My book review of: A Stolen Life: A Memoir by Jaycee Dugard

A Stolen Life: A Memoir by Jaycee Dugard

My Rating: **** 4/5 stars

Summary: In the summer of June of 1991, I was a normal kid. I did normal things. I had friends and a mother that loved me. I was just like you. Until the day my life was stolen.

For eighteen years I was a prisoner. I was an object for someone to use and abuse. For eighteen years I was not allowed to speak my own name. I became a mother and was forced to be a sister. For eighteen years I survived an impossible situation.

On August 26, 2009, I took my name back. My name is Jaycee Lee Dugard. I don’t think of myself as a victim, I simply survived an intolerable situation. A Stolen Life is my story—in my own words, in my own way, exactly as I remember it.

My Review: The last week or so I've been on a kick of reading either true crime novels about girls that have been kidnapped or in the case of, this book, when the victims themselves have written their own story in the form of memoirs or a book.  I find that I prefer the accounts that are written by the survivors of the kidnappings; they seem more honest and you know what your reading actually happened to the author.  Sometimes true crime novels just feel like they are listing all the facts they can find to include in their books.  While I do value accuracy reading the same thing three times throughout the book and knowing its the same fact just worded differently gets really frustrating and boring to be honest.

This book follows the life of Jaycee Dugard starting around the time she was first taken from her parents.  And follows her throughout the next 18 years as Philip and his wife Nancy make her change her name, as well as Philip raping her every two to three days.  They tell her that they took her so that Philip can use her for his pedophilic urges and in this way he won't have to kill or rape someone else to fulfill his twisted needs.  He (Philip) also gets Jaycee pregnant twice both times she has girls and when she becomes a Mother it strengthens something in her because now she has two little lives depending on her to protect them and keep them safe.

It also really struck me how the abductor's wife Nancy was so involved in taking Jaycee who was only eleven at the time; I mean what kind of female would do that to another woman much less a pre-teen girl; I cannot even imagine being that evil.  This story kept me enthralled and interested for the entire book; it does have some graphic details so if that would bother you or if  bringing up unwanted abuse from your own past then although its a good book I would not recommend you read it.

Jaycee definitely has her own style of writing; she even hints in the beginning of the book that her writing style is vastly different from the norm.  I love that she has her own voice and she deserves so much more than what that evil couple did to her.  I gave the book four stars instead of five because at places it was really jumpy, and things got repeated a lot...other than that I really enjoyed the book. (Maybe enjoyment isn't the right word;) I'll just say I respect that Jaycee had the courage to write it, and to continue to try to live a normal happy life with her girls.

If you like true crime novels or are just looking for a change of pace; and something that will really rock you to your core than I would definitely recommend this book.

small great things by Jodi Picoult

small great things by Jodi Picoult

My rating: * * * * * 5/5 stars

Summary:Ruth Jefferson is a labor and delivery nurse at a Connecticut hospital with more than twenty years’ experience. During her shift, Ruth begins a routine checkup on a newborn, only to be told a few minutes later that she’s been reassigned to another patient. The parents are white supremacists and don’t want Ruth, who is African American, to touch their child. The hospital complies with their request, but the next day, the baby goes into cardiac distress while Ruth is alone in the nursery. Does she obey orders or does she intervene?

Ruth hesitates before performing CPR and, as a result, is charged with a serious crime. Kennedy McQuarrie, a white public defender, takes her case but gives unexpected advice: Kennedy insists that mentioning race in the courtroom is not a winning strategy. Conflicted by Kennedy’s counsel, Ruth tries to keep life as normal as possible for her family—especially her teenage son—as the case becomes a media sensation. As the trial moves forward, Ruth and Kennedy must gain each other’s trust, and come to see that what they’ve been taught their whole lives about others—and themselves—might be wrong.

My Review: About two years ago I really got into Jodi Picoult as an author and read all the books by her that I could get my hands on.  My life got really complicated for awhile and I'll admit I backed way off on reading her books for the simple reason of I wasn't in a place where reading books that had such controversial issues and sometimes sad endings was something I could handle easy because of all the stress and turmoil I was dealing with in my own life.  However when I saw this relatively new book by her at Half Price Books it really caught my eye because it looked like a story and topic that I was interested in learning more about; and I knew that Picoult was a great writer and that there was a slim to none chance that I wouldn't really like the book.  I was right the book kept me as a reader very involved in the story and not wanting to put the novel down even to eat or sleep.

