#Book Review: When by @Victoria_Laurie #YA #Thriller #NetGalley

Title: When

Author: Victoria Laurie

Genre: YA, Fantasy, Thrillers, Mystery

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Length: 336 pages

Source: NetGalley
Purchase: Amazon, Book Depository

Book Description:

Maddie Fynn is a shy high school junior, cursed with an eerie intuitive ability: she sees a series of unique digits hovering above the foreheads of each person she encounters. Her earliest memories are marked by these numbers, but it takes her father’s premature death for Maddie and her family to realize that these mysterious digits are actually death dates, and just like birthdays, everyone has one.

Forced by her alcoholic mother to use her ability to make extra money, Maddie identifies the quickly approaching death date of one client's young son, but because her ability only allows her to see the when and not the how, she’s unable to offer any more insight. When the boy goes missing on that exact date, law enforcement turns to Maddie.

Soon, Maddie is entangled in a homicide investigation, and more young people disappear and are later found murdered. A suspect for the investigation, a target for the murderer, and attracting the attentions of a mysterious young admirer who may be connected to it all, Maddie's whole existence is about to be turned upside down. Can she right things before it's too late?

My Opinion:

I really enjoyed this book. The premise was amazing. I loved that Maddie could read the dates of people's deaths which she didn't even realize until her father passed away. We are taken on her journey of her father's death and the meaning of those numbers. She is someone you will root for from the first page. This author gives us a wonderfully written tale of Maddie and everything she feels and you feel it with her. You feel bad for her, glad, sad, angry and everything else. I cannot even imagine living with a gift/curse like this. Maddie tries to save people with their dates but is unable to and we are taken on a beautifully written story of her trying to do that. I found myself not wanting to put this book down and for good reason - I had to know! I could not stand her mother and liked that this book wasn't a romance book. There was a little bit of it, but the book centered on the numbers and for good reason.

You get pulled into this storyline and don't want it to end. Maddie is put in the middle of this investigation and it was beautifully written by the author. She is descriptive with everything about what is happening and how Maddie feels. So much so that you feel all the emotions that Maddie feels. All the characters have a life of their own in this book. I would recommend this book. It's a great read and wish there was more to this book i.e. a series of them!

I give this book 4.5 of 5 stars!

About the Author:
When I was in the 7th grade I took one of those career aptitude tests - you know, the ones where you answer a bunch of questions and the results indicate what profession you'd best be suited for? Yeah, well my test results indicated I was best suited for a career as a government spy. 

A SPY! 

I think I had the coolest results in the entire class. :)

Needless to say, I did not follow that particular career path - or maybe I just took the more indirect route. In my thirties a very good friend of mine who is now one of the world's most renowned psychic mediums suggested I stop ignoring my talents and dive right into the professional world of a psychic intuitive. On a lark, I did. And the results were pretty mind-blowing. Within just a few short weeks even I couldn't deny it - so much of what I predicted for total strangers was coming true and I really had to accept the "gift" so to speak.

Over the years I've built a really fabulous clientele and all those experiences have helped me create the Psychic Eye Mysteries, the Ghost Hunter Mysteries, and - for children - Oracles of Delphi Keep. And along that way I discovered my true love - writing.

Writing is one of those passions that gets me out of bed in the morning and invigorates my day. I love spinning a good yarn, and when I feel I actually get it right - wow! There is no better feeling.

In fact, the other day I was kicking back after a looooong day of writing, which ended in the completion of a manuscript and I remember just marveling in the fact that I actually get paid to daydream! I can't think of a more satisfying way to spend a life. And let's face it - it's a whole lot safer than working some covert operation. Although - I'm pretty sure the benefits might be better at the CIA. Still, I'll stick to my daydreams...at least for now... :)

Connect with the Author:

Website, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Amazon

Disclaimer: I received this book from Netgalley for an honest review. No one sponsored or endorsed this post. All opinions are my own. All information on the book or author can be found at the authors website.

Happy Reading!