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Leftover Girl #1

Leftover Girl

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How far will she go to learn what happened to her parents?

At fifteen, Jes has adjusted to moving without notice and never fitting in. Her adoptive parents insist she keep her past a secret from everyone they meet. Should she feel bad about the lies? It's not like Jes remembers the night they found her barefoot in the snow. Plus, they cared enough to keep her out of a foster home. If only they could keep her from feeling alone.

After starting over in the latest town, she turns to the only person who understands her. His power should scare Jes, but she's determined to learn why he seems so familiar.

As Jes will learn, truth comes at a cost. Could he unravel the mystery of her past?

Leftover Girl starts an exciting new coming-of-age series that will take one girl from high school to the stars. Simply written, these books are heavy on dialogue with twists you won't see coming, family secrets, and powers.

Think you know who Jes really is? Keep reading...

283 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 19, 2016

1152 people are currently reading
2985 people want to read

About the author

C.C. Bolick

25 books300 followers
C.C. Bolick is an engineer by day and author by night. With twenty books and more to come, she loves writing complex plots and twists the reader won’t see coming. Her books share a common thread – mystery. Anything else is game including sci-fi, paranormal, and romance.

Since her young adult books are set in the same universe, characters will cross between the series.

Mountain Girl, pi is a new cozy mystery series. Marilyn is a small-town college student who must turn sleuth to solve a murder and save her best friend.

Series:

Leftover Girl
The Agency
The Fear Chronicles
Legacy of Power
Mountain Girl, pi

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5 stars
280 (36%)
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208 (27%)
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186 (24%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews
Profile Image for N.N. Heaven.
Author 6 books2,127 followers
February 27, 2019
Isolated from the world, all Jes is looking for is a place to belong. She can’t remember anything before her parents adopted her. Jes wonders if there’s something wrong with her. They constantly have to move because of her, she has eerie dreams and she might be borderline crazy. But when her family moves to her mother’s hometown, maybe it’ll be for good. She falls for the hands-off guy, befriends a guy with more secrets than her and starts a journey of self-awareness that’ll rip away everything she’s ever known. Will she embrace all that is happening to her or will she just be known as the Leftover Girl?



High school is tough for anyone but throw in adoption, strange events you can’t explain and the possibility of unknown powers surfacing, and you’ve got Leftover Girl. It’s 100% character-driven which I loved. Bolick creates a story with fleshed-out characters, dramatic tension and a coming-of-age undercurrent combined with a science fiction vibe. Once I started reading, I couldn’t put it down. Secrets surround Jes and her family which also added mystery to the story. By the time I finished, I was an emotional wreck and needed a hug. Yes, I grew that attached to Jes.



Note: This is book one of five so obviously there are loose ends and a semi cliffhanger but it doesn’t detract from the overall story. It just makes me want to read more.



If you’re a fan of Roswell and science fiction, you’ll want to pick up Leftover Girl. Highly recommend!



Disclaimer: I received a copy from Kindle Unlimited CA.



My Rating: 5 stars



Reviewed by: Mrs. N



This review first appeared: https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/si...
Profile Image for Coco.V.
50k reviews132 followers
Want to read
October 12, 2018
💝FREE on Amazon today (10/12/18)!💝
Profile Image for Anita (Anitareads).
290 reviews
July 8, 2017
This story had a potential. The opening was very promising: heroine's parents packing in the middle of the night to leave their home. Yeah, I was hooked and anxious to find out who/what are they running from. Sadly, it went downhill pretty fast.

Story itself had a lot of issues. Some things were just hard to believe. For example, Jess and her family were hiding from something/someone, but they went and told everyone where they have come from and that Jess is adopted. I mean, if you are hiding your identity, you probably won't go telling people that stuff, right?

A lot of stuff happened 'just because' without any real drive to the story. It's such a shame, because the writing wasn't so bad and the opening showed a lot of promise. But I definitely won't be buying the sequel.
Profile Image for Nikki.
374 reviews5 followers
June 2, 2017
I liked the author's writing style and the story opened well making me excited to read on, despite occasional passive sentences that made it difficult to know exactly what was going on.