Small great things tells the story of Ruth Jefferson an african american nurse  (who works in the labor and delivery wing of a small hospital) who gets accused of negligence/murder when a baby she isn't supposed to touch or treat (at the wishes of his skin head white supremacist parents) goes into cardiac arrest while Ruth is alone with him because everyone else is called to an emergency surgery.  Though Ruth and her colleagues do their best to resuscitate  the infant he doesn't make it and his parents and grandfather looking for revenge for the death of their first child/grandchild go to the police and say that they think Ruth intentionally let the baby die because she was mad at being dismissed as the infants nurse because of her skin color.

The results of their talk with the police is Ruth being drawn up on murder/neglect charges and the reader goes along with Ruth through her trial, and all the events surrounding it.  I enjoyed Ruth as a character because her personality is similar to mine, and when the book described how she felt she had to become someone she wasn't to 'fit in' in the  mostly white neighborhood where she was raising her son; and at the hospital on the labor and delivery floor where she was the only African American nurse who worked there.  Of course I am not African American I am caucasian so I DO NOT claim that I have any idea what its like dealing with the same issues that Ruth did such as prejudice and racism.  But I do know on a different scale what its like to not fit in somewhere and to put on an act or show to be able to fit in, in a situation where something about me does not fit in with the expectations or norms of the people around me.  

The book was written from three different viewpoints.  Ruth's of course,  Turk, the white supremacist father's viewpoint and Ruth's lawyer Kennedy's viewpoint.  I liked that you could see how different their interpretations of what was happening were.  It gave me as a reader the chance to look into the minds of each character and come away with more of an understanding of what the author wanted to say through writing this novel.  Having three viewpoints instead of just a narrative of what the main character thought and did made this book easier to connect with and gave more honesty and openness to the book that I enjoyed.

This book was not a 'comfortable' read especially in the latter part; where it touches on racism and prejudice, and not just the overt confederate flag waving kind; the kind that caucasian people might be displaying without even knowing it because they have accepted stereotypes about others subconsciously whether they know it or not; and this type of racism/prejudice can be seen in examples like a white woman who moves her purse closer when a black man comes to stand beside her at a bus stop or when a caucasian family locks their car doors when passing through a majority African American community.  The caucasian individuals may not be doing these things as hate crimes or overt acts of racism; but they are still actions that are harmful to minority communities because of what they imply. 

I know as a reader that even reading about these things and how white people don't often acknowledge them outright made me think about my own actions and wonder if I was guilty of some of these qualities.  This novel changed how I think and made me as a reader open my mind to different viewpoints and how I could live in a different way that viewed caucasians not as the saviors of african americans in need but as someone who could acknowledge that racism/prejudice is still very real even in 2017.  I can never claim to have the same experiences and deal with the prejudice that African Americans face daily; but I can acknowledge that its still happening and that we as a country need to try to find ways of defeating it; so that everyone in the United States can say that across all racial, socioeconomic and religious boundaries everyone has the same rights and the same opportunities to succeed and fulfill their dreams.

The content of this book and what the story was based around; the death of a newborn made it an emotional and painful read at times.  But the writing style, characters, and plot were very well written and I would definitely recommend it to fellow readers.  It will challenge you as a person and as a reader but it is well worth it in the end; because you come out the other side with a broader viewpoint and the ability to empathize with the struggles facing minorities in our modern society.

Jodi Picoult is still one of my favorite authors and this book is my favorite of hers so far.  I'm glad she has the courage to write about an issue that is so controversial with the dignity and respect that it deserves.  In the acknowledgements and the author's note Picoult says she wrote the book to try to open people's minds and get them to acknowledge that racism/prejudice still exists and that even though its uncomfortable to talk about we still need to address it in our communities and strive for a world where everyone is truly equal and free.

Review of Secrets in the Cellar by John Glatt

Secrets in the Cellar by John Glatt

Rating: * * * * * 5/5 stars

Summary: Josef Fritzl was a 73-year-old retired engineer in Austria. He seemed to be living a normal life with his wife, Rosemarie, and their family―though one daughter, Elisabeth, had decades earlier been "lost" to a religious cult. Throughout the years, three of Elisabeth's children mysteriously appeared on the Fritzls' doorstep; Josef and Rosemarie raised them as their own. But only Josef knew the truth about Elisabeth's disappearance…

For twenty-seven years, Josef had imprisoned and molested Elisabeth in his man-made basement dungeon, complete with sound-proof paneling and code-protected electric locks. There, she would eventually give birth to a total of seven of Josef's children. One died in infancy―and the other three were raised alongside Elisabeth, never to see the light of day.

