Review: Golden

Golden
Author: Jessi Kirby
Published: May 14, 2013
Hardcover, 278 pages
5 Gold Stars

(summary from Goodreads)

Seventeen-year-old Parker Frost has never taken the road less traveled. Valedictorian and quintessential good girl, she’s about to graduate high school without ever having kissed her crush or broken the rules. So when fate drops a clue in her lap—one that might be the key to unraveling a town mystery—she decides to take a chance.

Julianna Farnetti and Shane Cruz are remembered as the golden couple of Summit Lakes High—perfect in every way, meant to be together forever. But Julianna’s journal tells a different story—one of doubts about Shane and a forbidden romance with an older, artistic guy. These are the secrets that were swept away with her the night that Shane’s jeep plunged into an icy river, leaving behind a grieving town and no bodies to bury.

Reading Julianna’s journal gives Parker the courage to start to really live—and it also gives her reasons to question what really happened the night of the accident. Armed with clues from the past, Parker enlists the help of her best friend, Kat, and Trevor, her longtime crush, to track down some leads. The mystery ends up taking Parker places that she never could have imagined. And she soon finds that taking the road less traveled makes all the difference.

A pair off lovers die tragically one night and become the golden couple. Their names set in stone on a sign at the edge of town. They are known to everyone, they are who everyone strives to be. Parker Frost looks to them as most others do, the reason why the school has a great scholarship. She is ready to graduate and take that scholarship and get out of there. But when Parker gets ahold of Juliette's journal, she discovers that this couple may not be as golden as everyone thought and suddenly she wants to discover exactly how the lovers ended up at the bottom of a lake. So she decides to do something she'd never think of doing, this girl who has never skipped school, never disobeyed her family, goes on the road to piece together the story of Juliette and Shane that Juliette's journal is really telling her. Mix in Robert Frost poems at the beginning of every chapter and slight hints of his work throughout the novel, and this book wraps itself into a beautiful mystery full of lost love, new love, and finding out who you really are.

This is the perfect story of a girl on the cusp of life. She has everything planned out but decides that she wants to do something before she sets off on the plan. When she comes across the journal, she knows this is her key to going off the road she's planned to travel all her life. And the more she finds out about Juliette, the more she wants answers. Parker will remind you of yourself in many ways. A girl following the rules because she knows that's how she'll get the most out of life. But how long can you follow the rules until you realize that you're not living? I love that she took this risk, that she read Juliette's words and wanted to know more. Because as soon as she opened Juliette's journal, I was hooked. I wanted to know more about her life, her relationship with Shane, and of course about the mystery guy she met one night and can't get out of her head. Juliette is as much a character as Parker or her best friend Kat, or her crush Trevor. She breathes through the pages of her journal, begging Parker to find out what happened it her. And I needed to know too. I would have done the same in Parker's situation and I loved uncovering the mystery behind Juliette's death along side her. 

I devoured this book. The writing was beautiful and the mix of poetry added to the dreamy quality of the whole thing. Parker finally starts living life by taking the road less travelled. This is great, quick, adventure of a girl finding out who she is by finding out who someone else really is. There is bonding, romance, and a question about who we really are and how our perception of people changes the more we know about them. This was the perfect read about life on the verge of starting and people on the verge of living.

“One often meets her destiny on the road she takes to avoid it.” 

“But sometimes life gives us those rare moments where we do see chance as it’s happening. And in those moments, we have a choice. And sometimes we have to take a risk. And it’s scary. It makes us vulnerable. But I know now it’s worth it.” 

Review: Bright Before Sunrise

Bright Before Sunrise
Author: Tiffany Schmidt
Published: February 11, 2014
Hardcover, 288 pages
5 Gold Stars

(summary from Goodreads)

When Jonah is forced to move from Hamilton to Cross Pointe for the second half of his senior year, "miserable" doesn't even begin to cover it. He feels like the doggy-bag from his mother's first marriage and everything else about her new life—with a new husband, new home and a new baby—is an upgrade. The people at Cross Pointe High School are pretentious and privileged—and worst of all is Brighton Waterford, the embodiment of all things superficial and popular. Jonah’s girlfriend, Carly, is his last tie to what feels real... until she breaks up with him. 

For Brighton, every day is a gauntlet of demands and expectations. Since her father died, she’s relied on one coping method: smile big and pretend to be fine. It may have kept her family together, but she has no clue how to handle how she's really feeling. Today is the anniversary of his death and cracks are beginning to show. The last thing she needs is the new kid telling her how much he dislikes her for no reason she can understand. She's determined to change his mind, and when they're stuck together for the night, she finally gets her chance. 

