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Radical

E.M. Kokie (Goodreads Author)

3.55 · Rating details · 229 ratings · 67 reviews

Determined to survive the crisis shes sure is imminent, Bex is at a loss when her world collapses in the one way she hasnt planned for.

Preppers. Survivalists. Bex prefers to think of herself as a realist who plans to survive, but regardless of labels, theyre all sure of the same thing: a crisis is coming. And when it does, Bex will be ready. Shes planned exactly what to ...more

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Hardcover, 448 pages

Published September 13th 2016 by Candlewick Press

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· 229 ratings · 67 reviews

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Sep 22, 2016 Cece (ProblemsOfaBookNerd) rated it really liked it

Shelves: want-to-own, lgbtqia, read-in-2016, e-arcs

Where to begin with talking about this book I mean, the main thing is that I have so much I want to say, and it is all really good stuff. But how to start talking about all the good stuff, that is where I am having issues.

So first of all, this book is unlike any other YA that I can remember reading. Despite what you might think when you start in on the story, it is very much a contemporary setting. But from Bex point of view, our contemporary world is on the edge of a collapse. And her Where to begin with talking about this book… I mean, the main thing is that I have so much I want to say, and it is all really good stuff. But how to start talking about all the good stuff, that is where I am having issues.

So first of all, this book is unlike any other YA that I can remember reading. Despite what you might think when you start in on the story, it is very much a contemporary setting. But from Bex’ point of view, our contemporary world is on the edge of a collapse. And her narration frequently leaves you feeling like you are reading something almost surreal. She is full of so much panic, so much certainty that something terrible is going to happen. It is supremely unsettling at times to read from this point of view, but I think that made me even more invested to learn about Bex and to figure out how she had come to be this way. Bex is a completely fascinating main character.

She is a butch lesbian. I have never read YA with a butch lesbian lead character before. I know there are a few out there now (YAY!!!!) but this was the first one I have been able to pick up, and I loved the ways this book broke down Bex’ relationship with her sexuality and with her desire to present as very butch. There is a lot of give and take between Bex and her mother: Bex has this knowledge that she wants to wear butch clothing, she wants to have short hair, but she knows that this is definitely not what her mother wants. And so we have to see her giving up some of her own desires in order to maintain a decent relationship with her mom. It is hard to read the way that Bex presents this so pragmatically, but it is such a realistic portrayal of trying to find a middle ground between what you want for yourself, and what others want of you. I loved that part of Bex throughout the book.

Additionally, I really respect the fact that this is a book from the point of view of someone who is pro-gun and who remains firmly pro-gun. I am anti-gun, very much so. But this book wasn’t about teaching a lesson, or trying to tell you what to believe about guns. It presents a character that is pro-gun, who comes from a pro-gun household, and you are left to form your own ideas of what this ultimately means for them. I so appreciate that this didn’t become a lesson learning experience or a big message piece. It was just about a type of character I haven’t been able to read about before, and I loved that.

This book is intense. I mean, once you know there is something up in the story, it does a really fantastic job of keeping just enough information from you to bring out a lot of panic. You know something is wrong, but you don’t know the extent of that wrongness. And reading from the point of view of a character that is so paranoid makes this experience even more intense.
The end of this book went a lot of places I didn’t expect it to go, and I admire the fact that I couldn’t predict the turns it was going to take. Beginning to end, I didn’t know what was going to happen. And if I tried to guess, I was wrong. I have had such a hard time finding books like this lately, and I adored the fact that this book really pushed so many new ideas and new stories. Like I said, this was unlike any YA I have ever read before.

