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The Shepherd
Skate punks, kleptomaniacs, clairvoyant visions and reincarnation…
…THE SHEPHERD is unlike any other Young Adult novel you have ever read.
Mike Evans here. Sixteen year old skate punk squatting in a white-trash trailer park with my loser drunk Dad. Seems I lost most of my friends when Dad lost our home in foreclosure. Only Anita stuck by me. Worse, I keep having strange clairvoyant visions of things that always come true.
Then I almost ran over Nadia in my Geo. A passing truck finished the job – left a crumpled heap of skin and bone on the road. I fixed her. Me.
Now this fourteen year old girl won’t leave me alone. I sorta let her sneak in my window when she needs a place to crash.
I have a double life: daytime at school, Anita, skating, and then my nights with Nadia. She's my secret friend, gives me money and listens to my problems when nobody else will.
My world is spinning out of control. Old friends have turned enemy, my grisly visions of death won’t quit, and Anita’s intentions make my head spin. Even with all that, I’ve got bigger stuff to worry about.
Nadia’s hiding something.
…THE SHEPHERD is unlike any other Young Adult novel you have ever read.
Mike Evans here. Sixteen year old skate punk squatting in a white-trash trailer park with my loser drunk Dad. Seems I lost most of my friends when Dad lost our home in foreclosure. Only Anita stuck by me. Worse, I keep having strange clairvoyant visions of things that always come true.
Then I almost ran over Nadia in my Geo. A passing truck finished the job – left a crumpled heap of skin and bone on the road. I fixed her. Me.
Now this fourteen year old girl won’t leave me alone. I sorta let her sneak in my window when she needs a place to crash.
I have a double life: daytime at school, Anita, skating, and then my nights with Nadia. She's my secret friend, gives me money and listens to my problems when nobody else will.
My world is spinning out of control. Old friends have turned enemy, my grisly visions of death won’t quit, and Anita’s intentions make my head spin. Even with all that, I’ve got bigger stuff to worry about.
Nadia’s hiding something.
236 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 1, 2013
3 people are currently reading
224 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
October 2, 2013
I received The Shepherd by Travis Luedke as an ARC for an honest review and I have to say I can't be more honest than say it's BRILLIANT! Travis has stuck his neck out and delved into new territory with YA Fantasy and come out smelling of blood, well roses actually. He has nailed teenage angst firmly on the head and created a wonderful fantasy to lighten the mood.
Mike is dirt poor, lives in a trailer with his alcoholic Dad and has only skateboarding and a few close friends for an outlet for his troubled life. The biggest trouble Mike has to deal with is his visions which always come true and these visions aren't the woopeee-we've-won-the-lottery kind, oh no, they always show death or serious injury. This basically screws Mike up until he meets a strange young girl, Nadia, who saves his life on the road, but she is struck by a car and badly injured, so bad she might die. But she doesn't die, in fact Mike takes care of her in his bed. When he wakes up she's gone. All that's left is a bloody mess to remind him she was real.
Mike goes through the motions of life until he finds the girl stalking him. They become inseparable and Mike's fortune slowly takes an upward turn. Mike falls in love with a gorgeous Latina girl, Anita, which brings more problems than he could ever imagine - problems that soon spiral out of control. His visions become more vivid and deadly with consequences that could destroy Mike. He is only sixteen, but must face an unknown future where his very life hangs in the balance, dangling by a thin thread known as fate. Can he solve the mystery of his visions, discover the true identity of Nadia and keep the love of his life?
You will have to read this FIVE STAR YA Fantasy to find out and I can assure you, you won't be disappointed. I highly recommend this amazing novel.
Mike is dirt poor, lives in a trailer with his alcoholic Dad and has only skateboarding and a few close friends for an outlet for his troubled life. The biggest trouble Mike has to deal with is his visions which always come true and these visions aren't the woopeee-we've-won-the-lottery kind, oh no, they always show death or serious injury. This basically screws Mike up until he meets a strange young girl, Nadia, who saves his life on the road, but she is struck by a car and badly injured, so bad she might die. But she doesn't die, in fact Mike takes care of her in his bed. When he wakes up she's gone. All that's left is a bloody mess to remind him she was real.
Mike goes through the motions of life until he finds the girl stalking him. They become inseparable and Mike's fortune slowly takes an upward turn. Mike falls in love with a gorgeous Latina girl, Anita, which brings more problems than he could ever imagine - problems that soon spiral out of control. His visions become more vivid and deadly with consequences that could destroy Mike. He is only sixteen, but must face an unknown future where his very life hangs in the balance, dangling by a thin thread known as fate. Can he solve the mystery of his visions, discover the true identity of Nadia and keep the love of his life?
You will have to read this FIVE STAR YA Fantasy to find out and I can assure you, you won't be disappointed. I highly recommend this amazing novel.
October 9, 2013
Can you believe that I did not read the plot until I finished the book? The only thing I knew it was that Travis Luedke has a new book and that I had to read it!
It did not disappoint, not at all :) .
Travis Luedke has become one of my UF favorite authors. I loved his writing from the moment I read his first book in his adult Nightlife series and I knew I would like this book even if I usually stay away from YA books. The Shepherd is different , is unique , feels real and fresh and does not follow the usual boring and repetitive ingredients that YA books tend to have.
The cover made me think that the book was going to be from Nadia’s point of view, but surprise, surprise... it’s narrated ‘blog/diary style’ by Mark, the 16 year old skater that has a part-time job, goes to school, doesn’t get drunk, wants to go to college. He had a different life and now another, has visions of the future and a new, creepy in a cute way, friend.
Nadia, who is Nadia? This is the primary question you will be asking yourself during the whole book. Who is she? What does she want? Why is she so secretive? Where does she come from? Does she really care about Mike? Read the book and find out!
Mike’s passion is skateboarding, he feels free while he’s practicing with his board on the park. His best friend is a latina girl named Anita who cares for him, helps him and defends him. Although she is beautiful and great, it takes him awhile to discover his feelings for her…when he does, it’s incredible…sparks fly when they share hot, steaming kisses, that made me blush.
The tone used in the novel is genuine; it makes you feel like the characters are absolutely real, everyday person, flesh and bone, standing right next of you, even during Mike’s visions.
The Shepherd was intense to say the least. It had so many twists, turns and ups and downs. It was hard to tell – in a good way – if Mike was coming or going and what was up with the crazy girl who pops every now and then out of nowhere with her magical hoodie.
I ended The Shepherd giggling! Me! I’m normally sad when a book ends … now (after a couple of days) I do feel sad and I would love to read a sequel to see what happens next with Mike’s new family.
I would recommend The Shepherd to readers who like real characters; who may or not like YA books because it's not your usual YA book, it has a drop of UF, with a little romance, a hint of paranormal and some mystery too!
I received this ARC from the author thru the Goodreads group LoP in exchange for an honest review.
It did not disappoint, not at all :) .
Travis Luedke has become one of my UF favorite authors. I loved his writing from the moment I read his first book in his adult Nightlife series and I knew I would like this book even if I usually stay away from YA books. The Shepherd is different , is unique , feels real and fresh and does not follow the usual boring and repetitive ingredients that YA books tend to have.
The cover made me think that the book was going to be from Nadia’s point of view, but surprise, surprise... it’s narrated ‘blog/diary style’ by Mark, the 16 year old skater that has a part-time job, goes to school, doesn’t get drunk, wants to go to college. He had a different life and now another, has visions of the future and a new, creepy in a cute way, friend.
Nadia, who is Nadia? This is the primary question you will be asking yourself during the whole book. Who is she? What does she want? Why is she so secretive? Where does she come from? Does she really care about Mike? Read the book and find out!
Mike’s passion is skateboarding, he feels free while he’s practicing with his board on the park. His best friend is a latina girl named Anita who cares for him, helps him and defends him. Although she is beautiful and great, it takes him awhile to discover his feelings for her…when he does, it’s incredible…sparks fly when they share hot, steaming kisses, that made me blush.
The tone used in the novel is genuine; it makes you feel like the characters are absolutely real, everyday person, flesh and bone, standing right next of you, even during Mike’s visions.
The Shepherd was intense to say the least. It had so many twists, turns and ups and downs. It was hard to tell – in a good way – if Mike was coming or going and what was up with the crazy girl who pops every now and then out of nowhere with her magical hoodie.
I ended The Shepherd giggling! Me! I’m normally sad when a book ends … now (after a couple of days) I do feel sad and I would love to read a sequel to see what happens next with Mike’s new family.
I would recommend The Shepherd to readers who like real characters; who may or not like YA books because it's not your usual YA book, it has a drop of UF, with a little romance, a hint of paranormal and some mystery too!
I received this ARC from the author thru the Goodreads group LoP in exchange for an honest review.
