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On the Edge #2
Light of Day
The danger of night can bleed into day.
Like any other Saturday night, Gabby Perez and her best friend, Maria, are out dancing. But this isn’t just another night. When a mysterious stranger warns Gabby their drinks have been drugged, she hurries Maria home. Sure enough, the next day, Maria can’t remember a thing. Gabby’s shaken by their close call. And she’s not going to stay quiet about it.
She opens up on her radio show and discovers an even worse truth: the guy who drugged them was going to force them into prostitution. Then Gabby’s friend Bree never makes it home from a party, and Gabby fears the worst.
Gabby reaches out to the guy who saved her, the gorgeous stranger she knows only as X. As they dive into the seedy underworld of Miami, searching for Bree, they can’t ignore their undeniable attraction. Until Gabby discovers the truth about who X really is and the danger that surrounds him. Can their love survive the light of day?
Like any other Saturday night, Gabby Perez and her best friend, Maria, are out dancing. But this isn’t just another night. When a mysterious stranger warns Gabby their drinks have been drugged, she hurries Maria home. Sure enough, the next day, Maria can’t remember a thing. Gabby’s shaken by their close call. And she’s not going to stay quiet about it.
She opens up on her radio show and discovers an even worse truth: the guy who drugged them was going to force them into prostitution. Then Gabby’s friend Bree never makes it home from a party, and Gabby fears the worst.
Gabby reaches out to the guy who saved her, the gorgeous stranger she knows only as X. As they dive into the seedy underworld of Miami, searching for Bree, they can’t ignore their undeniable attraction. Until Gabby discovers the truth about who X really is and the danger that surrounds him. Can their love survive the light of day?
320 pages, Hardcover
First published November 24, 2015
17 people are currently reading
1005 people want to read
About the author
Allison van Diepen
10 books952 followersAllison van Diepen is the author of many teen novels, including Takedown, Street Pharm, Snitch, Raven, The Oracle of Dating, The Oracle Rebounds, and The Vampire Stalker. Her novels have been named ALA Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers and New York City Public Library Books for the Teen Age.
Her latest is the heart-pounding ON THE EDGE series set in Miami. ON THE EDGE and LIGHT OF DAY are in stores now. The final installment is RUN THE RISK, due out in early 2017.
Her latest is the heart-pounding ON THE EDGE series set in Miami. ON THE EDGE and LIGHT OF DAY are in stores now. The final installment is RUN THE RISK, due out in early 2017.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
November 23, 2015
(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to HarperCollins and Edelweiss.)
“Of course he was high. That’s what this kiss was about. And yet I couldn’t stop.”
This was an okay YA contemporary story, but it dragged a bit for me.
Gabby seemed to be looking for trouble in this book, trying to turn pimps in to the police does not sound like a good way to stay safe, and she really did keep pushing the limits and feeling invincible, which was more than a little worrying.
The storyline in this was mainly about a missing girl, who was in fact alive and hanging out with a pimp. Gabby took it upon herself to try and rescue this girl (Bree), with a bit of help from her mystery crush ‘X’, and even felt the need to air all this on local radio, which again, was a bit worrying.
There was some romance in this between Gabby and ‘X’, although this wasn’t the main focus of the story, and there weren’t many romantic scenes between the pair.
The ending to this was okay, and things seemed to work out happier than expected.
6 out of 10
“Of course he was high. That’s what this kiss was about. And yet I couldn’t stop.”
This was an okay YA contemporary story, but it dragged a bit for me.
Gabby seemed to be looking for trouble in this book, trying to turn pimps in to the police does not sound like a good way to stay safe, and she really did keep pushing the limits and feeling invincible, which was more than a little worrying.
The storyline in this was mainly about a missing girl, who was in fact alive and hanging out with a pimp. Gabby took it upon herself to try and rescue this girl (Bree), with a bit of help from her mystery crush ‘X’, and even felt the need to air all this on local radio, which again, was a bit worrying.
There was some romance in this between Gabby and ‘X’, although this wasn’t the main focus of the story, and there weren’t many romantic scenes between the pair.
The ending to this was okay, and things seemed to work out happier than expected.
6 out of 10
July 26, 2015
'“You’re a sweetheart.”
It’s because I love you. I would never say it out loud, of course. But even if I did, he was probably too drugged up to remember it tomorrow. I sat down beside him. “I’m sorry you got hurt. It’s my fault. I’m the one who wanted us to find Bree.” I was trying to hold back tears, but doing a terrible job of it.
“Shhh, don’t cry. It’s not your fault. Come here.”
He guided my face to his and kissed me. Maybe he meant to soothe me, to comfort me. But the slow kiss was agony, and soon spiraled out of control.
