Review: Bizarre and addicting! A must read!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 10 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 The Shepherd in exchange for an honest review*