Unfortunately, the story itself had issues. The story makes a big issue about Jes not being able to remember events from before she was found at age 4 - umm, most people don't remember stuff from this age. It's normal...

The story started with Jes's parents packing them up in the middle of the night to leave their home because someone had 'found out' about Jes. Only they then go to the mother's sister's house and tell everyone where they have just come from. They also tell everyone who will listen that Jes is adopted. Not actions of someone who'd pack out and leave in the middle of the night without telling people.

Next, Jes's cousin who she apparently met one during a previous Christmas, acts like they've been best friends for like ages. Again, this doesn't fit with someone hiding their identity. There were other elements in the contemporary side of the story that just didn't gel for me.

Events happened without any real drive to the story. The romantic interest slutted around with every girl who walked passed him, seemingly for the sole purpose of creating tension in the story, but it left me with zero interest in their relationship.

I was left disappointed and confused (about the contemporary story element). The writing style showed a lot of promise, but the story didn't even end satisfactorily. Very few of the story's questions were answered and I wasn't hooked enough to buy the sequel to find out what happens.
Profile Image for William Lee Daniel.
6 reviews3 followers
October 4, 2018
A good book with a very good twist.

I would like to start off by thanking the author for sending this book to me to read and give a review on. I honestly did not think I was going to like reading this book as it is not my normal genre of books that I read. I was sorely mistaken. It was a genuine pleasure to read this book. So I started reading and I got 40% into the book and I was positive that I had already figured out what was going to happen for the rest of the book. I was very, very wrong all of a sudden the story plot does a 180 twist and throws me into left field in an unexpected and very pleasantly surprising twist. I must say this was an amazingly good story. The characters in this book are easy to understand and keep up with, it is not overly detailed like a lot of books are but gives you enough detail that you know what's going on and to keep your interest. And then when the plot twist happened it was still easy to keep up with and turned out to be an excellent read. Congratulations to the author on an excellent book and I cannot wait to read the next in the series.
Profile Image for Nati.
2,945 reviews16 followers
September 30, 2018
Jes Delaney knows she is not a normal 15 year old girl. Apart from being adopted at age four and nor remembering anything about her past, their family moves constantly around the country. When they come back to Cresdence to live near her mother’s family she will discover love, pain and some secrets from her past that will change her forever. I got a free copy of this book from the author and I voluntarily review it.
Profile Image for Shakera.
845 reviews13 followers
November 14, 2016
For 15 year old Jessica Delaney, life as she knows is about to change. It’s about to become more difficult than she could have ever realized. Jes doesn’t remember anything of her first 4 years of life and moves to a different state practically every year. This year, she and her family are moving to Credence… mom’s hometown. Her next door neighbor is mom’s sister, Aunt Charlie and her two children, Pade and Bailey. Let the fun begin! Starting with your first day of high school… sigh.

On her first day, she meets Chase. Now, you might think… he must be the love interest. You’re not wrong… but you’re not right either! He’s Bailey’s love interest. Chase and Jes do become extremely close. They can tell each other everything… and they do. Chase is just out of this world… literally! He and his mom are here on a mission to find a girl who went missing when she was young and in New York. Chase feels like it’s Jes and everything points to it. If only she could remember what happened when she was four!!!!

What I loved was there was mystery and intrigue. Is she the missing girl? If she is, how do you explain some of the things that are going on with her? Especially when you say it goes against the norms of your planet?

