Jessica (HDB)

Where do I begin with this book? First off, let me say that I think one of the saving graces for me here was that I listened to the audio book. Rebecca Mozo has this seductive, smooth voice that just brings Alexa's character to life for me. She's one of those narrators who makes me want to seek out everything else she's done, just to see if her voice matches those characters as well as it did here. So yes, I do think that helped my star rating. Now, on to the story itself.

I initially loved Alexa's character. I always fall hard for strong, female characters and she was no exception. I loved the fire in Alexa's voice. The way she was still so human, even when she was trying to be tough. I can't even begin to imagine how hard it would be to throw an essential piece of yourself away just to survive. To pretend to be something that you're not. Alexa managed to do it though, and for a long time she absolutely impressed me.

Then the romance came into play. Please don't misunderstand me, I'm not against romance in YA. I'm not even against a love triangle if it's done effectively. My biggest issue with this particular romance plot was that it turned my lovely, strong Alexa into an emotional mess. I could understand her feelings for one boy, but was baffled by her feelings towards the other. Even when I slowly began to understand that he wasn't what he seemed to be, I still couldn't get behind her crush. He lied to her multiple times and, even though (once again) I could see the reasons behind those lies, I still couldn't comprehend her attraction to him. 

I'm certain that this was meant to cause tension, and on the one hand it did work. I did love that Alexa was honest enough with herself to admit that things were getting crazy around her. It's just that every time she was petty, every time that she forgave the lies she was being told, I wanted to shake her. It was clear to me that Alexa was strong enough on her own, why fall apart over a guy? If that makes me a cynic, I'm sorry. It just drove me nuts.

I will admit that as I neared the end, things picked back up. I was able to forgive her for her earlier breakdowns, because my strong Alexa was back! The showdown between her and the villain was thoroughly satisfying, and the ending just made my heart happy. Will I be back for more? Absolutely! I'm thinking the love triangle aspect is over with at this point (huzzah!) so I'm hoping for more action and more Alexa. Yes, please!