Review: When the Saint Falls (Westbrook #1) by A.D. McCammon

Series: Westbrook Three #1

Release date: January 16th 2020

Purchase: Amazon

Synopsis via Goodreads:

Thatcher Michaelson is a bully.

Arrogant. Cruel. Ruthless.

And the most attractive guy I’ve ever laid eyes on.

He’s the rebel of Westbrook high, and I’m merely the annoying goody two-shoes he dubbed the saint.

There must be something wrong with me. After nearly two years of dirty looks and constant humiliation, I’m still crushing on the guy who hated me on sight.

Then he kissed me and instead of the ice-cold gaze I was accustomed to, I saw passion burning behind his dark molten eyes.

Violet St. James doesn’t belong in my world.

Good. Kind. Pure.

She’s everything I’m not.

She doesn’t just look like an angel, she is one. And I’ve fought every impulse to make her mine.

But all my efforts went up in flames the second I tasted her sweet lips. My inability to stay away has changed everything.

She’s determined to break down all my walls, but my little saint doesn’t understand the consequences of her actions.

She tells me she’s not afraid of the fall.

But she should be.

*Read the ebook via Kindle Unlimited.

This is going to be fairly short because I'm not sure how to write my review without giving too much away. So, here goes:

I liked the story. It's high school, at times silly, but overall an enjoyable read. 

I was pulled into the story instantly and wanted to see how it would play out. It certainly felt like a game between the two, one of burning lust and longing. And the main characters have their moments where I either love them or want to snap at them.

Thatcher and his friends pretty much ran the school, and kept guys from bothering Violet. She'd get annoyed at his possessiveness, but on the other hand, couldn't deny her pull to him. There were times I'd yell at them to just admit their feelings, and when things were finally starting to smooth out, I would get frustrated with Thatcher's back and forth and Violet's insecurities. The latter was mainly fueled by Thatcher's behavior. Once I understood what he'd gone through and got a clearer picture of his home life, it all made sense.

Again, it's an interesting read and my emotions were all over the place. But I still liked how things worked out in the end, and I'm looking forward to Arwen and Cole's individual stories next.

About the Author

Amber McCammon decided to take her passion for writing to the self-publishing world in 2017. She's since published four contemporary adult romance novels and is currently working on a YA romance series.

When she isn't writing, you'll find her reading, spending money she doesn't have in Target, or hanging with her hubby and two kiddos.

Amber lives in Tennessee, where she was born and raised, which means she often gets caught with the south in her mouth. She loves to travel, though, and dreams of being a nomad one day.

For more information, please visit admccammon.com

CAN'T WAIT TO READ: Slay by Brittney Morris

Release date: September 24th 2019
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Pre-order: Amazon

Synopsis via Goodreads:

"A book that knocks you off your feet while dropping the kind of knowledge that’ll keep you down for the count. Prepare to be slain.” —Nic Stone, New York Times bestselling author of Dear Martin and Odd One Out.

Ready Player One meets The Hate U Give in this dynamite debut novel that follows a fierce teen game developer as she battles a real-life troll intent on ruining the Black Panther–inspired video game she created and the safe community it represents for black gamers.

By day, seventeen-year-old Kiera Johnson is an honors student, a math tutor, and one of the only black kids at Jefferson Academy. But at home, she joins hundreds of thousands of black gamers who duel worldwide as Nubian personas in the secret multiplayer online role-playing card game, SLAY. No one knows Kiera is the game developer, not her friends, her family, not even her boyfriend, Malcolm, who believes video games are partially responsible for the “downfall of the black man.”

But when a teen in Kansas City is murdered over a dispute in the SLAY world, news of the game reaches mainstream media, and SLAY is labeled a racist, exclusionist, violent hub for thugs and criminals. Even worse, an anonymous troll infiltrates the game, threatening to sue Kiera for “anti-white discrimination.”

Driven to save the only world in which she can be herself, Kiera must preserve her secret identity and harness what it means to be unapologetically black in a world intimidated by blackness. But can she protect her game without losing herself in the process?