I figured out the answer to some of my questions early on, after I correctly made an assumption. It was interesting to watch it play out. There was some of your normal teenage angst… “Does Pade like me?” I have to say… Pade may have been one of my least favorite characters. He ran hot and cold pretty often. It’s a wonder Jes didn’t get whiplash with it! While it starts off a bit slow, it’s well worth it! Book 2 comes out in January and I’ll be waiting!
Profile Image for Carole P. Roman.
Author 69 books2,202 followers
November 21, 2016
"Sometimes I feel like I don't belong here." Typical lament of many teenagers, especially one who was adopted under mysterious circumstances at the age of four. No matter where Jessica Ray lives and who she meets, she is uncomfortable the the knowledge that she is the cause of her family's constant moves from town to town. Afraid of a secret from her shadowy past, her parent's are uprooting the family once more, taking the them to live in her mother's hometown of Credence, Alabama. Here, Jessica will meet a strange boy who claims he is from another planet. Jessica must wrestle with a bullying issues, typical teen angst of unrequited love, and the unanswered questions of the of her adoption only to face an uncertain future that may be too out of this world to even contemplate. Clever and well written. I think this will be an amazing series.
191 reviews2 followers
December 29, 2016
Young heroine of this story, Jes Delaney, will do just about anything to fit in. She is adopted and goes to great lengths to look like her adoptive family; this includes dying her blonde hair brown and wearing brown contacts to disguise her stunning blue eyes. So it is a story about a girl trying to find her place in the world. Being unusual and feeling that she doesn’t fit in, she is the type of vulnerable girl who attracts bullies. She does come in for a lot of bullying at school; at times this story will remind you of Mean Girls. Jes is a likeable heroine and there is a twist in this seemingly typical tale of high school life.
Profile Image for Tony Parsons.
4,156 reviews102 followers
May 2, 2019
Bailey introduced Jessica “Jes” Ray Delaney (15, adopted daughter, narrator) to everyone at Angel’s party.
Rachelle, Skip, Pade Sanders (Credence HS FB team), & Terrance were there.
Pade had kissed Jes & Angel had sent it viral. It was just a joke.
The Delaney family had moved from Canton, OH., to Credence, AL.
Mr. Delaney (Dad), Mrs. Delaney (Mom), Jes Delaney, Bailey Sanders (adopted), Danny Delaney (younger twin son/brother), & Collin Delaney (younger twin son/brother).

Credence HS. It was the 1st. day of class for all of them.
Pade (m) was going to break up with Sarah Beth but her parents are getting a divorce.
Some of the other Credence HS students are: Tosh Henley (Jr.), Lisa Johnson, Chase Pearson, Skip Greene, & Ronald Pitts.
The faculty members are: Dr. Greene (Principle), Mrs. Pearson (English teacher, Chase’s mother), & Mr. Larson (chemistry/lab teacher).
Aunt Charlene “Charlie” (mom’s sister) took Jes (aka Delamester), & Bailey to the Fun Connection.
Jarrod, & Lisa (GF) were killed in a car wreck. Lisa had run a stop sign & a 18-wheeler plowed into them.

I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review. Only an honest one.

A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A fairly well written teen HS book. It wasn’t very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish, but never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make another great teen HS movie, or better yet a mini TV series. I’m not sure I got the whole story continue so I am only going to rate it 3/5 stars.

Thank you for the free author; Dirt Road Books; BookSends; Amazon Digital Services LLC.; book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)
1,284 reviews23 followers
July 12, 2024
Jessica Ray knows nothing about her life before the age of four when she was found by a man one night on a road. He and a woman he later married adopted her and 11 years later after moving countless times they’ve come to his wife’s home town where perhaps
they can settle down. Here she meets her cousins, children of her adopted mother’s sisters.

At school she meets a boy she has a strange attraction to but her cousin develops a crush on him
right away. He turns out to be someone unlike anyone
she has ever known. As time goes on, they seem to have a connection but she can’t figure it out until towards the end of the book when she and her cousin overhear a conversation and are then confronted with the truth. She learns who she is and who he is to her but makes the decision to stay where she is for the time being.

I really enjoyed this book! It was intriguing and fast paced and kept my interest throughout! There are more books in this series so this story is just getting started and I’m looking forward to seeing where it goes from here!!

I heartily recommend you pick up this book and read about a girl who has always known she was adopted but as time goes on in this latest town where she now lives and the people she meets, her life will never be the same for now she will finally know what her real name is and where she is from and that she does have a brother out there somewhere!