August 2, 2014
The Shepherd is a teen Goth masterpiece. It centers around Mike, a skatepunk with a bad attitude and worse luck. His friendships are a mess, his love life runs the gamut between abject disaster and near-sexual experience induced euphoria. His ex-girlfriend is a back-stabbing psycho cheerleader, his dad – an unemployed drunk, and don’t even get Mike started on the foreclosure of his home and his subsequent move to a trailer park. To top it all off, a bunch of pill-popping jocks are after his head. That’s enough teen angst to cause a nuclear power plant meltdown right there. But wait! He’s being stalked by a lovestruck 102 year-old tween demon with a penchant for karmic vigilantism. Honestly, if I were Mike, I’d get the h*ll out of dodge, but I’m so glad he doesn’t. If he did, we wouldn’t have this wonderfully morally murky paranormal story to sink our teeth into (spoiler alert: that was a pun). Full disclosure, I’m one of those readers who likes paranormal just fine, but isn’t WAY into paranormal. Frankly, I find a lot of it over the top – in an operatic sort of way. The Shepherd is not that kind of story. The paranormal elements are so natural to the story that it maintains a real people feel. The story is well written and the characters are fresh and filled in, relatable. What I liked most was The Shepherd’s loyalty to teens themselves. So many YA stories are so high on ideals that the situations don’t ring true and the characters themselves don’t behave credibly as young, mixed-up, learn-as-you-go aspiring adults. The Shepherd gets that and doesn’t even attempt to tie up Mike’s morality in a nice, neat box with a bow. Mike suffers from clairvoyant visions and sometimes he genuinely tries to help the people he sees are heading for trouble, and sometimes, well, he doesn’t. He begins and ends the story as basically a good guy with plenty of failings – even if a lot happens in between that changes both him and the trajectory of his life.
October 2, 2013
Let’s start at the end, because in one word I can sum up the entire book, especially the ending, BRILLIANT! The Shepherd by Travis Luedke was like nanny-camming its characters! From the dialogue that was completely uncensored male teen, to the cliques, to the games girls will play, I felt like I was reliving high school drama! Okay, I didn’t know a Nadia, who, I will say was a uniquely fresh character, but my inner teen was picking up on that “high school” smell, the emotions, the Who’s Who attitude and the skaters vs jock thing until my skin was almost vibrating!
Mike has had visions, of course he doesn’t go around talking about it, his life is depressing enough with having to deal with a depressed, unemployed, alcoholic father, who was pretty much emotionally absent. Enter Nadia, a young girl who Mike nearly runs over with his car. She is mysterious, quirky, and there is something about her that connects with Mike. What he feels for Nadia is big brother-like, but is this strange girl looking for more? Who is she? Where did she come from? Why does she act like she has known Mike before? Does she mistake him for someone else? Too many strange and awful things are happening and somehow Mike is part of it all, but Nadia is the key.
From the fumbling romance Mike finds to his sense of responsibility towards Nadia, Travis Luedke keeps the tale going at breakneck speed, with page after page of new twists and revelation. Through it all, each character had a necessary role to play, cameo appearance or not, that added to the realism, allowing the fantasy to weave its way in, captivating me to the end!
The Shepherd is one of those books that called for a breather at the end so I could return the control of my brain to reality!
I received a review copy from the author in exchange for my honest review and I definitely need to thank him!
Publication Date: September 30, 2013
Publisher: Travis Luedke
Page Count: 236 (per Amazon)
Genre: YA Fantasy/Paranormal
Amazon
For more reviews check out Tome Tender's Book Blog or find us on Facebook.
Mike has had visions, of course he doesn’t go around talking about it, his life is depressing enough with having to deal with a depressed, unemployed, alcoholic father, who was pretty much emotionally absent. Enter Nadia, a young girl who Mike nearly runs over with his car. She is mysterious, quirky, and there is something about her that connects with Mike. What he feels for Nadia is big brother-like, but is this strange girl looking for more? Who is she? Where did she come from? Why does she act like she has known Mike before? Does she mistake him for someone else? Too many strange and awful things are happening and somehow Mike is part of it all, but Nadia is the key.
From the fumbling romance Mike finds to his sense of responsibility towards Nadia, Travis Luedke keeps the tale going at breakneck speed, with page after page of new twists and revelation. Through it all, each character had a necessary role to play, cameo appearance or not, that added to the realism, allowing the fantasy to weave its way in, captivating me to the end!
The Shepherd is one of those books that called for a breather at the end so I could return the control of my brain to reality!
I received a review copy from the author in exchange for my honest review and I definitely need to thank him!
Publication Date: September 30, 2013
Publisher: Travis Luedke
Page Count: 236 (per Amazon)
Genre: YA Fantasy/Paranormal
Amazon
For more reviews check out Tome Tender's Book Blog or find us on Facebook.
October 8, 2013
Travis Luedke's The Shepherd offers hope to horror fans weary of the pale, recycled horror populating the current market.
One of the coolest things as a reader is finding a new author and watching him grow. In the 80's, I was was lucky enough to discover Dean Koontz before he hit it big. I watched as he improved with each novel until he became the household name he is today.
I get the sense that Travis Luedke is on the same path.
The Shepherd is his newest novel and it is definitely his strongest. The plot is tightly woven, wasting no space on unnecessary filler.
The lead character, Mike Evans, has a crystal clear voice. Readers will get a sense of his personality from the first page. He's 16 from a less-than-ideal home who meets a mysterious young girl named Nadia who changes his life. There is more to Nadia than meets the eye. There is a twist in the middle which I won't spoil for you. Thankfully, unlike so many other writers, Luedke does not bash you over the head with clues. The secret is fun and completely obvious only upon reflection. Much like the twist in The Sixth Sense, I was expecting the story to go one way. Then it went somewhere completely different.
I couldn't be happier.
A word of caution, the book has a warning about mature subject matter. Luedke has chosen to write Mike Evans in a very realistic way. There are copious amounts of profanity, violence, and sexual situations. Many may be offended by the language even though it is realistic based on the character. Though classified as Young Adult, this book has nothing in common with Harry Potter, Twilight, or Hunger Games. The Shepherd is not appropriate for young children (although many could argue that Hunger Games isn't appropriate for young children, either).
I chose to read The Shepherd as a straight horror story. It reminds me very much of a good Richard Laymon story. If you're a horror fan and not familiar with Richard Laymon, I strongly recommend you check him out. Travis Luedke is a fine successor to Laymon although he never devolves in to the pure pornography Laymon was prone to.
This is Luedke's 5th publisher novel. If he continues to improve his craft at this pace, I'm very interested to see where he will take us in the future.
One of the coolest things as a reader is finding a new author and watching him grow. In the 80's, I was was lucky enough to discover Dean Koontz before he hit it big. I watched as he improved with each novel until he became the household name he is today.
I get the sense that Travis Luedke is on the same path.
The Shepherd is his newest novel and it is definitely his strongest. The plot is tightly woven, wasting no space on unnecessary filler.
The lead character, Mike Evans, has a crystal clear voice. Readers will get a sense of his personality from the first page. He's 16 from a less-than-ideal home who meets a mysterious young girl named Nadia who changes his life. There is more to Nadia than meets the eye. There is a twist in the middle which I won't spoil for you. Thankfully, unlike so many other writers, Luedke does not bash you over the head with clues. The secret is fun and completely obvious only upon reflection. Much like the twist in The Sixth Sense, I was expecting the story to go one way. Then it went somewhere completely different.
I couldn't be happier.
A word of caution, the book has a warning about mature subject matter. Luedke has chosen to write Mike Evans in a very realistic way. There are copious amounts of profanity, violence, and sexual situations. Many may be offended by the language even though it is realistic based on the character. Though classified as Young Adult, this book has nothing in common with Harry Potter, Twilight, or Hunger Games. The Shepherd is not appropriate for young children (although many could argue that Hunger Games isn't appropriate for young children, either).
I chose to read The Shepherd as a straight horror story. It reminds me very much of a good Richard Laymon story. If you're a horror fan and not familiar with Richard Laymon, I strongly recommend you check him out. Travis Luedke is a fine successor to Laymon although he never devolves in to the pure pornography Laymon was prone to.
This is Luedke's 5th publisher novel. If he continues to improve his craft at this pace, I'm very interested to see where he will take us in the future.
October 5, 2013
I got this book from the author, free of cost, in exchange of an honest review from my side.
Firstly I would like to thank Travis Luedke, author of The Shepherd, for giving me this wonderful opportunity of reading and reviewing this fabulous book.
OH.MY.GOD! What a great book! It just took my breath away, literally. The total concept of this book is unique like the author's other books and the plot is well thought and planned out and I liked the way the characters fit perfectly within the plot.
The writing style of the author is unique as well and it will take you to the world of Mike, a teenager whose major problem is that he has visions about death and destruction but he manages to keep it a secret and live the life of a high school senior and skate boarder until a stranger Nadia steps into his life and the story takes a whirlwind turn and all the beliefs and known things falls apart.
The cute romance that developed through out the story maintained it's pace perfectly not making it a so-called love at the first moment and then all you do is jump about having sex! That's ridiculous. As the feelings of Mike towards his best friend Anita develops and changes from mere friendship to much more it makes the read a mesmerizing one.
The action scenes are great and the suspense that the author painfully kept till the end was really annoying and made me anxious to know the end. The mystery is superb and the slow revelations of Nadia's intentions and her background really spiced it up for me.
All in all a great read and would recommend it to ya all. A total page turner and a new take on the YA paranormal fantasy genre which will change or at least influence your viewpoints regarding this genre. So grab your copy and enjoy this gripping read!
Firstly I would like to thank Travis Luedke, author of The Shepherd, for giving me this wonderful opportunity of reading and reviewing this fabulous book.
OH.MY.GOD! What a great book! It just took my breath away, literally. The total concept of this book is unique like the author's other books and the plot is well thought and planned out and I liked the way the characters fit perfectly within the plot.
The writing style of the author is unique as well and it will take you to the world of Mike, a teenager whose major problem is that he has visions about death and destruction but he manages to keep it a secret and live the life of a high school senior and skate boarder until a stranger Nadia steps into his life and the story takes a whirlwind turn and all the beliefs and known things falls apart.
