JumpingShelves
Written on Jun 13, 2020
After witnessing a murder, high school senior Stella Gordon is sent to Nebraska for her own safety where she chafes at her protection, but when she meets Chet Falconer it becomes harder for her to keep her guard up, and soon she has to deal with the real threat to her life as her enemies are actually closer than she thinks.
- ISBN10 1442388609
- ISBN13 9781442388604
- Publish Date 10 November 2015
- Publish Status Active
- Publisher Simon & Schuster
- Imprint Simon & Schuster Audio
- Format Audiobook
- Duration 10 hours and 17 minutes
- Language English
Reviews
Kelly
Written on Oct 12, 2015
Becca Fitzpatrick's second foray into the world of young adult thrillers was brilliant. It blends a wonderful contemporary romance with a heart pounding thriller that will no doubt earn the Hush Hush author a more mature audience. I loved it and it's by far her best release to date. Mixing a contemporary with a traditional thriller, the blend produces an engaging and enthralling read that will no doubt also lure readers in with it's slow burning romance and intense storyline that sways between young and new adult.
Stella's character has been placed into obscurity for her own safety against a man she's accused of murder. Her mother's drug dealer with underworld crime connections is seeking revenge against the girl who's story has put him behind bars. She's angry, not only at her deadbeat mother placing her in that position but being forced to leave behind her comfortable life and boyfriend Reed. So when she's placed into witness protection with a gruff former police officer in a dust bowl of a tiny town, she's counting down the days until she turns eighteen and can escape.
But then she meets boy next door, the utterly charming Chet. Chet is not only raising his younger brother alone, but is still coping with the loss of his parents. He instantly forms an attraction to Stella's sassy attitude and the two form an easy but gentle friendship. I found the romance incredibly lovely and most surprisingly, relatively drama free. Being in witness protection, Stella can't reveal her true identity and although she's attracted to Chet, refuses to act on her feelings which is a refreshing change. She soon settles into life in Thunder Basin but being an outsider and not conforming to small town values, it isn't long before she catches the eye the town darling in Trigger. But Trigger isn't a love interest, far from it and his history of violence against the town's young female population may be notorious, but even authorities turn a blind eye. His vendetta against Stella becomes a dangerous situation not only due to his violent history but he knows that Stella isn't who she seems to be. It does touch on violence against women and may be a trigger for those who have been in a violent or abusive situation or relationship, so please be mindful that most readers will find Trigger's character confronting.
Stella undergoes an incredible transformation from wanting to escape Thunder Basin, to warming to the community and even her guardian in Carmina. Seeing their relationship bloom and the former police officer becoming the mother figure that Stella never had. Stella begins to realise she's fallen in love with her new life, but never becomes complacent. She's aware that her life is in danger, but ever allows that fear to overcome her or stop her from living.
Becca Fitzpatrick has finally found her niche, carving her very own genre with a blend of a contemporary thriller, with a slow burning romance and small town charm. From cover to cover, it delighted, enthralled and enchanted me. I loved it immensely.
Briana @ Pages Unbound
Written on Jul 12, 2015
The problem with Stella's brand of witness protection is that she isn't sent anywhere fun; she's sent to the middle of nowhere. Hiding isn't entertaining, and for the most part it isn't even suspenseful except in her nightmares. It's just boring. Stella embraces a lot of bitterness about being sent to spend her summer in Nebraska. She doesn't even latch onto the idea that at least she did the right thing by agreeing to testify in court, because she's not sure she has, which means for a while this story is about a whiny city kid who thinks it's cool to hate on ranches and small-town living and that talking back to everyone makes her tough. (Still no word on why someone who readily admits she's from a respected, wealthy, upper-class family thinks just having lived on the outskirts of Philly in a mansion makes her a rough city kid.)
Anyway, the story steadily evolves and Stella learns a lot about herself and who she wants to be--either as Estella or Stella. Her growing relationship with her "foster mom" and a cute neighbor boy make her question what it means to do the right thing and what it means to be successful in life. Stella's personal growth is as much the draw here as the plot about the dangerous thugs looking to kill her.
Chet Falconer is also a worthy love interest. He seems like a typical wholesome farm boy, until Stella learns more about his shaded past. His past actions make him complex, which also makes his good match for Stella. Readers will find it easy to like him and his determination to do right by everyone around him, no matter the personal cost. I do think the way sex plays out between Chet and Stella is odd--they seem on somewhat different pages about the importance of sex and a bit leery of talking about it to each other as if afraid they'll discover they disagree--but this part of the relationship doesn't take a lot of precedence in the book.
The romance in general can take center stage because most of the danger Stella faces is indirect: she has flashbacks and worries and nightmares, and she ponders the benefits of breaking the rules that keep her safe. She wants to reconnect with her Philly boyfriend. She wants to tell her new friends the truth. She wants to keep new enemies from finding out the truth. The fact that the sense of danger is simply lying in the background for much of the novel helps to keep the suspense alive.
However, the ending of the novel is a little bit neat. There are certainly loose ends, but they tend to be loose ends that readers and Stella have decided they don't care much about. Stella herself gets a lot of her life back in a neat little bow, and I'm not sure how realistic this actually is. Nonetheless, it is satisfying from a literary perspective, and I'm not sure I would have wanted the novel to end any other way.