Hey you guys! Welcome to my stop on the Untellable Blog Tour hosted by YA Bound Book Tours. Click here for the full tour schedule. I have a review for you, so relax and read on! :D
Title: Untellable
Author: Suzanne Lilly
Published: February 24, 2013
Pages: 175
Genre: Young Adult, Suspense, Contemporary Romance
My Review: 3.5 / 5
Tour organized by: YA Bound Book Tours
~ Synopsis ~
Aspen Dwyer, recently emancipated from foster care, is searching for a place to hide from a past with secrets too dark to share. Honey Creek, Ohio, presents itself as the best place to start a new life and stay undercover. There she meets Colton Moraine, a man with strong family ties and an even stronger sense of loyalty. His boisterous, loving family welcomes Aspen with warmth she hasn't felt in years. She's surprised at how quickly and deeply she falls for Colton. When a dangerous criminal comes to Honey Creek, intent on his revenge against her, Aspen must choose between two options. Should she stay and risk her life and the rejection of the people she's grown to love? Or should she run again, and leave behind any chance of a happy future?
~ My Thoughts ~
From the moment Aspen began telling her story, I loved her and wanted to wipe away all of her pain. She has a quiet strength even after everything she's been through, which I really admired about her. She uses swimming and painting as two healthy ways to escape from her problems and the pain when it gets to be too much to bear, yet another thing I respected about her. I was amazed with the way she handled her emotions - it showed her maturity and strength. Understandably she has a difficult time with trust and has decided to build a wall around her heart. Enter Colton.
I could see right away Colton would be good for Aspen to meet and get to know. They start off on the wrong foot, and their interactions due to misunderstandings between them in the beginning were funny and endearing. He's friendly and helpful with the sunniest of dispositions. Colton seemed almost too good to be true. Almost! There are good guys like him out there! His aunt was a great character, too. She reminded me of my aunts with her warm personality and the way she takes in Aspen like one of her own nieces.
As much as I loved Colton, I really hated his sister, Elise. I know that's a really strong word, but I can't express how much I despised her character! Aspen described her as a close friend, but in my eyes Elise was the complete opposite. What friend would try to force an interview on you when you obviously didn't want to step into the spotlight? Elise even displays some stalker-like behavior in the name of "journalism." She wants a job at a local newspaper, and what she fails to realize is that using your "friend" to get a job you really want is selfish and egocentric. At one point, I had to put my Kindle down for fear of throwing it instead. She grated on my nerves from the first page she showed up and didn't stop even at the end. All I could think about was protecting Aspen from Elise's machinations!
What I liked about this story was that Aspen's narration highlighted what life is like for a young girl as a former foster kid. There's rarely a sense of stability - at any time for any number of reasons a foster child could be moved to a new family or have to switch schools. Speaking as someone who once worked with foster kids, I know about the plethora of issues these kids face. This book can give people an idea what it's like for those who have been in foster care. Sadly there remains a stigma against kids in foster care, but I have hope that one day it'll be broken.
I don't want to say too much about the plot so as not to give anything away. I will say I had a good time reading this story - at different times I laughed, cried, grimaced, and smiled. It'll pull at your heartstrings and stay with you long after you've read it!
* I received a copy of this book to review for the blog tour. *
~ Buy the Book ~
Also available from Turquoise Morning Press
~ About the Author ~
Suzanne Lilly writes lighthearted young adult stories with a splash of suspense, a flash of the unexplained, a dash of romance, and always a happy ending. Her debut novel was Shades of the Future in 2012 followed by Untellable in 2013. Her newest novel, A Thousand Little Secrets will be available in August 2013. Her short stories have appeared in numerous places online and in print, and she has placed and received honorable mentions in writing contests. She lives in Northern California where she reads, writes, cooks, swims, and teaches elementary students.
You may find Suzanne Lilly online at these sites:
~ Giveaway ~
One winner chooses an e-book by Suzanne Lilly! For ebook selection click here!
You should check out the books, let me know if you like them of you read them. Thanks for stopping by my blog :)
ReplyDeleteI will and thanks for stopping by. :)
DeleteGreat review! Craziness that you hated the sister so much. I get that way too, especially with characters who aren't the villains, but are so self-serving I want to shake someone. Jane Austen books always have characters like that posing as good friends. Grrh!!
ReplyDeleteGah I know! I don't know if this character was supposed to be hated or not, but I don't see how anyone could read this and not think she's a major biotch to Aspen, lol.
DeleteSounds great! I love how much emotion Elise got out of you for how awful she was. That's a very well written bad character. Seems like Aspen was rather endearing and nice to learn more about. Great review! Jaclyn @ JC's Book Haven.
ReplyDeleteWanting to throw my Kindle across the room doesn't happen everyday, that's for sure, lol! As a matter of fact, that feeling is rare for me! I agree that she's well written, and Aspen is, too, for me to want to protect her so much. Thanks, Jaclyn! :D
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