The cute romance that developed through out the story maintained it's pace perfectly not making it a so-called love at the first moment and then all you do is jump about having sex! That's ridiculous. As the feelings of Mike towards his best friend Anita develops and changes from mere friendship to much more it makes the read a mesmerizing one.
The action scenes are great and the suspense that the author painfully kept till the end was really annoying and made me anxious to know the end. The mystery is superb and the slow revelations of Nadia's intentions and her background really spiced it up for me.
All in all a great read and would recommend it to ya all. A total page turner and a new take on the YA paranormal fantasy genre which will change or at least influence your viewpoints regarding this genre. So grab your copy and enjoy this gripping read!
October 5, 2013
I'm a little embarrassed to say I have shied away from reading Paranormal Thriller's, maybe it's because I'm afraid of things that go bump in the night, maybe it was my own bias, so when I was offered an Arc of "The Shepherd" by the author, I told myself to put my big girl panties on and dive in, I'm glad I did. This book is not like any other book I have read, I really enjoyed it !!!
The Shepherd is original, intelligent, dark, gritty, entertaining, a definite page turner. I was quickly drawn in. There are twist and turns, never a dull moment, I found myself asking what is going to happen next !! The characters are great, Travis has captured the look and feel of High School perfectly, teenage angst, cliques and first loves, I felt like a fly on the wall taking in all the drama of high school again.
Without giving away any spoilers, Mike lives in a trailer with his Dad who is an alcohilic and is never there for him. Friends and Skateboarding are the only good things in his life. Mike also has visons that he does not share with any one. Life is anything but normal for Mike. He meets Nadia the strange girl, who he almost runs over with his car. He loses his best friend Justin and falls in love for the first time with Anita. The story is an emotional journey filled with suspense and mystery. It will keep you on the edge of your seat. Will Mike finally understand his visions, will he find true love with Anita, will he untangle the mystery that is Nadia? You have to read "The Shepherd" to find out!! If you enjoy YA, Paranormal or just want to try something different pick up "The Shepherd" by Travis Luedke, you won't be disappointed.
The Shepherd is original, intelligent, dark, gritty, entertaining, a definite page turner. I was quickly drawn in. There are twist and turns, never a dull moment, I found myself asking what is going to happen next !! The characters are great, Travis has captured the look and feel of High School perfectly, teenage angst, cliques and first loves, I felt like a fly on the wall taking in all the drama of high school again.
Without giving away any spoilers, Mike lives in a trailer with his Dad who is an alcohilic and is never there for him. Friends and Skateboarding are the only good things in his life. Mike also has visons that he does not share with any one. Life is anything but normal for Mike. He meets Nadia the strange girl, who he almost runs over with his car. He loses his best friend Justin and falls in love for the first time with Anita. The story is an emotional journey filled with suspense and mystery. It will keep you on the edge of your seat. Will Mike finally understand his visions, will he find true love with Anita, will he untangle the mystery that is Nadia? You have to read "The Shepherd" to find out!! If you enjoy YA, Paranormal or just want to try something different pick up "The Shepherd" by Travis Luedke, you won't be disappointed.
November 15, 2013
"The Shepherd" by Travis Luedke is a paranormal thriller slash romance for young adults, the emphasis on adult. It is the kind of book that will probably not be in the high school library but one that most high school kids would like to find there and will find someplace else.
Luedke freshens up the genre by writing a book about how kids really are, not how they are written in young adult books to please the parents. The kids are hormone driven, obnoxious at times and are still finding their bearings in the world - and they certainly don't just hold hands. Lifelike and real. The realistic writing style is the strongest part of this book.
The story is expertly told with several strands of plot intertwining: The rivalry of our hero Mike with other high school boys, the odd relationship Mike has with his best female friend Anita and his encounters with the mysterious Nadia.
Mike has school, family issues and then he has visions that keep flashing in front of his eyes, intuition that changes his perspective and lets him see into the future. But the past also catches up with him.
The main characters are excellently chosen and there is an unpretentiousness and fundamental realism in this set up that makes this a very easy and for this reader a very rewarding experience. Innovative and original, at times witty and very humorous, at others action driven and full of suspense this is a book that could easily achieve cult status amongst the younger readers and have us older ones look over their shoulders with keen interest. Very well done.
Luedke freshens up the genre by writing a book about how kids really are, not how they are written in young adult books to please the parents. The kids are hormone driven, obnoxious at times and are still finding their bearings in the world - and they certainly don't just hold hands. Lifelike and real. The realistic writing style is the strongest part of this book.
The story is expertly told with several strands of plot intertwining: The rivalry of our hero Mike with other high school boys, the odd relationship Mike has with his best female friend Anita and his encounters with the mysterious Nadia.
Mike has school, family issues and then he has visions that keep flashing in front of his eyes, intuition that changes his perspective and lets him see into the future. But the past also catches up with him.
The main characters are excellently chosen and there is an unpretentiousness and fundamental realism in this set up that makes this a very easy and for this reader a very rewarding experience. Innovative and original, at times witty and very humorous, at others action driven and full of suspense this is a book that could easily achieve cult status amongst the younger readers and have us older ones look over their shoulders with keen interest. Very well done.
October 12, 2013
This book had me embedded to the chair and fastened to every word that jumped off the page!
Before I knew what was happening, I was asking questions as the pages add more to my list. This action, packed book that shows in first person, a life of a teenager and how it can go from bad to worse. There was humor, tragedy, mixed communcation, and anything else that could go wrong for a normal teenager.
The twist, turns, and unpredictability of this book would keep any age reader glued to this YA Paranormal Thriller. It is not just for Teenagers!
Mike, first person point-of-view of the book, is a character that embraced your heart strings from the beginning. You, as a reader, would wonder why Mike could not get a break from all this tragedy.
Antia, the character you, as a reader, would just love to take into your house and shelter from it all until she was no longer a teenager.
Nadie, you just have to read this book to fully understand the way I love this character so much. It is hard to form words to describe her so well you would fall in love with her too.
5 Stars
I was given an ARC in return for an honest review.
Before I knew what was happening, I was asking questions as the pages add more to my list. This action, packed book that shows in first person, a life of a teenager and how it can go from bad to worse. There was humor, tragedy, mixed communcation, and anything else that could go wrong for a normal teenager.
The twist, turns, and unpredictability of this book would keep any age reader glued to this YA Paranormal Thriller. It is not just for Teenagers!
Mike, first person point-of-view of the book, is a character that embraced your heart strings from the beginning. You, as a reader, would wonder why Mike could not get a break from all this tragedy.
Antia, the character you, as a reader, would just love to take into your house and shelter from it all until she was no longer a teenager.
Nadie, you just have to read this book to fully understand the way I love this character so much. It is hard to form words to describe her so well you would fall in love with her too.
5 Stars
I was given an ARC in return for an honest review.
November 4, 2013
Mike Evans is a 16 year old skate-punk but pretty much a good boy. He has some family issues and a secret. He has visions that come true. Other than that he is the typical teen with typical problems, girls, friends, lives in a poor community, Dad drinks a lot and don’t work, oh and did I forget to mention a 14 year-old girl that starts sneaking in his room and staying at night that has an even bigger secret than Mike??
Oh boy is this one good book. I could definitely see this as a movie or a show on the CW. If it was a movie I would definitely pay to see this one!
This is going to be a bit hard to review without spoilers but I’m gonna give it a shot. I absolutely loved everything about this book.
The characters are true to form for teenagers and believable. Being a young adult story this one still captured and held my attention as an adult. The story is intriguing, powerful, nail-biting, and a bit chilling. What more can I say?
I highly recommend this if you like paranormal romance, intrigue, Young adult and a book that’s hard to put down.
Oh boy is this one good book. I could definitely see this as a movie or a show on the CW. If it was a movie I would definitely pay to see this one!
This is going to be a bit hard to review without spoilers but I’m gonna give it a shot. I absolutely loved everything about this book.
The characters are true to form for teenagers and believable. Being a young adult story this one still captured and held my attention as an adult. The story is intriguing, powerful, nail-biting, and a bit chilling. What more can I say?
I highly recommend this if you like paranormal romance, intrigue, Young adult and a book that’s hard to put down.
October 2, 2013
LOVED IT!!!
In the teenage drama and vernacular, Travis Luedke’s “The Shepherd” was a treat to read. From the first, I was sucked into this lingo and world of Mike and Nadia.
More and more, I found myself fist-pumping as they find their situation become more revealing. Evans was not a character that I thought was haughty, he seemed a little broken and I loved it.
Enter his friend, who needs more than an attitude adjustment, a crush on an old girlfriend, Anita, and you have yourself some messed up mayhem. Which is exactly the kind of book, I love. Mr. Luedke keeps us spell-bound with his timing and twists.
For this and much more, I give, “The Shepherd” five stars!
I got a copy of this book for an honest review from the Author.
In the teenage drama and vernacular, Travis Luedke’s “The Shepherd” was a treat to read. From the first, I was sucked into this lingo and world of Mike and Nadia.
More and more, I found myself fist-pumping as they find their situation become more revealing. Evans was not a character that I thought was haughty, he seemed a little broken and I loved it.
Enter his friend, who needs more than an attitude adjustment, a crush on an old girlfriend, Anita, and you have yourself some messed up mayhem. Which is exactly the kind of book, I love. Mr. Luedke keeps us spell-bound with his timing and twists.
For this and much more, I give, “The Shepherd” five stars!
I got a copy of this book for an honest review from the Author.
