Release Day Launch: Four Seconds to Lose by K.A. Tucker

 Happy release day to K.A. Tucker and Four Seconds to Lose! If you've read K.A. Tucker's books before then you know this is an exciting day! If you haven't read her before - get excited. She's a stellar NA author and I'm really happy to help celebrate that her next book in the Ten Tiny Breaths series is out!  

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About Four Seconds to Lose

Owning a strip club isn’t the fantasy most guys expect it to be. With long hours, a staff with enough issues to keep a psych ward in business, and the police regularly on his case, twenty-nine year old Cain is starting to second guess his unspoken mission to save the women he employs. And then blond, brown-eyed Charlie Rourke walks through his door, and things get really complicated. Cain abides by a strict “no sleeping with the staff” rule. But being around Charlie challenges Cain’s self-control…and it’s been a long time since any woman has done that.

Twenty-two-year old Charlie Rourke needs a lot of money, really fast, in order to vanish before it’s too late. Taking her clothes off for men makes her stomach curl but Charlie tells herself that at least she’s putting her acting and dancing skills to good use. And though her fellow dancers seem eager to nab their sexy, sophisticated, and genuinely caring boss, she’s not interested. After all, Charlie Rourke doesn’t really exist—and the girl pretending to be her doesn’t need to complicate her life with romance.

Unfortunately, Charlie soon discovers that developing feelings for Cain is inevitable, that those feelings may not be unrequited—but losing him when he finds out what she’s involved with will be more painful than any other sentence awaiting her.

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Buy Links: Amazon :: Barnes & Noble :: Other Retailers 

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About K. A. Tucker

Born in small-town Ontario, Kathleen published her first book at the age of six with the help of her elementary school librarian and a box of crayons. She is a voracious reader and the farthest thing from a genre-snob, loving everything from High Fantasy to Chick Lit. Kathleen currently resides in a quaint small town outside of Toronto with her husband, two beautiful girls, and an exhausting brood of four-legged creatures.

Author Links: Blog :: Website :: Facebook :: Twitter :: Goodreads :: Atria

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Leap of Faith Blitz

Leap of Faith

By Jamie Blair

Publisher: Simon & Schuster BFYR

Release Date: September 3, 2013

About the Book: Can true love be built on lies? A teen on the run seeks relief and redemption in this gripping, romantic read.

Leah Kurtz has finally found a place to call home, a town where she and baby Addy can live in peace, far from the drug-infested place she grew up. Chris is one of the best parts of her new life, the only person who’s ever made her feel safe. And now that she’s found him, there’s no way she can tell the truth:

Her real name is Faith, not Leah. She’s seventeen, not nineteen. And the baby isn’t hers—Faith kidnapped her.

Faith’s history catches up with her when a cop starts asking questions and Chris’s aunt spots her picture in the newspaper. She knows it’s time to run again, but if Faith leaves, she’ll lose Chris. If Chris is in love with a lie, though, did Faith ever really have him in the first place?

Book Links: Goodreads :: Amazon :: B&N

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Excerpt: 

“I’m Chris.”  His eyes are hazel.  They’d be bluer or greener depending on what he wore.  His gray shirt keeps them the in-between shade.  He plays a few more chords and sets his guitar on the couch beside him.  “Well?  What do you think?”

I glance around.  There’s not much to it, but it works.  “How much?”

He rubs his chin.  It’s covered in stubble.  I imagine how it would feel against my cheek, and my face gets hot. 

Addy squirms and lets out a small shriek.  Chris’s eyes dart to her.  This could be the deal breaker.

She squawks again.  “What time is it?” I ask, realizing she’s probably hungry. 

He shrugs.  “Around five or six.  She need to eat?”

“Yeah.  Guess I better go so I can feed her.”  I take a step toward the door.

“Here,” he comes forward, reaching his arms out.  “I’ll hold her.  Go on out and get her a bottle.  You have one with you, don’t you?”

I nod, watching him take Addy out of my arms, place her against his chest, and rub her back.  “Do you have kids?”  It seems like a dumb question, but he’s a natural with Addy.

He laughs.  “No.  Fortunately, I’ve never been in that predicament.”  He looks from Addy to me, and his face falls.  “I mean…” 

Right.  He thinks I got knocked up.  I’m a teen mom.  “It’s okay.  Don’t worry about it.”  I smile, trying to put him at ease.  “I’ll be right back.”