About the Author

Brittney Morris is the author of SLAY. She holds a BA in Economics from Boston University because back then, she wanted to be a financial analyst. (She's now thankful that didn't happen). She spends her spare time reading, playing indie video games, and enjoying the Seattle rain from her apartment. She lives with her husband Steven who would rather enjoy the rain from a campsite in the woods because he hasn't played enough horror games. Brittney is the founder and former president of the Boston University Creative Writing Club, and her work has been published in The Boston University Chimaerid Literary Magazine. She is a four-time NaNoWriMo winner and a 2018 Pitch Wars mentor.

WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER

Review: Remember Me Always by Renee Collins

Release date: October 3rd 2017
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository{Affiliate Link}

Synopsis via Goodreads:

Shelby is nervous to start her senior year after spending the whole summer away from home. After all, it's hard to be carefree when you're trying to protect a secret.

Shelby was in a devastating car accident, and everyone in town thinks that she was undergoing more physical therapy in Denver. Instead, Shelby's mother enrolled her in a clinical program to stop the panic attacks that started after the crash. The treatment erased Shelby's memory of the accident, but she can't help feeling as if a piece of herself is missing, that the treatment took more than the doctors claimed.

So when Shelby starts hallucinating a boy with dark and mysterious eyes, she knows it must be a side-effect of the clinical program. Except you can't kiss hallucinations. And this boy insists that they know each other and are in love...

*Publisher approved request via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I fell in love with Renee's writing in Until We Meet Again, which turned out to be one of my favorite romance novels. So when I saw Remember Me Always I just knew I had to read it, especially after getting pulled in by that blurb.

The story starts off with Shelby returning home after receiving some sort of procedure that wiped away her memory of a terrible accident, along with other things that mattered to her. This is the second time I've read a book surrounding the erasure of bad memories and while I disagree with altering the mind, I'm understanding of this treatment being used on individuals with PTSD, like soldiers or others who have experienced abuse.

Right away I'd suspected there was more to the accident and to this boy trying to convince Shelby they were in a relationship. Her apprehension to talk to him came off a tad annoying at first but then I started to see things from her perspective, in the sense that she wasn't sure about who to trust since she couldn't recall important details. Once her defenses came down and she realized that her heart refused to deny this guy, I liked how she opened up to the idea of relearning about herself and the intense feelings that came so naturally toward him. The whole thing seemed sort of strange though and I had a lot of questions throughout, but those were all answered as the story progressed even though by the time the truth was revealed I had already figured it out.

In regards to the characters, Shelby was the only one I trusted since she was a blank page who didn't know anything and was pretty much a confused girl desperate for answers. Her "boyfriend", best friend, and even her mother were all hiding things. The latter, mind you, I could not stomach for the majority of the story. I found her rather insensitive at times and very controlling, which was something Shelby struggled with. As for her step-father, I wish he was more present in the story. I would have liked to know his feelings about the whole thing and how he could tolerate being married to Shelby's mother. I kid you not, the woman was a trip. She encouraged her daughter to run away from her problems instead of facing them head-on, and basically pressured Shelby into doing the procedure. The woman even dragged her back when she felt like her daughter just wasn't conforming to her ways. Like seriously, I could hardly stand her scenes.

Aside from that, loved the premise of the story and how Shelby dealt with the situation before and after everything was revealed. And even though I had figured out the truth a tad earlier, it still was an interesting read and I liked how it ended with new beginnings for each character. It left me feeling hopeful for them, yes even for the mother. 

Overall, this is another great Renee Collins book. Loved the writing and the perseverance of Shelby's character. She's not perfect but I found her quite likable in spite of what happened. Please do give this one a read if you're curious about the memory erasing thing and most importantly, how powerful love can be. As crazy as it seems, somehow the heart always know even when the mind doesn't remember, and the truth always comes out no matter what lengths are taken to forget it. So yeah, definitely check this out, especially if you love emotional young adult stories.