Then, in 2008, one of Elisabeth's children became seriously ill, and was taken to the hospital. It was the first time the nineteen-year-old girl had ever gone outside―and soon, the truth about her background, her family's captivity, and Josef's unspeakable crimes would come to light.

John Glatt's Secrets in the Cellar is the true story of a crime that shocked the world.

My Review: In Secrets in the Cellar author John Glatt tells the horrifying story of Josef Fritzl an Austrian engineer, husband and father who tricked his daughter Elisabeth into becoming a prisoner in a cellar turned dungeon that was situated right below his own house.  Fritzl would habitually rape and physically abuse his own daughter for the next twenty-four years as well as fathering children with her.  Some of these children who he considered weaklings and an annoyance he took from his daughter and took them upstairs where they would be raised by his wife Rosemarie who thought that Elisabeth had run away to join a cult and was abandoning her children on her parents doorstep for them to raise.  This was far from the truth of course and only later would Rosemarie learn the true horror of what her husband of fifty plus years had done to his daughter and their family as a whole.

The book chronicles Fritzl's abusive childhood at the hands of his Mother in a Nazi controlled Austria.  The reader sees in detail how Fritzl went throughout his life from exhibitionist, to rapist, and finally the horrific things that he did to his daughter Elisabeth and the children he had with her.  It was shocking to me the detail that Fritzl put into building his daughter's prison in the cellar; it took him six years to plan it all out and he seemed to start work on it after the first time he raped Elisabeth when she was only eleven.  That was one of the things that really disturbed me because he was willing to do that to his own child.  Being a mother myself I cannot fathom how a parent could do that to their child; and even after he was caught and in prison he still referred to his daughter Elisabeth as his 'second wife' and did not seem to think he had done anything wrong and felt no remorse for the atrocities he had committed.

The book is very well written; the only reason it was hard to read was because of the content you were reading about which is so outside the realms of what a normal human being could even think about perpetrating and this man seemed to do it with no problem; its really disturbing to think that people like this are in the world and probably walk by us everyday without our knowledge.  The fact that he was able to keep Elisabeth and three of her children as prisoners for two plus decades without getting caught is very scary to me.  That he could pass himself off as a good father, husband, and provider just chills me to the bone.  

The book was easy to read and although I don't read a lot of books in this genre I perceived this book to be well put together and thoroughly researched.  It was not just dry facts being listed for the reader it had a rhythm and pace to it that makes me respect the author and his writing ability.  If you enjoy true crime novels or are a fan of books in this genre then this is a book you should pick up.  It really shows a side of the human psyche that is disturbing to realize that someone living in normal society can be that narcissistic, perverted, and just plain EVIL. 

I know this is a story that I won't be getting out of my head for a while in the foreseeable future. 

Review of Cruel Crown by Victoria Aveyard

Cruel Crown by Victoria Aveyard

My Rating: * * * * * 5/5 stars

Summary: Discover the truth of Norta's bloody past in these two revealing prequels to #1 New York Times bestseller Red Queen.

Queen Song

Queen Coriane, first wife of King Tiberias, keeps a secret diary—how else can she ensure that no one at the palace will use her thoughts against her? Coriane recounts her heady courtship with the crown prince, the birth of a new prince, Cal, and the potentially deadly challenges that lay ahead for her in royal life.

Steel Scars

Captain Farley exchanges coded transmissions with the resistance as she travels the land recruiting black market traders, smugglers, and extremists for her first attempt at an attack on the capital. She was raised to be strong, but planting the seeds of rebellion in Norta is a tougher job than expected—until she stumbles upon a connection that may prove to be the key to the entire operation: Mare Barrow.

My Review: Cruel Crown is two novellas in one Steel Scars, and Queen Song are the two novellas included in Cruel Crown you get two for the price of one so to say =)  

Queen Song tells the story of Coriane who is Cal's mother (Cal is a main character in the Red Queen series of books).  It is not a very long story but the reader learns in detail about Coriane's early life and her relationship with her brother Julian who is also a main character in the Red Queen series of books. She is an interesting character who does not seem to have high self esteem; and yet she has an inner courage that I admired.  She is chosen to be queen (at Queenstrial) much to the disdain of her silver noble friends who do not see why she was chosen and not them since they consider her to be kind of a weakling and all that matters in their twisted world is strength and power over the red vermin. 

