Review: Hunting Lila by Sarah Alderson

Title: Hunting Lila (Lila#1)
Author: Sarah Alderson
Pages:  318
Publisher:  Simon & Schuster
Genre: Thriller / Paranormal
Release:  August 4th 2011 UK
Source: Purchased
Buy the Book at: Book Depository / Chapters Indigo 

17-year-old Lila has two secrets she’s prepared to take to the grave. The first is that she can move things just by looking at them. The second is that she’s been in love with her brother’s best friend, Alex, since forever.

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…

A Thrilling Blend of 

Intrigue, Romance, Paranormal and Heart-racing Action!

         I don't know why I waited so long to read Hunting Lila. I guess I just wanted to purchase it once it was available in Canada but truth be told, I really regret not purchasing the book before (online) once it just came out. Although the good thing about reading it so many months after its release date, is that now I only have to wait two weeks to read Losing Lila, the thrilling and toe curling sequel to Lila #1!! Yes! Which, obviously, I pre-ordered as soon as I flipped the last page!

         From page 1, I was like... holy cow! Sarah Alderson goes straight to the point and and gave me a taste of who Lila was and what she can do. Two pages later, Lila was on a plane from London to LA to visit her brother Jack, who she hasn't seen in three years, and his best friend Alex, the boy Lila has loved since she was 5-year-old and who she hasn't seen during the last three years too. From the moment Lila steps on the US, the story takes off and it doesn't stop, ever, until the very last page.

         Sarah Alderson delivers and incredible thrilling and action packed adventure where secret organizations, murder, revenge and a delicious romance intertwine to create one of the most enthralling novels I have read this year! However, and even though I really loved this novel, I did get tired of Lila gushing so much over Alex. Yes, he is absolutely swoon-worthy, but I got the impression that Lila was more obsessed with Alex rather than in love with him. But that's just me, and maybe other readers will actually enjoy that.

        Hunting Lila is an exquisite blend of paranormal, intrigue, romance and tones of kick-ass action that will make you pull your hair out, bite your nails, scratch the walls, stop your heart and curl your toes! Needlessly to mention the highly surprising twists that Alderson so brilliantly executed in the first installment of the Lila series. And did I mention that this is actually her debut novel? My God, Sarah Alderson is absolutely fantastic! Now, what are you waiting to read this book?

Visit the author's website at http://sarahalderson.com