Category: Special Review

Reviews, Special Review, ya contemporary

Book Review: Red Girl, Blue Boy by Lauren Baratz-Logstead

Veronica Porras (TTB)

9781619635012

Goodreads Summary:

Sixteen-year-old Katie and Drew really shouldn’t get along. After all, her father is the Republican nominee for President of the United States while his mother is at the top of the Democratic ticket. But when Katie and Drew are thrown together in a joint interview on a morning talk show, they can’t ignore the chemistry between them. With an entire nation tuned into and taking sides in your parents’ fight, and the knowledge that—ultimately—someone has to lose, how can you fall in love with the one person you’re supposed to hate?

This title in the If Only line is a frank and funny romance that shows how sparks fly when opposites attract.

Review:

Ahhhhh. I am… disappointed. After I read The Wrong Side of Right I’ve been craving to read another YA Contemporary-Political novel, and when I saw Red Girl, Blue Boy I thought that craving would be satisfied, but I was wrong.

First, Let’s talk about the good. I really liked Drew as a character. He felt genuine and real. He developed and progressed as the story went on. His values and believes were highlighted many times throughout the novel. He was my favorite character in RGBB.

Now… Katie. I did not like her at all. Over half of the novel, I felt like Katie’s character was stagnant. I didn’t see any development. She felt forced, at times a bit fake, and annoying. I know this sounds really harsh and I feel bad for saying that, but if there was a reason as to why she was the way she was, we were never told. At least I didn’t see it. I don’t judge a character by their likability, but by their development.

I will say that once the story got going, it was stinking cute. And adorable at times too. Drew’s puppy love was adorable, and I was even starting to like Kat a little because Drew liked her so much, but in the end that wasn’t enough.

If you enjoy fluffy, quick reads, this is the book for you. If you are looking for a romance-political thrilling read, you’re not going to get that with Red Girl, Blue Boy.

Red Girl, Blue Boy comes out today! Go to your major/local bookstore to get it if it sounds like your type of book!

Rating: 3 out of 5

Disclaimer: I received this ARC from Emma @ Miss Print. Receiving this book for free does not influence my opinion.

Reviews, Special Review, ya contemporary

ARC Review: Tonight The Streets Are Ours by Leila Sales

Veronica Porras (TTB)

23310761-2

Goodreads Summary:

Seventeen-year-old Arden Huntley is recklessly loyal. Taking care of her loved ones is what gives Arden purpose in her life and makes her feel like she matters. But she’s tired of being loyal to people who don’t appreciate her—including her needy best friend and her absent mom.

Arden finds comfort in a blog she stumbles upon called “Tonight the Streets Are Ours,” the musings of a young New York City writer named Peter. When Peter is dumped by the girlfriend he blogs about, Arden decides to take a road trip to see him.

During one crazy night out in NYC filled with parties, dancing, and music—the type of night when anything can happen, and nearly everything does—Arden discovers that Peter isn’t exactly who she thought he was. And maybe she isn’t exactly who she thought she was, either.

Review:

Why doesn’t anybody love me as much as I love them?

Arden, arden, arden. I know how you feel. I think everybody at some point in their life asks themselves that same question, and it is such a Leila thing to make a book around that question. (FYI, have been a huge Leila Sales fan ever since I read This Song Will Save You Life. Sales fan for life!)

We start of TTSAO with Arden taking the blame for something her best friend Lindsey did, but this time it’s not something small, but big. It is something that will have serious repercussions to her future, and that starts the domino effect which brings us to her asking herself the question if we love others more than they loves us?

SPOILERY SECTION

Now that you’re warned let’s begin. Sales takes us on a journey that helps us see why we may think we love others more than they love us. The journey really begins when Arden discovers the blog “Tonight The Streets Are Ours” written by Peter who asked himself the same question she had asked herself moments ago. Every post she reads makes her evaluate her life, her relationships, and along the way helps her see why her mother left, why her dad is the way he is, and why Lindsey acts the way she does. Sales teaches us that we can get burnt out if we only take care of others and not ourselves.