After opening the door to the stairs, I glance over my shoulder.  He’s running his fingers over the top of her head and bouncing her gently.  “Shh, baby, don’t cry.  Mommy will be right back.”  

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About the Author: Jamie Blair spent most of her teen years choreographing moves for her dance team routines, kissing boys on the couch after her mom went to bed, and pondering the mood enhancement qualities of Lemon Heads when consumed with Diet Coke. Writing under Kelli Maine, she’s the USA Today bestselling author of Taken. Leap of Faith is her debut New Adult novel.

Find Jamie Online: Website :: Twitter :: Goodreads :: Facebook

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Giveaway: 

--5 prize packages of a signed hardback, a t-shirt and a guitar pick, 

--5 e-books with an autographed Leap of Faith notecard, a guitar pick and stickers

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Anywhere But Here - Tanya Lloyd Kyi

Synopsis: Cole’s small town is a trap he’s determined to escape in this fresh and moving debut novel that balances loss with humor. Ever since his mom died, Cole just feels stuck. His dad acts like a stranger, and Lauren, his picture-perfect girlfriend of two years, doesn’t understand him anymore. He can’t ditch his dad, so Cole breaks up with Lauren. She doesn’t take the news very well, and Cole’s best friend won’t get off his case about it.
Now more than ever, Cole wants to graduate and leave his small, suffocating town. And everything is going according to plan—until Cole discovers the one secret that could keep him there…forever.

I’m enamored with this book, because I think it told me what I needed, more than what I wanted, to hear. It deals with the pain and frustration that are attached to coming of age, where you must first be disillusioned and then have your world view rebuilt. As Cole goes through this process, I recognized a realization I had come to years ago but had never really put words to, so I left Cole’s life understanding my own a bit better. 

Cole, and actually all of the characters in Anywhere But Here, are so difficult sometimes because they really can’t get out of their own way. Cole has a cynical view of his friends, his town, and especially of his family since his mother died. Although, even cynical, Cole’s voice is fresh and his perspective is unique. He sorts through his thoughts with imagined conversations with his mother and sees reality through a documentary lens. In some way, spinning his own story through an artistic form helps him see his world clearly. So while he doesn’t seem to be learning from his mistakes and really keeps making bad choices, I was okay with him because he was turning all those things into something and really pulling us through his process of growing up and building a future. 

The cast of characters surrounding Cole are really colorful, but equally frustrating. His ex-girlfriend can’t seem to pull herself together, has some serious issues with communication and has a crazy best friend who you have no choice but to love and hate at the same time. Then there’s Hannah, who also has communication issues and doesn’t seem to know how to demand that Cole treat her with respect. He ditches all of her sneaky efforts to get closer to him and you kind of just want to take her hand and help her walk away from him. And of course, his dad seems to be having a mid-life crisis of the most cringe-worthy kind. 

So there’s a lot of understated drama that’s happening. The big things aren’t really discussed and often the focus is just slightly off where it needs to be (which ties beautifully back into the parts where Cole is trying to film a documentary and keeps missing key moments). But what I think is important in this book, or at least what really made it worth something for me, was really demonstrating the way people need each other. Cole is from a small town and wants out (thus the title) and if I can relate to anything, it’s that feeling. I am an anywhere-but-here girl, which is something I grew up thinking was just my small town, but it turns out I just always need to know what else is out there. I’ve read a lot of books with the anywhere-but-here sentiment, and they generally grow into an angry get-me-out-now or a defeated stuck-here-forever tone. This book did something different and it takes that trapped feeling and redraws it as something beautiful and important.

I hadn’t heard much about this book until it crossed my path, but I think it’s one that deserves some attention. It has a strong voice and it really puts a small piece of the world into perspective. I read this story really quickly mostly because the longer I stayed in the story without breaking for real life, the closer I felt to Cole and all the people that make up the web around him. There's depth and meaning in this book that actually doesn't seem to go past the surface when you look too quickly. But I really think it's going to mean something different to everyone who reads it.

Fire With Fire - Jenny Han & Siobhan Vivian

Synopsis: Lillia, Kat, and Mary had the perfect plan. Work together in secret to take down the people who wronged them. But things didn’t exactly go the way they’d hoped at the Homecoming Dance.
Not even close.
For now, it looks like they got away with it. All they have to do is move on and pick up the pieces, forget there ever was a pact. But it’s not easy, not when Reeve is still a total jerk and Rennie’s meaner than she ever was before.
And then there’s sweet little Mary…she knows there’s something seriously wrong with her. If she can’t control her anger, she’s sure that someone will get hurt even worse than Reeve was. Mary understands now that it’s not just that Reeve bullied her—it’s that he made her love him.
Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth, burn for a burn. A broken heart for a broken heart. The girls are up to the task. They’ll make Reeve fall in love with Lillia and then they will crush him. It’s the only way he’ll learn.
It seems once a fire is lit, the only thing you can do is let it burn...