October 8, 2013
I loved everything about this book and thus, I recommend it to everyone:
- the tone is awesome, it makes you feel like the characters are absolutely real, flesh and bone, standing right in front of you ;-)
- the plot is stunning - it's impossible to put this book down until the very last word, and it makes you feel sorry and sort of empty that it has ended;
- the nice, quick pace and the unexpected twists of the story will definitely keep you on the edge of your seat;
- it's easy and pleasant to read - you won't even notice you've been turning pages until, all of a sudden, it's the end...
A big Thanks to the author for such a great job!
- the tone is awesome, it makes you feel like the characters are absolutely real, flesh and bone, standing right in front of you ;-)
- the plot is stunning - it's impossible to put this book down until the very last word, and it makes you feel sorry and sort of empty that it has ended;
- the nice, quick pace and the unexpected twists of the story will definitely keep you on the edge of your seat;
- it's easy and pleasant to read - you won't even notice you've been turning pages until, all of a sudden, it's the end...
A big Thanks to the author for such a great job!
December 4, 2013
I received this book thru Lovers of Paranormal on GR. For an honest review. I loved this book as every book Travis has written. This book has lots of action, mystery and will make you not want to put the book down. I was hooked from the first chapter. Mike lives with his dad in a trailer and his mother died in child birth he goes to high school and has a semi normal life. He is like every other teenager except he sees visions. Want to know what kind? Travis does amazing work and has characters you'll love along with his plot you won't want to put the book down so if your looking to get caught up in a book check this one out!
August 3, 2016
The Shepherd is Travis Luedke’s first foray into Young Adult fiction. In case you don’t already know this author, his works are usually far more “adult” than “young,” if you know what I mean… If I was tech savvy, this is where I would insert an emoticon waggling its eyebrows suggestively but I’ll be damned if I can figure out how to do that. If you were really lucky I would Google up a GIF for you but since it would take me a minimum of 12 years to figure out how the hell to insert one into this post I'm not asking you to hold your breath.
I read a lot and I’m not ashamed to admit that I’ve been known to read a YA book or two (and to run to the theatres when Katniss or Harry or whoever finally hit the big screen) but I’ve had a run of bad luck lately. Yes, I’ve somehow ended up in a YA rut populated by crappy books churned out by people who think the only way to write this genre is by copying someone else and then talking down to their audience. You know the ones: they saw the success of the Mortal Instruments but couldn’t for the life of them come up with something original so they. just. didn’t. bother. trying. So what happens? Over and over again, the hot girl gets all gooey over the terse, angry boy who constantly pushes her away (while secreting loving her) and somehow all the while she totally overlooks the fact that her cute male best friend is totally in love with her. Throw in more than a few opportunities where the girl is described in minute physical detail right down to the colour of her (insert story-appropriate item of clothing here) and her long, glossy, black hair. (It can’t be red hair or Cassandra Clare might sue.)
…zzz…oh, I’m sorry, I bored myself to sleep there. Anyway, you get the idea.
Well that run of bad luck is over because nowhere in this book did Luedke resort to any of those craptastic cheats. This isn’t a Twilight/Mortal Instruments/Harry Potter/Hunger Games derivative. There’s no talking down and no handholding us through some oh-so-dramatic crisis of the main character’s conscience and/or heart. Luedke’s main character, Mike, is really the teen equivalent of Everyman…aside from the occasional prophetic vision, I mean. Is he the popular football star? No. The slick hipster? No. The dorky yet strangely likeable nerd? No. He’s a 16 year old skater with average grades and only a handful of friends. He’s “just a guy” (a psychic guy) trying to make it through high school without getting his head bashed in while trying to have some fun and maybe even have sex one of these days.
Hmm…now that I mention it, I’m pretty sure I dated Mike back in high school except my version wasn't very psychic or he would have predicted how I would react when he cheated on me.
Even though I was never a skater and I was definitely never a 16 year old guy, I thought Mike was a pretty relatable character. He just wants to be happy but his turncoat best friend, his alcoholic absentee of a father, and the school bully just keep bringing him down. Luckily, he has his friends, his bestie-come-girlfriend Anita, and then Nadia to keep him sane. Nadia is a somewhat mysterious figure for part of the story: I knew what she was (spoiler: she’s a VAMPIRE) but not why she was there or what she was doing and it was nice to have my expectations on those fronts turned on their heads as the story developed.
Just because this isn’t an action-packed, Die Hard-esque book full of explosions, testosterone and death don’t make the mistake of thinking it is boring. I wasn’t bored…far from it. In fact, I think Luedke really hit his stride in this book. Aside from one small thing, Mike’s voice is genuine (he used the word “lithe” to describe Nadia – I had to laugh when I read that because no 16 year old skater is going to use that word…that’s more the province of 40 something erotica authors used to setting church ladies’ panties on fire), the story is interesting as hell and it has a great flow.
This was, I think, more an NA book than a YA one for me (NA that means New Adult, for those of you not familiar with this relatively new term. It's a slightly older demographic). I know, I know, what's a little language and adult and/or sexual situations these days but I still won't be giving this to my 12 year old niece for Christmas because my sister would wear my innards as a scarf if I did. I can easily think of more than a few friends and older nieces and nephews who would enjoy this vampire story with a twist and because I enjoyed it, I'm giving it an enthusiastic thumbs up.
I purchased this book on Amazon.
4.75 out of 5
I read a lot and I’m not ashamed to admit that I’ve been known to read a YA book or two (and to run to the theatres when Katniss or Harry or whoever finally hit the big screen) but I’ve had a run of bad luck lately. Yes, I’ve somehow ended up in a YA rut populated by crappy books churned out by people who think the only way to write this genre is by copying someone else and then talking down to their audience. You know the ones: they saw the success of the Mortal Instruments but couldn’t for the life of them come up with something original so they. just. didn’t. bother. trying. So what happens? Over and over again, the hot girl gets all gooey over the terse, angry boy who constantly pushes her away (while secreting loving her) and somehow all the while she totally overlooks the fact that her cute male best friend is totally in love with her. Throw in more than a few opportunities where the girl is described in minute physical detail right down to the colour of her (insert story-appropriate item of clothing here) and her long, glossy, black hair. (It can’t be red hair or Cassandra Clare might sue.)
…zzz…oh, I’m sorry, I bored myself to sleep there. Anyway, you get the idea.
Well that run of bad luck is over because nowhere in this book did Luedke resort to any of those craptastic cheats. This isn’t a Twilight/Mortal Instruments/Harry Potter/Hunger Games derivative. There’s no talking down and no handholding us through some oh-so-dramatic crisis of the main character’s conscience and/or heart. Luedke’s main character, Mike, is really the teen equivalent of Everyman…aside from the occasional prophetic vision, I mean. Is he the popular football star? No. The slick hipster? No. The dorky yet strangely likeable nerd? No. He’s a 16 year old skater with average grades and only a handful of friends. He’s “just a guy” (a psychic guy) trying to make it through high school without getting his head bashed in while trying to have some fun and maybe even have sex one of these days.
Hmm…now that I mention it, I’m pretty sure I dated Mike back in high school except my version wasn't very psychic or he would have predicted how I would react when he cheated on me.
Even though I was never a skater and I was definitely never a 16 year old guy, I thought Mike was a pretty relatable character. He just wants to be happy but his turncoat best friend, his alcoholic absentee of a father, and the school bully just keep bringing him down. Luckily, he has his friends, his bestie-come-girlfriend Anita, and then Nadia to keep him sane. Nadia is a somewhat mysterious figure for part of the story: I knew what she was (spoiler: she’s a VAMPIRE) but not why she was there or what she was doing and it was nice to have my expectations on those fronts turned on their heads as the story developed.
Just because this isn’t an action-packed, Die Hard-esque book full of explosions, testosterone and death don’t make the mistake of thinking it is boring. I wasn’t bored…far from it. In fact, I think Luedke really hit his stride in this book. Aside from one small thing, Mike’s voice is genuine (he used the word “lithe” to describe Nadia – I had to laugh when I read that because no 16 year old skater is going to use that word…that’s more the province of 40 something erotica authors used to setting church ladies’ panties on fire), the story is interesting as hell and it has a great flow.
This was, I think, more an NA book than a YA one for me (NA that means New Adult, for those of you not familiar with this relatively new term. It's a slightly older demographic). I know, I know, what's a little language and adult and/or sexual situations these days but I still won't be giving this to my 12 year old niece for Christmas because my sister would wear my innards as a scarf if I did. I can easily think of more than a few friends and older nieces and nephews who would enjoy this vampire story with a twist and because I enjoyed it, I'm giving it an enthusiastic thumbs up.
I purchased this book on Amazon.
4.75 out of 5
October 5, 2013
I am pretty sure by now that I know Travis Luedke's writing will never disappoint. This book is a young adult, paranormal, romantic, bizarre and addicting story and I could not put it down. Travis Luedke has a way of capturing my interest and keeping it! From start to finish, I did not know what was going to happen next with this book. It was a crazy adventure and I just wanted more and more. Every twist, every turn and every single thing about this book just kept me intrigued.
Mike Evans has led a semi-normal life, or so it appears. He has great friends and a part time job and everything about him seems so normal. But Mike had those visions. He saw things, things that were going to happen. He didn't know why and he didn't know when but, they always happened.
One day a tragic accident happens and with no one around, he is left to rescue and help the girl in the hoodie. But she won't let him take her to the hospital though he knows she needs serious help. She knows that Mike is the one that can help her. Mike's phone doesn't work and he has no alternative than to load her into his car and drive for help. She insists that she does not need to go to a hospital and he is all the help she will need. So he does what she wants despite knowing that she needs immediate medical attention. He takes her home and tends to her wounds and the next morning she is gone. What? She was in no condition to move, Mike would wonder if he was having a nightmare if it weren't for the bloody bandages and bedding in his room.