Sales also brings to the readers attention something called a blank check. A blank check is basically something we give someone. They can cash it whenever they want, how many times they want, whatever the favor may be.

I will finish this review of with a quote towards the end of the book.

“I used to think that loving somebody meant sacrificing anything for them. I thought it meant writing a blank check. I thought it meant that you would die without each other. But it turns out that Peter was right about that, too: death and a broken heart are not the same.” -Arden

GO BUY OUT YOUR COPY TODAY! YOU WON’T REGRET IT!

Banes & Noble | Amazon

Rating: 5 out of 5

Disclaimer: I received this ARC from Emma @ Miss Print which she obtained at BEA 2015 for review consideration. 

Reviews, Special Review, ya contemporary

Book Review: A Million Miles Away by Lara Avery

Veronica Porras (TTB)

cover59860-medium

Goodreads Summary:

When high school senior Kelsey’s identical twin sister, Michelle, dies in a car crash, Kelsey is left without her other half. The only person who doesn’t know about the tragedy is Michelle’s boyfriend, Peter, recently deployed to Afghanistan. But when Kelsey finally connects with Peter online, she can’t bear to tell him the truth. Active duty has taken its toll, and Peter, thinking that Kelsey is Michelle, says that seeing her is the one thing keeping him alive. Caught up in the moment, Kelsey has no choice: She lets Peter believe that she is her sister.

As Kelsey keeps up the act, she crosses the line from pretend to real. Soon, Kelsey can’t deny that she’s falling, hard, for the one boy she shouldn’t want.

Review:

Wow.

This book swept me away. I was not expecting this book to show the crazy side of grief in such a real way. And to show that the grey area of the world is much more complicated than we make it out to be. I’m floored that we get such a real experience of grief.

We start of the story with the twins Kelsey and Michelle. They seem to be complete opposites. Twins that could not be more different. And then Michelle dies. It changes everything for Kelsey. She sees that all this time, she never really knew her sister. Not anymore. Not for the past few years. I really liked that AMMA started of with both of them alive, instead of Kelsey reminiscing.

Now let’s start the review portion where I let my thoughts go free…

AMMA felt so… Real. The entire time I was reading AMMA, it felt like I could know Kelsey in real life. She was such a genuine character and I felt for her. The themes in the novel and the experiences seemed so real. Maybe because war is an everyday thing to many people in this world nowadays, and death is something that happens naturally in everyday life. It’s Just… Crazy.

I really liked that Kelsey who is known to not be a girl who studies was able to get an A+ on a paper by studying hard. We don’t normally see the process of someone studying hard in books, and we are able to see how hard she studies in AMMA. As someone who had to study a fair amount to get good grades, it makes me feel good to see this portrayed in a YA novel.  Kelsey learning how to study opened up a new world for her. She was able to see how much she could accomplish if she tried, and that gave her the fire she needed to start living again.

Let’s touch quickly on the male protagonist. Peter is such a complex character. The more we read about him, the more layers he received, and it is so gratifying to see a love interest get so much development. I was ecstatic.

I honestly think AMMA is one of the best books about grief in the YA sphere. I haven’t really heard much buzz about it, and it really does deserve more than it is getting so far.

Recommend to anyone looking for a sad yet inspiring read.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Disclaimer: Thank you NetGalley and Poppy/Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for giving me the opportunity to read this book for free in exchange for an honest review. Receiving this book for free does not sway my opinion.