It dealt with hard topics, it centered on a character I have never seen at the center of a YA novel, and it continually impressed me. Occasionally Bex’ voice got repetitive, really insisting on telling the reader exactly how she would survive certain scenarios or what exactly she was doing with her gun at all times, but ultimately I adored how fresh this book was and I enjoyed it immensely. ...more

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Jul 03, 2016 Gretchen rated it it was amazing

Shelves: ya, queer, realist

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jun 07, 2017 jess added it

Shelves: ladyish, yaf, world-s-end, queer, 2017

Bex is a teenage dyke prepper/survivalist from a low-income family. She is concerned about shit hitting the fan, and wants to be prepared if something goes down. She spends her time honing wilderness survival skills, shooting skills, tracking, tactical and logistical preparations. She describes herself as a realist who is going to survive. The book engaged me quickly and never let go. It's not often that I *want* to tear through nearly-450 pages of YAF, but I found myself staying up well past my ...more

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May 25, 2018 Dramapuppy rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2018-books

The last hundred pages of this book are tense, emotional, and gripping. Unfortunately, the book is 450 pages long. I would say it's still worth it. The first 350 pages of the book are very well-written and romantic, if somewhat dull. But the ending is totally amazing; you just have to keep going.

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Mar 05, 2018 Mindi rated it did not like it

ugh, stupidly long descriptions of guns
ugh, "girls who like lipgloss are dumb"

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Jan 24, 2017 emily rated it really liked it

Shelves: lgbtq

That ... was ... intense. And unlike any YA book I've ever read. I stayed up to nearly 3am to finish this because the second half kept gaining momentum and upping the stakes and I just couldn't put it down because I HAD to know how it would turn out.

This isn't necessarily an easy read - in fact, I'd say there's something for everyone to hate in here, whether it's the opposing perspectives on guns or the way certain subcultures are represented or that Bex is a butch lesbian who is VERY into guns That ... was ... intense. And unlike any YA book I've ever read. I stayed up to nearly 3am to finish this because the second half kept gaining momentum and upping the stakes and I just couldn't put it down because I HAD to know how it would turn out.

This isn't necessarily an easy read - in fact, I'd say there's something for everyone to hate in here, whether it's the opposing perspectives on guns or the way certain subcultures are represented or that Bex is a butch lesbian who is VERY into guns or self-radicalisation via the internet ... I could list more, but I won't. I think it's a testament to the how complexly the novel looks at all of these controversial, potentially polarising topics that you want to keep reading anyway.

As the book was told from Bex's perspective, and Bex was clearly to some extent brainwashed, it was a very atmospheric read and at first, I forgot several times that it was in a contemporary setting rather then a future/alternate universe dystopia. Bex's family were also going through serious financial difficulties, which probably added to this atmosphere. Class was explored in a really nuanced way and it infiltrated every aspect of the family members' lives, from how they treated each other to each of the characters' choices throughout the novel.

Bex, when she wasn't completely consumed by the governments untrustworthiness or how she'd survive when society collapsed, was a great character to read (even though I wanted to scream at her several times towards the end there).

The strongest parts of the novel were the sections with Joan, the lawyer. I think this was because the author herself is actually a lawyer. It felt very believable and grounded and it was in these scenes that Bex was able to (view spoiler) the bullshit these subcultures and her family had been feeding her.

I will also say that this definitely isn't the romance the description makes it sound like. It wasn't bad by any means (A+ for the make out scenes), but if you're looking for a ~soulmates~ kind of story, this isn't it. It was a great romance, but it's definitely not that.

My biggest criticism is that the writing, especially in the beginning, got bogged down in the details and it dragged the story a bit. It was rectified when I got further along into the story and everything was set up, but there were still a couple of times when I thought some details were unnecessary or repetitive.

Overall, if you're looking for some rarely explored, complex topics and to get super invested in breaking this one girl out of self-radicalisation (yay internet!), this is the book for you!

