Best banter, lovable mains, exciting romances--Brennan writes what I wanna read. So excited for the rest of this series AND her adult debut this summer!!

4.5 ( )

So good need the next one :) ( )

So good need the next one :) ( )

Aspiring journalist and high school student Kami Glass lives in the small town of Sorry-in-the-Vale where she runs the school newspaper, hangs out with her friend Angela and talks to the boy in her head. When the mysterious Lynburn family moves back into their mansion on a hill overlooking the town, dead animals are discovered in the woods surrounding the area. As Kami starts investigating, she is swept up into a world of ancient secrets, which are linked to the history of Sorry-in-the-Vale as well as Jared, the boy in her head who has now become real.

This is an incredibly fun and quirky book in the vein of Diana Wynne Jones as well as Maggie Stiefvater's The Raven Boys. At first, I had reservations about this book, despite seeing all the rave reviews of it, since the constant witty banter between the characters sometimes felt very inauthentic. But as the plot develops, the author slows down with the jokes, and the story becomes a lot more compelling. I was drawn in slowly by the mystery and the relationship between Kami and Jared. The plot is very slow, the mystery only revealing itself bit by bit but in a very compelling way. While the beginning was a bit rough, by about a third of the way into the story, I had difficulty putting the book down.

The characters are difficult to connect with at first, but they grow on you. By the end of the book, I really loved them all, especially the girls. I can't decide who I like more, Angela or Holly, both of whom break the typical stereotypes about hot girls found in many YA novels. I also enjoyed the portrayal of their strong friendships with each other.

I loved the weird relationship between Kami and Jared-- it's an interesting exploration of what happens when you met the person who knows everything about you, and in a way, it kind of skewers the cliches surrounding the idea of soulmates. Kami and Jared are kind of soulmates in a way, but they're also incredibly awkward around each other. I can't predict how the author plans on dealing with their strange connection and what the outcome will be for them. While they are the obvious romantic couple, right now it's difficult to see how they could possibly have an actual relationship with each other.

All in all, this is a solid book, a refreshing standout among the hordes of carbon copy paranormal YA novels. I look forward to the sequel. ( )