Jonah hates her at 3p.m., but how will he feel at 3 a.m.? 

One night can change how you see the world. One night can change how you see yourself.

Jonah and Brighton couldn't be any different from each other, yet in one night they will learn about the other, protect the other, and the end the night with very different opinions of the other. One night is all it takes to show who you really are to someone, to show that you aren't the person they thought you were. In one night, I fell in love with this book, and it's lingering with me still.

Jonah had to move to Cross Pointe, resident Stepford neighbourhood with perfect boxes for houses. He doesn't belong here. He belongs in Hamilton, where he grew up, with his girlfriend and friends. And he really doesn't want to be anywhere near Brighton, resident goody girl who keeps plaguing him to volunteer at school. So when he finds her in his house one Friday night, he freaks out, thinking she's following him, and this night, this moment, sends everything into motion. Because Jonah's girlfriend thinks he's cheating on her, thinks Brighton is the reason, so he's bringing her to Hamilton to show her off, just because he can, or because he likes her? Between the moments at his house and the party in Hamilton, these two lost teenagers will find each other in a way they never thought possible. In a night that changes everything, these two learn that first appearances aren't always right.

I love both of these characters. Told from both point of views (with clever chapter title from Jonah) we get to see into each of their minds as their lives collide. Jonah used to have everything going for him, he was a big baseball star and very popular. But when he moved, he lost his motivation to do any of the things he used to love. Stuck with a new family and desperately wanting his old life back, he vows never to get involved at his new school. But Brighton, who's on the verge of the fifth anniversary of her father's death, is broken into shards. So when Jonah offers to take her out, she jumps at the opportunity to get away from her grieving family for the night. The more they talk, the more the find in the other. So much happens over the course of the night, yet the find a way back to each other and realize there's no way they want the night to end.

This book is so romantic. It's the kind of romance I crave in YA. Two people who barely know each other are quickly brought together and forced to play nice and in turn finding something in the other they can't be without. Jonah and Brighton are broken, but together they just might be able to stitch up their wounds. This book is brilliant, beautiful and swoon-worthy. It touched me so much that I immediately wanted to open it up and start it all over again. Schmidt is a wonderful author and she has the talent to make me love every character in a book (even the ones I hate) Read it, fall in love, let their night change something in yourself. Let it remind you of your own night that changed everything. And if you haven't had one, let it promise you the possibility of everything. 

“He's wrong--high school isn't a pyramid with all the power clustered in a chosen few at the top--it's more of a movie theater with twenty-two screens showing simultaneously. The love story in theater three doesn't care what happens on the football field in theater twelve. Actors and audiences overlap on the screen in the hallways, but there's a place for everyone.”

Review: This Is What Happy Looks Like

This Is What Happy Looks Like
Author: Jennifer E. Smith
Published: April 2, 2013
Paperback, 224 pages
5 Gold Stars

(summary from Goodreads)

If fate sent you an email, would you answer?

In This is What Happy Looks Like, Jennifer E. Smith's new YA novel, perfect strangers Graham Larkin and Ellie O'Neill meet—albeit virtually—when Graham accidentally sends Ellie an email about his pet pig, Wilbur. In the tradition of romantic movies like "You've Got Mail" and "Sleepless in Seattle," the two 17-year-olds strike up an email relationship, even though they live on opposite sides of the country and don't even know each other's first names.

Through a series of funny and poignant messages, Graham and Ellie make a true connection, sharing intimate details about their lives, hopes and fears. But they don't tell each other everything; Graham doesn't know the major secret hidden in Ellie's family tree, and Ellie is innocently unaware that Graham is actually a world-famous teen actor living in Los Angeles.

When the location for the shoot of Graham's new film falls through, he sees an opportunity to take their relationship from online to in-person, managing to get the production relocated to picturesque Henley, Maine, where Ellie lives. But can a star as famous as Graham have a real relationship with an ordinary girl like Ellie? And why does Ellie's mom want her to avoid the media's spotlight at all costs?