(...)I had no intention of moving out of his arms. This was probably the last time I’d be so close to him, and I would savor every minute of it. I laid my head against his chest, lulled by the steady beat of his heart.'
December 2, 2015
This was an interesting story and an interesting concept. It basically follows Gabby an aspiring DJ, who is saved from being drugged at the club by a mysterious handsome stranger named 'X' and somehow gets tangled up into a darker world of girls getting kidnapped, pimps and sex trafficking.
The story was a quick read for me. I think in a way the author was trying to spread awareness about this issue that's so big in this world right now, I just felt as far as the story went, it was a bit unrealistic. Entertaining, but unrealistic.
For me, all the steps that Gabby took felt dangerous and if this was taken by a girl her age in the real world, the girl would be long dead and probably would have hurt a lot of girls in the process for being so reckless. As nice and cleaned up the ending came out, there aren't a lot of happy endings for a lot of the girls going through this.
In the book, Gabby was trying to find and rescue a girl from her school named Bree, so she uses the radio to spread awareness and is forward about the pimps and actually mentions the name once or twice. Somehow everything works out for Gabby, no one she cares about get's hurt, only the bad guys. Unfortunately, this is not how it works. If anyone did what Gabby had done, it would never turn out the way it did.
Are there people out there like 'X' looking and rescuing the girls that are kidnapped and forced into the sex trade? I don't know. I did not do a lot of research on that. I do know that sex trafficking numbers are high, that most of these girls never get a happy ending because they are never found, and if someone in real life announced the pimp's name on the radio - the pimp would probably have disappeared into the night with these girls.
In truth the statistics are real and frightening. I wish the story was handled better, but nonetheless, it was entertaining and I am sort of glad that someone took a bold step to write about this. I just wish the actions of the main character wasn't so reckless, uninformed and dangerous. Even the messy situation that she gets herself into in the end, she somehow comes out unscratched.
I gave the author 3 brownie points for at least trying.
The Statistics behind sex trafficking from http://www.equalitynow.org:
At least 20.9 million adults and children are bought and sold worldwide into commercial sexual servitude, forced labor and bonded labor.2
About 2 million children are exploited every year in the global commercial sex trade.3
Almost 6 in 10 identified trafficking survivors were trafficked for sexual exploitation.4
Women and girls make up 98% of victims of trafficking for sexual exploitation.5
This review was originally posted on Night Owl Book Café
November 14, 2015
Review also found at http://kristineandterri.blogspot.ca/2...
**I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher HarperTeen via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. The expected publication date is November 24th 2015**
I know I am going to struggle with penning my thoughts on this book. This was a YA book that I really enjoyed even though I am a couple of year (cough cough) beyond the age demographic that this is aimed for.
This is also a second book that covers the "Destinos". I did not know this until the end when there was an indication that there was a whole story that happened before this one. The good news is that it does not impact this story at all other than making me want to go back and read the other story.
I don't know what it is about the slightly dangerous, aloof and attractive male characters that draw me in. This story had that with X. To add that he was a genuinely caring guy with a cause added to the attraction. The romance between Gabby and X drew me in from the very beginning.
To add that Gabby was a strong female character as well. To say what is on her mind at all times and pour her heart out over the radio made me like her instantly. Together the couple was a hit.
I will leave the plot details to those who choose to read this story. I did not know what I was getting in to when I started this book and I believe that is part of what made me enjoy it so much.
I give this story two thumbs up and I strongly recommend it to the YA demographic, and those outside of it as well. I will be purchasing the other story I enjoyed this so much.
**I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher HarperTeen via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. The expected publication date is November 24th 2015**
I know I am going to struggle with penning my thoughts on this book. This was a YA book that I really enjoyed even though I am a couple of year (cough cough) beyond the age demographic that this is aimed for.
This is also a second book that covers the "Destinos". I did not know this until the end when there was an indication that there was a whole story that happened before this one. The good news is that it does not impact this story at all other than making me want to go back and read the other story.
I don't know what it is about the slightly dangerous, aloof and attractive male characters that draw me in. This story had that with X. To add that he was a genuinely caring guy with a cause added to the attraction. The romance between Gabby and X drew me in from the very beginning.
To add that Gabby was a strong female character as well. To say what is on her mind at all times and pour her heart out over the radio made me like her instantly. Together the couple was a hit.
I will leave the plot details to those who choose to read this story. I did not know what I was getting in to when I started this book and I believe that is part of what made me enjoy it so much.
I give this story two thumbs up and I strongly recommend it to the YA demographic, and those outside of it as well. I will be purchasing the other story I enjoyed this so much.
