Jennifer Valent writes a gripping tale of prejudice, love, faith, and forgiveness. Haven't read the other books in this series but I love the author's writing style. ( )

There were so many things to love about this story. I thought it was awesome that even though it's the third book in a series, you can read it without having to read the previous books. I haven't read them and I didn't get the sense that it was necessary to enjoy this book because the facts were touched on enough to give you a sense of history with the characters. I loved how there was danger, intrigue, and heart pounding romance in this novel. There was also a great lesson in the story about what it means to really know Jesus compared to knowing about Him because you were raised going to church.

Jessie's faith journey was genuine, honest, and realistically portrayed. Her insight into the darkness in her own soul was powerfully written. There were a few things that were vividly described and thus made me cringe, but it was necessary to appreciate the situation the characters were in. Some things just don't feel right when they are glossed over - like prejudice in the south. Thankfully the author didn't gloss over anything. This book was awesome on so many levels that I could go on and on. ( )

This is a powerful book bringing to life segregation in the 1930's. Taking place in Virginia, Jessilynn's family took in her best friend, Gemma, when Gemma's parents were killed. It didn't matter to the family that Gemma was black, only that she was a girl that needed a family. Others in the area felt differently.

Jessilynn was an outspoken young woman, who believed that blacks had as much right as anyone else, and voicing her opinions got herself into trouble on more than one occasion. She was an amazing protagonist that I couldn't help but adore. She was emotional and full of spunk, creating a humorous yet passionate character - and that character only had eyes for one man, Luke.

Jessilynn loved passionately and put those she loved over common sense. She had a powerful belief in right and wrong. When a horribly tragedy took her innocence away, she found her world upside down. Her belief in God, and what was right was tested and her relationship with Luke was questioned.

This is a powerful story of loss and redemption, hurt and healing, and growth of a girl into a woman. It captures the horrors of segregation, making it quite realistic, and making this a story that is going to stay with me for a long time. This is one that should be on every teenage girl's to read list, as it is romantic enough to appeal to her "girl" side, with a very real sense of bringing to life the horrors of what it would be like growing up in the South with the KKK in your back yard. I highly recommend this book! ( )