Reviews, Special Review, ya contemporary

Book Review: A Summer Like No Other by Elodie Nowodazkij

Veronica Porras (TTB)

a-summer-like-no-other-3d

Goodreads Summary:

Sixteen-year-old Emilia Moretti’s goal for the summer is simple: forget her brother’s best friend—Nick Grawsky—ever existed. It should be easy: He’s spending his summer in the Hamptons, adding girls in tiny bikinis to his list of broken hearts. Guarantee he won’t be telling them they’re like his little sisters. This summer, Emilia won’t stay awake at night thinking about him. She’ll need flawless ballet movements to have a shot at next year’s showcase, and she’s finally ready to search for her birth parents. But when Nick decides to stay in the city, Emilia’s resolve disappears in a pirouette. Maybe it’s the spin they needed to be together. As long as she doesn’t get stuck believing in happily ever after…

Nick is tired of pretending to be the happy, let’s-have-fun guy. His father wants him to change his career from professional dancer to…lawyer. He needs to put all of his focus on dancing to prove to Daddy Dearest he’s good enough to make it big. And he may have a case of the bluest balls in history courtesy of Emilia. She’s off-limits: The bro code with Roberto even forbids the dirty thoughts he has about her. Besides, he’s not boyfriend material. He only has time for flings, for girls who don’t expect much, for girls he doesn’t want to kiss goodnight. He knows he should resist her, but he’s not sure he wants to…

At least for this summer.

It’s going to be a summer like no other.

Review:

I was getting ready to complain that it was too short, when I went on goodreads and saw that this is a companion novella. *face palm*

*Warning. Spoilery Review*

We start of with Emilia and get to know her story. She’s adopted. She wants to know who biological parents are and doesn’t understand the secrecy behind her adoption. Also, she’s obsessed with Nick.

Then we get to see Nick’s POV. We see his life isn’t as amazing as it seems. His father fired Emilia’s dad. His father doesn’t approve of him dancing professionally. And also, he promised his best friend who is Emilia’s brother that he wouldn’t go out with his sister.

As the story progresses so does Nick and Emilia’s relationship. Emilia was a little whiny at times and I actually liked the development of Nick’s character more than Emilia’s. You can see him change and really start to grow on the page while Emilia is stuck on her issues, acting out rashly and at times very immaturely. At the end of the day though, my only complaint is that this novella was not a full length novel.

Rating: 3 out of 5

Disclaimer: Thank you NetGalley and Victory Editing for giving me the opportunity to read this book for free in exchange for an honest review. Receiving this book for free does not sway my opinion.

Reviews, Special Review, ya contemporary

Book Review: Everything, Everything By Nicola Yoon

Veronica Porras (TTB)

EverythingEverythingCover

Goodreads Summary:

My disease is as rare as it is famous. Basically, I’m allergic to the world. I don’t leave my house, have not left my house in seventeen years. The only people I ever see are my mom and my nurse, Carla.

But then one day, a moving truck arrives next door. I look out my window, and I see him. He’s tall, lean and wearing all black—black T-shirt, black jeans, black sneakers, and a black knit cap that covers his hair completely. He catches me looking and stares at me. I stare right back. His name is Olly.

Maybe we can’t predict the future, but we can predict some things. For example, I am certainly going to fall in love with Olly. It’s almost certainly going to be a disaster.

Review:

I think this is one of the hardest reviews I’ve written so far because I like the book, I loved the ending, I loved the message, but I did not like the MC. Don’t get me wrong, Madeline is not a bad character, I just personally didn’t like her half of the time.

I really like that Everything, Everything encourages the reader to do things they’re afraid of, not to stay in unhealthy relationships, and makes us see that the person “in love” does not always have the best judgement when it comes to the person they love.

What I actually disliked about EE was the middle of the book. I found myself a little bored and I was very close to giving up on it. I decided to put it aside for a few months and gave it a second chance a few days ago and I’m glad I did because the last 30% of the book was awesome!

I personally think if I had been younger I would have absolutely loved Everything, Everything. The writing is wonderful and at times poetic (and I’m a sucker for poetic writing), but I was not able to connect with the characters. I found them a bit childish at times and that made my experience a not so great one.

