Banished

Banished #1

by Sophie Littlefield

There isn’t much worth living for in Gypsum, Missouri—or Trashtown, as the rich kids call the run-down neighborhood where sixteen-year-old Hailey Tarbell lives. Hailey figures she’ll never belong—not with the popular kids at school, not with the rejects, not even with her cruel, sickly grandmother, who deals drugs out of their basement. Hailey never knew her dead mother, and she has no idea who her father was, but at least she has her four-year-old foster brother, Chub. Once she turns eighteen, Hailey plans to take Chub far from Gypsum and start a new life where no one can find them.
 
But when a classmate is injured in gym class, Hailey discovers a gift for healing that she never knew she possessed—and that she cannot ignore. Not only can she heal, she can bring the dying back to life. Confused by her powers, Hailey searches for answers but finds only more questions, until a mysterious visitor shows up at Gram’s house, claiming to be Hailey’s aunt Prairie.
 
There are people who will stop at nothing to keep Hailey in Trashtown, living out a legacy of despair and suffering. But when Prairie saves both Hailey and Chub from armed attackers who invade Gram’s house in the middle of the night, Hailey must decide where to place her trust. Will Prairie’s past, and the long-buried secret that caused her to leave Gypsum years earlier, ruin them all? Because as Hailey will soon find out, their power to heal is just the beginning.
 
This gripping novel from thriller writer Sophie Littlefield blazes a trail from small-town Missouri to the big city as Hailey battles an evil greater than she ever imagined, while discovering strengths she never knew she had.


From the Hardcover edition.

Genres: Young Adult, Paranormal, Fantasy, Zombies, Urban Fantasy, Magic, Supernatural

304 pages, Library Binding

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

Called a “writing machine” by the New York Times and a “master storyteller” by the Midwest Book Review, Sophie Littlefield has written dozens of novels for adults and teens. She has won Anthony and RT Book Awards and been shortlisted for Edgar, Barry, Crimespree, Macavity, and Goodreads Choice Awards.

Sophie also writes under the pen name Sofia Grant.

Reviews

[Vinaya · Rating 5 out of 5]

OH. MY. GOD.

This was me about one minute after finishing Banished,

After another minute or so, I was at this stage:

Now I'm here...
.....

I've only been on Goodreads for a little more than a month now. But in that time, I've had some truly amazing books recommended to me. I've read and fallen in love with The Queen's Thief series, Fever series, and The Hunger Games, amongst others. And I owe all of this literary munificence to my Goodreads friends. Now I've found a way to pay them back, and it's called Banished! *rubs hands in glee*

Reading on your own without any prior recommendation is, I have discovered, a perilous task. Sometimes you strike gold, but more often than not, you end up with complete and utter trash. The kind that makes you want to chuck the book against the wall, then go find the author and stab them in the eye, and then go burn down the publishing house that dared to make people pay money for this tripe.

And then you have those rare, rare moments of perfect happiness when you discover that one book no-one else you know has read. That they ought to have read, but which has been passed over because not enough people are talking about it. The kind of book that just pulls you in and spins you around and leaves you gasping for breath. Banished is that book.

There's nothing very extraordinary about the story or the worldbuilding of Banished. It's about a sixteen-year old girl named Hailey who discovers that she is a Healer. A very strong one in fact. Now Hailey has not had a great life. She's at the bottom of the social heap at school, she's ill-treated and unloved by her drug-peddling grandmother, and the only ray of light in her life is her mentally-challenged foster brother Chub. Until one day, Hailey discovers a power she had never suspected in herself, mysterious men arrive in town, and an aunt she didn't know existed arrives in town to tell her her life is in danger.