October 6, 2015
Meh.....
September 10, 2015
My thanks to HarperTeen
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Point of View: Single (Gabby)
Writing: First Person | Past Tense
Setting: Miami
Genre: Young Adult | Contemporary
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Another wonderful book about gang, drugs and sex trafficking by Allison van Diepen that I absolutely enjoyed. Since I read another book by her based on the same topic, it didn't surprise when I ended up liking the heck out of it just as much as I did when I read On the Edge.
While this book wasn't exactly the sequel of On the Edge, I loved that some previous characters reappeared. Manny, for instance, still got the charm and humor that made me love him. There were other new characters that definitely were great addition to the story. Rory, Alistair and the Paranormal twins brightened up the mood of the book and added just the right amount of humor and weirdness to the storyline. I loved whenever they had their zombie apocalypse club meeting. It never ceased to amuse me with how seriously they were about the whole thing.
Compared to Maddie, the heroine in On the Edge, Gabby was a so much better character. Taking in to account how she responded when facing danger, Gabby was tough and pretty frigging brave. I liked the scenes when she did the radio show too, but sometimes, it was a tad too over the top. Still, overall, she was undoubtedly awesome.
On top of that I seriously loved the twist. It took me by surprise because I was totally blindsided and didn't pay attention on all the clues the author kept dropping along the way. It was amazing that the story went a totally different way from what I expected, making everything so much better and much more interesting.
Needless to say, I enjoyed the romance in this book as well. It was more believable as it wasn't all too overly sweet and cheesy.
In short, I thought this book was a great read with the right balance on serious topic and a not-so-serious topic. The characters were well developed and the story contained a surprisingly fascinating twist.
December 10, 2015
I’ll be honest, I enjoyed this story a lot more than I was expecting too. I read the first book in the series, On the Edge and I did not like it. I decided to give Light of Day a chance because the synopsis intrigued me and I was not disappointed! It was also a quick read, which I always like.
I loved X. He was so mysterious and original. He was the leader of a gang and he literally had a heart of gold. I loved what he and his gang were trying to accomplish. I really liked X and Gabby together. She was fun, a bit reckless, but also strong. He was more of the strong and silent type, but they fit nicely together.
Overall, I really enjoyed this story and I would recommend it!
I loved X. He was so mysterious and original. He was the leader of a gang and he literally had a heart of gold. I loved what he and his gang were trying to accomplish. I really liked X and Gabby together. She was fun, a bit reckless, but also strong. He was more of the strong and silent type, but they fit nicely together.
Overall, I really enjoyed this story and I would recommend it!
March 21, 2016
This book was a disappointment for me and I'm beyond sad right now.
If you read my review of On the Edge, you will remember that I absolutely loved it and it was even in my "2015 favorites" list. When I learned that there would be a spin-off/sequel and my babies from the previous book would be present, I was ecstatic. I couldn't be happier, you get me?
But this book, naah... I mean, I should have known I would not like it because the jacket material was different than the first book's and I didn't like the cover models at all. Joking, heh, of course I would not judge this book by its cover.
It started off fine with the descriptions of the characters, their backgrounds and all the other usual things.
However, I couldn't get used to Gabby as the main character. She was... very reckless. I got how she hated her relationship with her family yet she did absolutely nothing to explain her actions to her parents which would have been very helpful. It was as if she didn't want her relationship with them to be good.
I also didn't like the whole relationship of hers with X. It looked very forced, there was no chemistry whatsoever and I think they don't even know each other that well. Gabby is just confusing lust with love, imo *rolls eyes*. They are incompatible. I couldn't find the passion nor the love I found in On the Edge.
Still, there were some cute and steamy moments between them and I am not complaining, at least they were, like, the charms of the book.
One last thing, the events were very off. They didn't have the emotion On the Edge had. And they didn't have a proper closure. It was like the author talked about the climax of the event and skipped to the next chapter before the "resolution".
Probably the only good thing about this books was that it wasn't boring. I was able to finish this book in two days, however, it would have been shorter if it weren't for my trip to Luxembourg.
I was going to give this book only one star but at least I was able to see my babies, Lobo and Maddie again. The second star is for their sake.
So no, I wouldn't recommend this book, unless you have some super huge faith in van Diepen.
If you read my review of On the Edge, you will remember that I absolutely loved it and it was even in my "2015 favorites" list. When I learned that there would be a spin-off/sequel and my babies from the previous book would be present, I was ecstatic. I couldn't be happier, you get me?
But this book, naah... I mean, I should have known I would not like it because the jacket material was different than the first book's and I didn't like the cover models at all. Joking, heh, of course I would not judge this book by its cover.
