Review: The Shepherd needs her flock
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 10 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.