The power of this book is not in the complexity of it's worldbuilding. There is practically no worldbuilding, except where necessary for the storyline. It's not in the strength of its characters. Mostly because I was too busy devouring the book to even stop and think about whether the characters were strong enough, smart enough, real enough, etc. The power of this book is not in it's lyrical prose. Littlefield tells a story with very little trimming, no elaborate scene setting or philosophizing. What really drives this book is the sheer strength of the writing. It's gripping, fast-paced and thrilling. I didn't have enough time to stop and think, did I like this, did I hate this, do I want her to do this instead... all I could do was gasp and stutter and be swept along. There were no first-chapter hiccups for me. From the first page to the last, the story caught me in a stranglehold and didn't let go.

There is no romance in this book. There is the possibility of one in the next book, and I hope Littlefield handles it well, because I am currently in love with this woman, and I don't want the honeymoon to end. Although the book does have an ending to the main plot, there are a lot of loose threads that will only be answered in the coming books, I am guessing. And the second book doesn't even have a release date yet!!! Aaaargh!

I have only one thing to say in conclusion. Go read this book. You may not love it as much as I do, although I hope you will, but it is still definitely worth a read. GO. NOW.

[Wendy Darling · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh. Banished held my interest for the first half, but somehow I just didn't connect with this one. The best paranormal books offer unique worldbuilding of their supernatural side and combine that with strong, compelling characters and relationships for their urban side. Unfortunately, neither one is particularly well-done or unusual in this book. I don't mind books that have a less complex mythology, but what's here seemed underdeveloped and not terribly original . Hailey's powers are handy, but aside two nice healing scenes (one in the prologue, one emotional one after she realizes what she's done to her dog), it was more the idea of what she could do than what she was actually doing that saw this book through.

The dialogue is also a little clunky and I found a lot of the names annoying. Trashtown, Gypsum, Chub, Rattler...they stand out so much and are so unpleasant that they distracted from the plot. This book is somewhere between 2.5 and 3 stars for me; I'm bumping it up because I didn't actively dislike it. But it would have been nice to have a little more development in characters and plotting overall.

**Hm, I'm coming back to this to add that in all fairness, I've read literally hundreds of paranormal YA books. So readers coming into the genre with less jaded eyes may be less bothered by the points I mentioned than I was.

[papalbina · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 out of 5

first of all - &%#@/&%ç!!! another trilogy/series/whatever!!!!!!! the second one is scheduled for next summer/fall, unforsaken is supposed to be titled ¬¬ it's very annoying to realize you're been reading the first in a serie when you finished it... that explains why 40 pages to the ending i wasn't able to figure out the book's meaning/plot/point... it didn't have one... not yet!! this book is quite introductory fO.o

second - what a gorgeous cover!!!!

and last - i imagine the action parts of the book would look pretty good in an action movie, especially the cliffhanger at the end was worth an action mini-serie... but i didn't find it that catchy... the first-person narrative didn't appeal to me, i couldn't connect to hailey (btw, what a beautiful name, like clover and prairie *___*), not even empathize when she tells how mean her grandmother is. the only character i found a little interesting and intriguing was chub (who is he? where does he come from?).

the plot, at the beginning, was interesting with the whole healing powers out of the blue and all the people knowing more than the heroine... but then prairie, her "pseudo"-scientific explanations and her very bad, very mean boyfriend (who only shows up at the end, come on!! how can i take him seriously?) appear and the story goes down and down... the only positive point about the plot is that is coherent within the incoherence.

my conclusion is: i'm not looking forward to reading unforsaken and if anybody is interested in my copy, i'm open for a tradeoff :)

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

The ending was (intentionally) quite abrupt, but I read the whole thing in one sitting. Loved the gypsy feel to it, the strong main character, and Chub!

Note: I wouldn't call this one a romance.

[Vasya · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really didn't feel this book.

As far as the writing goes it was good, and the story does have some potential, but I just couldn't connect to Hailey. Or to any other character for that matter. Prairie (and I have to be mean here, but Prairie and Clover are so not the names of the characters I want to read about) didn't feel to me as a savior, nor did Gram feel like the great villain she is supposed to be. Not to mention the unreality of Chub becoming a normal kid overnight.