About the Author

Renee Collins grew up on a beach in Hawaii. Sadly, she never met anyone from the past on those shores, but she did go on to get a degree in History, which is almost the same. She currently lives in Colorado with her family. 

WEBSITE | TWITTER  

Review: Haunting the Deep by Adriana Mather

Series: How{ to Hang a Witch #2
Release date: October 3rd 2017
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository{Affiliate Link}

Synopsis via Goodreads:

The Titanic meets the delicious horror of Ransom Riggs and the sass of Mean Girls in this follow-up to the #1 New York Times bestseller How to Hang a Witch, in which a contemporary teen finds herself a passenger on the famous “ship of dreams”—a story made all the more fascinating because the author’s own relatives survived the doomed voyage.

Samantha Mather knew her family’s connection to the infamous Salem Witch Trials might pose obstacles to an active social life. But having survived one curse, she never thought she’d find herself at the center of a new one. 

This time, Sam is having recurring dreams about the Titanic . . . where she’s been walking the deck with first-class passengers, like her aunt and uncle. Meanwhile, in Sam’s waking life, strange missives from the Titanic have been finding their way to her, along with haunting visions of people who went down with the ship. 

Ultimately, Sam and the Descendants, along with some help from heartthrob Elijah, must unravel who is behind the spell that is drawing her ever further into the dream ship . . . and closer to sharing the same grim fate as its ghostly passengers.

*Received a physical ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Haunting the Deep turned out to be quite engrossing. Adriana Mather delivered an enthralling story that blended a great event in history with ghostly elements and the urgency to solve a complex mystery. 

After seeing news about a follow-up to her first release, I was curious as to where Mather would go next with the story and the descendants. In Haunting the Deep, the premise pulled me in from start. First of all, it was a delight that Sam's father had recovered and was now home with her. His presence in the story was significant to me because I truly got to understand his character better and his reasons for wanting to stay away from Salem. I loved the relationship he had with his daughter and his friendship with Mrs. Meriweather and Jaxon. He's such a likable character and I want more of the father-daughter moments. 

So now, on to the main story-line. Sam's trying to move on from what happened with her wicked stepmother, along with trying to cope with seeing spirits. Neither of those things is working out for her. When life gets even stranger, she finally caves and decides to reach out to the other descendants for help. But things go awry. Spells get messy and objects and spirits connected to the Titanic begin to physically affect the girls, especially Sam, who finds herself on the historic ship on certain occasion. These moments pull her further away from reality and more into a curse that the descendants cannot seem to break.

I was super excited that Elijah came back. I know he's a ghost and should move on, but you can't help your emotions and the connection between him and Sam is just too beautiful and real to say goodbye to. He did all he could to help the girls uncover the identity of the spell caster and their link to the Titanic. And in midst of everyone being caught up in unraveling this chilling mystery and trying to understand the objects, I was completely immersed in all the history and how well Adriana fused everything together to make such an interesting story.       

I must say though, that while I did like the author's previous release, How to Hang a Witch, I did have some issues with it and found that one issue, in particular, has appeared in the sequel as well. There were times I felt like things were a bit draggy and could have moved along at a faster pace. Also, there didn't seem to be enough spells and witchery, but I guess the whole mystery with the ship and the warlock was a giant spell in itself. However, those two things were minor and didn't throw me enough to not enjoy the story. The writing and overall plot were too intriguing to not keep going. And I loved that it was a surprise for me once the warlock was identified. I had never suspected that character so I liked how the ending wasn't predictable. 

With that said, I'd love for Adriana Mather to keep going with this series. It's just really interesting and I enjoy the creepiness of it all. And maybe I had interpreted inaccurately but I could've sworn at the end of this book she hinted that there could be a third? Either way, I love her writing and will always look forward to her next.

