I loved this young adult contemporary novel with lots of twists! It's certainly something new and -fresh! I'd definitely recommend this for more mature young adult readers!
Like Candy by Debra Doxer
(Candy, #1)
Publication date: July 28th 2015
Genres: Mystery, Romance, Young Adult
Synopsis:
Revenge is sweet, just like candy.
Candy Seaborne knows she’s badass. She takes after her father, an assassin and possibly a spy, although he won’t admit to either. She idolizes him. Her dream is to follow in his footsteps. But first, she has to finish high school.
Biding her time, waiting for real life to begin, Candy craves drama and isn’t above manufacturing some. If you’re a classmate who wronged her or a boyfriend who cheated, watch your back. She’s no pushover, and revenge may be her favorite pastime.
Jonah Bryson is the senior class heartthrob who breaks all the stereotypes. He’s a jock, but he isn’t the typical player. He’s moody and antisocial. No girl has gotten anywhere with him since his last girlfriend broke his heart.
Candy sees Jonah as a challenge and the perfect distraction. But she may be in over her head because unlike everyone else, Jonah isn’t buying her tough act. He sees the lost, lonely girl inside. He sees too much. When he looks at her that way, she wants to let her guard down and be vulnerable. But that’s the last thing she should do because her father’s world is spilling over into hers, and life is about to get real much sooner than Candy expected.
Review
★★★★ 1/2 stars
Look out everyone, Candy Seaborne is back in town and she's shaking things up! I've experienced Debra Doxer's writing before and so I know she can write a great story. However, I wasn't expecting it to be so mysterious and suspenseful. I loved the mix of young adult and adult themes. It makes sense there'd be a mix because Candy is eighteen and on the cusp of being an adult.
I think what makes this book really work is that in essence, there are two different stories set in this one book. You've got Candy trying to re-assimilate with her childhood peers and stay on top of all the mean girls and then you've got Candy's life at home with her father and the secrets he is hiding. Both of them are written really well and when the two parts of Candy's lives collide it really gets interesting.
I liked Candy. I understood her fascination and attraction to Jonah. I even understood her need to get revenge on those who did her and those around her wrong. I may have even chuckled at her pranks. I wasn't so sure why she wanted to be like her father given his interesting occupation, but I have a feeling I'll find out more about that in the second book. I think besides the pranks, which I thought were simple but perfect, I liked Candy because I could relate to her. I understood her desire to be close to her father. I understood her need to fit in. I got the fact she was unsettled by her feelings for Jonah especially considering her recent experiences with males in her life.
I really appreciated how Debra Doxer included CREST, an auto immune disorder. It's something important to her as she suffers from it, and I really liked how it was addressed and used in the story. From start to end I was caught up in the story. I would've loved for it to be longer, but since this one ended quite abruptly I can't wait to read the next book and see what happens. You've been warned people, there's a doozy of a cliffhanger to match an equally awesome story.
*Thank you to the publicist for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and I was not compensated for them in any manner.*
Purchase:
AUTHOR BIO:
Debra Doxer was born in Boston, and other than a few lost years in the California sunshine, she has always resided in the Boston area. She writes fiction, technical software documents, illegible scribbles on sticky notes, and texts that get mangled by AutoCorrect. She writes for a living, and she writes for fun. When her daughter asks when she’ll run out of words, her response always is, “When I run out of time.”Connect with Debra. She loves hearing from readers.
Author links:
Giveaway
Candy sounds like a character that's easy to "get" and I do think I'd like her as an MC. This book sounds entertaining overall! Wonderful review! :)
ReplyDeleteHi Giselle, she is and the book totally is too. Thank you! :)
Delete