I think that I didn't like it because I really couldn't feel the spark for anything. The plot was intriguing (sometimes) but most of the time, I had this huge feeling of dirtiness - I don't know how to describe it, but since the moment Hailey started telling us about all of her jobs in the house and what she must do to keep Chub clean, what her Gram's habits are - I realize that there are actual people who live like that, but the problem here is that with the coming of Prairie, I don't see the light at the end of the tunnel, because for me, as the book progresses nothing gets better or worse, it just goes straight.

There are no patches of sunshine that gave me even a little bit of hope, nor there are so dark scenes that give me the creeps (although Sophie Littlefield did try on the latter, I just couldn't get into the book to feel it properly).

And the thing that bothered me, aside from all of that I mentioned up there, is that there is no visible romance to me. There is Sawyer (who was presented to us in only one and a half sentence, and there is Kaz, who is present in the major events of the book but who has no depth. That's a pretty small amount of steamy, mysterious main characters to choose from.

So no, I wouldn't recommend this book to be read, but then again Vinaya, who recommended it to me has an opinion on it that differs from mine for 180 degrees. Here's her review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/... check it out, and decide for yourself if this is something for you or not.

[Amy Jacobs · Rating 2 out of 5]

Banished, to me, left me scratching my head at the end. I was confused and I felt my reading appetite had been unsatisfied. While I like the idea of The Banished, I still haven't quite got the understanding of the history. I had to reread a bunch of parts in this book because it tended to go off onto another subject before explaining the first thing that was introduced.

The author has a wonderful idea for the book. I loved the characters in the story, but I couldn't get invested in them as much as I like to because there were so many questions left unanswered. I loved how the women have the ability to heal and the men have the visions. I thought this makes for a perfect love connection some how between The Banished.

I really wish the author would keep in mind though that when you are writing a book that is part of a series, spread out the history. I was bored halfway through the book because it was so slow in taking off. Then it peaked midway and fizzled towards the end. The pacing needs to be fine tuned for the follow up books.

I might read the next book in the series, but it isn't one that I will be rushing out to buy on release day.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rant: I hate when wonderful books are hidden from adults by the YA (Young Adult) category. Yes, it has a teen protagonist, but that doesn't make it just for teens. Young Adult or Teen should be subjects or tags, not overall dividing-line categories. I read many YA novels. As a librarian, I can probably find out about these easier than most. Library reviews and such. You may need to search for them. It's the same for young adults, you should be able to read "adult" novels. Your school library may have to limit those, but your public library has a lot you could explore. OK. Rant over.

Review:
I could not put this book down. I read it in one sitting and wanted more. I can't wait until the author writes the next one. I love Littlefield's "Bad day" series for 'adults' or young adults, starting with A Bad Day for Sorry. The premise of Banished (healers and their exploitation) is a new one to me, and it made Banished a great suspense and mystery novel. If you are a bit of a misfit, like myself, you may especially enjoy Hailey and the "family" of other gifted Banished (from Ireland?) people. It added to its attraction for me.

[Bex · Rating 3 out of 5]

I hate when I start to read a book and I like it, but then about 40% - 50% of the way in it starts to
drag.
The story is nothing new, but the characters are likeable. Hailey is sweet and from her horrible living situation you would expect her to be hard
but she isn’t, she takes care of her 'little brother' Chub who I quickly found out was my favourite character in the book. Her grandma is a whole different story though, mean,
surly, and a drug dealer she is not the ideal role model and I got kind of upset with her alot. The other characters where a mixed bag, the Morries and other non-main characters were only
in the book for a very short time and it felt like you never got a real sense of who they were, and i really wanted to.

I’m not saying the book was all bad, it has its moments but for the most part it had alot of lulls for me and i found myself wishing it was over alot quicker then it took me to read it. The pacing and
the predictable twists were just too boring for me.
I do have to commend the cover artist; I do love how pretty it is, it’s very eye catching.