Anyone enjoyed The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight, knows that Smith can write a hell of a romance in a short amount of time. TIWHLL is no different. Ellie O'Neill lives in Maine, Graham Larkin is a Hollywood actor. In a quick twist of fate, Graham accidentally sends Ellie an email. One email leads to many and soon Graham is deciding to film his next movie in Maine to be able to meet Ellie in person. But Ellie doesn't know Graham is an actor and a case of mistaken identity makes Graham go out with the wrong girl. But when they do finally meet, is it even possible for them to fall for each other when they live so far from each other and Ellie's mom doesn't want her in the media? A roller coaster of a ride, it's easy for fall in love with these characters and follow their journey like any good love story.

I've read some wonderful YA contemporaries lately and this one is by far one of my favourites. The characters are unique, Ellie is not like more heroines as she knows there are more important things in life than falling in love. Her mom fell in love early in life and though it did produce Ellie, she regrets most of the relationship. She doesn't want Ellie to go through the same thing she does, and Ellie wants to stay near her mom and help her out money wise. Graham isn't your typical actor either. He isn't interested in the girls he's supposed to be, he'd much rather talk to Ellie through emails and hang out with his pet pig. His relationship with his parents isn't as great as it used to be and he really wants to figure out where he's going next in life. When they meet, nothing and everything changes. Ellie tries to stay away from him but finds herself needing to see him, wanting to be near him. Graham knows it's best if he doesn't get involved with her but he can't help it that he loves her red hair and just wants to be close to her. Their moments are fleeting and wonderful, a summer full of love and possibilities. It's impossible not to fall in love with both these characters and root for them to have a happy ending. 

Told from both viewpoints, TIWHLL shows you that you don't need to be from the same world to fall in love. It's hard, but it's possible. Smith's writing is fluid and realistic, quotes that pop out in between moments that feel so real you must be beside the characters witnessing it. Summer is Henley, Maine is hot and full of tourists, but Ellie and Graham only need each other, only see each other. It felt like I was sweating in the hot sun along with them and sitting on the bus on the way to the Fourth of July picnic. I laughed, I cried and I flipped the pages hoping that everything would work out for Ellie and Graham. Just like Hadley and Oliver, these two meet each other out of nowhere, brought together by fate and knowing that it will take work to stay together. I love the idea that you don't have to live near each other to fall in love. Knowing that distance will not keep them from each other. I think that's more love than seeing them everyday. If you have to work to stay in contact, you will appreciate the moments you have together so much more. I'm excited for Smith's next book,  The Geography of You and Me, where we actually get to witness the aftermath of a fated meeting and see how well the couple does once they are separated again. Smith is a master at contemporaries and I'm eager to read more from her. 

“Exactly. How can you know it makes you happy if you’ve never experienced it?”
“There are different kinds of happy,” she said. “Some kinds don’t need any proof.”

“It was exactly as he’d thought it would be, like the first time and the millionth time all at once, like being wide awake, like losing his balance. Only this time, it wasn’t just him; this time, they were losing their balance together.”

Review: Foreplay

Foreplay

Author: Sophie Jordan

Published: November 5, 2013

Paperback, 320 pages

4 Gold Stars

(summary from Goodreads)

Before she goes after the life she’s always wanted, she’s about to find the one she needs. 

Pepper has been hopelessly in love with her best friend’s brother, Hunter, for like ever. He’s the key to everything she’s always craved: security, stability, family. But she needs Hunter to notice her as more than just a friend. Even though she’s kissed exactly one guy, she has just the plan to go from novice to rock star in the bedroom—take a few pointers from someone who knows what he’s doing.

Her college roommates have the perfect teacher in mind. But bartender Reece is nothing like the player Pepper expects. Yes, he’s beyond gorgeous, but he’s also dangerous, deep—with a troubled past. Soon what started as lessons in attraction are turning both their worlds around, and showing just what can happen when you go past foreplay and get to what’s real…

I think this has been my favourite New Adult book yet. I'm still new to this genre and have been iffy about picking up some books. But Jordan's Firelight series is one of my favourite's and I just finished Uninvited, so I hoped that because I enjoyed her YA so much, I'd like something out she's written. I wasn't wrong. This book had as much fire and heart as her others and I had a really great time reading it. Pepper is very sweet and innocent and has her future planned out - she is going to marry her best friend's brother, Hunter. But Hunter only sees her as his little sister and she is determined to change this. The problem is she has no experience at all and doesn't want to go in unprepared. So when her friends tell her about a hot bartender who beds lots of women, Pepper is ready to track him down and get him to teach her a thing or two. But things don't work out as planned. Reece is hot yes, and he sure looks experienced, but he is also really good with kids, cares a lot about his bar and rescues girls from the side of the road when their cars break down. Can Pepper just be involved with him to gain experience or is the way he's making her feel going to interfere with her plans for Hunter? 