It started off fine with the descriptions of the characters, their backgrounds and all the other usual things.
However, I couldn't get used to Gabby as the main character. She was... very reckless. I got how she hated her relationship with her family yet she did absolutely nothing to explain her actions to her parents which would have been very helpful. It was as if she didn't want her relationship with them to be good.
I also didn't like the whole relationship of hers with X. It looked very forced, there was no chemistry whatsoever and I think they don't even know each other that well. Gabby is just confusing lust with love, imo *rolls eyes*. They are incompatible. I couldn't find the passion nor the love I found in On the Edge.
Still, there were some cute and steamy moments between them and I am not complaining, at least they were, like, the charms of the book.
"Who knew a crush could actually be painful? Maybe that's why it's called a crush."
One last thing, the events were very off. They didn't have the emotion On the Edge had. And they didn't have a proper closure. It was like the author talked about the climax of the event and skipped to the next chapter before the "resolution".
Probably the only good thing about this books was that it wasn't boring. I was able to finish this book in two days, however, it would have been shorter if it weren't for my trip to Luxembourg.
"There are a lot of people who get screwed up but are worth saving."
I was going to give this book only one star but at least I was able to see my babies, Lobo and Maddie again. The second star is for their sake.
So no, I wouldn't recommend this book, unless you have some super huge faith in van Diepen.
June 20, 2015
Gabby is an aspiring DJ who has had to find a new social group after breaking up with her long time boyfriend. One night at a club she meets a mysterious guy named X who warns her about the dangers of Miami street life. Gabby is intrigued by X and after one of her classmates goes missing she contacts X to enlist his help in finding the missing girl, Bree. At first Gabby thinks X is an undercover cop but it turns out he is the leader of a street gang who save teen girls from street pimps. Upon finding out this information, Gabby is conflicted, she likes X but is wary of who he says he is. The novel then progresses on two tracks, Gabby trying to integrate X into her life and Gabby & X trying to find Bree.
November 29, 2015
If you are looking for a breezy plane read or have to fill your library with appealing books for reluctant readers – this book is the perfect selection to make. Read the rest of my review here
Goes live January 2016
Goes live January 2016
July 25, 2016
Found bits of this storyline unbelievable but it was a quick, easy, fast paced read.
October 2, 2015
Awesome book, really enjoyed having X's story, and his real name, and Gabbie! Really great story! And I wouldn't mind more Destino boy's stories!
Read
August 10, 2015Really enjoyed reading this book. Look for full review closer to November.
Read
December 29, 2015Some books and I hit it off, and some books and I just aren't meant to be.
December 31, 2021
This was a pretty quick read. Gabby is at a club with a friend when their drinks are drugged. She is informed about this by a mystery man named X. She gets pulled into the world of sex trafficking and gangs. Gabbys friend Bree goes missing and she ends up being with a pimp. Gabby seems very juvenile and everything works out for her in the end. In real life, the situations she put herself into are very dangerous. This book felt like it was aimed towards a younger crowd were everything ends with a happily ever after.
May 16, 2017
Gabby and her friend are saved by a mysterious stranger when someone tries to put drugs in her friend's drink. Turns out that there are bad people who are kidnapping attractive girls and turning them into prostitutes. Gabby finds out more about Mister X, and ends up falling in love, even though they are from different worlds. This is a classic romantic suspense book; lots of action and suspense surrounded by an aura of love and angst. Teen girls and their moms will eat it up.
October 12, 2017
Ok so I read the first book loved it,read this loved it too now I'm quarter of the way through the third and am enjoying it as well.All the characters are different in each book,but each book has a different tale and each gritty and hardcore and end in a twisty love story.Each book is so well written and so gripping and edgy I just love each book.I never can wait for the next.
August 23, 2024
I finished this book in the matter of hours. Once I started I could not stop. This book is the whole package. I am utterly speechless and I cried when the book ended because I did not want it to be done. This book is spicy, thrilling, mysterious, and has an incredible love story. This book is definitely top tier and I recommend it to everyone!!
January 16, 2018
I liked this book more than I liked the first one in the series, On The Edge. Although, I didn't find the fact that Gabby and X fell in love so quickly realistic. If the book would've been a little longer, so that they could learn more about each other would probably make it better.
July 12, 2020
This book was a fast-paced story that finally got me out of my reading slump!
January 29, 2022
It was ok but I wasn’t the biggest fan of Gabbie. I really liked x though
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 25, 2023
Great quick read, fast paced story. For representations sake I wish the characters on the cover matched the main characters descriptions but...
