Review Detail

This book was a keep the pages coming because I have to know what happens next. I loved the writing style in this book. Each chapter alternates between the two futures that Addie could potentially have. West did this impeccably well, I never got the two mixed up and the story flowed like a steady, but intense at points stream. There's a small trick to define the chapters that I didn't pick up on until over halfway through the book. Each chapter begins with a word and in the word will either be NORM or PARA and that will tell you if you are reading the normal choice or the paranormal choice that Addie could make. I thought that was really clever and I always love when there are little phrases or illustrations to start off the chapters.

I enjoyed the world in this book. The compound is this sectioned off area in the US where they live. They still interact with the outer US but no one knows that they are paranormal. This book was a breath of fresh air when it comes to the paranormal. It wasn't about one person discovering that another is paranormal, it was about a paranormal girl that was trying to decide to live normal or live paranormal - to decide if she wants to embrace her paranormal self or hide it in the normal world.

I loved Addie as our main character. She was sensible, curious and strong-willed and I don't see sensible a lot, so I especially enjoyed reading about a character that makes good decisions. Let's talk about the romance for a second here. Never, ever have I switched "teams" in a book. Once I know both points on a love triangle, I make up my mind and I stick to it. However in this book, I actually did switch teams. In the beginning I was all for her initial love interest in the hot, cocky guy but I found myself by the end disliking that guy and hoping she ended with the sweet, quiet guy. This never happens!

Not only is this story about Addie's choice that she has to make, but there is sort of a murder-mystery going on on the sideline. I enjoyed reading that part of the story as well reading about Addie's choice. I can't wait to see what the next book in this trilogy (I think it's a trilogy?) will bring.