Coriane's main enemy is Maven's mother Elara who does not think Coriane has what it takes to be a good queen so she sets out on a mission to destroy the mind of the young  girl with her abilities so she can take her place and become queen herself.  As a reader I enjoyed this short novella and it really gave me more insight into the mind of Cal and why he had a right to hate Elara (his half brother's mother) as much as he seemed to in the Red Queen Series. There was mention of Coriane's name in the main books in this series; but having an in depth look at her life and the sad ending it had really helped my enjoyment and my understanding of the Red Queen Series.  If I hadn't had this look into Coriane's world and thought processes I wouldn't have given Cal as much of a chance as a character to develop throughout the main full size books.  

If you want to read more Aveyard and have read the Red Queen series I would recommend this book! It gives you a great background to work with as a reader and leads to a better understanding of the battle that rages between Cal and Maven for power and the history behind it.

Steel Scars is the backstory of Farley and how she was raised in a kind of army like fashion by her Father.  The two have a very rough relationship as can be seen in the main books and knowing Farley's backstory helped me connect to her as a character; it also lead me to be easier on her when she did things in the main books that may seem heartless to others but are easier to understand because I knew how she was raised.

I did not enjoy the way every few pages how communications between different people in the revolution was formatted.  It was hard on my eyes; and the language used was not always understandable to me and I'd have to reread it to even get the gist of what was happening; and I hate having to reread to understand something.  I think the author should make things clear enough in the beginning so that is not necessary; for me I have tons of books I want to read as well as usually the running commentary of my two year old of whatever she is engaged in at the moment and having to reread something I consider to be a big waste of my time as a blogger and reader.  Some of the language used in the ''army communications" was interesting to learn but I don't think there should have been so many paragraphs of them a few would have sufficed if the author just wanted to highlight how they looked or how the people in the revolutionary group communicated with each other.

Farley grew up in the revolution and especially after she lost her mother her dad became more of just a superior to her than a Father.  You can tell she is committed to their cause and is willing to risk everything to accomplish the goals of her father and his superiors.  She so badly wants his approval and his stamp of success on her life and efforts but he rarely gives her praise and is aloof and cold with her; so though you can tell he loves her, it is his own brand of affection...its his way or the highway most of the time.  I related to this and I think anyone could...the desire to please your parents and to want them to approve of what you do and to be proud of the life you've chosen.  I have definitely had similar feelings in my life and am sure most others have too.  This makes it easier to relate to Farley as a character; it gives her more depth than she might seem to have in the main three books in the Red Queen series.  It was also nice to know her backstory and see why she acted the way she did in certain situations (especially combat situations).

I would recommend this novella too; it gave me a better understanding of the rebel red group and their background and how they came to exist.  If you as a reader enjoyed the Red Queen series as a whole than you will enjoy this novella; I even wish it had been a little longer and without all the 'army communications' that were included.  I've been asked if you need to have read the entire series before you read these two novellas to really understand them and in my opinion no that is not necessary to understand these two stories; however I would recommend having read Red Queen (the first book in the Red Queen series).  It gives you a solid background of whats going on and how Mare's dystopian world works; as well as introducing you to most of the character's you will need to have some understanding and background of to really enjoy the two novellas that are included in Cruel Crown to the best of your abilities as a reader.  And yes I recommend buying Cruel Crown instead of getting Queen Song and Steel Scars individually...why pay two separate prices when you can get both in Cruel Crown; or in other words (again) you get two for the price of one =) .  Always a good deal!

Review of King's Cage by Victoria Aveyard

King's Cage by Victoria Aveyard

My rating: * * * * *  5/5 stars

Summary: In this breathless third installment to Victoria Aveyard’s bestselling Red Queen series, allegiances are tested on every side. And when the Lightning Girl's spark is gone, who will light the way for the rebellion?

Mare Barrow is a prisoner, powerless without her lightning, tormented by her lethal mistakes. She lives at the mercy of a boy she once loved, a boy made of lies and betrayal. Now a king, Maven Calore continues weaving his dead mother's web in an attempt to maintain control over his country—and his prisoner.