May 14, 2020
This is about a girl that fell in love with a boy that saved her at the club; from drinking a drugged drink. And she has a friend that ends up going missing for part of the book. I like this book alot I highly recommend reading this if you like mystery & romance. This book had a major plot twist that I wasn't expecting, and you will like it. Last the=is book overall a 10/10 since it was so interesting.
August 21, 2017
Gabby and her friend are out dancing at a club when some mysterious guy warns her that both her drink and her friends have been tampered with and the guy they are talking to is not up to any good. Gabby is able to get her friend away and stay safe, but when she talks about what happened on her radio show the mysterious guy shows up and says its too dangerous to talk about that. His name is X and soon Gabby needs his help finding one of her old friends who has gone missing.
October 11, 2015
3.5 Stars
Huge thank you to the publisher for sending me a copy of this to review!
So I didn't read On the Edge even though I have an eARC of it and now that I know that this was a companion I might go back and read it someday. If you've read OTE, then you'll be happy to know that Lobo and Maddie made an appearance in this book. This book and OTE both have the Destino gang connecting them, just fyi.
Anyways, I rather enjoyed this book. I wasn't too sure about it when I got a copy of the publisher, but I thought I should give it a shot. I do enjoy edgy YA contemporary. I was surprised that for a book about street gangs, pimps and prostitution that it was actually rather wholesome. There's a lot of good people doing not always the legal thing, but definitely the right thing.
So Gabby and her friend are at a club, hanging out with some blinged out thug who slips date rape drugs into their drinks. Gabby is tipped off by a sexy mystery guy named X who she thinks is an undercover cop. Gabby thankfully gets them out of the situation before things get out of control only to discover later that if X hadn't been there the two girls probably would have ended up in a prostitution ring... the guy they were talking too wasn't just a scumbag trying to drug girls... he was a pimp out looking for new girls to traffic.
Gabby is a radio DJ (she has an hour show on Sunday nights, it's her dream to go to school for broadcasting) and she talks about what happened on the show. She wants to warn people, but instead she gets a target on her back. X thankfully is there to step in and help out... and what he really is shocks Gabby to her core.
Then one of Gabby's classmates goes missing and X see's her with a well known pimp. Wanting to save her friend, Gabby starts to help X, and she starts to fall in love with him.
So why do I think that this is so wholesome? It has a lot of really positive messages. It shows that you can overcome your origins and become a good person. There's no judgement on people who choose to step off the beaten path. And Gabby is constantly showing that if you're a smart girl who uses her brain that you can do anything, including saving yourself.
There were a couple of sub-plots that I really liked about Gabby's family and friends too. Her family is very traditional and pushes her towards a more "practical" career. They also don't like how outspoken she is and wish that she'd just settle down and be a "good" girl. They HATE that she broke up with her "perfect" boyfriend and are always on her case about how she treats people poorly. I was really upset with her family in the beginning of the book but I loved how things evolved and they became closer and accepted each other more towards the end. As for her friends... Gabby was once a popular girl because she was dating the popular guy. But the popular guy was a dick, and she broke up with him. He then spread rumors about her and made everyone hate her... so she found a new group of friends; a couple of loaner girls who were into paranormal things like spirit calling and psychics. I really liked how the group that Gabby fell in with went from being her default friends to her real friends and how even though they were "weird" she really began to enjoy her time with them even though they were so different from each other.
So overall this book has a lot of good messages and I really felt like I was reading something that teens can relate to and enjoy.
Huge thank you to the publisher for sending me a copy of this to review!
So I didn't read On the Edge even though I have an eARC of it and now that I know that this was a companion I might go back and read it someday. If you've read OTE, then you'll be happy to know that Lobo and Maddie made an appearance in this book. This book and OTE both have the Destino gang connecting them, just fyi.
Anyways, I rather enjoyed this book. I wasn't too sure about it when I got a copy of the publisher, but I thought I should give it a shot. I do enjoy edgy YA contemporary. I was surprised that for a book about street gangs, pimps and prostitution that it was actually rather wholesome. There's a lot of good people doing not always the legal thing, but definitely the right thing.
So Gabby and her friend are at a club, hanging out with some blinged out thug who slips date rape drugs into their drinks. Gabby is tipped off by a sexy mystery guy named X who she thinks is an undercover cop. Gabby thankfully gets them out of the situation before things get out of control only to discover later that if X hadn't been there the two girls probably would have ended up in a prostitution ring... the guy they were talking too wasn't just a scumbag trying to drug girls... he was a pimp out looking for new girls to traffic.
Gabby is a radio DJ (she has an hour show on Sunday nights, it's her dream to go to school for broadcasting) and she talks about what happened on the show. She wants to warn people, but instead she gets a target on her back. X thankfully is there to step in and help out... and what he really is shocks Gabby to her core.