...more

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Nov 28, 2016 Amy rated it really liked it

So many books start strong and then fizzle. This book is the opposite. I thought the first half was just okay, lacking in plot, though full of interesting information about a part of the country I dont know very well -- pro-gun people who deeply mistrust the police and the government. Im glad I stuck with this book, because I could hardly put it down during the last third. I am despairingly anti-gun (I feel the country is out of control) while these people are despairingly pro-gun (they also ...more

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Feb 04, 2016 Eliza rated it it was amazing

Shelves: read-nm, read-mv, lgbtq, lesbian

Great to see a kick-ass lesbian teen character who is so different from the typical YA queer protagonists. Bex is from a conservative working class family living on the edge. She loves her guns -- and girls. She works hard, plays hard and is trying to find her way in a largely hostile world. It's fascinating to get inside her head, understand her developing political thinking, and to see how her politics are shaped by the people around her - including some pretty strong women. I really loved ...more

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Feb 04, 2016 Cindy rated it it was amazing

i've been eagerly awaiting kokie's sophomore novel
FOREVER. i loved loved Personal Effects, and i knew
that this book would be unique and amazing.

i was not wrong.

kokie delivers in so many ways in this intense novel
following bex, who is a "survivalist". the handling of
the lesbian romance is also so well done.

i appreciated this book on so many levels!
kokie is a fantastic writer delving into subjects i never
even considered as a reader, until she drew me in.

looking forward to her third book release, ...more

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Feb 23, 2018 Jonathan rated it liked it

This book is about how a girl named Rebecca, or Bex for short, is trying to prepare for the inevitable downfall of the United States of America. Bex has been following the news and watching it happen around her. first, her dad loses his job, and they have to live on her uncle's farm. The Government also starts to put higher taxes on everything, especially on Guns and Ammunition. Bex tries to explain to her parents and family that they need to be prepared for the downfall, but all they want is ...more

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Jul 09, 2017 Anita Pogorzelska rated it really liked it

4.5 stars.

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Aug 08, 2017 Brianna Walker added it

Shelves: queer, ya

am i always surprised by plot twists because i only read good ones or because i am super naive?

this book is about guns, bad parenting, and lesbianism. it was pretty good.

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Jun 04, 2017 Rachel Leigh rated it it was amazing

It took me AGES to review this book, but only because I wanted to do justice to its MC. When I read Radical, Bex jumped off of the page and stuck with me long after the final chapter. She's complicated, driven, passionate, sometimes misguided, and wholly human. The story sticks with her perspective throughout and, in doing so, gives the eventual narrative arc the weight it deserves.

I came into this book knowing next to nothing about gun culture, and while I appreciate every bit of research that ...more

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Mar 08, 2017 Hayley Williamson rated it really liked it

Shelves: read-harder-challenge-2017, young-adult

This was a really interesting book. I liked having the protagonist be someone who was involved in groups antithetical to her sexual identity, and was very surprised by the last quarter or so of the book. It's pretty unusual (for me, at least) to see an LGBTQ+ character who is also into guns and ideology such as prepping that is usually associated with conservatism and is unapologetic about it.

I did think the ending was a little abrupt, like the author felt the book getting too long and just ...more

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Jul 17, 2017 Margi rated it it was ok

This YA novel was a struggle for me. It centers around Bex, a teen who feels that being prepared and being able to survive on your own is the most important thing to focus on. She follows websites and watches videos of individuals and groups who dont trust the government and think its up to the individual to arm and protect themselves. There is A LOT of descriptions of guns: cleaning guns, loading guns, aiming guns. It felt like 30-40% of the book was about guns. Bex struggles with revealing her ...more

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May 16, 2016 Kazia rated it liked it

Shelves: queer

More like a 3.5... I have a lot of conflicted feelings.

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Mar 21, 2019 Stephanie A. rated it liked it

Shelves: contemporary-ya, girl-protagonists, glbt

It takes a while to figure out if this is a contemporary novel or one set in the near future, especially after she mentions how the supply of guns and ammo is being restricted, but it's definitely the former -- as shown through the eyes of someone who genuinely thinks the U.S. is on the precipice of entering one of those dystopias.

I've never held a gun in my life, so my eyes glazed a bit during all the talk of cleaning and loading and shooting them, but it's a decent read. Especially if you It takes a while to figure out if this is a contemporary novel or one set in the near future, especially after she mentions how the supply of guns and ammo is being restricted, but it's definitely the former -- as shown through the eyes of someone who genuinely thinks the U.S. is on the precipice of entering one of those dystopias.

