After being held hostage during a robbery at the local convenience store, seventeen-year-old Edie finds her attitude about life shattered. Unwilling to put up with the snobbery and bullying at her private school, she enrolls at the local public high school, crossing paths with John. The boy who risked his life to save hers.

While Edie’s beginning to run wild, however, John’s just starting to settle down. After years of partying and dealing drugs with his older brother, he’s going straight—getting to class on time, and thinking about the future.

An unlikely bond grows between the two as John keeps Edie out of trouble and helps her broaden her horizons. But when he helps her out with another first—losing her virginity—their friendship gets complicated.

Meanwhile, Edie and John are pulled back into the dangerous world they narrowly escaped. They were lucky to survive the first time, but this time they have more to lose—each other.

This was a surprising read for me. When I started reading I would have never imagined that I would connect so fast and so deep with the leading characters. I found myself agreeing with Edie so often that it almost felt like the author was telling a story I had already heard from a friend.

While there was a moment towards the end that I found a tiny bit to predictable this whole book never ceased to amaze me. If you had asked me before reading I would have told you that I thought 17 years would be to young for a lead in a story like this. But after reading I feel it was good especially because of this.

For me it was about the important “firsts” in your live, about finding yourself, understanding what is important. About being true to yourself and stand up for those that are important to you.

This author is not shy when it comes to painting an intense picture, and while some people might hold up their hand and mumble something about “this is only a story not the real world”.

I will stare back at them and think to myself … “let’s see if you still say that after the next >>Breaking News<< flash on your TV …”