[Grace Oldfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a re read for me and I found that I still like it. It has the perfect amount of supernatural elements. Enough to make it intriguing but still believable to be set in the real world. I loved that the supernatural elements took the form of healing. It seems so nice and natural for supernatural powers to revolve around healing. The plot was exciting without trying to fit too much in. I liked all of the characters even if they weren't as developed as they could be. There was no major character arc but I didn't feel that the book was lacking. The writing style was typical for a YA book. It was good for a YA book and if you come in knowing its YA you will have a much better experience than expecting it to hold up to adult standards. My biggest problem with this book is that there is so much I still wanted to know and figure out. So many loose ends. I hope though that they will all get figured out in the sequel. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone that loves supernatural YA.

[Anagha Acharya · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

[Kereesa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Banished is the story of Hailey, a poor girl in a rundown town that's going nowhere fast. Hailey lives with her tyrannical grandmother, a woman who not only deals drugs in her house, but is slowing suggesting expanding her market to the prostitution of Hailey herself. Hailey's only comforts in this world are her adopted mentally challenged brother Chub, her dog, and the knowledge that when she turns of age she will be finally able to run as far as she can. The paranormal fun-times show up, however, when Hailey unexpectedly heals a girl injured in gym class seemingly with her hands, and strange men coming looking for her...

When I first started to read Banished, I was intrigued but not overly so. I kept seeing flaws in character interactions, and some plot points, yet at the same time I COULD NOT PUT THE DAMN BOOK DOWN. I don't know what it was, but I just HAD I just HAD HAD to know, and keep reading. I think it was the prose. Or somehow crack was inserted in the pages, because I was ADDICTED. I really don't know what it was that got me so engrossed, but I was.

So the plot of Banished is pretty typical, and reminded me a lot of the lovely Kelley Armstrong's Darkest Powers. ie conspiracy, lots of running/hiding, and things go BOOM! Oh, right, and they're both paranormal Ya. Forgot about that. There isn't really much I can say about the plot because it really is almost background for Hailey's coming into her powers. There's a lot of explanations, story telling, and just incidents where Hailey uses her powers, all during these runningawayfromthebaddies moments. It's not that the plot is in any way weak, but it's nothing special to say the least. It's almost typical first novel in a trilogy, in that the whole point of the book is to introduce the powers, provide background, and build the set-up for the upcoming conspiracy.

The explanation behind Hailey's powers was one of the most interesting parts of the book for me. Though it's relatively short, and isn't utterly original or anything like that, it's very different from what you usually see in modern YA. I liked the incorporation of historical elements, and that kind of fairy-tale, old magic idea Littlefield plays with.

The characters were, I felt, some of the weakest and strongest points of the novel. What I felt was weak about them was how some of the relationship status between characters, (in particular Hailey and Prairie, as well as Hailey and Kaz) progressed to a point where there was almost absolute trust between them in a very little, and therefore unbelievable, amount of time. This was something I had felt, similarly, when reading the DP trilogy, in just the way everyone turned into BFFs very quickly. Conspiracy does that to people, I guess. In spite of my previous statement, however, I found Littlefield had done a good job of making these quick character relations work. Most of the time, I went along and remained immersed in the story. It was only when I started to question certain things that I realized the quick progression from stranger to trust. This is part of the reason why I feel Littlefield's character remain a very strong part of the novel throughout. The other part is that her characters are just in general really well done. All of them, excepting perhaps Kaz and his mother, had a good balance of moral and immoral characteristics that made them very real in my mind. Hailey as a protagonist was a good fit, for example, because she was well balanced in her strengths and weaknesses, and showed genuine fear and courage throughout the book.

The prose, and perhaps you could call this Hailey's narrative, was what got me going. There was just something about it that made me want to keep reading well into the night. It was engrossing, utterly engrossing, and I loved the way Hailey's 1st person POV made it just so real. It was definitely one of those types of prose that snared me right from the beginning.