I've never held a gun in my life, so my eyes glazed a bit during all the talk of cleaning and loading and shooting them, but it's a decent read. Especially if you think preppers are insane and/or are like the person in this book who is all, "Um, but they're misogynistic homophobic white supremacists tho?" because that is actually not a requirement of the ideology. It might give you some good perspective, not least because the main character never gets disillusioned with the concept and goes, "Oh god, I was so misguided, and also WE NEED GUN CONTROL NOW." She just acknowledges people who are bad seeds / what she could have done and will do differently going forward, and continues to respect her firearms and think it's smart to hone her wilderness survival skills, just in case. Great multi-chapter epilogue, especially this incredible quote:

(view spoiler)

Girl definitely made some dumb-dumb decisions due to her paranoia about The Government, and also failed to take action on her EXTREMELY SKETCH brother's antics* -- I get that your parents are weirdly and aggressively sexist, but you have a super sympathetic uncle whom you live with RIGHT THERE to profess your fears to -- but she ultimately realized and admitted when she was being dumb, which is a fine and rare quality in YA and saved me the trouble of chewing her out in a review. All in all, I enjoyed the reading experience.

*I forgot to add the status update, but I wanted to say on page 316:(view spoiler)

As an aside: The kissing action in this book is kinda excellent, and even though it ultimately crossed my preferred physical boundaries and I had to bounce over some of it, it was written in such a way that I was like, "Yes. This is exactly what young love/attraction feels like and exactly what it feels like to push boundaries when you're not sure what you're doing." I was actually jealous I couldn't enjoy it fully because I'm not into being in a girl's head and thinking about another girl. I also enjoyed that (view spoiler). ...more

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Nov 04, 2018 Sensitivemuse rated it liked it

This one was off to a slow start, and it was pretty much slow throughout. What compelled me to finish this book to the end was wondering whether this Clearview group was legit or if there was something more to them.

You also follow through Bex and her life at home, which doesnt seem very pleasant to start with. Her mom tries to change her despite her orientation, theres financial issues at the home, and her brother is, quite frankly, an ahole. You quickly figure out Bex is into guns, and ...more

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Oct 13, 2016 Teenreadsdotcom rated it really liked it

RADICAL, E.M Kokies fourth teen novel, explores the life of Bex and the challenges she has to face to find where she fits in. Bex is not considered to be a traditional teenage girl --- much to her mothers dismay. She is intrigued by guns and surviving without electricity and running water because, in her mind, she must be prepared for anything. When both her father and her brother start to devote their time to a growing organization designed to prep people to go off grid," Bex is astonished and RADICAL, E.M Kokie’s fourth teen novel, explores the life of Bex and the challenges she has to face to find where she fits in. Bex is not considered to be a ‘traditional’ teenage girl --- much to her mother’s dismay. She is intrigued by guns and surviving without electricity and running water because, in her mind, she must be prepared for anything. When both her father and her brother start to devote their time to a growing organization designed to prep people to “go off grid," Bex is astonished and relieved that her family is finally listening to what she had been trying to tell them--- until her brother inexplicably began to act ferocious toward to government and anyone who stood in his way, putting his entire family in law enforcement’s focus.

In the midst of the chaos of her life, Bex finds people with the same interests as her. The girls who spent their free time at the new organization feel the same way Bex does about preparation for anything, so they all bond quite quickly with each other. While she is working at her uncle’s gas station one day, Bex meets Lucy. Within days of meeting, they fall for each other. They are together every chance they get, but when Bex attempts to introduce her interests to Lucy, she receives an unexpected response.

E.M Kokie has crafted an extraordinary novel that captures the truth of finding your identity in the teenage years. RADICAL is an all-encompassing story, touching on same-sex love, family pressures and other average teen problems between its two covers. The narration of this book is so diverse from any other books I’ve read simply because the character was so well-developed. Not only is Bex a strong female lead in the book, she is a lover of guns and she’s gay --- a combination rarely acknowledged in society. RADICAL is a thriller in a different sense than what you may expect. Instead of anxiously waiting for a huge, completely devastating event to take place, I found myself waiting for the little things to happen.

