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I have been a fan of this author since finding her book, It Walked
Among Us, published in 2013. Her writing
style is unique and her ability to draw a reader into the story she is telling
is totally amazing. Out of all her books
this one is now my favorite. After reading the synopsis, I was eager for the
release date. The cover alone is
outstanding and makes you want to read the story behind this broken teenager.
Kat’s story starts as a tough teenager trying to survive from day to
day with an abusive drunken father. Not
knowing where her next meal will come from or what mood her father will be in
on each passing day. Her luck is broken
when she is finally caught trying to shoplift food and must pick what direction
her future will go. Kat signs up, with little choice in the matter, for an
after school program helping the elderly.
She is paired with Delilah, a retired showgirl who has the sense of
humor to match. I found myself laughing
at some of their banter back and forth. With
Delilah’s and Ed’s (cop who arrested her for shoplifting) guidance, Kat turns
from a caterpillar into a butterfly. She
changes her appearance, starts going to school, learns to cook and even lands a
part-time job. As things seem to finally be going her way, she is handed a
curve ball and her life is once again knocked off the tracks.
One thing I loved about this book was the twist toward the end. There was some backstory tossed into
different parts of the book that had me wondering right up until the
twist. Once that was brought out into
the open, the backstory was more understandable and fit right in. The character development was spot on and I
could picture running into any number of these characters on the street as real
people. I love the idea of a real
program like this in the story to help our elderly and trouble teens. I also
love the fact that this is a standalone novel.
It is a complete story from start to finish. Nowadays most authors what to turn all their books
into a series so it is nice to be able to pick up a book that does not leave
you hanging in mid-story for years. Over
all this is one of Amanda’s best books and I look forward to many more from her
in the future!