As Mare bears the weight of Silent Stone in the palace, her once-ragtag band of newbloods and Reds continue organizing, training, and expanding. They prepare for war, no longer able to linger in the shadows. And Cal, the exiled prince with his own claim on Mare's heart, will stop at nothing to bring her back.

When blood turns on blood, and ability on ability, there may be no one left to put out the fire—leaving Norta as Mare knows it to burn all the way down.

My Review: In this third installment of the Red Queen Series we once again find ourselves brought into the world of Mare Barrow who has traded her freedom for the lives and freedom of her friends and family.  Mare is now trapped in a painful abusive world where her entire life and every breath is controlled by the one she hates most - Maven the mad boy king whose entire purpose in life seems to be controlling and possessing Mare. He seems to think of her more as a pet than a human being with thoughts and feelings of her own.  

Mare is abused not only by Maven but by the other Silver nobility who now surround her and by her personal guards whose job it is to enforce "the silence" on Mare so she has no way to use her lightning ability and thus has no form of escape.  This book is filled with the details of this next step in Mare's journey as she is tortured and under the thumb of those she hates the most for their treatment of reds and those called newbloods who have powers like Mare when they shouldn't because they are reds not silvers.  This story was completely engrossing to me it had equal parts inner dialogue of characters, action and adventure, engrossing characters that are believable as people yet also fantasy because of their unique abilities and the dystopian society in which they live. 

Aveyard outdid herself in this book for me I liked it as much or even more than Red Queen the first book in this series.  Mare seemed more human in this book; her reactions and relationships with people like Cal, or her sister and parents seemed more tangible and real than how her personality was portrayed in Glass Sword; in that book she seemed untouchable and more aloof not caring about who she hurt to get her own priorities accomplished.  In King's Cage Mare through her captivity seems to gain some of her humanity back and views herself more as a person with special abilities  rather than a demi god whose orders should be followed without question.  As you watch her personal struggle it is easy as a reader to connect with her and you feel as if you are right there with her as she fights to survive and hopefully escape Maven.

Maven himself in this book was a wonderful villain in his own right; his thoughts and actions were really interesting to see because he has such a damaged psyche because of the things his mother did to him in  his infancy and childhood. At some moments the reader can even catch a glimpse of the little good that is left in his flawed character that his mother tried so hard to eradicate. You get the sense that in his own twisted, cruel way he does love Mare; but that love eventually turns into a sick desire to own her and be in control of every aspect of her life; though you really can't call her captivity much of a life it is really more of just existing and her trying to stay alive until she can escape and get back to those she loves and wants to save.  I have to say even though Maven is the villain in this series he really is one of the most interesting and enthralling characters especially because the reader never knows what he might do next and that adds a sense of suspense to the book that really helps draw the reader into the story.

This book was very easy to read. I once again enjoyed the type of font Aveyard used because it was easy to read and didn't lead to a headache which is often my problem after hours of reading a book.  This is my new favorite book in this series so far;  I really thought Aveyard outdid herself in this one especially with the ending which for me was completely a surprise and unexpected. I love that feeling when after you read the last page in a book you physically have to stop for a minute because it rattled you and was not what you were expecting at all.  I like this because every story automatically having a happy ending can get quite boring and stale; I feel that with her ending in this book Aveyard really outdid herself.  

If you liked the first two books in this series you will love this one in my opinion and won't be able to put it down...I know I couldn't (I finished the entire book in two days).  So be sure to pick it up or download it; its worth the price; Aveyard is right now at least my favorite author so far this year. =) 

Review of Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard

Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard

* * * * 4/5 stars

Summary:The electrifying next installment in the Red Queen series escalates the struggle between the growing rebel army and the blood-segregated world they've always known—and pits Mare against the darkness that has grown in her soul.

Mare Barrow's blood is red—the color of common folk—but her Silver ability, the power to control lightning, has turned her into a weapon that the royal court tries to control. The crown calls her an impossibility, a fake, but as she makes her escape from Maven, the prince—the friend—who betrayed her, Mare uncovers something startling: she is not the only one of her kind.

Pursued by Maven, now a vindictive king, Mare sets out to find and recruit other Red-and-Silver fighters to join in the struggle against her oppressors. But Mare finds herself on a deadly path, at risk of becoming exactly the kind of monster she is trying to defeat.Will she shatter under the weight of the lives that are the cost of rebellion? Or have treachery and betrayal hardened her forever?

