Ramona Blue by Julie Murphy

“Ramona was only five years old when Hurricane Katrina changed her life forever.

Since then, it’s been Ramona and her family against the world. Standing over six feet tall with unmistakable blue hair, Ramona is sure of three things: she likes girls, she’s fiercely devoted to her family, and she knows she’s destined for something bigger than the trailer she calls home in Eulogy, Mississippi. But juggling multiple jobs, her flaky mom, and her well-meaning but ineffectual dad forces her to be the adult of the family. Now, with her sister, Hattie, pregnant, responsibility weighs more heavily than ever.

The return of her childhood friend Freddie brings a welcome distraction. Ramona’s friendship with the former competitive swimmer picks up exactly where it left off, and soon he’s talked her into joining him for laps at the pool. But as Ramona falls in love with swimming, her feelings for Freddie begin to shift too, which is the last thing she expected. With her growing affection for Freddie making her question her sexual identity, Ramona begins to wonder if perhaps she likes girls and guys or if this new attraction is just a fluke. Either way, Ramona will discover that, for her, life and love are more fluid than they seem.” - taken from Goodreads.com

I really enjoyed delving into Ramona’s complicated life. Just a senior in high school, she took on a tremendous amount of responsibility in the years since her mother’s abandonment after Hurricane Katrina and her pregnant sister, When a childhood friend moves back to Eulogy, Ramona’s world is turned upside down. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and seeing where Ramona’s journey would take her.

Visit Julie Murphy’s website.

Last Seen Leaving by Caleb Roehrig

“Flynn's girlfriend has disappeared. How can he uncover her secrets without revealing his own?

Flynn's girlfriend, January, is missing. The cops are asking questions he can't answer, and her friends are telling stories that don't add up. All eyes are on Flynn—as January's boyfriend, he must know something.

But Flynn has a secret of his own. And as he struggles to uncover the truth about January's disappearance, he must also face the truth about himself.” - taken Goodreads.com

This book was one of the best mysteries that I’ve read, or in this case, listened to, in a long time. Flynn and his girlfriend January have a fight that results in her breaking up them him. Several days later, he arrives at home to find two police officers at his house. It tu7rns out that January is missing. Determined to find out what happened to January while trying to keep his own secret, Flynn begins his own investigation and soon learns that everything that he thought he knew about January was wrong. Flynn’s story is interspersed with flashbacks of times spent with January that help the reader piece together the mystery behind not only her disappearance but Flynn’s acceptance of his own secret. Readers will be entranced until they are able to resolve the mystery of January’s disappearance.

Visit Caleb Roehrig’s website.

Defy the Stars by Claudia Gray (Defy the Stars by Claudia Gray book 1)

“Our Worlds Belong To Us.”

“She’s a soldier.

Noemi Vidal is a seventeen years old and sworn to protect her planet, Genesis. She’s willing to risk anything—including her own life. To their enemies on Earth, she’s a rebel.

He’s a machine.

Abandoned in space for years, utterly alone, Abel has advanced programming that’s begun to evolve. He wants only to protect his creator, and to be free. To the people of Genesis, he’s an abomination.

Noemi and Abel are enemies in an interstellar war, forced by chance to work together as they embark on a daring journey through the stars. Their efforts would end the fighting for good, but they’re not without sacrifice. The stakes are even higher than either of them first realized, and the more time they spend together, the more they’re forced to question everything they’d been taught was true.” - taken from Goodreads.com

I really didn’t know what to expect when I first started this book. Told in alternating points of view from both Noemi and Abel, readers dive into a story full of mystery, intrigue, and romance. Enemies at first, it’s not long before Noemi and Abel realize that they are actually on the same side. Also the romance between human and machine is a slow burn that will have readers cheering the duo on. I really didn’t know how I expected the book to end, be it was phenomenal! With the story somewhat tied up, readers will be clamouring for the next installment in this series.

Book two, Defy the Worlds, (what a teaser!) will be out in 2018.

Visit Claudia Gray’s Website.