City of the Lost by Kelley Armstrong
[[fiction. suspense. thriller.]]
The first in a series, this book sucked me in right away and never let me go. Same author as A Rip Through Time series, but different voice and writing style somehow. Even with another strong female lead.
The main character, Casey, has flaws. While she shows that being human is raw, hard, and unrelenting, we learn there can also be hope and redemption in that.
I loved getting to know each character and the place (I don’t think it’s big enough to be classified as a town) of Rockton. Made me almost want to get lost.
There is a very thick plot that has lots of side twists. I thought I knew what was happening multiple times and then I was thrown for another loop, but in a good way. Even the things that happened the way I wanted them to had surprising aspects to them.
While the story is not about romance, the author weaves in a realistic love story. Sex is also mentioned, with certain scenes being short but explicit in the beginning and near the end.
I realize all books must have a stopping point. However, this one surprised me and actually made me laugh, which I thought was perfect. And I already grabbed the next in this series because I wasn’t ready for it to be over.
Five big stars. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️