That would not be the last Mike sees of her though. But he has no idea why or where she came from. The girl in the hoodie was a great mystery, but Mike didn't seem to mind having the new friend in his life.
And then there is Anita. Anita and Mike have been friends for what seems like forever. She knows everything about him and they have a bond that seems unbreakable. Except that Mike is a guy and they don't see things right away. So even though she is putting out every indication that she is attracted to Mike as more than just friends, he doesn't get it. Once he does, it's game on. Mike realizes that there is so much more to Anita than just a good friend. She is not a model and she is not perfect, but in Mike's eyes, she is perfectly beautiful and now that he finally knows that she is what he wants he is going to make her feel like she is beautiful and the most important woman in his life...
But always lurking in the shadow is his little hooded girl, sneaking into his window at night and falling asleep with him each night. There is soooo much more to her and once Mike figures it out his world seems to collapse around him. Will his visions help save someone or will telling people about them make it worse for everyone involved? Will he be taken seriously or will he be even more ridiculed for letting anyone know? And what happens with his friends, enemies and Anita if they find out?
This book was intense to say the least. It had so many twists, turns and ups and downs. It was hard to tell if Mike was coming or going and what was up with the crazy girl in the hoodie? This book was nothing like I expected, but I knew when I couldn't put it down that it was going to evolve into something great. And it did. It starts off with a kick and just keeps going.
The visions, the crazy in the hoodie, the love and the bonds that keep the characters together is just awesome, despite all of the high school drama and angst! Travis Luedke has written one amazing book here and it was like an instant addiction for me. I couldn't get enough of it. Mike may have seen a lot of it coming but the way it all played out, I never knew what to expect next! The Shepherd is an amazingly well written and well told story in a crazy world. Worth five stars and more!
*I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*
Mike Evans has led a semi-normal life, or so it appears. He has great friends and a part time job and everything about him seems so normal. But Mike had those visions. He saw things, things that were going to happen. He didn't know why and he didn't know when but, they always happened.
One day a tragic accident happens and with no one around, he is left to rescue and help the girl in the hoodie. But she won't let him take her to the hospital though he knows she needs serious help. She knows that Mike is the one that can help her. Mike's phone doesn't work and he has no alternative than to load her into his car and drive for help. She insists that she does not need to go to a hospital and he is all the help she will need. So he does what she wants despite knowing that she needs immediate medical attention. He takes her home and tends to her wounds and the next morning she is gone. What? She was in no condition to move, Mike would wonder if he was having a nightmare if it weren't for the bloody bandages and bedding in his room.
That would not be the last Mike sees of her though. But he has no idea why or where she came from. The girl in the hoodie was a great mystery, but Mike didn't seem to mind having the new friend in his life.
And then there is Anita. Anita and Mike have been friends for what seems like forever. She knows everything about him and they have a bond that seems unbreakable. Except that Mike is a guy and they don't see things right away. So even though she is putting out every indication that she is attracted to Mike as more than just friends, he doesn't get it. Once he does, it's game on. Mike realizes that there is so much more to Anita than just a good friend. She is not a model and she is not perfect, but in Mike's eyes, she is perfectly beautiful and now that he finally knows that she is what he wants he is going to make her feel like she is beautiful and the most important woman in his life...
But always lurking in the shadow is his little hooded girl, sneaking into his window at night and falling asleep with him each night. There is soooo much more to her and once Mike figures it out his world seems to collapse around him. Will his visions help save someone or will telling people about them make it worse for everyone involved? Will he be taken seriously or will he be even more ridiculed for letting anyone know? And what happens with his friends, enemies and Anita if they find out?
This book was intense to say the least. It had so many twists, turns and ups and downs. It was hard to tell if Mike was coming or going and what was up with the crazy girl in the hoodie? This book was nothing like I expected, but I knew when I couldn't put it down that it was going to evolve into something great. And it did. It starts off with a kick and just keeps going.
The visions, the crazy in the hoodie, the love and the bonds that keep the characters together is just awesome, despite all of the high school drama and angst! Travis Luedke has written one amazing book here and it was like an instant addiction for me. I couldn't get enough of it. Mike may have seen a lot of it coming but the way it all played out, I never knew what to expect next! The Shepherd is an amazingly well written and well told story in a crazy world. Worth five stars and more!
*I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*
October 15, 2020
THIS is why I love kids’ books. Young Adult. Whatever. The synopsis for this one caught my attention right away… High school boy, somewhat disenchanted, and altogether normal — except for that whole having visions bit. I half expected a nosedive into the paranormal in a way that wouldn’t do justice to the high school backdrop. Instead, I was completely hooked in just the first chapter.
Mike Evans seems like a perfectly normal teenager living in an entirely realistic world. His mother passed away in childbirth, and his currently unemployed father has a drinking problem, leading to neglect but never quite crossing into abuse. Mike’s just trying to navigate his way through high school, that strange bubble where even the slightest misunderstandings are amplified and the difference between friends and enemies is only a day or two. While many stories might use these things to dial up the angst, we readers instead get a look inside the mind of teenage boy, understanding of his place in life and just accepting it for what it is.
He thinks he’s in love with the unattainable girl, the one who used to be his friend, back when life was simpler, and is now dating his arch enemy. His former best friend has had a sudden personality transplant, all in the name of hanging with the cool kids, and his remaining best friend harbors a quiet devotion Mike is entirely too blind to see. Enter tragic visions of the future and an otherworldly girl, and the story subtly takes a turn into the paranormal, all while never leaving the crazy that is high school far behind.
Natasha/Nadia is an odd one. She appears out of nowhere and brings some much needed relief from reality. The nights they spend talking and cementing a friendship for a while appear to be the one bright spot in an otherwise dreary life. But for all the good she brings him, there’s something…not quite right. She appears suddenly and when he least expects it, she looks like she’s fourteen and yet seems to have no ties to anyone but him, and she’s suspiciously adept at avoiding Mike’s questions.
Anita is Mike’s anchor to the “real” world. She’s his best friend, one of the guys, and throwing hints at him left and right that she wants to be more. Mike, of course, has that little problem known in some circles as testosterone, and it makes him dumb as a box of rocks when it comes to seeing Anita as anything more than a buddy. Anita is refreshingly direct, though, and in a girly, teenage tantrum befitting any high school girl, she just spells it right out for him, figuratively knocking him on his ass while also knocking some sense into his thick boy skull.
Mike’s visions, though, are pretty much useless. His attempts to warn people of mortal trouble before it happens are ignored, if not laughed off, and he knows better than speak up too loudly and sound like a mad man. They do, however, give him better insight into the not-so-normal situation he’s in with the not-so-normal girl who sneaks into his room each night. I’d tell you more, but it would ruin the absolutely brilliant way the author introduces us to the real Nadia. That’s something you’ll want to experience for yourself.
All in all, it’s a healthy dose of the paranormal coupled with the very real dynamic of high school purgatory. I could say I love this book, but that doesn’t come close to the obsessive way I read through it in one night. Luckily, I’m a hell of a speedy reader, since I’m pretty sure if I had called out of work just to read and find out how the story ends, it wouldn’t have gone over very well with my boss. But it sooooo would have been worth it!
Mike Evans seems like a perfectly normal teenager living in an entirely realistic world. His mother passed away in childbirth, and his currently unemployed father has a drinking problem, leading to neglect but never quite crossing into abuse. Mike’s just trying to navigate his way through high school, that strange bubble where even the slightest misunderstandings are amplified and the difference between friends and enemies is only a day or two. While many stories might use these things to dial up the angst, we readers instead get a look inside the mind of teenage boy, understanding of his place in life and just accepting it for what it is.
He thinks he’s in love with the unattainable girl, the one who used to be his friend, back when life was simpler, and is now dating his arch enemy. His former best friend has had a sudden personality transplant, all in the name of hanging with the cool kids, and his remaining best friend harbors a quiet devotion Mike is entirely too blind to see. Enter tragic visions of the future and an otherworldly girl, and the story subtly takes a turn into the paranormal, all while never leaving the crazy that is high school far behind.
Natasha/Nadia is an odd one. She appears out of nowhere and brings some much needed relief from reality. The nights they spend talking and cementing a friendship for a while appear to be the one bright spot in an otherwise dreary life. But for all the good she brings him, there’s something…not quite right. She appears suddenly and when he least expects it, she looks like she’s fourteen and yet seems to have no ties to anyone but him, and she’s suspiciously adept at avoiding Mike’s questions.
Anita is Mike’s anchor to the “real” world. She’s his best friend, one of the guys, and throwing hints at him left and right that she wants to be more. Mike, of course, has that little problem known in some circles as testosterone, and it makes him dumb as a box of rocks when it comes to seeing Anita as anything more than a buddy. Anita is refreshingly direct, though, and in a girly, teenage tantrum befitting any high school girl, she just spells it right out for him, figuratively knocking him on his ass while also knocking some sense into his thick boy skull.
Mike’s visions, though, are pretty much useless. His attempts to warn people of mortal trouble before it happens are ignored, if not laughed off, and he knows better than speak up too loudly and sound like a mad man. They do, however, give him better insight into the not-so-normal situation he’s in with the not-so-normal girl who sneaks into his room each night. I’d tell you more, but it would ruin the absolutely brilliant way the author introduces us to the real Nadia. That’s something you’ll want to experience for yourself.