~BOOK TRAILER~

About the Author
Adriana Mather is the 12th generation of Mathers in America, and as such her family has their fingers in many of its historical pies – the Mayflower, the Salem Witch Trials, the Titanic, the Revolutionary War, and the wearing of curly white wigs. Also, Adriana co-owns a production company, Zombot Pictures, in LA that has made three feature films in three years. Her first acting scene in a film ever was with Danny Glover, and she was terrified she would mess it up. In addition, her favorite food is pizza and she has too many cats.

FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM

CAN'T WAIT TO READ: The Closest I've Come by Fred Aceves

Release date: November 7th 2017
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pre-order: Amazon

Synopsis via Goodreads:

The Closest I’ve Come is a must-read from talented first-time author Fred Aceves, in the tradition of Walter Dean Myers.

Marcos Rivas wants to find love.

He’s sure as hell not getting it at home, where his mom’s racist boyfriend beats him up. Or from his boys, who aren’t exactly the “hug it out” type. Marcos yearns for love, a working cell phone, and maybe a pair of sneakers that aren’t falling apart. But more than anything, Marcos wants to get out of Maesta, his hood—which seems impossible.

When Marcos is placed in a new after-school program for troubled teens with potential, he meets Zach, a theater geek whose life seems great on the surface, and Amy, a punk girl who doesn’t care what anyone thinks of her. These new friendships inspire Marcos to open up to his Maesta crew, too, and along the way, Marcos starts to think more about his future and what he has to fight for. Marcos ultimately learns that bravery isn’t about acting tough and being macho; it’s about being true to yourself.

About the Author

Fred Aceves is a Latino author who grew up in a community like the one described in The Closest I’ve Come, a tough, working-class neighborhood filled with single moms. He attended five high schools and worked two jobs before eventually dropping out of school. He later earned his GED and traveled around the world. He was born in the United States and currently lives in Mexico with his wife. The Closest I’ve Come is his debut novel.

FACEBOOK | TWITTER

Review: How to Make a Wish by Ashley Herring Blake

Release date: May 2nd 2017
Purchase: Amazon
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers

Synopsis via Goodreads:

All seventeen year-old Grace Glasser wants is her own life. A normal life in which she sleeps in the same bed for longer than three months and doesn't have to scrounge for spare change to make sure the electric bill is paid. Emotionally trapped by her unreliable mother, Maggie, and the tiny cape on which she lives, she focuses on her best friend, her upcoming audition for a top music school in New York, and surviving Maggie’s latest boyfriend—who happens to be Grace’s own ex-boyfriend’s father.

Her attempts to lay low until she graduates are disrupted when she meets Eva, a girl with her own share of ghosts she’s trying to outrun. Grief-stricken and lonely, Eva pulls Grace into midnight adventures and feelings Grace never planned on. When Eva tells Grace she likes girls, both of their worlds open up. But, united by loss, Eva also shares a connection with Maggie. As Grace's mother spirals downward, both girls must figure out how to love and how to move on.

*Won a physical ARC in a Goodreads giveaway. My review remains honest and without bias.

I really liked Ashley's debut and was looking forward to reading more by the author. So imagine my excitement when I won a copy of her latest in a Goodreads giveaway that I'd randomly entered thinking I'd never win. Welp, I'm thankful to have gotten the pleasure to read How to Make a Wish because I liked it as much as her previous. 

This was certainly an interesting story. There were various things taking place and it wasn't only about Grace's roller-coaster life with her mother. I liked how she was also developing as an individual and learning to understand herself more. But let's start off with the situation with her mother. If that's even what you call her. 
The stuff she puts Grace through was just horrible. It's truly sad that she'd lost her husband when Grace was very young, and it's tough for many people to seek help and learn healthier ways to cope. But lord, this woman pissed me off so much. This "mother" constantly put her daughter in dangerous and uncomfortable situations where their roles were ridiculously reversed. Grace, a teenager, had to become an adult fast in order to look after her mother. It was so painful and frustrating to read the scenes where I wished this woman would get her crap together and think about her daughter more. 