I still remember the last sentence of Burn for Burn. It’s in my brain forever. It was just the perfect last punch. It left me hanging, but not in a way that made me cranky – just in a way that made me very excited to get my hands on the second book. I was definitely looking for some kind of closure in this book, but I should have known I’d leave this book with the same great frustration at another amazing build to the story that cuts away just when it seems I’ll have all the answers. I love these books, you guys. They’re written so beautifully that everything seems understated, even when these girls are going big, and the balance leads to this almost hazy result that makes you wonder if it really happened.

I’ve grown so attached to Lillia, Kat and Mary through both of these books. I just adore the way their relationships have changed and grown. They are three very different girls and I think it’s fabulous that they can manage to be friends (albeit secret friends) and still manage to keep themselves so separate, so individual. I really like that they have different interests, different personalities, and different lives and they can still manage to find comfort and support in each other. Even if their common thread is revenge.

So, if you’ve read Burn for Burn, you know some stuff went down in that book. Kind of crazy stuff. Well, this book deals with the aftermath of those decisions and a lot of the tension in this book comes from wondering whether anyone is going to find out if it was these three girls behind the shenanigans (that went horribly wrong) in the first book. But of course, they can’t leave well enough alone, so they go after Reeve. I loved the John Tucker thing they had going, trying to make Reeve fall in love with Lillia so they could hurt him. Of course you see where that’s going – but when you have Mary who’s been scorned on one hand, and Rennie who’s all over Reeve on the other – it becomes quite the complicated triangle/square – or pentagon if you add Kat, who’s kind of a driving force behind the book.

By the end of this book, my allegiances were all over the place. I had some surprising reactions to certain situations. And I’m really shocked with the characters I kind of ended up loving by the end of the book. And there’s some awesome romance happening here, even if it’s tainted. It’s still pretty (ahem) fiery. That was really the only thing missing from Burn for Burn and it’ll definitely be interesting to see how a romantic relationship that changes everything will play a role in the finale of this series. I was just as stunned by the twist at the end of this book, which was accented by Jenny and Siobhan’s final punch at the end. Because, of course, there’s another end line that’s burned into my memory. I can only imagine what the last line of the entire series will be, because I can only imagine it will be stunning.

Dirty Little Secret - Jennifer Echols

Summary: Bailey wasn't always a wild child and the black sheep of her family. She used to play fiddle and tour the music circuit with her sister, Julie, who sang and played guitar. That ended when country music execs swooped in and signed Julie to a solo deal. Never mind that Julie and Bailey were a duet, or that Bailey was their songwriter. The music scouts wanted only Julie, and their parents were content to sit by and let her fulfill her dreams while Bailey's were hushed away.
Bailey has tried to numb the pain and disappointment over what could have been. And as Julie's debut album is set to hit the charts, her parents get fed up with Bailey's antics and ship her off to granddad's house in Nashville. Playing fiddle in washed-up tribute groups at the mall, Bailey meets Sam, a handsome and oh-so-persuasive guitarist with his own band. He knows Bailey's fiddle playing is just the thing his band needs to break into the industry. But this life has broken Bailey's heart once before. She isn't sure she's ready to let Sam take her there again... 

I might sound like a broken record when it comes to Jennifer Echols, but seriously, it never fails to amaze me how much she writes my life. Somehow she creates characters that I have so much in common with, yet their stories are so different from my own. Her talent for creating relatable, yet interesting and unique, characters is just one of the many reasons I love Jennifer Echols so much. This time around, I connected with the country music (love it!) and the violin playing (I played for 9 years), so even though I never had big musical dreams or a sister on the verge of superstardom, I totally get Bailey.

I love the musical aspect in this book. I played violin for a long time (I gave it up to switch to flute - I couldn't play violin now to save my life, which makes me pretty sad) and I grew up with country music (despite my parents' disdain for it) so I got really excited when I saw that Echols' new book was all country.  I've always loved the idea of Nashville, even though I haven't spent too much time there. So this music culture and what it takes to stand out was so cool to read. It was the perfect background to this story and there's a built in soundtrack, which makes the whole book so dynamic.

