Review: Really enjoyed the characters and the writing.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 02 28, 2014
This book was a nice change of pace from the usual NA/YA fare where you have the guy setting the pace for the romance. Instead the female protagonist is very strong and single minded about her career goals - to be a war reporter. I also liked the fact that the author created the back story for why she felt she had to be completely focused on her career and not give up her goals for romance - her parents and their relationship and the way they raised her fed that focus. The dialogue was nuanced and not overly dramatic or foolish. The conversations felt real. I liked Jack, and I also liked that he was not overly jealous or promiscuous as some of these YA heroes are made out to be.I would say the only thing I did not like is that somehow Hadley's focus was made out to be a not so great thing. While I really could feel the terror of the situation in a war zone  - but I feel that Hadley should have been at least a little bit prepared for being in the midst of all the horror - she was certainly written as a character who was prepared for almost all the academic and non-academic tasks related to her career. I was a little bit disappointed that she did not get any satisfaction from reporting from the war zone - given how she was portrayed in the beginning of the book, I think she would have been proud of herself for doing what she did. Instead, it just somehow became written as a bad decision. Moreover, Jack's lack of a career or life goal did not really get as much negative play. At least Hadley knew what she wanted to do - why give her such a hard time over it?