Words of Love: Book Review Hunting Lila by Sarah Alderson + Love Note

Title: Hunting Lila

Author: Sarah Alderson

Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK

Publishing Date: August 4^th 2011

Length: 316 pages

Genre: YA, mystery, romance

Source: Gifted 

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…

Summary by Goodreads 

This story totally got me from the first page on. HUNTING LILA has one of the most thrilling first scenes I’ve read in a long time. Let me tease you with its first sentence:

“Only when the tip of the knife started to shave against the white of his eye like a scalpel about to pierce a boil, did I realise that I was the one holding it.” 

HUNTING LILA is charged with an overall tension concerning the murder of Lila’s mother. It’s about self- awareness, discovering your feelings and the mysterious incidents of the past.

There’s a lot of action. Then we’ve got a love story blooming between Lila and Alex. Small hints and approaches, but still I could need some more of Alex. He’s totally swoon-worthy caring and selfless.

Lila is one female protagonist I grew to like so much. She’s that combative psych chick with superpowers. And she can be touch but also totally sweet when it comes to her love for Alex.

The fact that Alex is the best friend of Lila’s brother Jack and that they have a dangerous secret made the whole love story even more interesting. You know how protective big brothers can be! Sarah Alderson found a really believable way to write about a forbidden love between Alex and Lila without inventing sappy or unrealistic explanations. She equipped the story of HUNTING LILA with a grand and versatile character cast.

You’ll never know who to trust or after which page turn to expect the next shocking moment or attack thrown at you. Sarah Alderson writes with wit and a good sense for just the right amount of mystery, action and love.

It’s Sarah Alderson’s great writing that lets the story flow so naturally and easily. I read the book in one day and wouldn’t have minded staying up the whole night to read its sequel if it’d been out already.

1) of us falling for stair moments

2) of a pallet of ace psych talents

3) your first impulse can be just the right

4) of a wonderful sweep-you-of-your-feet-romance

5) of conspiracies with bite

5/5 ***** HUNTING LILA- A story that convinces with its great arsenal of weapons: guns, tricks of the mind and abs!

HUNTING LILA has it all: action-packed plot twists and turns, mysterious conspiracies and a sweet as sexy love story. Sarah Alderson presents a debut that you should definitely hunt down ASAP.

* Want to read more by Sarah Alderson? Check out FATED!

* Here’s Sarah’s soundtrack for HUNTING LILA. 

* Find out more about Sarah Alderson’s fantasy cast for the Lila books here. 

* For further information about Sarah Alderson and her books visit www.sarahalderson.com

 .............................................................................................................

February  9th: Valentine's Day Themed Posts: Overview
February 11th: Top 10 YA Crushes
February 12th: Top 10 Most Romantic Moments & Love Declarations in YA Part 1
February 13th: Top 10 Most Romantic Moments & Love Declarations in YA Part 2
February 14th: Valentine's Day Reads: His & Her Edition 

February 15th: Words of Love: Die For Me by Amy Plum Outtake + Love Note

Thanks to Sarah Alderson for asking all her characters to write a valentine's message to another character in 50 words or less!!

 .............................................................................................................

Love Note from Lila to Alex

Alex

I once drew you a valentine’s card with a pony on it surrounded by love hearts. If it’s possible, I love you even more now than I did when I was six and a pony and love hearts was the absolute quantifier of love.

Love just got bigger. It’s now bigger than a pony.

Lila x

 .............................................................................................................

Because Sarah Alderson is so awesome and let her characters write a whole bunch of love notes (yes, Alex wrote something, too) and I don't want this post get too long, I'll post the rest of them tomorrow!