Review: Losing Lila by Sarah Alderson

From Goodreads: Alex and Lila are on the run, desperately trying to stay one step ahead of the Unit, which is somehow tracking their every move. While Alex is determined to keep Lila safe and her ability secret at any cost, Lila's only thought is of finding a way back to California so she can rescue her brother and mother from the military base where they're being held. Struggling to control both her growing power and her deepening feelings for Alex, Lila decides the time has finally come to stop running and start fighting. Together with Alex, Demos, and the others she's come to think of as family, Lila plans not only to save her brother and mum, but also to completely destroy the Unit and everything it stands for. But the plan requires Lila to return to California alone, and to make friends with the enemy - and in doing so, she risks losing everything: Alex, her family … even her life. 

My Rating: 4 hearts 

Thoughts on the Novel: Losing Lila by Sarah Alderson begins a week after the end of Hunting Lila. When the novel starts, Lila and Alex are on the run from the Unit. Jack is in a coma after having been shot. Demos’ original group has splintered and those that remain with him are trying to divide the Unit’s forces by having the Unit chase them rather than Alex and Lila. Readers dive headfirst into the action, and it’s awesome!

As a character, Lila is definitely more mature in this novel. She’s still impulsive, but her impulsivity is reined in. It’s also evident throughout the course of Losing Lila that she has become more comfortable with her power and is able to control it better. As well, I really liked that she was able to stand up for herself, especially when it came to decisions made by Alex (who shows some emotional vulnerability in this installment) or Jack as those two tended to make the decisions for her in Hunting Lila.

I continue loving the sibling dynamic between Lila and Jack! Their interactions never fail to amuse me, and I love how they know exactly what buttons to push to annoy the other person. If I could have an older brother from a YA novel, Jack would probably be on the top of my list (although his protective streak might get old after a while)!

With the return of beloved secondary characters like Nate and Suki, Losing Lila is as enjoyable as Hunting Lila. While Hunting Lila may have been more fun, Losing Lila balances that out by having more emotional depth.

Losing Lila was released in August 2012 by Simon & Schuster UK. 

Comments About the Cover: I’m not really a fan of the cover. I liked Hunting Lila’s cover better.

Review: Hunting Lila by Sarah Alderson

From Back Cover: 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 ...

My Rating: 3.5 hearts 

Thoughts on the Novel: Hunting Lila by Sarah Alderson is a book that you can breeze through in one sitting because the story is fun and fast-paced. While not totally original, the plot does have some surprising twists as well as a super cute romance and plenty of action.

Lila is a character that I could easily relate to because she’s pretty smart and has a good heart. However, she also tends to be a bit stubborn (which, okay, she kind of needs to be because Jack and Alex refuse to let her in on their secrets); and reading about her crushing on Alex and jumping to conclusions about his conversations and actions not only made her seem younger, but also got annoying after a while.

Luckily, midway through the novel, Lila finds out that Alex likes her too and stops gushing about how hot he is. I really did like the romance though (even if I thought the switch in Alex’s stance from the whole ‘we can’t be together’ to ‘screw it; I’m kissing you’ was sort of sudden). Not only was Alex hot, but he was also protective of Lila. Moreover, since the two of them had known each other since childhood, Lila’s memories of a younger Alex allow the reader to gain a deeper understanding of why she likes him so much.

The secondary cast of characters were enjoyable as well; and I’m looking forward to getting to know them better in Losing Lila. In particular, I’d like to see a bit more of Jack and a whole lot more of Suki in the sequel.

An entertaining read, Hunting Lila was released in August 2011 by Simon & Schuster UK.   

Comments About the Cover: It’s kind of mysterious, but I have absolutely no idea how it reflects the story!

In exchange for an honest review, this book was received from the publisher (Simon and Schuster Canada) for free.