Sheena's Review of "The Athena Effect"

The Athena Effect by Derrolyn Anderson

Book Summary

Caledonia has been kept a secret her entire life, raised in isolation by two very troubled people. Despite her parent’s disturbing fits, Cal is perfectly content, living at one with the nature that surrounds her, and finding adventure inside the pages of her beloved books. When an awful tragedy tears her away from her remote cabin in the woods, nothing she’s ever read has prepared her for a world that she knows very little about.

Girls and motorcycles are what bad-boy Calvin’s life is all about. Brought up in a raucous party house by his biker brother, he’s free to do as he pleases, going through the motions on his final days of high school. Aimless, Cal stopped thinking about his future a long time ago.

Attacked by a gang of thugs while running an errand for his brother, Cal is in serious trouble until a fierce girl appears out of nowhere to intervene. She chases off three grown men, sparing Cal a brutal beating before disappearing into the night like a spirit. He can’t stop thinking about his mysterious rescuer, and when she turns out to be the weird new girl at school who goes out of her way to avoid him, he can’t contain his curiosity.

He’s never met anyone like her before, and the more he learns about the unusual girl who shares his nickname, the more he wants to know. Cal can’t help falling for Cal, but can he keep her from falling victim to a dangerous enemy from her parent’s tragic past? 

Sheena's Review

 

This is a really well written romance/paranormal YA book. The writing is authentic and the characters are well fleshed out and easy to like. I was hooked from the first page and wanted to solve the mystery behind what made Cali different (I don't want to give any spoilers). I was pleased as the story progressed that I was given little hints, but not all of the answers right away.

 

Even though Cali is "different," she is still someone a reader can identify with and look up to. She's kind and compassionate and doesn't let the ugliness she gets exposed to turn her ugly. Her "bad boy" boyfriend turns out to be a real hero with a heart of gold and really comes through for her.

 

This was a sweet romance and the paranormal aspects added a great twist.

 

As a side note: I also liked the fact that even though there was sex in the book, it was by no means descriptive or inappropriate. If I had a teenaged daughter, I wouldn't feel uncomfortable with her reading this book.