All in all, Banished was an unexpectedly fresh and addicting paranormal novel. Good characterization, a plot to keep you entertained, and a prose to get the blood moving, Banished is throughly enjoyable. 4.5/5

[Swati · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like traversing a road bend: Surprising twists hurled out of the blue!!!

There are few books in this genre that are not cliche or predictable, and in Banished I think we have found that book.From the very first page, you are hooked. The reader can relate to the confusion and helplessness that our protagonist,Hailey feels as she tries to discover who she is or rather what she is. She is on her own with no cuddling parents or supportive friends except for a Grandmother, the kind without whom one is better off, a little brother (not by blood)Chub and a dog called Rascal.

The author keeps you in the dark from the beginning and you cannot predict what she is building up to. She keeps on building up the mystery surrounding Hailey as you try to guess who or rather what she is. The tension builds up, you can almost taste it.
You don't want to put the book down but you also can't skip to the last page and get the answer, because believe me you want to read each and every line.

There is no devastatingly handsome hero to distract, our protagonist. Hailey is not filthy rich or unbelievably popular. Rather she is at the bottom of the social ladder but she is far too busy in solving a mystery that is "Her",and has no time to whine about her social status.

However, sometimes the parts from the other persons point of view(POV)does confuse at times as you don't know who they are. Especially the transition from the prologue to Haileys point of view was a bit confusing.But as you read, you catch on the subtle hints the author leaves here and there.

From page 90 the mystery thickens with the introduction of a certain necklace that Hailey finds in a hidden stash which consists of other things belonging to here family. She tries to find out about herself from the only source she has got, a girl called Milla whose life she saved during a freak accident and who wants nothing to do with her.

You can almost taste Hailey's frustration as her Grandmother refuses to answer her questions and Milla thwarts all her attempts to be friendly with her, even though she saved her life. Instead of gratitude, all Hailey gets from her is hate and fear. You can feel the confusion that Hailey does and the desperation she feels. The sense of abandonment is acute as no one is there to guide her.

Its a bit of a surprise when Hailey's Aunt, Prairie comes out of the blue and wants her to go with her. The minute Hailey sets her eyes on her, she runs away in the other direction which is a bit odd to be honest. Hailey was trying so hard to get answers, even taking insults from Milla Morrie and her crew. However when her Aunt turns up, the closest most reliable source,she turns her back to her which is baffling to say the least.
The eagerness in her is overshadowed by bitterness at being never inquired about by her Aunt. Shouldn't she have made use of such a fine opportunity to get the answers to her questions?

The book is intense and fast paced. It is a rare and readable combination of a thriller and paranormal and keeps you on the edge.

Remember when you are driving and a bend comes where you have no idea what may be on the other side when you make it, this book gives you the same feeling. And then the twist is thrown at you, just out of the blue.In short, Banished is a bagful of surprises thanks to the authors writing style which keeps you on the edge.

[BOOK BUTTERFLY · Rating 2 out of 5]

BANISHED centers around Hailey Tarbell, a small-town girl from the wrong side of the tracks who discovers she's heir to an ancient legacy and all the power that it brings. Though she has an amazing gift, Hailey's life is anything but. She lives with her cruel grandmother--a woman who sells drugs to make ends meet and neglects Chub, a cast-off child in dire need of serious developmental therapy. When a stranger comes along and offers Hailey a way out, Hailey's life changes in ways that she never imagined. But how much will she have to suffer before her and Chub can ever really be free?

The strongest component of BANISHED was learning about origins of Hailey's healing gift and how it could be traced back centuries ago to a tiny village in Ireland. Using the gift of healing to help save people in pain appealed to me and is what essentially kept me reading on. Like all magic, the power had a dark side and a light side. I loved how in Hailey's world, there were consequences for using magic. There were those that chose to use it for good purposes, and others who allowed it to twist and corrupt them into a shell of who they were really meant to be. Sometimes people had good intentions about using their powers, but did something they knew was against the rules, and paid for it dearly. I was fascinated by this aspect of the book and would've loved to have explored it in even more detail if time had allowed.


