn't get the attention they really deserved.

Instead, we are stuck with a a dull main character who tries to convince us she's a rough and tumble street punk. Really, what has she done in her life? She's a good student, helps the poor and downtrodden, stands up for girls being beaten up in the bathroom, and yet she presents with the attitude of "this isn't normal for me. I'm one of the cool kids just HAPPENING to do the right thing." It was a serious case of an author leading their audience, attempting to tell them what to think of their character instead of showing it. Not to mention our love interest, Chael, is about as transparent as glass and about as interesting. His story was horribly predictable (from the first moment he entered it was obvious as to what's really going on with him, though the story never explains the HOW or reasons behind what happens to him). He came in to be the mysterious protector who would "save Faye from herself." I couldn't find anything likeable about him, especially once he begins to do the mysterious "I know things but you need to figure it out for yourself." Barf. I'll tell you, if the guy I was dating constantly lorded information over me in such an arrogant way (especially coupled with his stalker tendencies) I'd clock him one. Which feels like something Faye should have done, but somehow six years of street life are completely forgotten when cute boys enter the picture.

The characters felt like they didn't make a lot of sense. Mostly, the construct of the society made no sense to me. Here we have a drug that is outright killing people from the first dose and anybody who has so much touched the stuff is instantly ostracized. I can... sort of understand this, but it didn't make much sense to me. People are afraid of drug use in real life because it changes their loved one. Makes them more aggressive, brings out odd behaviour, it causes them to lie and cheat those they love to put the drug first. Yet we didn't see any transformation from the use of Heam. Its users saw Heaven, and if they overdosed and got scars, (evidence of their use) they were essentially tossed aside. The author pushed this addict stigma to the point where it was horribly unbelievable. I can't believe a mother could one day go from "My baby girl" to "You're a horrible monster get out of my face," by the presence of a few marks. Therefore, the whole stigma of Heam use mostly made me roll my eyes.

Aside from the characters, the thing that really bothered me was how this book presented drug use/abuse. The environment was very black and white-- bad guys and victims. The villains in this book were not people-- they were drug dealers, pedophiles, murderers. It felt like the author compiled everything evil into a person and then set them up as pins to be knocked down by our main character. There was no way we could sympathize with them, which took out a huge point of conflict. They're still human, someone out there must have loved them. Instead of drawing up the dilemma of "these are humans too, no matter what they've done, and I'm going to kill them." Instead, we get, "He deserved it, but killing him didn't make me happy," which felt incredibly selfish and short sighted, not so much on the character's side but the author's. Emotions run much deeper than that. On the other hand, we had the victims-- little kids who are doing this drug, who had it forced upon them, who are poor little sufferers in this cruel society. It made me scoff. Yes, there are always those sob stories, but drug use is filled with people who seek out the drug, who go to it to escape pain in their real lives. The book completely neglected those people. Characters were either the devil or the poor, trapped and helpless. It would have been much more fulfilling to see the addicts who use it to escape, but also enjoy it. They do this for a reason. Let's get into their heads. See what they're really running from. Often drug addicts seem like evil, but the real evil is often lurking behind them, from something done to them that they're only trying to cope with.

I wanted this book to look at the complexities of addiction and street life, and instead got a Disney-esque, black vs. white story of people who are given drugs, rather than people who take drugs.

All in all, there were some poignant moments and a few really interesting thoughts that kept me interested, but sadly, it was too far and between.

TL;DR: 1.5/5 stars. Just.... just skip it. For your own sanity...

Book Review: Vanishing Girls

Book Review: Vanishing Girls by Lauren Oliver 

Goodreads Description:  Dara and Nick used to be inseparable, but that was before the accident that left Dara's beautiful face scarred and the two sisters totally estranged. When Dara vanishes on her birthday, Nick thinks Dara is just playing around. But another girl, nine-year-old Madeline Snow, has vanished, too, and Nick becomes increasingly convinced that the two disappearances are linked. Now Nick has to find her sister, before it's too late.

My Review:  I was fortunate enough to receive an ARC of Vanishing Girls and could not be more grateful for my chance to take a peak early. That said, my review is entirely my honest opinion.

Cracking open Vanishing Girls, I was enthralled from the start mostly due to the focus in on character and the mystery woven into the opening chapters. The story focuses on two sisters and how a car accident completely alters their relationship. Though the back cover tries to pitch the book as a darker and more plot-driven thriller, the story actually very much focuses on the relationship and development of the characters. Lauren Oliver really wanted you to know these girls, and they succeed in popping off the page and being real life people that I could see myself befriending. Dara, of course, is a vibrant character in the sense that she's a rebel without a cause and manages to be larger than life, even just in the way she takes control and does her own thing. Nick, on the other hand, can come off a bit of a plain, everyday kind of YA character, but through Dara's POV we see the cracks in her demeanor. Nick takes for granted that she's the older sister and often doesn't see how her actions or feelings can leave Dara feeling like the third wheel. It sets up a delightful shift where Dara tries to take control which causes more trouble between the two of them.

The characters were very real, and the rest of the story itself feels real in the way it doesn't shy away from things like sex offenders, underage girls lured into porn/prostitution/etc, drug use, drunk driving, etc. This book would definitely be qualified as 'edgy' and yet because of that feels more authentic. It doesn't shy away from the gritty or real, which can give a lot of kids something to relate to. After all, (and I'll repeat it until my face turns blue), there are teens going through these very struggles, and sometimes they need to see how others handle it and make it through. It's nice how it shows how teens can get dragged down the rabbit hole without setting out looking for Wonderland.

Though the tension and mystery is very nice in this book, it does take a bit before the story gets into the really juicy parts. Because it isn't plot driven, it can be hard to keep the tension high while building up everything else that is needed. There are bits of mystery to keep you interested, but the real delight was coming to the end and the twist. I had the twist figured out about mid-way through, and though it could be kind of obvious to some people, I found it satisfying. Not to mention the secondary part of the plot (What happened to Madeline Snow) keeps you in the dark enough that it doesn't feel like everything in this book is horribly obvious. There were definite parts where I wondered whether the two plot lines would actually come together (The accident + Madeline Snow), and though by the end I could find nothing to complain about, the Snow subplot only seemed to buff up the relationship plot and didn't do much to really wow me, aside from keep me guessing as to how it would turn out.

All in all, I really enjoyed the book for how it made me feel. There were a lot of poignant points in this book and a lot of truths hidden in the pages. By the end I was crying, because I really loved the characters. They were by no means, "These characters are so badass, they're my heroes," and more, "These characters are so wonderful because they're real, because I could find them in any of my friends."

TL;DR: 4/5 stars. Made me ball. Intense relationship thriller with very realistic characters. Don't miss if you're a contemporary lover.