Overall, Everything, Everything is a novel you want to read. The impressions it leaves you with are worth the read.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Disclaimer: Thank you Delacorte Press/Random House Children for giving me the opportunity to read this book for free in exchange for an honest review. I received this book at YALLWEST 2015. Receiving this book for free does not sway my opinion.

Reviews, Special Review, ya contemporary

Book Review: The Wrong Side of Right by Jenn Marie Thorne

Veronica Porras (TTB)

The-Wrong-Side-of-Right-Jenn-Marie-Thorne

Goodreads Summary:

Kate Quinn’s mom died last year, leaving Kate parentless and reeling. So when the unexpected shows up in her living room, Kate must confront another reality she never thought possible—or thought of at all. Kate does have a father. He’s a powerful politician. And he’s running for U.S. President. Suddenly, Kate’s moving in with a family she never knew she had, joining a campaign in support of a man she hardly knows, and falling for a rebellious boy who may not have the purest motives. This is Kate’s new life. But who is Kate? When what she truly believes flies in the face of the campaign’s talking points, she must decide. Does she turn to the family she barely knows, the boy she knows but doesn’t necessarily trust, or face a third, even scarier option?

Set against a backdrop of politics, family, and first love, this is a story of personal responsibility, complicated romance, and trying to discover who you are even as everyone tells you who you should be.

Review:

Gosh. I love politics. When I was approached by Penguin and asked if I would like to read The Wrong Side of Right I said, HECK YES!

When I was young, I dreamt of being a senator. I wanted to be a part of the law-making process of my country. I actually ended up taking a different route in college, but this book made me reminisce and want to be a part of that world again.

Kate’s world is turned upside down when she comes home to find out that one of the candidates running for president is her father. Kate handles it with so much grace that I wish I was Kate in day-to-day life. She makes mistakes like any 17-year-old girl would, yet she owns up to them. I’m proud of the way she handles her new life. With much more grace than I probably would if I were in her shoes.

There is just something to this story that just works, it clicks.

  • We have romance, sort-of, but not really. The story isn’t about the romance.
  • We have a dysfunctional family, but not your average one.
  • We have great friendships that experience some bumps in the road.
  • We explore what loyalty really means, and what being a family is all about.

But that’s not all, Throne throws all of that into the middle of a presidential campaign. I wish I was the one who came up with that idea. Truly amazing. I also geeked out a lot throughout the entire novel. I studied Communication in school, and reading the tactics and strategies the campaign used to gain ground in the polls made me giddy with excitement. Gosh, I am such a nerd.

It took me four months to read TWSoR, but it was worth it. I wasn’t always in the mood for contemporaries (I have been in a fantasy mood for the past couple months), but I pushed through and in the end I have no idea why it took me so long to finish it. I devoured the last third in no time.

If you are a fan of Ally Carter or Sarah Dessen, I recommend you pick up this book. It’s a great read and I don’t know why the hype around this book is not at it’s all time high.

Rating: 5 out of 5

Disclaimer: Edited on July 22nd for grammar and clarification.

Disclaimer: Thank you Penguin Young Readers for giving me the opportunity to read this book for free in exchange for an honest review. Receiving this book for free does not sway my opinion.

Reviews, Special Review, ya contemporary

Book Review: The Summer of Chasing Mermaids by Sarah Ockler

Veronica Porras (TTB)

22840182

Goodreads Summary:

The youngest of six talented sisters, Elyse d’Abreau was destined for stardom—until a boating accident took everything from her. Now, the most beautiful singer in Tobago can’t sing. She can’t even speak.

Seeking quiet solitude, Elyse accepts a friend’s invitation to Atargatis Cove. Named for the mythical first mermaid, the Oregon seaside town is everything Elyse’s home in the Caribbean isn’t: An ocean too cold for swimming, parties too tame for singing, and people too polite to pry—except for one.