All in all, it’s a healthy dose of the paranormal coupled with the very real dynamic of high school purgatory. I could say I love this book, but that doesn’t come close to the obsessive way I read through it in one night. Luckily, I’m a hell of a speedy reader, since I’m pretty sure if I had called out of work just to read and find out how the story ends, it wouldn’t have gone over very well with my boss. But it sooooo would have been worth it!
September 28, 2013
Read: Sept 26-28
This was an ARC by the author for an honest review. Well right off the synopsis grabbed my attention. Then there was something about the cover that was compelling.
Mike is a regular normal high-school kid who is a skater. He has a job, crappy car and a dad who is a drunk. They live in a trailer park, but it wasn't always that way. Right off, you can relate to him and his best friends Anita (a fiesty latina) and not so best friend Justin (An incident happens and strains the friendship). Mike takes you along for his experience and you feel like one of his friends. One night while driving home from work Mike almost hits someone on the highway. He stops to avoid hitting her only to see her hit by a passing, speeding vehicle. That's where the story picks up and takes you on an intense, dark, suspenseful ride. The reader becomes intrigued with Nadia at the start and you're trying to figure her out. She and Mike have this instant connection and nothing seems amiss.
Mike's relationship with his friends goes through the typical up and down rollercoaster which he handles in stride. His feelings for his old neighbor never left, Anita's sending clues and signals that he's not picking up, the jocks are being jerks and then there's Justin. In addition to all of this, he has a special gift that he accepts, but has questions about.
Mike's mother isn't in the picture, and the relationship with his father is basically non existent. I can definitely imagine being involved with these characters. They are very well developed and the story never falters, always keeping you guessing. There are some laugh out loud moments, and some very tender moments. One in particular, is when his dad attempts to reach out to him at one point. I really liked the theme of what I got from the story. Family, friendship and love. There's nothing else like it. I definitely recommended checking this one out!
This was an ARC by the author for an honest review. Well right off the synopsis grabbed my attention. Then there was something about the cover that was compelling.
Mike is a regular normal high-school kid who is a skater. He has a job, crappy car and a dad who is a drunk. They live in a trailer park, but it wasn't always that way. Right off, you can relate to him and his best friends Anita (a fiesty latina) and not so best friend Justin (An incident happens and strains the friendship). Mike takes you along for his experience and you feel like one of his friends. One night while driving home from work Mike almost hits someone on the highway. He stops to avoid hitting her only to see her hit by a passing, speeding vehicle. That's where the story picks up and takes you on an intense, dark, suspenseful ride. The reader becomes intrigued with Nadia at the start and you're trying to figure her out. She and Mike have this instant connection and nothing seems amiss.
Mike's relationship with his friends goes through the typical up and down rollercoaster which he handles in stride. His feelings for his old neighbor never left, Anita's sending clues and signals that he's not picking up, the jocks are being jerks and then there's Justin. In addition to all of this, he has a special gift that he accepts, but has questions about.
Mike's mother isn't in the picture, and the relationship with his father is basically non existent. I can definitely imagine being involved with these characters. They are very well developed and the story never falters, always keeping you guessing. There are some laugh out loud moments, and some very tender moments. One in particular, is when his dad attempts to reach out to him at one point. I really liked the theme of what I got from the story. Family, friendship and love. There's nothing else like it. I definitely recommended checking this one out!
October 4, 2013
This book is nothing like any other YA book I've ever read. It's hard to even describe it without giving away half of what happens. While I did like the book a lot I have to admit I did have a hard time finishing it after some surprises that I hadn't expected. I guessed the biggest secret fairly early on in the book... most likely because I'm so familiar with "that type". If anything if you're looking for a little freaky read it's worth the time, hehe.
So by looking at the cover you may think the book is narrated by Nadia but it is actually by Mike. I haven't read many YA books narrated by a male, it's a different perspective that's for sure. Mike is pretty cool. He's a skate-boarder and he has visions of the future. He's clueless once it comes to girls, as most 16 year olds are. He meets Nadia at the beginning of the book. She's just freaky. There's no other description. Then there's Anita, Mike's latina best friend. I loved how the author didn't make her that model-perfect girl. Anita is a great character. Curvy for her age without the best self esteem, she can still tell a person off with the best of them. The rest of them I didn't like, especially Rachelle.
So if you're looking for something different than your usual read and you like the YA genre this one might be for you. Even if you don't usually read YA, you might still like this book... it's not your usual YA book. There's a little romance, paranormal and some mystery too.
**ARC copy provided by Travis Luedke**
http://rainyreviewz.blogspot.com/2013...
So by looking at the cover you may think the book is narrated by Nadia but it is actually by Mike. I haven't read many YA books narrated by a male, it's a different perspective that's for sure. Mike is pretty cool. He's a skate-boarder and he has visions of the future. He's clueless once it comes to girls, as most 16 year olds are. He meets Nadia at the beginning of the book. She's just freaky. There's no other description. Then there's Anita, Mike's latina best friend. I loved how the author didn't make her that model-perfect girl. Anita is a great character. Curvy for her age without the best self esteem, she can still tell a person off with the best of them. The rest of them I didn't like, especially Rachelle.
So if you're looking for something different than your usual read and you like the YA genre this one might be for you. Even if you don't usually read YA, you might still like this book... it's not your usual YA book. There's a little romance, paranormal and some mystery too.
**ARC copy provided by Travis Luedke**
http://rainyreviewz.blogspot.com/2013...
April 7, 2016
I received an ARC copy to give an honest review.
Okay I am giving this book a 4.5 rating. Only because I didn't feel satisfied with some of the answers.
Now there may be spoilers so reader beware.
Story line was different and something I did not see coming. Meaning Nadia was not who I thought she was.
This is more of a teenage story I want to say Young Adult read, because it deals with high-schoolers drama and well that is it.
I enjoyed how Mike ended up standing up for him self after taking so much drama from his fellow classmates. With the Shepherd you are reading the story from a teenage skater boy was a bit different for me.
The characters were written pretty good, and being as I just graduated high school about 8 years ago it reminded me on how high school was. So I know a bit on how Mike was feeling. You have a bit of a mystery within in the book with who Nadia is and what her story is. Being as she stays with Mike and gives him money, weird right?
Now I would have liked more back story with Mike and his mother. Maybe more visions.
And I do not honestly think that with the texting we needed what it really meant like f2f means (face to face). This could have been put into the prologue or before the story started. I do understand why the author gave us the meaning as maybe people wouldn't understand, but now that everything is cell phones and computer I am sure people know.
Another think, the dating scenes between Anita and Mike it seemed a bit rushed. I mean they start dating and bam they want to start having sex. I guess I would have liked for them to actually have dated without the wanting to jump each others bones so quickly.
If you are looking for something that is a bit different then I say get this book. Give it a try.
Okay I am giving this book a 4.5 rating. Only because I didn't feel satisfied with some of the answers.
Now there may be spoilers so reader beware.
Story line was different and something I did not see coming. Meaning Nadia was not who I thought she was.
This is more of a teenage story I want to say Young Adult read, because it deals with high-schoolers drama and well that is it.
I enjoyed how Mike ended up standing up for him self after taking so much drama from his fellow classmates. With the Shepherd you are reading the story from a teenage skater boy was a bit different for me.
The characters were written pretty good, and being as I just graduated high school about 8 years ago it reminded me on how high school was. So I know a bit on how Mike was feeling. You have a bit of a mystery within in the book with who Nadia is and what her story is. Being as she stays with Mike and gives him money, weird right?
Now I would have liked more back story with Mike and his mother. Maybe more visions.
And I do not honestly think that with the texting we needed what it really meant like f2f means (face to face). This could have been put into the prologue or before the story started. I do understand why the author gave us the meaning as maybe people wouldn't understand, but now that everything is cell phones and computer I am sure people know.
Another think, the dating scenes between Anita and Mike it seemed a bit rushed. I mean they start dating and bam they want to start having sex. I guess I would have liked for them to actually have dated without the wanting to jump each others bones so quickly.
If you are looking for something that is a bit different then I say get this book. Give it a try.
September 30, 2013
I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I'm not really into YA but I enjoyed this book. It was fun and full of suspense.
First of all, I love the cover. It gives an aura of young, feminine strength. Although the protagonist is male, Nadia is the stronger character in the novel. And the story kind of revolves around her too.
2nd, I love the writing style. It was in first person and in a journal format. It's so young and trendy I didn't have a hard time with the dialogues. It's also fast-paced and you'll never get bored.
I also like the characters. Mike is a typical teenager who loves rock music and skateboarding. But he's pretty decent compared to the other guys. He works, doesn't drink, and dreams of going to college. He is also pretty admirable as a person. I also like Nadia. She may be cold-hearted when it comes to protecting Mike but she got this honest attitude and cute sense of humor. And then there's Anita. The first time Mike described her I already thought she was hot. I also think she's brilliant and fierce.
Storywise, this is pretty good. It was consistent and intense. I like the plot. The air of mystery surrounding Nadia and Mike kept me glued since the first chapter. I also love the theme of friendship and love. I loved it when Mike's father made efforts to become better for his son. That was really heartwarming. I also liked the friend-to-lover status between Mike and Anita. Their scenes after the status change were hot and sexy.
Overall, this is a book worth reading. I highly recommend this to all YA fans and to people who want some fun, unique read.
I'm not really into YA but I enjoyed this book. It was fun and full of suspense.
First of all, I love the cover. It gives an aura of young, feminine strength. Although the protagonist is male, Nadia is the stronger character in the novel. And the story kind of revolves around her too.