Since Hailey's grandmother spent her days smoking, drinking and watching day-time television, it was up to Hailey to be the "adult". Hailey cooked, cleaned and tried to take care of her foster brother as best as she could. With all that on her plate, you'd think she'd have some shred of light in her life. But Hailey had no friends, no boyfriend – even the strange kids didn't want anything to do with her. So many people would've given up and become part of the cycle of poverty and despair—the same cycle Hailey saw every day at school and within her community. But she was strong minded and determined to make a better life for herself. I admired her character. Sophie Littlefield did a tremendous job finding Hailey's voice.

The seedy aspects of Hailey's life—the druggie customers coming to the house trying to paw all over her and her disgusting grandmother were more than a little disturbing for me. I almost stopped reading at one point when a certain "plan" of her grandmother's was revealed. I don't want to give away any of the plot line by going into detail, but it was very unsettling to say the least.

BANISHED was a complex, dark urban fantasy about survival, dark magic and the power of redemption. While I can see its appeal to certain groups of readers, I'm sad to say it wasn't the perfect fit for me. I personally didn't care for the zombie element that evolved nor did I appreciate some of the more gruesome moments, particularly a painful situation involving a dog.

With that being said, I believe BANISHED will find a market out there and many people who will enjoy it. Sophie Littlefield is a strong writer—her depictions of Hailey's home life and her characterization were stellar. I would definitely check out her future novels even though BANISHED wasn't a knock out of the park for me.

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have never heard of this book before starting it. I went into the book blind, so I didn't know what to expect. What I got was something I have never read before. Of course I have read lots of books that involved witches and their magic, but I have never read anything about the magic of healing. All you hear about is witched and their magic and history, but not the other side of magic where some can heal. The only time I have was in the show Charmed. But I have never read anything like this and I really enjoyed having the chance to be able to and read something about magic other than witches. From the beginning there is a mystery of who the girl is and what she has to do with the story, which I liked that we went back in the past some to add to the mystery of how everything will fit together. Along with that mystery there is the whole mystery of who Hailey is, what she can do and who her parents are. As the story goes on we get little bits of information to all those questions. Hailey grew up knowing nothing about anything. A few of the kids at school knew more about her family history than she knew about it, which I felt bad for her. She grew up with no one besides her grandmother who was always so mean to her. Because of how she grew up she learned to be independent. To take care of herself and make meals so she could eat and so her grandmother could eat as well. Briefly, we meet a character named Sawyer. Even though he had a brief part I liked him instantly just for what he did for Hailey and I would have liked to have seen him more. Once a woman shows up at Hailey's grandmother's house and we find out that she is Hailey's Aunt Prairie, she starts to explain things and pieces start to fit together. But once she came all things started to fall about and from then on they were on the run. In all that time Hailey for the most part didn't break down, she stayed strong and did what she had to do and I really liked seeing that. On the run, we come across two characters from Prairie's past who help them. I found both Kaz and his mom Anna great characters and fit in nicely with the story. I really enjoyed learning the history about the Banished when Prairie would explain something to Hailey. It was fascinating where they came from and what the magic was in the woman and the men. Overall, I really enjoyed reading this. It was a very fun and enjoyable read. I can't wait to see what's in store for the Banished in the sequel.

[Erin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Note to readers: This is the first book in a series, so there is no resolution at the end of the novel. If this doesn't bother you, then go ahead and enjoy the first part of the story.

As for me, I HATE reading books that have no ending. Waiting for the next book in a series to come out is a huge pet peeve of mine. I am all for books in a series being related, but I really can't stand it when I book just ends without tying up any of the plot twists or resolving anything. Those are the series that I should read in 10 years when all the books are written and I can just read all of them at once.

So, I thought the first third of the book was really interesting. The second third of the book wasn't quite as interesting. The last third made me want to throw something because I realized that there was not going to be an ending. Major annoyance. I realize I am missing a third, well the book is missing the last third as well.

