Book Review: Hunting Lila by Sarah Alderson

Title: Hunting Lila
Series:Lila #1
Author: Sarah Alderson
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Release Date: September 2011
Source: From publisher for review (Thank you!)
Goodreads Synopisis:
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. Or thereabouts.After a mugging on the streets of South London goes horribly wrong and 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. Trying to uncover the truth of why her mother was killed, and the real remit of The Unit, Lila becomes a pawn in a dangerous game. Struggling to keep her secrets 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 Thoughts:

What an amazing debut! Not that I was surprised, since even before I got my hands on the book, I had read so many positive reviews and so I had exceptionally high expectations for it. In the end, Hunting Lila surpassed my expectations. This is definitely a book you can’t miss!

The storyline was solid and the twists and turns throughout the book were both unpredictable and fascinating. I loved every single minute of it; there was so much mystery that I was compelled to read more or else I couldn’t do anything else. And the thing is, it wasn’t the sort of mystery that just kept building and building, with no answers being given, but rather, the secrets unravelled along the way, giving me some satisfaction but also urging me to continue to find out more. The supernatural elements were particularly interesting; I mean, wouldn’t you want to have supernatural abilities and be able to win every fight by relying solely on your mind?! There was also this incredible twist at the end that I did not expect, and totally caught me off guard. But I loved it!

I especially loved the writing. It was the sort that flowed easily and drew you in, almost hypnotic in a way. Once I started reading, I couldn’t stop.  That was the effect Alderson’s writing had on me, and it’s definitely not something everyone can achieve.

Lila was an amazing and realistic character; she was crushing on her older brother’s best friend, and always wanted to feel at home. The book is written from Lila’s perspective, and I really enjoyed reading her thoughts, which were quite amusing and very realistic. Not once did she annoy me, and I was able to relate to her easily. The romance between Lila and Alex was also swoon-worthy; they were perfect for each other! I was also fascinated by the secondary characters, especially Suki and Nate. They were such funny and entertaining characters. I hope they play a bigger role in the next book!

On a personal note, I really wish I had a brother like Jack. Okay, so he had a flaring temper that may not be very great at times, but he was protective and did everything he could to ensure her safety. If I had a brother, I would definitely want him to be like Jack!

Overall, this is an incredibly thrilling novel, with heart-pounding action and a writing style that literally mesmerises you. The characters are believable,the storyline is brilliant and you’ll be constantly turning the pages, eager for more. I’m highly anticipating the next book!

Rating: 5/5
Quotes:
 He bent his head and in a voice that Jack couldn't hear, said, "When you came down the stairs and fell into me, that was the moment.'" Then his lips pressed against mine.