What also frustrated me was the fact that Grace would make excuses and would even try to defend her mother whenever the best friend and his mom spoke up about it. I get that it's actually something many of us would do, no matter the hell they were putting us through, but I wish she would have come to the realization sooner that the only way her mother would get help was if Grace took herself out of the mess and gave her the ultimatum that she couldn't be in her life if she was going to continue living like that. 

That one drama aside, it was nice seeing how Grace was able to connect with someone. Even though Eva was dealing with her own problems. I liked that the two girls bonded and Grace could unravel more in regards to her emotions and aspirations. The issue with her mother threatened every relationship Grace had, including her friendships, but thankfully she addressed it all by the end. 

To conclude, I'm very satisfied with Ashley's second novel and so happy to have discovered her. How to Make a Wish has lucid writing with emotional moments and topics some may relate to. I look forward to wherever this talented storyteller takes us next. 

About the Author
Ashley Herring Blake used to write songs and now she writes books, including Suffer Love. She reads them a lot too and has been known to stare wistfully at her bookshelves. She lives in Nashville, TN with her husband and two sons. 

www.ashleyherringblake.com 

twitter.com/ashleyhblake

instagram.com/ashleyhblake

Review: Antisocial by Jillian Blake

Release date: May 16th 2017
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Purchase: Amazon

Synopsis via Goodreads:

Alexandria Prep is hacked in this exhilarating whodunit set in the age of social media and the cloud Pretty Little Liars meets WikiLeaks.

Senior spring at Alexandria Prep was supposed to be for sleeping through class and partying with friends. But for Anna Soler, it s going to be a lonely road. She's just been dumped by her gorgeous basketball star boyfriend with no explanation. Anna's closest friends, the real ones she abandoned while dating him, are ignoring her. The endearing boy she s always had a complicated friendship with is almost too sympathetic. 

But suddenly Anna isn t the only one whose life has been upended. Someone is determined to knock the kings and queens of the school off their thrones: one by one, their phones get hacked and their personal messages and photos are leaked. At first it's funny people love watching the dirty private lives of those they envy become all too public. 

Then the hacks escalate. Dark secrets are exposed, and lives are shattered. Chaos erupts at school. As Anna tries to save those she cares about most and to protect her own secrets, she begins to understand the reality of our always-connected lives: 

Sometimes we share too much.

*Received a free physical ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Antisocial has an important message in regards to what you put out there, whether in text messages or posting on social media. And while that is a great aspect of the story, for the most part, I felt detached. There were times the situation just didn't make much of an impact on me because I've read it so many times in other books with the same school setting. However, it is realistic and depicts what's happening now in this digital age we're living in. It's just that I feel like the story could have been stronger and some things weren't cleared up in the end. 

Initially, I was curious about the characters and what was taking place at this school. I could relate to Anna in the sense that she started seeing someone and neglected her close friends. It happens. Sometimes you go back and fix those relationships and sometimes it's best to let them go, especially if they weren't strong, to begin with. But in Anna's case, she got dumped, and that ignited the desire to go and make amends with her friends. But with the way one friend in particular was, I couldn't understand why she would even bother. This one character pressured another friend into making a stupid decision and was rather hurtful more times than once. 

My attention remained locked for the first few chapters, especially since the story is fast-paced and light. But after the hacking started, some crazy things began to happen as well and it became difficult to stay focused. For instance, there were times I was reading but wasn't really into it and couldn't recall what I'd just read. But that could just be me, because like I said there are great aspects of the story, and the writing is good. It's an interesting book but could have been...more. I still recommend it if you're looking for a quick read with the usual high school drama mixed with digital abuse.

About the Author
JILLIAN BLAKE grew up in New England, where she kept her deepest, darkest secrets password-protected. Antisocial is her first novel.