Now that I am done ranting, you may be interested in the story itself. Pretty much a girl realizes that she has the power to heal, but that power has some negative aspects as well. People want to use her power for evil and so she is running away with a variety of people.

Will I read the next one? Perhaps. But, I would need confirmation from someone that there is actually some sort of ending. I would also need to remember that this series even exists, because I read so much I will probably forget about this boosk existence in about a week. Rant finished!

[Savannah (Books With Bite) · Rating 5 out of 5]

What can I say about this book other than I love it. The plot was very intriguing and held me from page to page. Hailey is not your average kid. She is always being picked on and teased by the other kids. She has been told lies about her past and know nothing. One day after saying a student from death does she start to question things. She begins to get closer to the answer when her long lost aunt comes looking for her. There are other people, dangerous people looking for her too.


Let me tell you that this is one unique book. The plot and paranormal parts is great. It is nothing that I have seen before. What I like the most about it was how Ms. Littlefield wrote the book with her characters coming to life literally from the page. You can feel the emotions just dripping off the page. I felt for Hailey and loved her strong, endless devotion to her brother. Even with everything that she has been through, she stays strong and overcomes.


Her family is mess up. They talked down to her and don't let her know anything. Her aunt is just a crazy old mean bat who is bitter and she deserve what she got. (Sorry, had to say it) Hailey's fought for what she believed in and let no one stand in her way. I love this girl! The paranormal part is good. I am intrigued by the Banished and I am hoping to learn more about them in the second book.

[Navdha · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was okay, predictable but okay. The writing style was fine not over impressive, and the story was not really new. It had some new elements to it but some parts looked straight out from a movie. The characters were okay and this book was serious, no spark of humor anywhere, which m so used to now, that because of its absence, the book didn’t really do it for me. I wasn’t bored, the story never slowed and there was always something going on, but the important things were predictable once you got the hang of it. There was action, spark of romance and a suspense looming in the cliffhanger but alteast m not biting my nails off, so it’s all good. I felt really bad about the dog, Rascal and I really don’t understand why Hailey took so long to figure out about her dog, maybe she knew it deep down and was in constant denial, I just don’t understand why she didn’t bring it up in front of Prairie. Vincent, poor Vincent. I feel so bad for him and a little sad for Prairie. Anyways, the whole book revolved around cleaning up Prairie’s mess and I feel that It was focused on Hailey more in the beginning than later. Kaz’s entry was way too late, him being the main male lead and all, but I hope there is more to their connection in the next book, Unforsaken.

[Cindy (eclecticfirefly) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story takes place in a small town. Hailey is a Sophomore in High School. Not only is she from the wrong side of town, but she is considered the lowest of the low. She has no friends and is quite shy. She lives with her Grandmother and a 4 year old foster child named Chub.

Hailey is the caretaker of the family. She cooks and cleans, does her homework, cares for Chub and Rascal, the family dog. Her dream is to get out of town and take Chub with her.

But, then something strange happens...... A girl in gym class is injured and Hailey feels an almost uncontrollable need to place her hands on the girl. When she finally does, the girl wakes up and appears to be fine. Is she grateful? No way! She believes that Hailey has cursed her.

Not long after Hailey's aunt comes to visit. Of course this is quite a surprise to Hailey, since she didn't know she even had an Aunt.

From this point on the action really starts. And.....there are zombies! YEAH!!!! ZOMBIES!!!!

Great book! There HAS to be a sequel. There just HAS TO!!! Yes, I will be reading it. I will also be looking for more of this author's books.

[Stacy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reviewed by http://urbanfantasyinvestigations.blo...

I was introduced to Sophie Littlefield by reading her Adult novel AFTERTIME. I absolutely loved it and decided to give her YA a try. The writing was great, I loved the family mythology, and I enjoyed the characters. The narrator Hailey was like-able and had a great head on her shoulders. BUT I had a hard time getting into the story. It seemed to have a hard time getting going and once it did I found myself a bit confused at times about what was going on. The ending was a bit more fast paced and action filled but I thought the ending was a bit abrupt with a big cliffhanger added on. I think the series does have great potential and I will most likely pick up book 2 UNFORSAKEN.