Pepper is an average girl and more relatable than some characters NA these days. She focuses on school, babysits to be able to afford it and tries to make her friends happy by going along with their plans. So when her friends finally get her to the bar, her awkwardness getting his attention. Everything Pepper has planned changes when she really gets to know Reece and would could blame her? Reece is not the player Pepper pegs him to be. He is sweet and caring, and shows his affection for her in more ways than one throughout the novel. I love that nothing goes as planned. As soon as we meet Reece, I knew he'd be more than a fling for Pepper. Both Pepper and Reece regret their first impressions of each other, gradually becoming more aware of each other and their needs throughout the novel. Their interactions are fantastic to read, both when they first meet and have very different opinions of each other and later when they can't decide the next steps to take. I fell in love with them as they discovered each other. The pacing is perfect, and it kept me on the edge of my seat, toes curled, as I begged Pepper to go to Reece every time she told herself not too. The amount of tension between them is frustrating, as I think I wanted them to get together more than they did!

The notable difference in YA and NA is easily pinpointed - there are no hold bars when it comes to sexuality in NA. I love the young love, the first kisses, and the stolen moments in YA, but I won't deny how enjoyable it was to read about physical contact in its truest form. Relationships are taken to the next level and it adds to the story in a way. I felt a real connection between Pepper and Reece as they experience real life moments that college students would definitely be involved in. The title tells it all, I supposed, and I wasn't let down. This whole book was foreplay and I didn't get satisfaction until the end. Throw in some humour, genius side characters (Emerson is the main character in the second book, Tease) and a very dramatic happy ending, and I'm willing to give NA another try. 

“I wouldn’t have waited this long for you. I would have already showed up at your dorm the minute I decided I wanted you. I wouldn’t leave until I convinced you that you were mine” 

Review: Sweetly

Sweetly
Author: Jackson Pearce
Published: August 23, 2011
Hardcover, 310 pages
4 Gold Stars

(summary from Goodreads)

As a child, Gretchen's twin sister was taken by a witch in the woods. Ever since, Gretchen and her brother, Ansel, have felt the long branches of the witch's forest threatening to make them disappear, too.

Years later, when their stepmother casts Gretchen and Ansel out, they find themselves in sleepy Live Oak, South Carolina. They're invited to stay with Sophia Kelly, a beautiful candy maker who molds sugary magic: coveted treats that create confidence, bravery, and passion.

Life seems idyllic and Gretchen and Ansel gradually forget their haunted past -- until Gretchen meets handsome local outcast Samuel. He tells her the witch isn't gone -- it's lurking in the forest, preying on girls every year after Live Oak's infamous chocolate festival, and looking to make Gretchen its next victim. Gretchen is determined to stop running and start fighting back. Yet the further she investigates the mystery of what the witch is and how it chooses its victims, the more she wonders who the real monster is.

Gretchen is certain of only one thing: a monster is coming, and it will never go away hungry.

Hansel and Gretel was never my favourite fairy tale. Not sure why, since I have a brother, so you'd think I'd relate to the thing, but I wasn't a big fan. So it took me awhile to pick up this book, not interested in it at all. But after reading the rest of the fairy tale retelling series by Pearce, I knew I had to read it, and it became my favourite of the four! Gretchen is adorable, a girl who's only ever known a life without her twin sister and has relied on her brother Ansel for everything. When they were kids, a witch stole their sister when they were on a walk in the woods. Gretchen has been running from the witch ever since then, but now she wants it destroyed. But when they are kicked out of the house and decide to drive to the ocean and start a new life, they are distracted by a small town that sucks them in. Sophia Kelly takes them in as her own, feeding them chocolate and falling for Ansel. Things seem too good to be true and soon sightings of the "witch" cause Gretchen to take things into her own hands. 

Gretchen and Ansel have the kind of relationship that my brother and I have. You don't want to do anything without the other one knowing and you know you're safe when you're near them. This is all fine and dandy, but it's important to have your own life too and you see this gradually transform their relationship as Gretchen gets to know Samuel, a local hunter, and Ansel gets closer to Sophia. The mysteries behind the town kept me guessing. There was no telling which residents were really bad and which had good intentions. The witch coming closer and how that played out was fantastic and tied into the series very well. This book gave me a much better perceptive of Fathomless, the third book in the series, and had a nice lead up to everything that would come together in the end of Cold Spell. Pearce has a fantastic way of weaving together worlds that we know from fairy tales and turning them into a whole new story. 