Then one of Gabby's classmates goes missing and X see's her with a well known pimp. Wanting to save her friend, Gabby starts to help X, and she starts to fall in love with him.
So why do I think that this is so wholesome? It has a lot of really positive messages. It shows that you can overcome your origins and become a good person. There's no judgement on people who choose to step off the beaten path. And Gabby is constantly showing that if you're a smart girl who uses her brain that you can do anything, including saving yourself.
There were a couple of sub-plots that I really liked about Gabby's family and friends too. Her family is very traditional and pushes her towards a more "practical" career. They also don't like how outspoken she is and wish that she'd just settle down and be a "good" girl. They HATE that she broke up with her "perfect" boyfriend and are always on her case about how she treats people poorly. I was really upset with her family in the beginning of the book but I loved how things evolved and they became closer and accepted each other more towards the end. As for her friends... Gabby was once a popular girl because she was dating the popular guy. But the popular guy was a dick, and she broke up with him. He then spread rumors about her and made everyone hate her... so she found a new group of friends; a couple of loaner girls who were into paranormal things like spirit calling and psychics. I really liked how the group that Gabby fell in with went from being her default friends to her real friends and how even though they were "weird" she really began to enjoy her time with them even though they were so different from each other.
So overall this book has a lot of good messages and I really felt like I was reading something that teens can relate to and enjoy.
May 9, 2017
Well, I'm not sure this one was as good as the first book in the series...
This book is a companion novel to On the Edge and follows a new couple, Gabby and X. One night, after sneaking into a club, Gabby and her friend Maria narrowly escape their drugged drinks after a stranger warns them. Gabby soon finds out that the man who tried to drug them was going to kidnap them and force them into prostitution. Things pretty much go back to normal until Gabby's ex-friend Bree doesn't come home from a party one night.
Like I mentioned earlier, this novel is part of a series of companion novels, so it is set in Miami like book one and involves the Destinos gang, human trafficking rings, etc. like the first one. There are a couple of character cameos in this one which was fun to see after reading book one. I do think you have to read this series in order, though, because there are spoilers for Maddie and Lobo's story in this book.
This book had all the elements that I enjoyed in the first book so I'm not too sure why it didn't click as much as the first one did. I can't quite pinpoint it, but there was something that made me not love this book as much as I could have.
It may be because the romance, a major part of this book, didn't jive with me. I felt like it was a little bit forced. Obviously, the stranger who saves them at the bar is super attractive and there's bound to be a connection but I just felt like I didn't want a romance. I'm not necessarily blaming the book for that, I think it's just where I am right now with the books I've been reading. I thought X was hot and cold, understandable but still annoying, and Gabby seemed to be doing just fine on her own.
I wished there was a bit more of the family dynamic in this one, I think there was a greater opportunity to delve into both character's family/backstory a bit more and I would have enjoyed that.
The pacing in this book was good, it was a quick read. I think some parts dragged a bit, and I felt like van Diepen couldn't decide whether to stick with the high school drama or the gang drama. There's a mix, but the transitions between the two felt jarring like one second Gabby was out with her friends and the next she dropped everything to run to X and help him. I felt like that aspect could have been re-worked a bit.
There were a couple times when I couldn't believe how reckless Gabby was. For the most part, I didn't mind her character but every once in a while she would do something rash and I was left wondering if she even thought it through. I knew right away at the major conflict towards the end that something didn't feel right but she was too set on helping out to stop and make a plan.
Overall, I wanted to enjoy this book so much more than I did. I still have hopes for the series and am planning on picking up book three soon.
This book is a companion novel to On the Edge and follows a new couple, Gabby and X. One night, after sneaking into a club, Gabby and her friend Maria narrowly escape their drugged drinks after a stranger warns them. Gabby soon finds out that the man who tried to drug them was going to kidnap them and force them into prostitution. Things pretty much go back to normal until Gabby's ex-friend Bree doesn't come home from a party one night.
Like I mentioned earlier, this novel is part of a series of companion novels, so it is set in Miami like book one and involves the Destinos gang, human trafficking rings, etc. like the first one. There are a couple of character cameos in this one which was fun to see after reading book one. I do think you have to read this series in order, though, because there are spoilers for Maddie and Lobo's story in this book.
This book had all the elements that I enjoyed in the first book so I'm not too sure why it didn't click as much as the first one did. I can't quite pinpoint it, but there was something that made me not love this book as much as I could have.
It may be because the romance, a major part of this book, didn't jive with me. I felt like it was a little bit forced. Obviously, the stranger who saves them at the bar is super attractive and there's bound to be a connection but I just felt like I didn't want a romance. I'm not necessarily blaming the book for that, I think it's just where I am right now with the books I've been reading. I thought X was hot and cold, understandable but still annoying, and Gabby seemed to be doing just fine on her own.