2nd, I love the writing style. It was in first person and in a journal format. It's so young and trendy I didn't have a hard time with the dialogues. It's also fast-paced and you'll never get bored.
I also like the characters. Mike is a typical teenager who loves rock music and skateboarding. But he's pretty decent compared to the other guys. He works, doesn't drink, and dreams of going to college. He is also pretty admirable as a person. I also like Nadia. She may be cold-hearted when it comes to protecting Mike but she got this honest attitude and cute sense of humor. And then there's Anita. The first time Mike described her I already thought she was hot. I also think she's brilliant and fierce.
Storywise, this is pretty good. It was consistent and intense. I like the plot. The air of mystery surrounding Nadia and Mike kept me glued since the first chapter. I also love the theme of friendship and love. I loved it when Mike's father made efforts to become better for his son. That was really heartwarming. I also liked the friend-to-lover status between Mike and Anita. Their scenes after the status change were hot and sexy.
Overall, this is a book worth reading. I highly recommend this to all YA fans and to people who want some fun, unique read.
November 4, 2013
I received a free copy of this book for review purposes from the Lovers of Paranormal group and their RTR program. I must admit this book held my attention until I was three-quarters of the way through it...and that was where it lost me.
The author did a wonderful job of introducing the characters and giving them life. I quickly learned to like Mike and his best friend, Anita. The mystery surrounding Nadia, who or 'what' she was, and her obsession with Mike made for thrilling reading. I kept trying to put the puzzle together by her actions and the scripture at the beginning of the chapters. I was totally baffled and I loved it.
When the answer was revealed, it made no sense in regards to the scripture and I felt the details were not given as much attention as the events leading up to it. The whole aura-thing was strange. The fact that Mike got so upset when he discovered that Nadia was killing his classmates - even to the point of running from her in terror - and then seemingly forgiving her so easily and giving her a hug was unrealistic. I realize this is fiction but when you have a character do a complete 180 in the expanse of a chapter, it comes off as amateurish in my opinion. The book ends with Mike, his dad, Anita, and Nadia all having pizza together like a normal family. Mike's dad has accepted this stranger (Nadia) into their home with no questions or reservations, even though she looks to be fourteen years old.
I enjoyed this book up to a point. I just wish the author had given more thought to the reasons WHY and that the characters' reactions had been more realistic and less like a fairy tale.
The author did a wonderful job of introducing the characters and giving them life. I quickly learned to like Mike and his best friend, Anita. The mystery surrounding Nadia, who or 'what' she was, and her obsession with Mike made for thrilling reading. I kept trying to put the puzzle together by her actions and the scripture at the beginning of the chapters. I was totally baffled and I loved it.
When the answer was revealed, it made no sense in regards to the scripture and I felt the details were not given as much attention as the events leading up to it. The whole aura-thing was strange. The fact that Mike got so upset when he discovered that Nadia was killing his classmates - even to the point of running from her in terror - and then seemingly forgiving her so easily and giving her a hug was unrealistic. I realize this is fiction but when you have a character do a complete 180 in the expanse of a chapter, it comes off as amateurish in my opinion. The book ends with Mike, his dad, Anita, and Nadia all having pizza together like a normal family. Mike's dad has accepted this stranger (Nadia) into their home with no questions or reservations, even though she looks to be fourteen years old.
I enjoyed this book up to a point. I just wish the author had given more thought to the reasons WHY and that the characters' reactions had been more realistic and less like a fairy tale.
September 28, 2013
The Shepherd by T.W. Luedke
Mark Evans describes himself as a typical skate boarder except for his visions that show him things that are going to happen in the future or the past. He has his best friend Anita and she is suddenly acting different and he is realizing that she’s kind of pretty. Then along comes the kid on the road, Nadia. She looks like 14 but sure seems a lot older and why does she only show up at night. Mark’s life is certainly normal for him but all of a sudden enter Nadia and things start to change up. His old girl crush is going out with the buddy of his old friend and face it the guy is just a jerk, and well his best friend Anita is looking really good and he is thinking more about her being a girl than his best buddy. Mark Evans works for a local farmer and face it with Dad drinking more than he makes times are tough. Nadia’s turning up brings in some money and he has no idea where the kid gets it but it really comes in handy. Now if he can just figure out how to stay away from the jerk and the old girl friend and figure out how to work things out with Anita things could be cool, except what Nadia shares with him throws everything about reality out the window and it is only a matter of time before it all hits the fan…
You have to read this to find out how Mark gets it all worked out between his now best friend turned girl friend, the police, and Nadia. Yea, you are going to want to know all about Nadia. A five star read that I could not put down.
Bella Doerres M. Ed. 9/27/13
Mark Evans describes himself as a typical skate boarder except for his visions that show him things that are going to happen in the future or the past. He has his best friend Anita and she is suddenly acting different and he is realizing that she’s kind of pretty. Then along comes the kid on the road, Nadia. She looks like 14 but sure seems a lot older and why does she only show up at night. Mark’s life is certainly normal for him but all of a sudden enter Nadia and things start to change up. His old girl crush is going out with the buddy of his old friend and face it the guy is just a jerk, and well his best friend Anita is looking really good and he is thinking more about her being a girl than his best buddy. Mark Evans works for a local farmer and face it with Dad drinking more than he makes times are tough. Nadia’s turning up brings in some money and he has no idea where the kid gets it but it really comes in handy. Now if he can just figure out how to stay away from the jerk and the old girl friend and figure out how to work things out with Anita things could be cool, except what Nadia shares with him throws everything about reality out the window and it is only a matter of time before it all hits the fan…
You have to read this to find out how Mark gets it all worked out between his now best friend turned girl friend, the police, and Nadia. Yea, you are going to want to know all about Nadia. A five star read that I could not put down.
Bella Doerres M. Ed. 9/27/13
October 3, 2013
This book was definitely different from any other book I've read. That said it was a really great book that I enjoyed getting to read.
Michael was like any other sixteen year old boy. A really stand out guy who loved roller skating and hanging out with his friends. He was really sweet and had an amazingly big heart. That is until you discover his secret, it makes him not so ordinary. He has an amazing best friend, Anita. She is just wonderful. I love that she is always looking out for him and standing up for him. I loved her. Then he meets the mysterious Nadia. She changes his life in so many ways and most of them are for the better. she was absolutely remarkable. I loved her as well.
Nadia was such a sweet girl and seemed to be very taken with Michael. But they're is something extremely different and strange about her. She is always disappearing on him and reappearing. This was one of the main things in this book that kept me reading and intrigued. I was wanting to see where it all went and figure out her secret. It was my main goal in reading the book, to know who she was and what she was hiding. Trust me when I say that when I figured it all out I was blown away. This was because I didn't figure it all out until the end of the book, I actually didn't see any of it coming.
So if you enjoy a really suspenseful book and Paranormal at that, You definitely need to check out this book. I highly recommend it to anyone that loves Paranormal books. :) There is a lot of twist and turns that will just blow you away.
*ARC Received from Author for a Honest Review :)
Michael was like any other sixteen year old boy. A really stand out guy who loved roller skating and hanging out with his friends. He was really sweet and had an amazingly big heart. That is until you discover his secret, it makes him not so ordinary. He has an amazing best friend, Anita. She is just wonderful. I love that she is always looking out for him and standing up for him. I loved her. Then he meets the mysterious Nadia. She changes his life in so many ways and most of them are for the better. she was absolutely remarkable. I loved her as well.
Nadia was such a sweet girl and seemed to be very taken with Michael. But they're is something extremely different and strange about her. She is always disappearing on him and reappearing. This was one of the main things in this book that kept me reading and intrigued. I was wanting to see where it all went and figure out her secret. It was my main goal in reading the book, to know who she was and what she was hiding. Trust me when I say that when I figured it all out I was blown away. This was because I didn't figure it all out until the end of the book, I actually didn't see any of it coming.
So if you enjoy a really suspenseful book and Paranormal at that, You definitely need to check out this book. I highly recommend it to anyone that loves Paranormal books. :) There is a lot of twist and turns that will just blow you away.
*ARC Received from Author for a Honest Review :)
August 20, 2016
I vetted this book before offering it to my teenage daughter to read. It’s definitely for the older teenager, but The Shepherd has a young voice and portrays a real understanding of life for a teen in the modern world. It’s also a gripping paranormal story in a popular genre for Young Adults.
But beware, the author doesn’t hold back, this book walks a fine line of young love, and there is plenty of graphic horror, but (in my opinion) no worse than can be found in many a 15+ film.
The gem in this story is Mike. This young man makes compelling reading. He has a strong moral compass and yet he gets so many things wrong! Like girls; relationships with his friends; and understanding Nadia, the strange girl/waif that has wandered into his life. Watching him weave a chaotic path through the disasters befalling him, , is totally absorbing.
I found my daughter reading The Shepherd late into the night. She wants to know when Mr T.W. Luedke's next book will be out. She tells me it wasn’t so much the genre or the story that held her attention, it was the way the story was written. She just had to know what came next.
So I believe teenagers will love it. But do yourself a favour and read The Shepherd first! It's too good to miss.
But beware, the author doesn’t hold back, this book walks a fine line of young love, and there is plenty of graphic horror, but (in my opinion) no worse than can be found in many a 15+ film.
The gem in this story is Mike. This young man makes compelling reading. He has a strong moral compass and yet he gets so many things wrong! Like girls; relationships with his friends; and understanding Nadia, the strange girl/waif that has wandered into his life. Watching him weave a chaotic path through the disasters befalling him, , is totally absorbing.