Christian Kane is a notorious playboy—insolent, arrogant, and completely charming. He’s also the only person in Atargatis Cove who doesn’t treat Elyse like a glass statue. He challenges her to express herself, and he admires the way she treats his younger brother Sebastian, who believes Elyse is the legendary mermaid come to life.

When Christian needs a first mate for the Cove’s high-stakes Pirate Regatta, Elyse reluctantly stows her fear of the sea and climbs aboard. The ocean isn’t the only thing making waves, though—swept up in Christian’s seductive tide and entranced by the Cove’s charms, Elyse begins to wonder if a life of solitude isn’t what she needs. But changing course again means facing her past. It means finding her inner voice. And scariest of all, it means opening her heart to a boy who’s best known for breaking them .

Review:

I am floored.

My expectations for TSoCM were met and then some. I’m a puddle of feelings and cannot function. Dear Lord. I need a minute.

I hope it is known how big of a Sarah Ockler fan I am. I have loved every single one of her books (except #Scandal because I haven’t read it yet, but I’m sure I will love it too). When I heard the title of her new book, I wasn’t sure if it would be up my alley, but after seeing the cover I said, forget it. I will read this book.

The Summer of Chasing Mermaids is a story that explores so many things, but the number one thing it focuses on is the aftermath of shattered dreams. Elyse, the main character, loses her voice in a tragic accident and now has to face the world without her voice, without the ability to sing, even speak. Her Plan A, to be a singer, a performer, is not doable anymore. My heart broke for Elyse.

I still can’t seem to form the words to properly explain my feelings, but I will try.

Let’s start with Christopher Kane. Mr. heart-breaker. We get a glimpse of the old him, but I loved that none of his “playboy” ways showed up in the story which in turn could hurt Elyse. I really liked their initial friendship and how everything developed. It wasn’t a “oh we are both attracted to each other, let’s start making out” but a steady build throughout.

I connected to both Elyse and Christopher for different reasons. I saw myself in both characters and honestly, it helped me come to terms with some of the choices I’ve made in the past 6 years.

I loved that Elyse figured out the difference between loving someone because they love you, and actually loving someone for them. There is a big difference. One is on the side of lust and attraction, and the other on real love which is much more than just attraction.

The side characters are the best and not one of them felt forced. I loved Kirby and Vanessa, and Sebastian Kane is one of my favorite children ever (and he doesn’t even exist. *cries*). He reminds me a lot of my nephew Jacob. The enthusiasm, that sense for adventure. Now I miss my nephew.

Another thing I loved is that the entire story feels like a journey. There is no one part where I felt like it was a little boring, or I was being given filler information. The entire novel felt steady, grounded, full of life.

There are so many things I want to talk about like the brotherly love, Lemon, Elyse’s family back at the islands, and the accident but I don’t want to give this book away. I don’t want to spoil it for you.

As I close this review I will only say this. Sarah Ockler has a gift and her writing changes you.

Rating: 6 out of 5 (rating meter broken due to  awesomeness of book)

Disclaimer: Thank you Simon & Schuster for giving me the opportunity to read this book for free in exchange for an honest review. Receiving this book for free does not sway my opinion.

Special Review, YA Mystery

Book Review: HIT by Delilah S. Dawson (Spoiler-Free Review)

Veronica Porras (TTB)

hit-9781481423397_hr

Goodreads Summary:

NO ONE READS THE FINE PRINT.

The good news is that the USA is finally out of debt. The bad news is that we were bought out by Valor National Bank, and debtors are the new big game, thanks to a tricky little clause hidden deep in the fine print of a credit card application. Now, after a swift and silent takeover that leaves 9-1-1 calls going through to Valor voicemail, they’re unleashing a wave of anarchy across the country.

Patsy didn’t have much of a choice. When the suits showed up at her house threatening to kill her mother then and there for outstanding debt unless Patsy agreed to be an indentured assassin, what was she supposed to do? Let her own mother die?