My Review: Glass Sword is the second book in the Red Queen series by Victoria Aveyard.  In this book the reader is thrown head first back into the world of Mare Borrow who is a red civilian in the Silver kingdom where the Silvers (they are called red or silver based on the color of their blood) are the ruling masters over the reds in Mare's world.  Mare is in trouble because she has an ability that only the silver ruling class is supposed to be born with.  Mare and other reds with abilities like hers are called newbloods and are greatly feared by the Silvers who want to eradicate them from society because of the abilities they have and the fact that they are inspiring others like them and normal reds to revolt and try to take back the country that was once their own.  

Mare and Cal (a silver prince who was betrayed by his brother Mare's ex-forced fiancee) are running for their lives while also working with a revolutionary group to find other newbloods and rescue them before the new mad king Maven (Cal's half brother who betrayed him ) can get to them and kill them in his pursuit to get Mare back as a prisoner who he and only he can have complete control of.  This book was well written by Aveyard and there is a lot of inner dialogue with the characters feelings about what they have to do just to survive and stay away from Maven.  A lot of it is very emotional like how they feel when they have to kill other silvers or reds who are on the side of the mad king who is pursuing them.  In the beginning it was interesting to hear what they were feeling and how they dealt with different almost impossible situations where they had to kill or be killed. But sometimes as a reader I felt like the inner dialogues got really almost repetitive and I would have to push through boredom to keep reading and finish the chapter; more action or delving into the plot more would've been more enjoyable to me as a reader thats why this book did not receive five stars from me.  

Overall though the book though not as good as the first one (Red Queen) in the series was enjoyable and I finished it in one day.  If you enjoyed Red Queen then I would definitely recommend jumping into this book and enjoying the ride.  Aveyard truly is a good writer; and I will happily read more of her books in the near future if she writes them.    

Review for The Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

The Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

* * * * * 5/5 stars

Summary: Mare Barrow’s world is divided by blood—those with common, Red blood serve the Silver-blooded elite, who are gifted with superhuman abilities. Mare is a Red, scraping by as a thief in a poor, rural village, until a twist of fate throws her in front of the Silver court. There, before the king, princes, and all the nobles, she discovers she has an ability of her own.

To cover up this impossibility, the king forces her to play the role of a lost Silver princess, and betroths her to one of his own sons. As Mare is drawn further into the Silver world, she risks everything and uses her new position to help the Scarlet Guard—a growing Red rebellion—even as her heart tugs her in an impossible direction. One wrong move can lead to her death, but in the dangerous game she plays the only certainty is betrayal.

This sweeping story of palace intrigue, class hierarchy, and deception will keep readers hurtling along, desperate to find out Mare’s fate. Her honesty and determination, quick wit, and no-holds-barred attitude will surely make readers fall in love with her.

My Review: Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard is the first book in a YA series about a teenager who lives in a society where the color of your blood determines what status you will hold in life. Reds are considered inferior and are not considered equal to those in their society who have silver blood. Silvers are considered to be the masters almost demi-gods to the reds and have all the power in this dystopian society.  The main characters name is Mare - the book starts following her as she goes about normal activities for her like stealing food and other things her family needs to survive in the small red working town where they live.  

Startling events happen that end up landing Mare in a whole lot of trouble and she finds herself spirited away by the ruling Silver royal family who decide to enmesh her into their family so they can hide the startling truth about an ability she has that reds are NOT supposed to have.  The book follows her journey in this new dangerous world and introduces many new startling characters who will become the backbone of this series and who I as a reader was really able to relate to on many different emotional levels as well as being very well written...it is not a book that is easy to put down and I read through it in just a few days.

Aveyard is a new author to me and I love her writing style. The books font is also larger so it made it easy on the eyes and something that I really enjoyed reading.  The situations and characters really drew me into the story often hours passed and I didn't realize how much time had passed because the writing really had me engrossed completely in the story and with the characters; I even cried a few times which is very rare for me as a reader to be touched so profoundly.  This series so far for me has been my favorite 3 books (4 with the digital novellas which I also read) that I've come into contact with so far this year.

I would recommend this book to ANY of my reading colleagues in my opinion even  if you don't always read books that are labeled YA or Fantasy or dystopian world like settings you should still pick up this book it has something for everyone and if you don't, in my opinion you will regret it.  I absolutely love this author and her writing style.