I don't know if it's just me, but I totally pictured Bailey's sister as Taylor Swift...So in my head I have Bailey out-shined by T-Swizzy which is a pretty tough shadow to be in. I think Bailey actually handles herself pretty well, considering she got the short end of the stick. She was a little hard to get to know in the beginning, I think her walls are pretty tough to get through even for the reader. But as she lets Sam in, I feel like she let me in as well. By the end, I was just totally attached.

So Sam. I don't really know what to think about him. I've always fallen hard for the boys Echols writes. She's great at creating guys that are totally flawed, but are perfect for the heroine. But Sam kind of made me really cranky. There were times it definitely came off that he was using Bailey and I never really felt like he was genuine. Still, I think he's pretty true to life, because there are a lot of guys like this. And maybe they come off the wrong way or can't quite communicate right, but they always pull through for you in the end.

I think where Echols stepped it up in this book were in the secondary characters. Bailey's grandfather was awesome, even though he only made a few appearances. And then the other band members - Charlotte and Ace - were definitely highlights of this book. They have a bit of a side story going on and that was so fun to watch unfold. The whole band dynamic had me rooting for them and really wondering if they could make it big time if they really existed.

I love Echols' writing - she's definitely an author I'll always read no matter what. She has a real talent for creating vivid characters and settings, and Dirty Little Secret is definitely a great addition to her body of work. I love the country and the music and all the characters that make up this story. It's larger than life and so full of hope and healing, yet accessible at the same time. It has all the elements of the stories we've come to expect from Echols.

Linked - Imogen Howson

Synopsis: Elissa used to have it all: looks, popularity, and a bright future. But for the last three years, she’s been struggling with terrifying visions, phantom pains, and mysterious bruises that appear out of nowhere. 
Finally, she’s promised a cure: minor surgery to burn out the overactive area of her brain. But on the eve of the procedure, she discovers the shocking truth behind her hallucinations: she’s been seeing the world through another girl’s eyes. 
Elissa follows her visions, and finds a battered, broken girl on the run. A girl—Lin—who looks exactly like Elissa, down to the matching bruises. The twin sister she never knew existed. 
Now, Elissa and Lin are on the run from a government who will stop at nothing to reclaim Lin and protect the dangerous secrets she could expose—secrets that would shake the very foundation of their world. 
Riveting, thought-provoking and utterly compelling, Linked will make you question what it really means to be human.

Science fiction is becoming a thing in YA. It seems to be popping up everywhere. What's surprising to me is that I'm loving this new trend. So I was drawn to this book (which, a small part of my attraction was that gorgeous cover - seriously, this is an amazingly well-designed book) because of the sci-fi thing. And Imogen Howson did a fabulous job in creating an entire world that exists outside our time and world. She didn't just create an entire world, she created an entire planet. There were some cracks in the plot line and I didn't entirely connect with the characters, so it isn't my favorite. But, by heavens, this world is so. freaking. awesome. 

This story takes place in space and there are multiple planets that exist the way that we have countries. You can travel between them, there are immigration laws and each has its own history and government. It's fantastic. But my favorite thing, which I really wish there was more of, is that there are pirates. In space. I got really excited when I thought that was a possibility, but they didn't really show up the way I thought they would. So that bummed me out. (Now I just need someone to write Pirates of the Caribbean in space because that's pretty much the next book I want to read...) But with all the space travel and the danger and just the images that come with this world - it really is beautiful and an incredible achievement.

There were holes in the story that pulled me out of the flow a few times. The pacing was also a little bit off - with a slow start and a whirl-wind ending. I also had a hard time getting completely behind Elissa. She was always doing the right thing, even when it was hard, but I couldn't always follow her reasoning. Sometimes it seemed like she was following blindly or making some rash decisions. And Lin was even harder to connect to. I mean, it makes sense, considering her background, but I still wish I could have liked her a little bit. It was an interesting take on twins and I really liked the way that thread of the story eventually comes together.

It's not the best book I've ever read, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I'm mostly just in love with this world though. It is a series I'll keep reading, because I think it has the potential to get a lot more rich as her characters develop a bit more. I have mixed feelings, but if you're digging this sci-fi trend as well I'd definitely recommend throwing this one on your reading list. 

