– Customer review on 27/11/2011

You know those books that you finish and then instantly want to go back and reread all over again? Hunting Lila is just that and then some! I was hooked from the very first page. It's not often you kick start a story with the protagonist using telekinesis to hold a knife to the tip of someones eye. This book is all kinds of badass. Don't worry though, Lila isn't psycho, she's defending herself from the jerks trying to mug her. That one incident sets in motion Lila's page-turning adventure that will suck you in with it's fantastic action, way cool superpowers and deliciously seductive romance.

Straight after the mugging incident, Lila makes a run for it. She jumps on a plane out of the country and heads to Southern California where her brother, Jack, and his best friend Alex are living. Both boys work for a top secret organisation known as The Unit. There's something mysterious going on with the case they're working on. Surely the constant supervision by stalkery SUV cars and high-tech security system on the house aren't standard? Granted, they work a dangerous job, but Lila senses something more going on here and she's determined to find out what. Mystery, danger, twists, action and superpowers litter the pages and you're left begging for more.

Alex has been her brother's best friend since childhood and Lila's been in love with him for just as long. It's been three years since she last saw him and now suddenly she's thrust herself back into his world and oh, her emotions are so pitch perfect. The war that rages within her mind any time they're close together, she can't control her thoughts when she's around him and it's so much fun to read. She knows she's a lost cause, she accepts it, admits it's bad. But you honestly can't fault her, because hello, have you met the guy? Her feelings are totally justified! I loved the relationship developed at a comfortable pace, you become wrapped up in their budding romance, waiting, waiting, waiting for the moment when Alex will admit to the feelings that surely he reciprocates, right?! You just want a kiss! A declaration of mutual love, a hot steamy scene between the pair! And isn't that what we love? A tantalising romance and Sarah delivers just that.

Hunting Lila was such a refreshing read. The atmosphere, the setting, the romance, the pacing, the characters and the plot... Sarah twisted it all together to form something that felt so new and utterly addictive. I honestly would not have been able to put this book down had I tried. Which I most certainly did not because it kept me on the edge of my seat, wanting to know what would happen next to these characters I grew so invested in and their pulse-racing journey, narrated by such a likable protagonist. Sarah Alderson is officially on my list of favourite authors. I think I'd instantly buy anything new she comes out with. I cannot wait to get my hands on Hunting Lila's sequel and of course, her awesome new series, Fated, which comes out next year! The wait for both of these books is already torturous.

Also: This book seriously needs to be made into a movie. Because I think it would translate ridiculously awesome to the big screen.