Patsy is forced to take on a five-day mission to complete a hit list of ten names. Each name on Patsy’s list has only three choices: pay the debt on the spot, agree to work as a bounty hunter, or die. And Patsy has to kill them personally, or else her mom takes a bullet of her own.

Since yarn bombing is the only rebellion in Patsy’s past, she’s horrified and overwhelmed, especially as she realizes that most of the ten people on her list aren’t strangers. Things get even more complicated when a moment of mercy lands her with a sidekick: a hot rich kid named Wyatt whose brother is the last name on Patsy’s list. The two share an intense chemistry even as every tick of the clock draws them closer to an impossible choice.

Delilah S. Dawson offers an absorbing, frightening glimpse at a reality just steps away from ours—a taut, suspenseful thriller that absolutely mesmerizes from start to finish.

Review:

WOW.

First, I want to thank Simon and Schuster-Simon Pulse for being so kind and sending me this ARC without me even asking for it. You guys are awesome. It’s like you know me already.

Okay, onto the book now…

HIT is exactly what I craving and I didn’t even know it. Everyone knows I’m a sucker for the spy/con-artist/conspiracy stuff, but this is entirely different, yet it still fits in the Spy/Conspiracy genre… sort of. It’s weird. You can also say it’s dystopian, but it doesn’t exactly fit into that genre either. The girl is forced to turn into a bounty hunter, but in reality she is an assassin, although she is not a trained one. It’s very weird because you can’t say “It belongs in this genre”, but I like it.

While HIT has its angst and romance, what it truly focuses on is the American spending culture present day. Almost everyone in the United States has a credit card. Our nation runs on the credit system, and I believe that most people would be screwed overnight if the credit system disappeared, or if the United States went bankrupt. HIT punches you in the gut and makes you realize just how bad our economy is. I myself have credit cards like many Americans and if the credit card companies would tell us pay up or die… Gosh… that’s just scary. HIT really makes you see just how much of a crutch the credit system is to our country and to our lives.

Overall, I really liked how HIT was set up. It was a solid first book in a series and I can’t wait to read Strike the second book in the series. I feel like there is more to Wyatt than meets the eye and we will see him fully emerge in the next book, and I am so freaking excited!

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Disclaimer: Thank you Simon & Schuster for giving me the opportunity to read this book for free in exchange for an honest review. Receiving this book for free does not sway my opinion.

Reviews, Special Review, ya contemporary

Book Review: The Truth About Us by Janet Gurtler

Veronica Porras (TTB)

21793116

Goodreads Summary:

The truth is that Jess knows she screwed up.
She’s made mistakes, betrayed her best friend, and now she’s paying for it. Her dad is making her spend the whole summer volunteering at the local soup kitchen.

The truth is she wishes she was the care-free party-girl everyone thinks she is.
She pretends it’s all fine. That her “perfect” family is fine. But it’s not. And no one notices the lie…until she meets Flynn. He’s the only one who really sees her. The only one who listens.

The truth is that Jess is falling apart – and no one seems to care.
But Flynn is the definition of “the wrong side of the tracks.” When Jess’s parents look at him they only see the differences-not how much they need each other. They don’t get that the person who shouldn’t fit in your world… might just be the one to make you feel like you belong.

Review:

There is something about Janet Gurtler novels that just makes me binge read them. I stayed up late reading this one several nights in a row (even though I had to work early in the AM). I read #16ThingsIThoughtWereTrue a few months ago and I LOVED it. I apparently loved it so much that I went over to Kayla’s house and said READ IT. I don’t remember this, but she has it and she says it happened, so it probably did. Especially since she has my book.

I was really intrigued when I saw the synopsis of this novel. We have a boy who comes from under the poverty line, and then we have the girl who is rich. We never see the rich girl, it is always the rich boy helping out the poor girl (except in Crash Into You by Katie McGarry, but that’s a whole other story there…).

I really wanted to see how Ms. Janet would portray those who are below the poverty level, and I wanted to see if they would be accurately represented.

