Book Junkie: Not-So-Anonymous

This was such a good book!  I enjoyed it very much.  If you know me, you know that I have sort of been addicted to Tamora Pierce novels the last few months, and this was totally reminiscent of that experience for me!

So, I will be totally and completely honest with you.  Once I read the blurb, I knew I wanted to read it.  But I decided to wait a while to read it, without reading the blurb again, because I wanted to go into this novel with a completely open mind.  I knew this was a debut novel, and also the beginning of a series, so I didn't want to go in with any expectations.  And I have to say, I am SO glad I practically went in blind, as it allowed me to absorb the story as it came, without looking for anything in particular to happen.

The only thing I can honestly say I thought was lacking at all (which it was fine really, but I could have used more) is world building.  However, because this is a series, and not just a standalone, I also think this left room for more world building in the books to come.  Which I like.  Sometimes it is hard for me to get through the first book in a fantasy series, because I am overwhelmed by the world building.  So this was sort-of a happy medium for me.

This heroine, in my humble opinion, is totally captivating.  She's is a strong young woman, all the way through.  Sure, she has her ups and downs, but that definitely keeps her human in the eyes of the reader.  She struggles A LOT once her secret is exposed to figure out if she should continue acting like a young man, or learn how to be a young lady.  But who wouldn't?  Besides, the young men in her life are still vying for her affection, despite the fact that she's been dressing and acting as a boy for years.

As for Rylan and Damian...mmm, mmm, MMM!  I can totally understand why she struggles with choosing between them.  Rylan is a wonderful young man, and Alex has actually been thinking about the day that she might be able to reveal she is a girl to him.  But then she starts to get to know the *real* side of the prince, Damian, and her feelings for him are undeniable.  The three of them find themselves in an unlikely situation, and sometimes it's easy to think that once everything has settled 'back to normal', it will be easy for Alex to decide who she wants to be with.  But reality doesn't always make an easy path for those who love one another to be together...

Can I PLEASE have a group of 7 guys that care about me as much as these boys care about Sang? In fact, I would take just ONE of them! Can't wait to start the next book!

So, I was already TOTALLY in love with Cam and Lucy before I read this book. They play some major roles in their friends' lives in the first three books, and you can't help but enjoy them as secondary characters. I felt like I had been waiting FOREVER for Cam and Lucy's story, but it was ABSOLUTELY worth the wait! (And P.S. I hope you have stock in Kleenex, because you're going to need it!)

I'm pretty sure I say this in every single one of my reviews for the books in this series, but this book will take your heart, rip it to shreds, and yet help you pick up the pieces, put them back together, and somehow make everything even better than it was to start with. 

It is impossible not to fall in love with Jay McLean's characters. And Cam and Lucy are no exception to this rule. It's not that they never do anything wrong, or you're never mad at them (I'm pretty sure I almost busted my computer a couple times while reading this!) but they are perfect in their imperfection. They will make you laugh, make you cry, make you smile, make you scream...you will know these people inside and out by the time you reach the end of the book. And YES, they are PEOPLE, not just characters. That's how well developed the story, characters, backstories, etc. are. Jay McLean's writing is beautiful, and heartbreaking, and...GAH! It will just give you ALL THE FEELS! While I was reading this, I even messaged Jay at one point to yell at her because I couldn't keep reading the story because I couldn't see the words through the tears! :)

And we can't leave out the secondary characters! I used to say Dr. Matthew's was my favorite secondary character in the series...but he's got some pretty stiff competition in Cam's mom's boyfriend, Mark. He is just such an all-around awesome guy, and even if he's not Cam's "parent" he is such a fantastic role-model, parental figure, whatever you want to call him. He's awesome! I just <3 him!

I wasn't sure thus was going to be 5 stars at first, but by the time I got to the end, I needed to know what was happening next!