Drawn by Cecilia Gray

DRAWN

Author: Cecilia Gray

Expected Publication Date: 12/15/2013

Published By: Gray Life, LLC

Audience: Young Adult

Genre: Urban Fantasy

 

Take a journey into the gritty world of political espionage through the eyes – and lies – of one extraordinary girl. A wholly original tale of friendship and betrayal from the author of The Jane Austen Academy series....

Sasha has a secret – that she can make you spill your secret with nothing more than a question. Her strange gift makes her a burden to her foster family and a total freak of nature. Not that Sasha cares. Why should she when no one cares about her?

Then the CIA knocks on her door. They want to give Sasha a new identity and drop her into a foreign country to infiltrate a ring of zealous graffiti terrorists. They want to give Sasha something to care about.

To survive a world where no one is who they seem, Sasha needs to make people trust her. But when that trust blossoms into love, Sasha is forced to decide between duty and friendship, between her mind and her heart, and whether to tell the truth or keep her secrets.

(Picture and Summary from Goodreads)

 

 

 

**I received this as an eARC through Netgalley from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  In no way does that influence the thoughts or opinions reflected.  I did not get paid to post this review**

 

 

 

REVIEW

 

Words canNOT express how much I LOVED this book!!  When I first saw it I thought "Oh that sounds like it might be good" so I requested it and then I was stoked to get the email saying APPROVED.  Then I opened the book and right before chapter one there was this comic-esque drawing.  Now based on that terminology I think it's obvious that I do not read comics so when that was the first thing I saw I was a little nervous.  If you feel the same let me just say that it should NOT stop you from picking this book up as soon as you can and reading it!  Also I know it says "Take a journey into the gritty world of political espionage.." which can seem like it might be a snooze but it's really not!  It doesn't get horribly caught up in the political side, it explains just enough so you get the idea but without putting you to sleep.

 

Sasha is the MC and she is one fascinating chick.  One thing I liked about her is that she was still very "teenager-ish" and unsure of herself even though she tried to play it off like she's this hard shell of a girl, it makes her relatable.  We don't know her whole story but can tell she has had a hard time.  Her gift/superpower is getting people to tell the truth which in turn makes people subconsciously nervous of her (since they don't know she's causing it) causing them to keep their distance.  It definitely makes it hard for her to have normal connections with people.  When the book starts off the only relationship she has is with her FBI Handler/Guardian Chelsea.  They seem to make a really good pair but due to some mispoken truths during the beginning of their partnership Sasha doesn't completely trust Chelsea's reasons for being around.  To the rest of us it's obvious that Chelsea loves Sasha and I spent most of the book yelling that fact at her.  When Sasha is given an assignment by the CIA she is transferred and implanted with a family where she makes her first real friend in her new handler's daughter Vivi.  I really loved the relationship between the two girls although Vivi can blurt out some really harsh things.  Through Vivi, Sasha meets Sebastion, a very hunky exhibit of a man who causes my Sasha's heart to flutter.

 

The relationships are well made and the conflict going on inside of Sasha really has you feeling for her.  Especially when the job and her new relationships start to conflict with each other.  There is an element of suspense while Sasha is hunting down her "asset" and once we realize who it is there is a whole new sense of dread.  The ending was one huge whirlwhind that I couldn't stop, even at the end.  I'm having a definite book hangover from this one, I need to know what's happening!!

 

The story is very fast paced and easy to read. Relationships and interactions between the characters are well developed.  Like I said you instantly feel for Sasha and want to be a part of her team, to let her know how awesome she is.  I can't stress enough how much you need to read this book.  Seriously!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

~ Goodreads ~

 

(Amazon and B&N didn't have it listed!  What is that about?!  They get an F for the day, maybe the week!)

 

THE AUTHOR

Cecilia Gray lives in the San Francisco Bay Area where she reads, writes and breaks for food. She also pens her biographies in the third person. Like this. As if to trick you into thinking someone else wrote it because she is important. Alas, this is not the case.

Cecilia has been praised for “instilling a warmth and weight into her characters” (Romancing The Book Reviews) and her books have been praised for being “well-written, original, realistic and witty” (Quills & Zebras Reviews).

Her latest series of young-adult contemporary Jane Austen retellings was named a What’s Hot pick (RT Book Reviews magazine) and is a Best of 2012 pick (Kirkus Reviews) where it was praised for being a “unique twist on a classic” and offering “a compelling mix of action, drama and love.”

She’s rather enamored of being contacted by readers and hopes you’ll oblige.

 

(Bio from Goodreads)

 

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