This new twist on the classic left a good feeling in my heart. I have a whole new perspective on the classic tale and know I'd enjoy it more if I read it again. It's nice when an author can take a well known story and turn it into something completely new and thrilling. This series is perfect for those who know the old tales and also for those who are new to them. The wonderfulness of it is that you don't have to read the original as these stand on their own. Werewolves, magic, and happily ever afters are great selling points to me, and I'd highly recommend this series for those fairy tale lovers out there. This is more gruesome and poignant, much like the original Hans Christian Anderson tales. 

“I should be mad. I should hate her. I should judge her. But there is some madness in love.”

Review: He Belongs With Me

He Belongs With Me
Author: Sarah Darlingtion
Published: March 4, 2014
ebook
Received an ARC from author in exchange for an honest review
4 Gold Stars

(summary from Goodreads)

Two girls. One Leo.

Identical twins, Maggie and Clara Ryder, both grew up with Leo Maddox, billionaire playboy, apparent alcoholic, and heir to his grandfather's world-famous Maddox hotel empire. Their roles were cemented long ago: Maggie, as his best friend and Clara as his childhood nemesis.

But when a simple twist of fate changes everything and both girls start to fall for the lean, mean, ridiculously sexy and seemingly spoiled Leo... which girl will win his heart?

Throw in a little mischief, drama, and one smoking-hot bartender and lines are sure to blur. But one thing's for certain, neither good-girl Maggie nor rebellious Clara will be satisfied until they each figure out where they belong. 

*NEW ADULT ROMANCE. Recommended for 17+ due to sexual situations and adult language

I'm still new to the New Adult scene. I've read a few and I've noticed that they are drastically different than how Young Adult is written. There is less focus on discovering who you are and more focus on the relationships. They are swoony, dramatic, and all around a good time. They play out much like a romance novel and it's a nice change when you're reading a book and you know things are going to work out for the best. Even though they are identical sisters, Maggie and Clara couldn't be more different. Maggie fits her father's idea of country club class and Clara is rebellious to a fault, eager to get as far away from her family as possible. So when Leo, the girls' childhood friend, asks Clara to join him in New York for the weekend, both girls are confused. Clara was always the nemesis, the bad twin, and Maggie and Leo have been best buds since childhood. Clara never thought twice about her feelings for Leo (no way would she ever get together with him) but being in New York with him, the sexual tension is flowing through them and suddenly Clara doesn't know what she feels. Jealousy hits Maggie like a brick. Her and Leo don't really have feelings for each other, but she always thought if someone would end up with him, it'd be her. So when she's distracted by a hot bartender, someone she remembers from her past, she's not sure who to fight for. 

Told from both Maggie and Clara's viewpoints, this is a nice quick read that will have you rooting for both girls. The friendly competition between the twins is realistic, two girls that were born exactly the same trying to prove to the world that they are two different people. Maggie is known for being the good girl and Clara the bad, but both want to be known as themselves instead. There could have been more focus on the relationship between the girls instead of solely focusing on their relationships with Leo and Dean. There's never really any backstory as to why they don't get along. 

There's no doubt the men are dreamy. Leo Maddox is a playboy millionaire, a guy who has been in the twins' life forever. He drinks a lot, sleeps around, and shows off his money whenever he can - at least this is how he seems to most people. Get past all that and he's sweet, understanding, and ready to do whatever it takes to keep Clara. Guys in New Adult always seem to have the same makings - bad boy with lots of experience beneath his belt - but I like it when they prove me wrong like Leo did. He is genuinely a good person and maybe he's made some mistakes, but his love for Clara is something we dream of. Dean is worthy of this title too. He's done some things he's not proud of. He's hurt Maggie and now he's trying to make things right. Maggie isn't so easily persuaded but he fights for her. There isn't as much of a love triangle as I expected and I'm happy for it. The way everything plays out is believeable. Of course Maggie would develop a crush on Leo once she realizes he may not stay on the market. He's always been her go-to guy and it's now or never. 

Darlington tells this story fluidly, hints of suspense and twists and turns along the way made for an exciting read that had me wondering to the very end if I had predicted things right. And there's no denying how great those sexy scenes were. That's the fun part of New Adult - no hold bars. It's a nice change sometimes, don't you think? I'm glad I had the chance to read this as it gave me a better idea of the New Adult genre, I like to find ones I actually enjoy reading!

