Book: Stand Alone
Publisher: Penguin Random House
Pub Date: May 24, 2016
Genre: Young Adult, Mystery, Thriller
Format: Paperback
Source: Bought
Book Links: Goodreads Amazon
Can fear be inherited?
Kelsey has lived most of her life in a shadow of
fear, raised to see danger everywhere. Her mother hasn’t set foot outside their
front door in seventeen years, since she escaped from her kidnappers with
nothing but her attacker’s baby growing inside her—Kelsey.
Kelsey knows she’s supposed to keep a low
profile for their own protection, but that plan is shattered when she drives
off a cliff and is rescued by volunteer firefighter and classmate Ryan Baker.
A few days later, she arrives home to face her
greatest fear: her mother is missing. She and her mother have drilled for all
contingencies—except this one. Luckily, Ryan is as skilled at emergency rescues
as Kelsey is at escape and evasion.
To have a chance at a future, Kelsey will have
to face all her darkest fears. Because someone is coming for her.
And the truth about the past may end up being
the most dangerous thing of all.
My
Review: Ehhhh. I'm kind of torn about this book. The first half I actually enjoyed. But the second half it's like it just lost it's steam and I didn't care for it as much by that point.
Kelsey is a pretty good teenager. Has her routine, does well in school, tutors on the side and that's really about it. After a normal tutoring session, she leaves school and prepares to go home as usual.
Except it didn't go that way. One moment she's getting in the car and the next she wakes up in her car that is about to fall off a cliff. A voice she recognizes as her classmate and a volunteer firefighter who is working hard to get her out of that car and back up to safety. But what happened exactly to land her here?
Kelsey is eventually rescued, goes to the hospital and shortly after is able to go home. There her mom is worried but happy to see her home and safe. The next few days Kelsey is home and taking it easy.
I like how Ryan comes to check on her and make's sure she is really okay and not so secretly liking her. When Kelsey gets a new phone and see's all his texts its kind of sweet.
However, the ONE time Kelsey sneaks out is when things take a turn. Ryan gives her a lift home and things aren't right. Her mom isn't there, they check everywhere, including the panic room. The phones aren't working and Kelsey also ends up telling Ryan about her and her mom and the reasons they are the way they are. He takes it in stride and still sticks by Kelsey every step of the way.
After that, it kind of loses it's steam and I just finished it to get it over with. They find her mother, the people who took her and is told more about her mothers past and what happened the night she escaped. It would have kept me hooked if there was more suspense and thrill leading up to the end.