[Jcel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have thoroughly enjoyed reading this book! Although I really wouldn’t categorize this under dystopian as it is more on the Thriller side, in my opinion. The paranormal aspect in this book is lacking. The place, characters and supernatural powers doesn’t really hold up to the dystopia category. But I loved it nonetheless. I enjoy a book that wrecks my imagination, in a good way. This book is seriously a rollercoaster ride. In the beginning it felt like witchcraft then suddenly it was Bourne Identity ending it with Walking with the Dead and I just LOVE it! I do have to say that it gets quite confusing as the author jumps from one event to the other without notification but otherwise it is a good read. I can’t wait for the next installment!

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This really had an exciting finish. Bonus points. But, I didn't know this book was going to be about Zombies. It is hard for me to read zombie books because of what they are - lifeless creatures. I never can get invested. Overall, the book was well written and the story clicks right along. I really enjoyed reading about Hailey caring for her adopted younger brother. The suspense was great, and the action really picked up in Chicago. I was extremely happy for Hailey having found some family and friends even if she is in perpetual danger. At least she doesn't have to go it alone. This book finishes in KMM style...wanting to read the next installment.

[Kerryn (RatherBeReading) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was a little worried as I started this book as it is quite slow to get going in my opinion despite the fact that this is a very short book but I did end up enjoying it.

I really like the characters, particularly Hailie and her Aunt Prairie.

As I mentioned, this book is very short. I really felt as though the story could have been better fleshed out as the story felt a little incomplete to me.

I will say that this book has no romance in it which I was pleasantly surprised about from a young adult paranormal style story.

Overall this was an enjoyable read that I think would definitely appeal to a somewhat younger YA audience.

[Nina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Girl, 15, learns she has supernatural abilities and goes on the run with her aunt and foster brother. It feels like the author dumbs down the writing a bit, and it took a while for the plot to kick in.

I can't tell if my favorite part is the zombie dog, the lack of an instaromance/love triangle with the mysterious new hot boy who just moved in (there is no new hot boy! What!?), the fact that there are no mean girl/queen bee characters, or the crazy drug-dealer grandmother. It might actually be the psycho grandma.

Good enough to finish, not intriguing enough to move on to book 2.

[Rachael Herron · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this -- gripping and emotional, I was rooting for the heroine from the first breath we watch her take. The surprises had me literally gasping on the plane I read it on (in one fell swoop -- couldn't put it down, finished it over Illinois), and I think I startled the man I was sitting next to. Fabulous. Highly recommended.

[Veronica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Non aspettatevi del romance da Banished (infatti il titolo italiano "Il bacio dei dannati" non c'azzecca per niente), ma è un bel libro YA, originale, ben scritto ed è impossibile non affezionarsi ai protagonisti soprattutto ad Hailey che ci racconta le vicende in prima persona.
Lo stile della Littlefield mi ha ricordato molto quello della Armstrong e della Cole.
Bello, aspetto il seguito!

[Emory's Defunct Profile · Rating 1 out of 5]

This reads like something I would have written in the fourth grade. The only real difference is that this one got published. When I was nine I usually gave up on my stories after twenty pages, especially if they were as bad as this one.

[Sophie Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

CANNOT wait for this book!!! Heard so many good things about it! And the premise is to die for!

[Anna · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was a waste of my time!! It started out good and I thought I'd stay with it to see if it continued being as good but it got boring!! Hope she doesn't write anymore like this!!

[Muana · Rating 1 out of 5]

For a YA genre, this is okay. But I guess, cliche's are unavoidable for every YA book. It was page turning at first then gradually turned to be boring.

[Booknut 101 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brilliant - I thoroughly enjoyed this one and looking forward to reading the book to come!