Throughout the novel, the issue of poverty is present and it is somewhat explored, but not enough. We barely get a glimpse of it. Yes, we have the soup kitchen, and yes we have that brief moment in Flynn’s house, but poverty isn’t described well enough for me. I do have to keep in mind though that Ms. Gurtler is from Canada and I live in the USA, so poverty will look a bit different in both countries. What I did like was Jess’ attitude towards Flynn on the whole not having money front. She didn’t discriminate, but I loved that Ms. Janet did show that Jess felt uncomfortable at times being in a place where poverty is so real. I hate it when a rich character goes into a poor area and is like, “Cool yo, no shame, I’m cool. It’s all cool.” NO IT ISN’T. That is not a normal reaction. Not believable at all.

Switching over to some less serious stuff… Really Flynn?! You were so cute and adorable until the end. I loved you. I believed in you and you crushed my heart. I forgive you, but I cannot love you as much as I did at the beginning. That ending just… ugh I’m not cool with it bro.

Overall, The Truth About Us is another great book under Janet’s belt. I enjoyed reading it immensely. I know I didn’t talk much about that, but The Truth About Us raises some very important issues and that is why I requested it on NetGalley, not because I wanted a fluffy read.

Rating: 4.50 out of 5

Disclaimer: Thank you Sourcebooks Fire and  NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book for free in exchange for an honest review. Receiving this book for free does not sway my opinion.

Contemporary Conversations, Reviews, Special Review, YA Mystery

ContempConvos: I Am The Weapon by Allen Madoff

Veronica Porras (TTB)

i-am-the-weapon-allen-zadoff1

Goodreads Summary:

They needed the perfect assassin.

Boy Nobody is the perennial new kid in school, the one few notice and nobody thinks much about. He shows up in a new high school in a new town under a new name, makes a few friends, and doesn’t stay long. Just long enough for someone in his new friend’s family to die-of “natural causes.” Mission accomplished, Boy Nobody disappears, moving on to the next target.

But when he’s assigned to the mayor of New York City, things change. The daughter is unlike anyone he has encountered before; the mayor reminds him of his father. And when memories and questions surface, his handlers at The Program are watching. Because somewhere deep inside, Boy Nobody is somebody: the kid he once was; the teen who wants normal things, like a real home and parents; a young man who wants out. And who just might want those things badly enough to sabotage The Program’s mission.

In this action-packed series debut, author Allen Zadoff pens a page-turning thriller that is as thought-provoking as it is gripping, introducing an utterly original and unforgettable antihero.

Review:

O.M.G. I was not expecting this book to end how it did. Or to start how it did. I did not expect anything at all. And speaking honestly here, it was a breath of fresh air! I honestly felt like I was reading a script of a crime/covert operations type of show.

Zach Abram is Mr. Nobody. No one sees him arrive into their lives and no one notices when he leaves. I want to say he is like a shadow, but shadows leave something behind (if someone knows here to look) and he doesn’t. I really liked the way his back story was revealed in snippets through the entire book. It created this mysterious aura that helped form his character.

There was something that I loved about this book. Normally when an assassin or trained operative comes into play, no one sees him, he leaves nothing behind, but in this book the trained operative makes a mistake! He assumes that the family of the target does not know how to recognize people like him. He has all this training yet it fails him for a good portion of the book and it is through those mistakes that we learn that even the coldest person has feelings. The main character in a way is the anti-hero of his own story.

Gosh this was such a good book that I really don’t want to spoil it for anyone. If you are a fan of Jennifer Lynn Barns and/or Ally Carter,  I think you’ll like this book. It does have some flaws, but overall it is a good novel. It felt wholesome and the world was well established. I may have to get the second book because that ending… so did not see it coming! EEEKKKKKK!

Rating: 4 out of 5

Disclaimer: Thank you Little, Brown Books and  NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book for free in exchange for an honest review. Receiving this book for free does not sway my opinion.

Key word: Falling