Hunting Lila by Sarah Alderson

Hunting Lila by Sarah Alderson

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Source: Traded with Chloe
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Format: Paperback, 318 pages
Release Date: August 5, 2011

17-year-old Lila has two secrets she’s prepared to take to the grave. The first is that she can move things just by looking at them. The second is that she’s been in love with her brother’s best friend, Alex, since forever.

After a mugging exposes her unique ability, Lila decides to run to the only people she can trust—her brother and Alex. They live in Southern California where they work for a secret organisation called The Unit, and Lila discovers that the two of them are hunting down the men who murdered her mother five years before. And that they’ve found them.

In a world where nothing and no one is quite as they seem, Lila quickly realises that she is not alone—there are others out there just like her—people with special powers—and her mother’s killer is one of them…

Most of my feelings for this book can be summed up in one word: ADDICTING. I'd heard a LOT about this book before reading it (*cough*Brodie*cough*) so to say that it had expectations to match up to is an understatement. The proof is in the bags under my eyes though -- any book that can keep me up until 2 AM is a winner.

I'll be honest, I wasn't sure how well Lila and I were going to click in the beginning. Her voice came across as a bit over-dramatic and she seemed eye-roll-worthy in the love department, two things that I generally have a tough time dealing with in YA after my years of over-exposure to Fanfiction. But then... it didn't even matter. I got so swept into the story myself, so attached and charmed by the characters, that I couldn't fault Lila for feeling the way that she did.

Sarah Alderson has a serious aptitude for romance writing. I fell hard and fast for the relationship between Lila and Alex, two characters that I came to adore both individually and as a pair. The attraction and connection between them sizzled and I look forward to more of the same in the sequel.

Along with the romance came heart-pounding action; a winning combination. I was perched on the edge of my chair for the entire time I was reading and I didn't put it down once. The way in which Sarah writes about Lila's power and the events of the novel were so easy to visualize. Reading the novel was so much more than the typical reading experience, I really felt like it gave me a more intimate look at what was going on.

Relatable characters, swoon-worthy romance and heart-stopping action? This had better be on your reading list.

Cover Comments: I like it! I think it gives an idea of the high stakes action you can expect in the book (because she's... not stationary?) and the tagline is great.

4.5 Golden Crowns