I wished there was a bit more of the family dynamic in this one, I think there was a greater opportunity to delve into both character's family/backstory a bit more and I would have enjoyed that.
The pacing in this book was good, it was a quick read. I think some parts dragged a bit, and I felt like van Diepen couldn't decide whether to stick with the high school drama or the gang drama. There's a mix, but the transitions between the two felt jarring like one second Gabby was out with her friends and the next she dropped everything to run to X and help him. I felt like that aspect could have been re-worked a bit.
There were a couple times when I couldn't believe how reckless Gabby was. For the most part, I didn't mind her character but every once in a while she would do something rash and I was left wondering if she even thought it through. I knew right away at the major conflict towards the end that something didn't feel right but she was too set on helping out to stop and make a plan.
Overall, I wanted to enjoy this book so much more than I did. I still have hopes for the series and am planning on picking up book three soon.
November 22, 2015
When Gabby Perez is almost drugged at a night club, she takes matters into her own hands. Teaming up with a mysterious stranger known as X, she scours the seedy underworld of Miami, determined to take down a ring of pimps who are drugging and kidnapping innocent girls. As their search deepens, Gabby and X can’t ignore their undeniable attraction to each other. Then Gabby discovers the truth about who X really is and the danger that surrounds him. Can their love survive the light of day?
Light of Day exists in the same universe as On the Edge, and continues with X as the new leader of the Destinos. Gabby had a close call with the date rape drug, and her savior X inspires her to spread the word and keep other girls out of trouble. But when one of her old friends gets kidnapped, she seeks out his help and teams up with him to find her. Both being attractive (it's set in Miami, yo!), it is natural that sparks will fly. She thinks him to be an undercover cop, and he thinks he can't be the boyfriend she wants. Needless to say, there is a lot of sexual tension and hot kisses, but no progress on the relationship front. He is closed off from love because he doesn't think he is capable and she is not sure she can take what she gets with him.
The storyline is eerily similar to On the Edge, which makes for a considerably less exciting read. High School drama? Check! Main love interest is the stoic, dangerous-looking bad boy but heart of gold head of Destinos? Check! Main character is in a media (Maddie as a journalist and Gabby as a RJ) position? Check! Thankfully, Maddie and Gabby are distinct from each other. Maddie was street smart, while Gabby is mostly naive, which is not really that bad of a thing, but distracts from the plot. Plus, the high school drama didn't really fit with the sex trafficking ring, because the drug drama could have merited it's own storyline, but was brushed aside as a side plot. X's motivations were also different - while Lobo was in it for revenge, X is in it for saving the day. So, the struggle in the relationship was about how they can survive in such a dangerous life.
But as I said before, the plotlines being similar didn't make this installment as fun to read as the last. Perhaps if X and Lobo were not so similar as characters? Hopefully, any next book would have a little more different type of male lead? Because, aside from that, this book was pretty good.
Received a free galley from HarperTeen via Edelweiss; this does not influence my opinions or review.
Light of Day exists in the same universe as On the Edge, and continues with X as the new leader of the Destinos. Gabby had a close call with the date rape drug, and her savior X inspires her to spread the word and keep other girls out of trouble. But when one of her old friends gets kidnapped, she seeks out his help and teams up with him to find her. Both being attractive (it's set in Miami, yo!), it is natural that sparks will fly. She thinks him to be an undercover cop, and he thinks he can't be the boyfriend she wants. Needless to say, there is a lot of sexual tension and hot kisses, but no progress on the relationship front. He is closed off from love because he doesn't think he is capable and she is not sure she can take what she gets with him.
The storyline is eerily similar to On the Edge, which makes for a considerably less exciting read. High School drama? Check! Main love interest is the stoic, dangerous-looking bad boy but heart of gold head of Destinos? Check! Main character is in a media (Maddie as a journalist and Gabby as a RJ) position? Check! Thankfully, Maddie and Gabby are distinct from each other. Maddie was street smart, while Gabby is mostly naive, which is not really that bad of a thing, but distracts from the plot. Plus, the high school drama didn't really fit with the sex trafficking ring, because the drug drama could have merited it's own storyline, but was brushed aside as a side plot. X's motivations were also different - while Lobo was in it for revenge, X is in it for saving the day. So, the struggle in the relationship was about how they can survive in such a dangerous life.
But as I said before, the plotlines being similar didn't make this installment as fun to read as the last. Perhaps if X and Lobo were not so similar as characters? Hopefully, any next book would have a little more different type of male lead? Because, aside from that, this book was pretty good.
