Reviewed by Kelly on
Ever find yourself internally yelling at a character? RUN YOU STUPID GIRL! Yeah, this book is it. Cadie is an oppressed eighteen year old who has found herself raising her brother since her mother passed away. Her father runs the local supermarket and involves himself in everything apart from the lives of his children, and it's left to Cadie to run their household, giving up the best of her teen years to do so. So when the opportunity arises to escape the small country town, she decides to take the risk and leave with cousins Matt and Noah. Cue internal cringing.
In her need to escape her former boyfriend and her life, she's lured by the wanderlust to leave even against her better judgement. She's desperate. With the promise of a wild adventure, she struggles between her attraction to both Matt and Noah, but seeing Matt taking an interest in once friend Lindsey, she settles for Noah. Noah admits he has a violent past, a brawl resulting in being shipped off to live with his cousin Matt and his family. His car a gift from his recently departed grandmother, both boys on the way back from her funeral and attempting to find adventure along the way. Where Matt is insistent the two girls join them, Noah is torn between reluctance and wanting to spend time with Cadie, who he seems to genuinely like.
Although Cadie seems to have no sense of self preservation or common sense, I couldn't tear myself away. It was incredibly engaging and I simply couldn't put it down. It reminded me of Becca Fitzpatrick's Black Ice, but wonderfully written despite the stupidity of the main character. It was a mild thriller, predictable but still enthralling nonetheless. My only really complaint is how the situation resolved itself. It was almost laughable, but didn't detract from how much I really enjoyed it.
I loved it, despite the issues I had with Cadie's idiotic behaviour. One aspect I absolutely adored was how it depicted sex as being a positive experience, not something teens should be ashamed of. I loved the adventure road trip, hearing the local urban myths. It was thrilling, captivating and a quick read that will have you flipping pages long into the night.
Reading updates
- Started reading
- 21 June, 2015: Finished reading
- 21 June, 2015: Reviewed