It’s a great book to read so I encourage you to start it today and tell your family and friends to read it as well!
62 reviews
April 4, 2021
I really liked this series! This review, like the others I write, will focus on the Leftover Girl series as a whole, not only on this specific book. I believe the story is extremely interesting, and the author managed to create a unique universe with many facets to explore. I like how the fights for freedom and the whole situation with Golvern's government and opposition groups can be interpreted as a reflection on reality. This was something I found very insightful. I also appreciated the different narration perspectives present in the later books. However, one of the factors I disliked was that I felt there was too much information at the same time, and I found it a bit too complex in ideas all at once. There are actually a couple of things I am still a bit confused about, and another problem was that, at least from my perception, some characters did things that were not consistent with their personality according to what had been introduced to readers. So I think their personalities had to be better established. The author's writing style fits what I like really well, and there was not an excess or lack of descriptions or dialogue. Overall it was an interesting read, though it did not really captivate me as much as I'd hoped.
607 reviews6 followers
January 7, 2022
I had no idea what to expect when I began reading this book, and after reading a few chapters, I still had no idea what to expect. Much of the story is confusing. It's difficult to understand the meanness that some people ascribe to, teasing, belittling and hurting others. I felt sorry for Jessica and where she came from. Most baffling was the behavior of her adoptive parents who claimed to love her, but seemed to be more interested in controlling her and shielding her from the truth about where she came from.

Thank goodness Jessica has some friends who love her, but it's difficult to understand why she is so afraid of love, either to give it or receive it. I guess I have a hard time identifying with the mind of a teenage girl.

The last several chapters really surprised me as the story took on a sci-fi surreal genre. It helped to make lots of things make sense, but left me a bit confused about how everything fits together. I guess that's a way for the author to get you to keep reading subsequent books.
255 reviews2 followers
December 30, 2016
Jes Delaney is used to moving around a lot. Her adopted parents tell her it is for their own good. Finally they look like they are going to stay a while in the town of Credence. It is where her footed mother is from and where they still have family. Even though it is familiar, Jes still has to adjust as the new kid in the 10th grade with mean girls and a confusion of feelings for two boys. Not only that, she is struggling with the dreams of her past that she blocked out. She wants to know more about where she came from, but her memory block is holding her back. It was hard for me to get started on it, but as I moved through the chapters, you can really appreciate how the story develops. This is especially ideal for young teens who like a little intrigue and science fiction mixed in with the drama of high school.
225 reviews5 followers
August 20, 2020
3.5 stars, but this one's a real mixed bag.

First the bad. The stream-of-consciousness prose is difficult to follow, sometimes nonsensical, and overall a detriment to the story. I can't tell if it's pretension, affectation, or just poor writing. The dialog doesn't always make sense. At times I wasn't convinced that the author is a native English speaker. The teen angst and stupidity is unrelenting and way over the top.

The good new is that even through this hot mess the characters feel fairly real. The author seems to have been able to capture many of the highs and lows of growing up, with believably damaged teens. I suspect that they think that the presentation style is important to that, while I feel like it succeeds in spite of it.

If you can hold on through the first half of the book you'll probably be happy by the end.
Profile Image for Big Dee.
858 reviews3 followers
May 26, 2019
I find this book multi-layered and intriguing. At one point the protagonist, Jessica, states "I forgot we don't do honesty in this family." Boy it that an understatement. Family...friends...enemies...everyone seems to have secrets and readily lies.

I liked Jes. She's complex and intelligent. Even though she seems to have a better than average IQ, it doesn't stop Jes from making bad decisions. We know Jes's parents are not telling the truth, and I can't wait to find out what they're hiding! I'm enjoying that I can't guess where this story is taking the reader. It's a refreshing change that there's nothing predictable about this book. My only gripe, and it's a small one, is that I thought the dialogue could have been better...more cohesive.
63 reviews1 follower
May 2, 2018
I found this book a bit confusing once I got into it. There were so many things happening that it was hard to keep track of the characters. I'm not a fan of fantasy, but this sounded interesting. The premise was great, but this poor girl had noting but one bad thing after another happening to her. The end left you hanging, probably because the author wanted you to buy the next book in the series. I'm not happy when an author does this. It was an intriguing story with lots of feeling and action. I do have the next in the series and will probably read it just to find out what happens.
Profile Image for Brittany Goodman.
920 reviews127 followers
January 17, 2019
Interesting