“Leo backed me against the door frame, his demeanor turning all 'take-no-prisoners' as he pinned me in place with his hips. His hands traced up and down the curve of my body until they wound their way through the loose strands of my hair. He was in control, I was totally at his mercy, and I. Didn’t. Even. Care.” 

Review: The Worlds We Make

The Worlds We Make
Author: Megan Crewe
Published: February 11, 2014
Hardcover, 288 pages
5 Gold Stars

(summary from Goodreads)

The virus has taken away Kaelyn’s friends, her family, her home.

And now a deadly enemy threatens to take the one hope she has left:THE CURE.

When Kaelyn and her friends reached Toronto with a vaccine for the virus that has ravaged the population, they thought their journey was over. But now they're being tracked by the Wardens, a band of survivors as lethal as the virus who are intent on stealing the vaccine no matter what the cost.

Forced onto the road again, Kaelyn and her companions discover the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta is their best hope for finding scientists who can reproduce the vaccine. But with the virus already spreading among them, the Wardens hot on their trail, and hundreds of miles to cross, Kaelyn finds herself compromising her morals to keep her group alive. Her conscience seems a small price to pay if protects them and their precious cargo. Unless even that is not enough...

In the final installment in Megan Crewe’s captivating the Fallen World trilogy, Kaelyn is on the run from her biggest adversaries yet. While she continues to face horrific loss, her resolve is still strong. But to survive this shattered world, will she have to sacrifice all that's left of the girl she was?

This series has taken my heart for a spin. There are moments of sheer terror, especially in the first book, The Way We Fall, where we're not sure if our main character will make it through. A virus threatening a small island, slowly escalating onto the main shore, seeping across Canada and creeping into the United States. When Kaelyn discovers a vaccine, she knows she must get it into the hands of the right people. Leaving the island with a small group of friends, she sets off across Canada, making her way to Toronto. The Lives We Lost reveals more challenges, more threats and more loss as the group gets closer to the CDC, hoping it can be the place to save them. The story concludes with The Worlds We Make, the final stretch and suddenly everything Kaelyn thought she knew about the CDC, those chasing her, and the vaccine, seems like a lie. There's no way to trust everyone and putting the vaccine into the wrong hands could be the end of it. 

This book is a game changer, as most finales are. Kaelyn is forced to act in ways she never thought she would, and her loved ones are dying around her. Fear of what's to come haunts everyone and there's no telling how long they will last in this new world. Trying to keep her group alive, they cross the border into the States, finding new means of surviving. Seeing the world change through Kaelyn's eyes is heartbreaking. She wants what's best for everyone, but she also knows she can't just let people walk all over her. She doesn't hesitate to use her gun on those that could cause her harm, and she vows to do anything to keep the vaccine safe. She does some things that she regrets, but don't we all when we are in life or death situations? Fear changes us, and in a world that is falling apart at her feet, it's hard for Kaelyn not to change with it. I understand all of her actions. I know it was hard for her to do some of the things she had to do, but she did it to survive, and in the end, she realized that that is not who she really is and she will do anything to make things right. 

Crewe has perfected the end of the world. Her virus is something that seems likely, a flu gone wrong, and the way that it has spread over the world into an epidemic is all too real. Think SARS or Swine flu and we know how quickly these things spread. The way humans act when suddenly they cannot get everything they want is haunting and truly realistic in the way she writes. We become animals, fighting for survival and not caring who we take down with us. Humans become enemies. Food is something you will kill for and knowing there is a vaccine could mean a certain death at the hands of someone who wants it. Kaelyn's life has changed drastically and suddenly she has to make some choices she never thought she'd have to make. She is brave, determined and eager to give the vaccine to someone who will use it for the good of the world. Crewe asks questions that we don't know the answers to until it's too late - how would you react if a flue took over? Would you stay the same or would you change into someone else? How do you hold on to humanity when there seems to be nothing left. 

You hope. You hold onto hope. And you try to survive.

“What was the point in being human, in having brains that could develop vaccines and organize people across a continent, if all we did was behave like animals? This world, where all that matters was being in the strongest, biggest pack - it wasn't a world I wanted to save.”

*If anyone lives in the Toronto area, Megan will be hosting a book release party this Saturday, March 8,  at Bakka-Phoenix Books. more details here!*