Received a free galley from HarperTeen via Edelweiss; this does not influence my opinions or review.
January 4, 2021
"I learned when you are happy you got to stay in it. Because we don't know what will happen next."-X, Light of Day
Light of Day had me at the edge of my seat. It was a refreshing read from the YA genre.
The protagonist, Gabby, was fantastic. She was humorous and bold with a relatable personality. She made mistakes and was impulsive sometimes but that's what makes her even more relatable.
The plot was interesting yet informing with a slight twist. The rest of the characters felt like real people as well. Diepen does an amazing job with character development and bringing her characters to life. She allows her characters to carry the story and be themselves.
Although I expected a darker ending, I still felt content.
Light of Day had me at the edge of my seat. It was a refreshing read from the YA genre.
The protagonist, Gabby, was fantastic. She was humorous and bold with a relatable personality. She made mistakes and was impulsive sometimes but that's what makes her even more relatable.
The plot was interesting yet informing with a slight twist. The rest of the characters felt like real people as well. Diepen does an amazing job with character development and bringing her characters to life. She allows her characters to carry the story and be themselves.
Although I expected a darker ending, I still felt content.
October 10, 2015
Originally posted on City of Books
Light of Day is a companion novel to On the Edge, as both books are set in the same world and feature similar premises. But this can be read as a standalone, even if you haven't read On the Edge. I've read both, and I think I enjoyed this one a little more.
Gabby is introduced to the seedy side of the city when she takes it upon herself to find her missing friend, who has apparently become part of a prostitution ring - according to the mysterious guy Gabby meets one night at a club. He introduces himself as X, and agrees to help Gabby find Bree. But as Gabby goes deeper into things she has no idea about, she realizes how much danger she's in. And that X isn't exactly who she thought he was.
Gabby struck me as quite naive, similar to the female protagonist of On the Edge. She has a good sense of morals, though, and a lot of courage. Gabby and X work well together, and though we don't get to know much about X, I really liked what we saw. He's not an undercover cop like Gabby assumed he was, and that was pretty obvious from the beginning. X is part of the connection between the two books, and towards the end we even get cameos from the protagonists of On the Edge, which was awesome.
I definitely could have done without the high school drama, though. It took away most of the seriousness of the issue of the plot, which is the sex trafficking of girls in Miami. There was pettiness and bitchiness and other random high school issues. I liked Gabby's high school friend group and the Zombie Apocalypse Survival Club (I think that's what it's called), but that setting would have worked better in a lighter-themed novel.
There were a couple of surprises and twists that were unexpected, so I was glad about that. But like I said in my review for On the Edge, I wish there was more on the trafficking premise and what the Destinos gang is doing to help. Too much of the novel's focus was on Gabby's high school and her romance with X. On the whole, though, I liked reading Light of Day and I hope the author writes more books set in this world.
*Thank you to Megan at HarperCollins International for sending me an ARC for review*
Light of Day is a companion novel to On the Edge, as both books are set in the same world and feature similar premises. But this can be read as a standalone, even if you haven't read On the Edge. I've read both, and I think I enjoyed this one a little more.
Gabby is introduced to the seedy side of the city when she takes it upon herself to find her missing friend, who has apparently become part of a prostitution ring - according to the mysterious guy Gabby meets one night at a club. He introduces himself as X, and agrees to help Gabby find Bree. But as Gabby goes deeper into things she has no idea about, she realizes how much danger she's in. And that X isn't exactly who she thought he was.
Gabby struck me as quite naive, similar to the female protagonist of On the Edge. She has a good sense of morals, though, and a lot of courage. Gabby and X work well together, and though we don't get to know much about X, I really liked what we saw. He's not an undercover cop like Gabby assumed he was, and that was pretty obvious from the beginning. X is part of the connection between the two books, and towards the end we even get cameos from the protagonists of On the Edge, which was awesome.
I definitely could have done without the high school drama, though. It took away most of the seriousness of the issue of the plot, which is the sex trafficking of girls in Miami. There was pettiness and bitchiness and other random high school issues. I liked Gabby's high school friend group and the Zombie Apocalypse Survival Club (I think that's what it's called), but that setting would have worked better in a lighter-themed novel.
There were a couple of surprises and twists that were unexpected, so I was glad about that. But like I said in my review for On the Edge, I wish there was more on the trafficking premise and what the Destinos gang is doing to help. Too much of the novel's focus was on Gabby's high school and her romance with X. On the whole, though, I liked reading Light of Day and I hope the author writes more books set in this world.
*Thank you to Megan at HarperCollins International for sending me an ARC for review*
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