Ten Tiny Breaths - K.A. Tucker

Synopsis: Kacey Cleary’s whole life imploded four years ago in a drunk-driving accident. Now she’s working hard to bury the pieces left behind—all but one. Her little sister, Livie. Kacey can swallow the constant disapproval from her born-again aunt Darla over her self-destructive lifestyle; she can stop herself from going kick-boxer crazy on Uncle Raymond when he loses the girls’ college funds at a blackjack table. She just needs to keep it together until Livie is no longer a minor, and then they can get the hell out of Grand Rapids, Michigan.
But when Uncle Raymond slides into bed next to Livie one night, Kacey decides it’s time to run. Armed with two bus tickets and dreams of living near the coast, Kacey and Livie start their new lives in a Miami apartment complex, complete with a grumpy landlord, a pervert upstairs, and a neighbor with a stage name perfectly matched to her chosen “profession.” But Kacey’s not worried. She can handle all of them. What she can’t handle is Trent Emerson in apartment 1D.
Kacey doesn’t want to feel. She doesn’t. It’s safer that way. For everyone. But sexy Trent finds a way into her numb heart, reigniting her ability to love again. She starts to believe that maybe she can leave the past where it belongs and start over. Maybe she’s not beyond repair.
But Kacey isn’t the only one who’s broken. Seemingly perfect Trent has an unforgiveable past of his own; one that, when discovered, will shatter Kacey’s newly constructed life and send her back into suffocating darkness.

I had no idea what to expect going in to this book, but it completely sucked me in and it affected me greatly. I became enamored with every single character in this book and felt so wrapped up in their lives that my emotions sat right on the surface through the whole story. It's a lovely, shocking and captivating story that's an exemplary example of NA lit. 




Kacey is a tough heroine, she was hard to connect to - but the amazing part is - I wanted to connect with her. She's stand-offish and a little off-putting, but it was so easy to care about her and hope that she'd start showing me what was behind her defenses. She's admirably strong and scrappy and even though she deals with stress and a traumatic past, there's something to envy about her. But she's just the one of the many loveable characters in this book. She's taking care of her little sister, Livie, who might be the sweetest and most likeable character ever. I just want to hug her and buy her presents for being so perfect (and not in an obnoxious way). And her next door neighbor and her daughter are so wonderful. I just loved that the four of them are all a bit displaced, yet they come together to form a pretty strong family. 


I really don't know what to say about Trent. He came on too strong sometimes and I was  a little worried I wouldn't like him. But I think I was projecting from Kacey's feelings. She doesn't trust easily and her struggle comes through completely when it comes to him. But as she falls for him, I started to get it. And I came to really care about him. I think Tucker did a really great job of showing how two people can change each other's lives. Their relationship is rocky, but ultimately you root for it because both seem to be better off when their together. Kacey can heal herself, but he helps. 


There's a lot in this book that I didn't expect. And there's a point where I totally had the rug - no not just the rug, it was bigger than that - I had the whole freaking ground pulled out from under me. I was reading the book on my computer and I had to physically step away because my stomach fell and I couldn't breathe. I didn't want to be near the book. Then I read it again to see if it was really happening. But of course, I took a deep breath (or ten tiny ones...) and jumped back in. Because Kacey is definitely worth sticking around for. 




I really love this book (if you can't tell by now). If you're new to NA, this is one of the first books I'd recommend you read. Because it hits all the components that make a great NA book and it's a great story with fabulous characters. It's emotional and unexpected. And I can't wait for One Tiny Lie and Livie's story because it's going to be really interesting to see who she will become after she grows up a bit more and is living on her own. Her story is already fascinating and it can only get better. 

Golden - Jessi Kirby

Synopsis: 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 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 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 she never could have imagined. And she soon finds that taking the road less traveled makes all the difference. 

After In Honor, I wasn't sure how Jessi Kirby was going to top herself, but I was pretty confident she'd write a pretty awesome novel. I can't imagine her ever writing something I wouldn't like - she's kind of like Sarah Dessen that way. Anyways, Golden definitely lives up to Kirby's first two novels. It's a deeply rich, multi-layered story of a girl who is just trying to face down her future and live in the moment at the same time. Again, Kirby has written characters I came to care deeply for and has come up with another captivating snapshot of a short time in the life of one girl.

I'm impressed with the way poetry was woven through the story line, but it was never really pointed out or made a big deal. It's just really great in showing the way words can influence our lives. And Robert Frost is definitely a favorite of mine. My mother has always been so proud of how she knows "Nothing Gold Can Stay" by heart, so I grew up listening to this poem and, especially since reading Golden, those words are always somewhere in my head. I read this book reciting the lines in my head over and over, and it created a different reading experience for me. I've read a lot of retellings and even books and chapters with epigraphs, but never have I found myself reapeating the words from the original text so much while reading. It just colored everything a little differently.