I really enjoyed this story although it's not done yet. I am a bit frustrated with how this character keeps pushing people away. I get that she feels abandoned by her real family and they moved constantly but now that she is in one place she keeps pushing people away. Even the family she's had since she can remember. Maybe it's because I have never had that experience but all of her pushing everyone away was frustrating. I just hope that in the books to cone she stops and allows people to get close.
4,471 reviews21 followers
April 29, 2018
I really liked this story. It was a young adult story about a teenager named Jes with a dash of scifi in the form of Chase. It made me laugh out loud at a few scenes. Plus it was a very clean story with only some kissing involved. Once I finished the first chapter I was hooked and read it in one sitting just to see what happened next. Liked the ending and the setup for the next book in the series. Thought the story flowed well.
27 reviews1 follower
July 14, 2017
What? What am I reading and why am I reading it? I hate books with teen protagonists that are written like episodic tv. This might make a decent teen Netflix series but it is not an interesting or engaging novel. The author does not have a gift for imagery or world building. If you are not an avid reader you may find the book enjoyable. This story just didn't grab me.
Profile Image for Noelle Walsh.
1,172 reviews62 followers
August 27, 2017
This book was fairly good. It's not uncommon for many teenagers to feel like they don't fit in, though in the main character's instance, she stands out a bit more due to being adopted and her parents constantly moving around the country. I think people will enjoy this book and it's worth trying out.


*won as a GoodRads Giveaway*
Profile Image for Tim Lumsden.
233 reviews1 follower
October 11, 2018
I got this free from author and really wanted to like it...

I really hate myself for giving this review because it must just be me. I really wanted to like this story. I read and honestly was just confused and didn't know who was who. I apologize to the author and think many others will probably love this book. Happy Reading!
Tim
Profile Image for Kevin R. Fuhrman.
26 reviews
March 31, 2020
I would have given this a better rating but I just found it annoying that the main character, Jes spends the entire book crying her eyes out over a guy whose so two dimensional. He keeps telling her how much he cares for her but lands on another girl give minutes later. The author never explains what the attraction is or why Jes is so gullible.
Profile Image for Nancy S..
57 reviews3 followers
February 1, 2021
Left Over Girl - An interestingly weird book.

This book is obviously part one of a series. It makes sense then slips into science fiction and back again. It grabs you as you try to figure out the truth. All I can say is I really want to know what the H. is going on?? And what it all means!!!!! Wow!
Profile Image for Debbie Walters.
74 reviews1 follower
September 5, 2021
Where is Home?

I love starting a new book and finding that I don't want to put it down! This happened with Leftover Girl. It had love,family and the things that most teenagers go through. But it held the element of is she from another world? Can't wait to read the next book offered under this series. Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy. You too won't want to put it down!
43 reviews
December 4, 2022
Very unique story

Reminded me of things that happened during my teen years.Conflict with those who love you and those you love.The part about those from another world ,throws a real twist to the story but also was very different and yet shows how much it may be possible to have other inhabitants from other sources,and not much different from humans.
Profile Image for Irene O'Brien.
315 reviews5 followers
December 25, 2022
Adoption and alien.

Jessica can't remember anything before her adoption, who is she really? The family is constantly on the move and she doesn't know the reason for it.
Chase is an alien, looking for his sister who disappeared eleven years ago. Could Jessica be her? Chase thinks so.
A must read for all lovers of stories about aliens.
Profile Image for Julie.
11 reviews
November 10, 2016
A good read !

Spoiler alert ! I really like the story and think I figured out that she was Chase' sister by the middle of the book. I can't wait to see what happens in the second book. What Jesssica's powers are and if she decides to go back to her home planet.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
1,263 reviews27 followers
July 20, 2018
Who Am I

This is an extremely suspense filled read. It is full of mystery, questions, and answers waiting to be discovered. It falls into the paranormal genre as well. This one will leave your head spinning.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews

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