The only (minor) drawback of this book is that while Bex is such a well-developed character, I found some of the characters to be lacking in detail. For example, Lucy was not described much. Though she was a minor character, she was Bex’s girlfriend and was mentioned in multiple chapters, yet as a reader, I didn’t know enough about her to feel connected to her in any way.

RADICAL is a phenomenal book that most will find themselves enjoying. This book will have something for everyone, whether they are looking for a romance, a thriller or just a general fiction. Fans of shows similar to “Doomsday Preppers” will particularly enjoy this read. ...more

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Dec 31, 2019 Lulu (the library leopard) added it

Shelves: rep-lgbtqiap-themes, genre-contemporary, ya, rep-lgbtqiap-narrators, just-gals-being-pals, standalones, sex-in-ya, ownvoices, rep-lesbian, romantic-stuff

So, Im going to shamelessly admit that this book definitely falls into the category of really only read because it had LGBTQ characters category. A YA book about apocalyptic preppers and gun rights sounded interesting, but not necessarily my thing, but learning that Radical features one of the few butch lesbian main characters in YA literature piqued my attention enough to request it from the library.

This book is, quite honestly, mildly terrifying. Bex wholeheartedly believes that some kind of So, I’m going to shamelessly admit that this book definitely falls into the category of “really only read because it had LGBTQ characters” category. A YA book about apocalyptic preppers and gun rights sounded interesting, but not necessarily my thing, but learning that Radical features one of the few butch lesbian main characters in YA literature piqued my attention enough to request it from the library.

This book is, quite honestly, mildly terrifying. Bex wholeheartedly believes that some kind of catastrophe is inevitable and she needs to be prepared for it–complete with firearms–and other members of the prepper community are even more paranoid or extreme. As someone who is very pro-gun control, Bex’s head was a very alien place to be.

The main plot of Radical is kicked off by Bex joining Clearview, a shooting club that’s really a cover for a survivalist group. Bex is desperate for the resources and solidarity that Clearview offers, to the point that she’s willing to overlook the elements of extremism, sexism, homophobia, and racism that are present in the community. However, Bex’s budding relationship with a new girl in town and her brother’s growing extremism slowly force her to confront her with the dark side of the survivalist group she’s joined.

I feel like the biggest thing Radical ultimately had going against it was the pacing. The first part honestly just felt like a long dump of information about guns (different types, how to fire them, how to clean them, etc.) and it felt pretty repetitious. I also felt like it took a little too long for Bex to truly wake up to the dark side of the prepper group she had joined. In particular, I felt like the racism present in Clearview wasn’t really interrogated enough–there’s a token Black family that Bex kind of uses as a shield against accusations of the group’s racism, but I really wish that conversations about that had been pushed a little further than they had.

The second half, however, really dealt with the consequences and dark side of Clearview, forcing Bex to confront the worse parts of the survivalist group. That’s really when Bex’s eyes are opened to the truth of Clearview and she’s forced to choose what she truly stands for, which I found much more compelling than the first half.

I did, however, really like the romance in Radical. Bex is very certain of her sexuality and gender presentation but has never had a girlfriend before she meets Lucy, an out-of-town girl staying in Michigan for the summer. Kokie does a great job of writing the tension, anticipation, and nerves present in their growing relationship and Bex’s attempts to balance it with the Clearview community. There’s also a fantastic scene where Lucy blatantly calls out the bigotry and extremism present in survivalist communities, which was much-needed and appreciated by me. I also really liked the clear discussions of consent and what Bex was comfortable with that was present in the sex scene between the two of them. Ultimately, I think the romance in Radical was one of my favorite parts, both in the realistic portrayal of a first relationship and how it pushed Bex to see the truth of Clearview.

Overall, I felt that Radical was a thought-provoking book, but I wished some elements had been pushed further and the beginning half had been a bit more engaging.