It was especially cool when you look at the way the past and the present are colliding in Parker's world. While you have a classic poet influencing a contemporary novel, you have Parker and her life being influenced by the journal of a girl who died years ago. Honestly, I'm not a fan of reading journals; however, it was executed wonderfully in this context. I found both Parker and Julianna's stories fascinating and was really happy to read both storylines. Plus, I absolutely loved the idea that they had to keep journals and their teacher would send them back in 10 years. I started thinking about what I would have written down, and what I would think of my words when I hit my own 10 year mark (which is only, holy wow, 3 years away).

I also have to talk briefly about Kat and Trevor. For a contemp, romance wasn't really the main focus and I loved that. However, Trevor is amazing. He's fun and patient, which I give him major props for. And Kat. MCs who have awesome best friends are just some of the best MCs. And Kat certainly makes Parker a great heroine. She pushes her as much as she can, but she's just supportive and fun. It always makes me really happy when books highlight how important friendship is in high school, because I would not have gotten by with out it.

I absolutely adored this book and Jessi Kirby will keep her well earned place on my auto-read list. I don't even have to read the synopsis for her next book, I know I'll pick it up. Golden was incredible and beautiful and I'm really excited to share it. If you haven't read Jessi Kirby yet, please do. She's definitely worth it. I just can't wait to see what she'll do next.

The Program - Suzanne Young

::Review by Jackie Lindert::

Synopsis: In Sloane’s world, true feelings are forbidden, teen suicide is an epidemic, and the only solution is The Program.
Sloane knows better than to cry in front of anyone. With suicide now an international epidemic, one outburst could land her in The Program, the only proven course of treatment. Sloane’s parents have already lost one child; Sloane knows they’ll do anything to keep her alive. She also knows that everyone who’s been through The Program returns as a blank slate. Because their depression is gone—but so are their memories.
Under constant surveillance at home and at school, Sloane puts on a brave face and keeps her feelings buried as deep as she can. The only person Sloane can be herself with is James. He’s promised to keep them both safe and out of treatment, and Sloane knows their love is strong enough to withstand anything. But despite the promises they made to each other, it’s getting harder to hide the truth. They are both growing weaker. Depression is setting in. And The Program is coming for them.

This was the first book I've read by Suzanne Young, but it will not be the last! I had no idea what to expect when I started this book, but it totally blew my mind. Maybe it was just perfect timing. I had just finished reading a book that had been hyped up and completely let me down. This book made up for that big time. By page 5, I was already hooked, forty pages later I was completely invested in this book and every character in it. By the time I hit triple digits, I was doing my best to hold back the flood of emotions I was experiencing. Trying not to let people see you cry on an airplane is not an easy task, people. Seriously.

Who ever thought that a teen suicide epidemic could be so enthralling? Well this book made it happen. I think my favorite thing about The Program right off the bat was that it didn't start with a girl pining for a guy or a guy who likes a girl. Sloane already has a boyfriend, but right away, you just know something is wrong. These kids fear for their lives and their freedom, and every memory they've ever had. This book shook me to my core. I could literally feel their fear and horror as, sometimes, their own parents report them to the governement so the program can "save" them. My parents would totally do that!

I cannot even express how much of a stand-out this book is amongst dystopic books. If you are thinking this is just another *instert pre-jeudged common genre*, you are wrong. This book snaked its way into my mind and threw me for so many loops. Suzanne Young does an amazing job making this book real. I still can't decide how I feel about the program and everything brought up in this book. Both sides are well-intended at times, and horrible (purposefully or not) at others. I like books that confuse my brain by making me argue both sides with myself.

Now that I've gushed about the plot, I can't not mention how much I adore James and Sloane's relationship. There is just the perfect amount of balance/realisticness between them being in love and that love having to take a backseat to the crumbling world around them. It's terrifying how easily the love of your life can become a stranger, not to mention your friends and family. That is what they have to fear...other than suicide, that is.

As soon as I finished this book I scrambled my way to the computer to find out if it was a series, and I am relieved to know it is. It could go so many different ways from here. I am usually good at predicting what is going to happen in the end, but this book's ending FREAKED me out. I've never been so blind-sided or felt so anxious after finishing a book. I can't wait to see what happens, and I'm going crazy that I can't even guess! I loved it. I loved this book.