Review: The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett by Chelsea Sedoti

Release date: January 3rd 2017
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Purchase: Amazon

Synopsis via Goodreads:

A teenage misfit named Hawthorn Creely inserts herself in the investigation of missing person Lizzie Lovett, who disappeared mysteriously while camping with her boyfriend. Hawthorn doesn't mean to interfere, but she has a pretty crazy theory about what happened to Lizzie. In order to prove it, she decides to immerse herself in Lizzie's life. That includes taking her job... and her boyfriend. It's a huge risk — but it's just what Hawthorn needs to find her own place in the world.

*Publisher approved request via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was a bit surprised that I ended up liking this one more than I'd expected to, because initially, Hawthorn's character was a huge turn off and some things in the story made me cringe. We'll get to the cringing part later. First, let's discuss her personality. 

Hawthorn came across too immature and somewhat detached. Her thoughts and the things she'd say baffled me, a lot. She had no consideration for other people's feelings and was way too caught up with what others thought about her and constantly saying she was perceived as a loser because she didn't go to an event or wasn't super popular. The latter aside, because no one cared, I felt like she was too much in her own world and never regarded anyone else, in particularly her supposedly best friend, Emily, and her brother. And maybe she'd even have more friends if she would open up more and check her attitude. But in spite of her seemingly selfish ways and immaturity, I found myself laughing at times at her sarcasm and ridiculous conclusions about Lizzie Lovett's disappearance. 

The mystery surrounding Lizzie kept my interest for the most part. I wanted to know what happened to her and why everyone was so in love with her, especially Hawthorn. She'd only spoken to Lizzie once and had somehow developed this unhealthy fascination with the girl. It definitely irked my being seeing how obsessed Hawthorn was, I mean to go as far as to work at the same place and spend time with Lizzie's boyfriend was just weird. Still, I kept reading because I wanted to see if Hawthorn's character would experience growth; open her eyes and see that there were more important things in life and that the world didn't revolve around her. 

Back to what made me cringe. The situation with Hawthorn and Lizzie's boyfriend was seriously inappropriate. And I was beyond surprised at how lightly it was handled by Hawthorn's parents. She'd heard them complaining that Hawthorn was spending too much time with him, but it was never really addressed and their positions in the story as parents was rather disappointing to me. They could have done more in regards to their seventeen-year-old daughter. Maybe that's why Hawthorn was like that to begin with. Anyway, regardless of the issues I had, I still liked the story. The writing's great, very intriguing. And while Hawthorn wasn't the most likable character and her behavior often made me want to shake the hell out of her, I did love her brother's friend and the visitors her mother had welcomed. They provided great insight that helped change Hawthorn's perspective, and in the end, I could feel the change that started to take place in her. 

About the Author

Chelsea Sedoti fell in love with writing at a young age after discovering that making up stories was more fun than doing her school work (her teachers didn’t always appreciate this.) In an effort to avoid getting a “real” job, Chelsea explored careers as a balloon twister, filmmaker, and paranormal investigator. Eventually she realized that her true passion is writing about flawed teenagers who are also afraid of growing up. When she’s not at the computer, Chelsea spends her time exploring abandoned buildings, eating junk food at roadside diners, and trying to befriend every animal in the world. She lives in Las Vegas, Nevada where she avoids casinos, but loves roaming the Mojave Desert.

www.chelseasedoti.com | @chelseasedoti

CAN'T WAIT TO READ: The End of Our Story by Meg Haston

Release date: April 4th 2017
Publisher: HarperTeen
Purchase: Amazon | B&N

Synopsis via Goodreads:

Meg Haston's romantic and thrilling new YA novel explores a star-crossed high school relationship in a tale rife with deeply buried secrets and shocking revelations.

Bridge and Wil have been entangled in each other’s lives for years. Under the white-hot Florida sun, they went from kids daring each other to swim past the breakers to teenagers stealing kisses between classes. But when Bridge betrayed Wil during their junior year, she shattered his heart and their relationship along with it.

Then Wil’s family suffers a violent loss, and Bridge rushes back to Wil’s side. As they struggle to heal old wounds and start falling for each other all over again, Bridge and Wil discover just how much has changed in the past year. As the fierce current of tragedy threatens to pull them under, they must learn how to swim on their own—or risk drowning together.

