Hush (Lakeview #1) by Stacey R. Campbell

Release Date: January 23, 2013
Publisher: Green Darner Press
Series: The Lakeview series, Book 1

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars.


Synopsis:
Blakely Henry was your average seventeen year-old and was beginning her senior year at Lakeview Academy. Despite a normal childhood, she knew one thing made her different from everyone. She was adopted with no information about her birth parents. When she accepted never knowing the truth about her past, a series of events brought truth from the shadows and threw her world into chaos.

Hoping to begin his journalism career with a bang, Max Ryder stumbled onto a big secret that only one other family member knew. He traveled halfway around the world to chase his story, not anticipating the complications that would arise in meeting the objection of his investigation. But when push came to shove, can either Blakely or Max handle the pressures of secrets? Can they outwit those who would do anything to keep such truths hidden forever?


Review:
Stepping out of my reading comfort zone, I saw this title on NetGalley and requested to read it. The story was definitely within the YA genre as it centered around a teenage girl and a core group of her school friends as they dealt with the usual teenage problems and coming-of-age issues. Woven into the mix of classes, friendship and young love were the adult themes of hidden secrets and their heavy consequences. The way in which author presented each element gave the story a nice mix of action, adventure and romance that did keep me turning the pages.

Many of the teenaged characters were pretty accurate reflections of modern teenagers, especially with the interactions between girls and boys as well as the use of texting. I found the usual types - the athletics, the bookworms, the social butterflies. They were mixed well throughout the story. Now, I must admit that there a few times when I thought that the teens were a bit too good to be true. I know there are some really good kids out there, but I didn't see the other end of the spectrum within the pages often. While I liked many of the characters, I felt as though some of the more adult characters weren't as realistic as the teens. Some of them appeared only to move the story along, sort of like a prop. It didn't hurt the story but it didn't help it much either.

As far as the pace of the story, I found it to be pretty constant. There was enough chemistry between many of the teen characters to keep it moving steady. When I reached the middle of the book, the momentum began to build as revelations were coming to the surface. That's when I felt the need to keep reading though I should have been in bed a few hours earlier! I did like the way that climax and resolution of the story was handled. I couldn't help but cheer when a few of the menacing characters (no spoilers!) are presented with their own consequences.

Truthfully, this was a typical coming-of-age, hidden princess story with a sweet bit of romance mixed into it. The romance wasn't blown out of proportion, nor did it cross lines that I would deem too adult for younger YA readers. In fact, I think that tweens and teens alike will find this story entertaining and worthwhile. Since it's the first in a series, I do wonder what the next one will cover given the events toward the end of the book. Looking for a modern take on the classic princess fairytale, then this is the book you need!

Hush (Lakeview #1) by Stacey R. Campbell is available at many online retailers in either paperback or Kindle formats. You can purchase a copy from Amazon by clicking the link below.
Hush (Lakeview #1) by Stacey R. Campbell