* * *
He's persuasive, charming, and way too mysterious. And for
Samara Marshall, her co-worker is everything she wants most--and everything she
most fears. . .
Samara Marshall is determined to make the summer before her
senior year the best ever. Her plan: enjoy downtime with friends and work to
save up cash for her dream car. Summer romance is not on her to-do list, but
uncovering the truth about her flirtatious co-worker, Caleb Baker, is. From the
peculiar glow to his eyes to the unfortunate events that befall the girls who
pine after him, Samara is the only one to sense danger behind his smile.
But Caleb's secrets are drawing Samara into a world where
the laws of attraction are a means of survival. And as a sinister power closes
in on those she loves, Samara must take a risk that will change her life
forever. . .or consume it.
This one has been on my TBR list for ages ever since I saw
the cover at a Barnes & Noble which struck me as different compared to the
others in the YA section. Finally coming around to it, I found myself more
intrigued by the heroine, Samara than the story itself.
Samara is more concerned with saving money towards a new car than wooing a guy. But when her fellow co-worker starts noticing her and
strange things start happening around him, she knows she should probably walk
away. Her curiosity gets the best of her and she finds herself getting on with
Caleb surprisingly well. Getting close to him means learning more of the
mysterious events that keep surrounding him and she has to decide if she’s up
for the challenge or not.
I want to give Jaime Reed a fist bump for writing a teenage
girl with very strong character and self-worth.
She’s not indecisive or dependent on anyone else’s opinion. A lot of
that has to do with her background being half white and half African-American.
She acknowledges that some people have given her a hard time about who she is –
either she’s too "white" or just not "black" enough. This has only led to her
forging her own identity free of conventional expectations. She embraces who she is
wholeheartedly, including her own body image, and knows exactly who she is.
This is what keeps her from becoming another victim of the horrors that have
been increasing in the area.
The rest of the story is interesting and I do realize that's not saying much but I'm trying to avoid any spoilery. Let's just say that who Samara is is what helps save the day. By the way, Samara isn’t the
only strong female we're introduced to. She does give us their opposites
and they only reinforce why Samara simply kicks butt. I like how Reed ended
this first book and I look forward to reading the rest.
~ Bel
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