Saturday, January 30, 2016

Review: Pretending to be Erica by Michelle Painchaud



23281811Pretending to be Erica by Michelle Painchaud


Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers
Publish Date: July 21st 2015
Page Amount: 272 pages
Price: $17.99 Hardback
ISBN: 0670014974 (ISBN13: 9780670014972)



You may have noticed, I didn't include a summary with this review! I will discuss that once I get to the second to last paragraph of my review, but don't be alarmed! 

I could not have picked a better book to start of the new year with.

I loved this book, so much so where I don't even know where to begin with my review.

Let me begin by saying how much I loved the idea of the story. It took me a few minutes of reading the (advance) synopsis on the back of the book to figure out what was going on, but once I understood it, I was instantly intrigued. I have never read a book that deals with this plot before. I think it is very interesting to write about abduction and kidnapping, especially the aftermath of it. But the piece of the plot that really drew me in is that Erica isn't really who she says she is. She is pretending to be Erica.(name drop!).

Normally, all of the YA books that I read don't have characters placed in sticky situations. Many of the characters that I read about and relate to are characters that haven't done anything wrong, at least not knowingly. They are mainly opposed to crime and fight against it, only engaging in illegal activities when it is necessary to save their lives.

I really liked the change in ideas. The main character of this story isn't like that, that she knows very well what she is doing and the consequences of getting caught. I really like seeing a main character that doesn't always make moral decisions. Morality is such a huge theme in all YA books now-a-days, and I was happy to see that this book went against that idea.

I also want to say that (after looking on Goodreads for this book) that this is Ms. Painchaud's debut novel! For a novel (and let alone a debut novel!) I couldn't be more impressed! Her writing style hooked me in from the very first page, and I found it difficult to break away from this book. I wanted to finish it all at once! I was very impressed with the story that she crafts along with the characters that she creates. 

Before I conclude this review, you might realize that I did not include a summary of the book in my review. Typically I would do this, but this is one of the special-exception books that I blog about. I think the best way to experience this book is to go into it blindly. I think it adds a lot more depth to the story and also adds a lot more reveals to the book. I went into the book only knowing a few sentences about it and I found it to be very enjoyable. I honestly think if you want to try this book to pick it up without reading the summary. I think it will change the reading experience for you and make it a better one. (Note: I'm not saying the summary gives away too much, I'm just saying I liked not knowing character's motivations, plot points, etc. until I read them. If you want to ask me more you can always comment below or tweet me on Twitter @iamabookjunkie!)

Again, this is one of those books where, if I say too much, it will ruin some of the giant reveals of this book. I love the fact that I get to read so many books that have amazing plot twists and character developments, and I hope that you decide to pick up this book too! I promise you that you will not regret it, especially with this amazing read!

Pretending to Be Erica is a young adult thriller unlike any other. Erica is a character with questionable motives and an even more indeterminate past. If you are looking for a young-adult thriller that will hook you in from the very first page, this is the one for you. 

Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Disclaimer: Per FTC Guidelines, I received this book as an ARC for free and this in no way, shape or form affects my opinion or review of the novel.

What did you think of my review? Did you like this? Have you read a YA thriller that you really enjoyed? What was it? Did you read this book before? What did you think! Tell me in the comments below (and I will be sure to respond!) 

Sheridan

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