Diversity notes: Butch lesbian main character, lesbian love interest, F/F romance, (very minor) Black side characters.

Author/ownvoices notes: E.M. Kokie is a lesbian. ...more

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Jan 21, 2018 Meg rated it it was amazing

Shelves: ya-lit

Bex is ready for anything. She knows how to survive in the wilderness on her own, can protect herself (and her family, if theyd only let her), and has a contingency plan for any kind of catastrophe. The only problem is that shes only 16 and her family doesnt believe theres anything to worry about. When her Dad takes a job at Clearwater Club, Bex discovers others who take her seriously. Just as she starts to find her place there, along comes Lucy, a captivating girl who clearly doesnt worry about ...more

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Mar 20, 2018 Karen rated it it was amazing

I'm not sure I can say why I loved this book. At first I wondered why I had picked up a book that was all about shooting guns, and how I would relate to the main character. But I found her so likeable, and I liked that the author was able to both let readers get inside her mind to see her internal logic and also show us how unreasonable she actually was. The book itself clearly does not endorse preparing for war against the government, but neither does it make Bex look like a fool or give her a ...more

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May 11, 2017 Gummy Bear rated it it was ok

**Spoilers**

When I first read the summary I thought that this book would be about a girl trying to survive an apocalyptic disaster. When I realized that is not what was happening I kept reading to see where the author would take this book. And I did not like it at the end Bex is in jail/juvy and she has no idea why she is in jail and she spends MONTHS in there before a lawyer comes to talk to her when she had already asked for one. The author tells her that the courts have already found her ...more

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Aug 04, 2018 Molly rated it it was ok

Okay, this book caught my attention right away. I related to Bex immediately and couldn't stop reading, until about chapter twenty-one, then I had to force myself. The beginning was great and sweet (and gay, which is a plus), but once the conflict kicked into high gear, everything that happened earlier meant nothing. Not only that but once it got to the actual climax, it skipped it! Bex had an epiphany about what she had to do, the chapter ended, and the next picked up over a year later. That ...more

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May 14, 2017 Meg rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult, lgbt

I enjoyed this novel and felt it was original and unique compared to many other YA novels I have read. The main character was very convincing to me as someone who sees the world through a really intense particular worldview - she was a very believable character. Also, the novel went in a very different direction than I was expecting, which is something I appreciate in a book. There were definitely times when the details on guns etc. were not super interesting to me but they definitely helped to ...more

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Dec 28, 2016 Blazingbooks rated it did not like it

Shelves: ya, adventure, military

I could not get into this book. The whole survivalist mentality is just too extreme. If it were something that only required stretching my imagination I think I could have read it. Unfortunately there are plenty of people who do have this mentality and are just as avid as the characters in this book. Too freaky for me. Would be good for someone who is into survival training, military, or similar.

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Jul 15, 2018 Jenna rated it really liked it

Shelves: lgbtqia, young-adult, contemporary

A very odd and different book that sucked me right in. It wasnt what I had anticipated and the topics of gun ownership, survivalism, government power / fear managed to blend surprisingly well with Bexs exploration of romance, family, and friendship. My only gripe was the sense of time was rather disjointed in this book and it was hard to tell if days had passed or weeks. ...more

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Sep 06, 2017 Lawrence rated it really liked it

I really liked the tension building steadily in this book. Bex feels tension primarily from her family, but also a myriad of other sources that you never know when will escalate.
Some scenes felt rushed/forced but most of the time I was immersed enough in the plot that I wanted to keep reading to find out what would happen next.

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Jul 12, 2018 Kory Keller rated it it was ok

I did not like this book though I hoped to. I think I decided to read it primarily because the main character was named Bex like my nephew. Prepping, conspiracies, teenage sexual awakening, guns. So not my cuppa.

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Aug 20, 2017 Kim rated it really liked it

For me, the first half of this book was a bit of a struggle. The focus on guns and survivalists was not of interest. When the focus changed about halfway through (I won't say why for spoilers) I found the story more compelling and interesting.

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