About the Author

Meg Haston is the author of the middle-grade books How to Rock Braces and Glasses and How to Rock Best Friends and Frenemies. Her young adult debut, Paperweight, will be published by HarperCollins Children's Books in Summer 2015. 

While passing the time between now and Summer 2015, she enjoys staying hyper-caffeinated, reading (preferably in bed; preferably during a Florida thunderstorm), playing with her rescue pup Dinah, and dreaming up new stories.

Review: Detached by Christina Kilbourne

Release date: August 13th 2016
Publisher: Dundurn Press
Purchase: Amazon

Synopsis via Goodreads:

Anna has always been so level-headed, so easy-going, so talented and funny. How could anyone have guessed she wanted to die?

Anna is not like other people. For one thing, she’s been an accomplished artist since she was a preschooler. For another, she’s always felt like she didn’t belong: not with other kids, not with her family, not in her body. It isn’t until her grandparents are killed in a tragic accident, however, that Anna starts to feel untethered. She begins to wonder what it would be like if she didn’t exist and the thought of escaping the aimless drifting is the only thing that brings her comfort.

When Anna overdoses on prescription pain killers the doctors realize she has been suffering from depression and start looking for a way to help her out of the desperate black hole she never thought she would escape. It’s then that rock bottom comes into sight and the journey back to normal begins.

*Publisher approved request via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Sometimes the people that look really happy to you are in fact the ones suffering.

No one knew what Anna was going through internally. On the outside, she was a great student and a talented artist. After her grandparents' death, they all believed she was coping fine. But that's not the case. 

It's rare to read a book about someone who spends her days coming up with ways to die. I found her thoughts very sad and so terrifying. I mean, the stuff she'd think up were so horrible. And throughout the story I kept wishing she would just give up on that and try to talk to someone about her feelings. There was a point where she'd failed at an attempt and I was convinced she would give up. But then she'd just continue on that path right after. It was easy for me to be frustrated with Anna's character and get mad at her for wanting to end her life, but this story was realistic in the sense that there are teens and adults like Anna going through the same thing. From the outside we judge and say things like it's cowardly or they're just giving up, but truly these people are dealing with a LOT. 

I was mad at her parents, her mom in particular, for not seeing it. They were basically in denial, convincing themselves that Anna was fine. But there were hints, sometimes small, but it should have been enough for them to question from earlier on before it went further. Then again, I had to understand and see things from their point of view. They were parents doing their best and would never have guessed that their child was hurting so much that she'd want to commit suicide. 

Overall, Detached is a great story touching on a serious and real topic. It has nice writing and very heart-tugging moments that will leave you thinking: do I know someone like Anna? 

This is my first time reading a book by Christina Kilbourne, and I'm impressed. I want more.

About the Author

Christina Kilbourne is an award-winning young adult author who handles complex subjects with sensitivity and tact while covering issues of critical significance to youth. She was born in Southwestern, Ontario, then moved and spent her elementary and high school years in Muskoka, a resort area two hours north of Toronto, Canada. Her novel, Dear Jo, was the recipient of three Canadian young reader’s choice awards. It was also shortlisted for a young reader’s choice award in New York. They Called Me Red was nominated for a Saskatchewan Young Reader’s Choice Award. She is a three-time recipient of an Ontario Arts Council Works in Progress Grant. 

Christina graduated with an Honours BA in English Literature and Anthropology from the University of Western Ontario and completed her Masters degree in Creative Writing and English Literature at the University of Windsor, Ontario. Upon graduating Christina travelled across Africa, Mexico, Central, South America, Australia and parts of the South Pacific. She lived two years in New Zealand. Christina currently lives with her husband and two children near Bracebridge, Canada. She is a member of the Writer’s Union of Canada.

www.christinakilbourne.com | twitter.com/ChristinaKilbou