I found my daughter reading The Shepherd late into the night. She wants to know when Mr T.W. Luedke's next book will be out. She tells me it wasn’t so much the genre or the story that held her attention, it was the way the story was written. She just had to know what came next.
So I believe teenagers will love it. But do yourself a favour and read The Shepherd first! It's too good to miss.
January 6, 2014
This was an exciting story featuring a believable male teen protagonist, and a freaky, scary vampire. I started one evening, and the first time I looked up, it was way past my bedtime, and I only had 1/4 of the book left. I couldn’t guess how the story would be wrapped up before the book ended, but I really wanted to see what happened.
Never fear, the ending was both complete and satisfying. I did want a bit more story, but that’s mainly because I wasn’t ready to let the characters go. I want more of Mike and his lovable narration. I want more Anita and her budding self-confidence and sexuality. I even want more of scary little psychotic Nadia.
The characters were definitely the highlight of the story. Each of them is a complete and unique personality, and they all talked and acted like believable people. Maybe not Nadia, but that’s only because I have no personal reference for murderous teen vampire behaviour. And with her as a reference, I really don’t want to meet any.
Overall, this was a great read. The cover doesn’t even begin to convey the awesomeness within the pages. If you’re looking for a realistic teen romance told from a likable male POV, with a touch of crazy vampire added in, this is the book for you.
As a last note, I love that the author added himself to the story as a best selling author in a casual reference. Humourous and confident, it fit within the story seamlessly.
Never fear, the ending was both complete and satisfying. I did want a bit more story, but that’s mainly because I wasn’t ready to let the characters go. I want more of Mike and his lovable narration. I want more Anita and her budding self-confidence and sexuality. I even want more of scary little psychotic Nadia.
The characters were definitely the highlight of the story. Each of them is a complete and unique personality, and they all talked and acted like believable people. Maybe not Nadia, but that’s only because I have no personal reference for murderous teen vampire behaviour. And with her as a reference, I really don’t want to meet any.
Overall, this was a great read. The cover doesn’t even begin to convey the awesomeness within the pages. If you’re looking for a realistic teen romance told from a likable male POV, with a touch of crazy vampire added in, this is the book for you.
As a last note, I love that the author added himself to the story as a best selling author in a casual reference. Humourous and confident, it fit within the story seamlessly.
December 19, 2013
I have to start off by saying I can't remember the last time I enjoyed reading a YA novel so much. In fact, this is probably the first one I've read in a long time that I didn't give up on halfway through reading it. This book threw me back into the emotions of being a teenager and growing up.
One of the best things about this story is that it's written in a teenage boy's first person POV. Mike Evans is a brilliant teenager, someone you'd love to have as a nephew or even a son. He is very likeable and easy to empathise with. Don't get me wrong, his life isn't perfect. He's a skate punk, who lives in a trailer park. His mother is dead and his father is a drunk. His best friend, Anita, had to get in his face before he realised she had a thing for him.
Between the unrequited love and teenage romance, there's the jocks vs skaters rivalry to deal with as well as visions of people dying that Mike can't seem to stop.
This story had me on the edge of my seat and I couldn't put it down till the end. Early on in the story I figured out the twist with Nadia but there were still some others that caught me by surprise.
All-in-all, I loved this book. I think more so because the paranormal element was understated and it kept the suspense going. If you enjoy YA and / or paranormal novels, got and pick up a copy of this book.
4.5 Lovebites
One of the best things about this story is that it's written in a teenage boy's first person POV. Mike Evans is a brilliant teenager, someone you'd love to have as a nephew or even a son. He is very likeable and easy to empathise with. Don't get me wrong, his life isn't perfect. He's a skate punk, who lives in a trailer park. His mother is dead and his father is a drunk. His best friend, Anita, had to get in his face before he realised she had a thing for him.
Between the unrequited love and teenage romance, there's the jocks vs skaters rivalry to deal with as well as visions of people dying that Mike can't seem to stop.
This story had me on the edge of my seat and I couldn't put it down till the end. Early on in the story I figured out the twist with Nadia but there were still some others that caught me by surprise.
All-in-all, I loved this book. I think more so because the paranormal element was understated and it kept the suspense going. If you enjoy YA and / or paranormal novels, got and pick up a copy of this book.
4.5 Lovebites
December 16, 2013
I received a free copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. Mike Evans is almost a typical teenager, I say typical because not only does he live with the guilt of his mother dying giving birth to him, but he has also inherited her visions. He's a skateboarder with very few friends. Then one day after posting his friend's McDonald's escapade on Facebook, his world is turned upside down. He then meets Nadia, a beautiful, homeless younger teenage girl, who seems to be drawn Mike. As he tries to get the bullies to leave him alone he begins to have troubling visions of people getting hurt. Will they heed his warnings before it's too late? How will Mike react when he finds out the truth about Nadia? Will anyone even believe him?
This was an awesome paranormal thriller. You can easily relate to Anita and how she sees herself. Being a teenager is difficult as it is, but to have a bad self image and also a huge crush on your best friend is quite a bit to handle. Nadia, I couldn't get my head around at first, because she was a homeless teen that seemed to pop up everywhere Mike went. When you find out the truth it'll certainly surprise you! Everything about this book was plausible and it made a great story that held me captivated from beginning to end.
This was an awesome paranormal thriller. You can easily relate to Anita and how she sees herself. Being a teenager is difficult as it is, but to have a bad self image and also a huge crush on your best friend is quite a bit to handle. Nadia, I couldn't get my head around at first, because she was a homeless teen that seemed to pop up everywhere Mike went. When you find out the truth it'll certainly surprise you! Everything about this book was plausible and it made a great story that held me captivated from beginning to end.
October 1, 2013
This was an ARC by the author for an honest review. The summary immediately grabbed my attention, and I knew I had to read it.
I loved it, Mike is your typical sixteen year old boy. He skates, has his friends, and the people he likes to hang out with the most. Then he meets Nadia, right off the bat you know there's something not quite right about her but you can't seem to place it.
She stays the night, leaves him money, and shoplifts. She's never around his friends, and filters in and out when you least expect it.
Mike's had a hard life, his dad is an alcoholic, he's mom passed away. No one really watches over him, he takes care of himself. Until Nadia....
Nadia wants to take care of him, she never wants any harm to come to him. Nadia loves Anita, Mike's girlfriend, but hates his ex-girlfriend. It's almost a love triangle of epic proportions or so you think....Travis blew me away with this book, I never saw what was coming.
Amazing, I loved Mike, Mike and Anita. The characters that I didn't feel could redeem themselves did in ways I never thought possible. I loved the ending and so not what I thought would happen. I love the element of surprise.
I loved it, Mike is your typical sixteen year old boy. He skates, has his friends, and the people he likes to hang out with the most. Then he meets Nadia, right off the bat you know there's something not quite right about her but you can't seem to place it.
She stays the night, leaves him money, and shoplifts. She's never around his friends, and filters in and out when you least expect it.
Mike's had a hard life, his dad is an alcoholic, he's mom passed away. No one really watches over him, he takes care of himself. Until Nadia....
Nadia wants to take care of him, she never wants any harm to come to him. Nadia loves Anita, Mike's girlfriend, but hates his ex-girlfriend. It's almost a love triangle of epic proportions or so you think....Travis blew me away with this book, I never saw what was coming.
Amazing, I loved Mike, Mike and Anita. The characters that I didn't feel could redeem themselves did in ways I never thought possible. I loved the ending and so not what I thought would happen. I love the element of surprise.
October 2, 2013
This is a must read... Mike Evans is a 16 year skater kid in high school. He lives in a trailer park with his dad who drinks way it much. He doesn't have many friends. Works on a farm. You would say a typical teenager... Until the night he meet Nadia the young 14 year old whose life is full of secrets. Who is she?
Mike also has a best friend Anita who is beautiful and sometimes mouthy. Then he noticed her in another way could she make him happy?
Mike Evans had something else that no one understood he had visions. Visions of the future. Yes mike had classmates who did not like him like the one who use to be his best friend justin. Mike knows he should give warnings but no one will believe him they never do. They hadn't before. Things had happened he had predicted.
Only one person knows what really happens in mikes life but who? What is Nadia? does she have a story? Guess you will have to read the book. ;) I could not put the book down. It's well written. Thank you Travis Leudke.
Mike also has a best friend Anita who is beautiful and sometimes mouthy. Then he noticed her in another way could she make him happy?
Mike Evans had something else that no one understood he had visions. Visions of the future. Yes mike had classmates who did not like him like the one who use to be his best friend justin. Mike knows he should give warnings but no one will believe him they never do. They hadn't before. Things had happened he had predicted.
Only one person knows what really happens in mikes life but who? What is Nadia? does she have a story? Guess you will have to read the book. ;) I could not put the book down. It's well written. Thank you Travis Leudke.
September 29, 2013
I recieved an ARC from the author for an honest review. I was hooked from the synopsis. Mike is a sixteen year old boy who enjoys stakeboarding with visions of the future. One day driving home from work almost hits a strange girl named Nadia who becomes a big part of his life. Nadia is this mysterious fourteen year old who just shows up out of nowhere throughout the read, never really giving Mike any straight answers. Just this alone holds you captive but the there's Mike best friend Anita who has secretly been in love with him for years. Mike and Anita draw you in making the reader feel like part of the gang. Anita is one of those best friends everyone wishes they had a spitfire who keeps you laughing. This read is full of suspense and even a murder keeping you on the edge with what will happen next. This is a must read about the love of family even if they're not blood and what sacrifice truly means.
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