18 THOUGHTS
by Jamie Ayres
Curiosity Quills Press
YA Paranormal/Inspirational
Rate: Three thumbs Up! (five stars)
Olga Gay Worontzoff left the Underworld for her final year of high school anxious for things to return to normal, but fate has other plans.
The new hottie at school reads her thoughts but nobody else’s. Her best friend wakes up from his coma acting like a completely different person. Caught in a world that’s a mix of familiar and supernatural, she must confront what she will—or won’t—do to bring him back and stare down her own perceived inadequacies to face a couple of tenacious demons, figurative and literal.
Everything she thought she knew about reality will change as she walks the line between past and present, fear and faith, love and loyalty.
And by the end of a heartbreaking year, she might be forced to realize “normal” in the conventional sense of the word is the one thing she may never achieve.
Jamie Ayres writes young adult paranormal love stories by night and teaches young adults as a Language Arts middle school teacher by day. When not at home on her laptop or at school, she can often be found at a local book store grabbing random children and reading to them. So far, she has not been arrested for this. Although she spent her youthful summers around Lake Michigan, she now lives in Florida with her prince charming, two children (sometimes three based on how Mr. Ayres is acting), and a basset hound. She really does have grandmothers named Olga and Gay but unlike her heroine, she's thankfully not named after either one of them. She loves lazy pajama days, the first page of a good book, stupid funny movies, and sharing stories with fantastic people like you. Her books include the first two installments of her trilogy, 18 Things and 18 Truths. Visit her online via Twitter, Facebook, or at www.jamieayres.com.
After reading the first and second book in the series, I was, of course, looking forward to seeing how the story comes to an end. I was not disappointed, but even surprised that this book was better than the first two.
It was a little strange watching Nate, Olga, and Conner wake up as if the first two books had never happened, and it took a little bit for this new view on things to sink it. But as soon as the new circumstance slid into my brain gears, I realized how wonderful this twist was--a very refreshing way to take on the last book in a trilogy.
It was simply sweet to watch Nate and Olga 'meet' and had me smiling over and over again. There's so much tenderness in this story, a mature love and care which isn't only visible in the growth of the characters, but in the writing itself. It made the book simply enjoyable to read.
The plot is well woven, dropping hints and twists in all the right places to keep those pages turning. There were several things I didn't see coming, and of course, I was rooting for Olga the entire way. Although she'd already come far as a character, it was nice to follow her as she continued to discover more about life and herself.
Summed up, this is a great ending to a lovely series, one that young adults will be sure to sink into and be left thinking about long after the last page has come to an end.
Before
Riel looked at the three of us. “Now that we’ve said our goodbyes, it’s time to get going. I have an appointment at the Throne after this.”
Conner turned to Nate, a struggle to remain civil clear on his face. “I’d say it was nice to meet you, but—”
“Oh, save it.” Riel scowled at him. “Your paths will cross again soon.”
Nate nodded. “And FYI, I’m not giving up. May the best man win.”
And right then, I knew I had problems. My best friend was in love with me and counted my boyfriend as his enemy. Sam would still be on the loose somewhere on Earth, and I had a feeling he’d move close to Grand Haven so he could torture me for getting him kicked out of the Underworld. Plus, Nate would have some sort of side effect that made even Riel chuckle with delight.
Problems for sure. If being a spirit guide didn’t almost kill me, the drama that lay ahead for my senior year of high school just might. But the thought that I even had a senior year of high school to look forward to made any possible drama seem so beyond worth it.
Riel gathered us in his arms and prayed in a tongue I didn’t recognize.
I decided I should end my journey the same way I started, with a prayer. Except this time, I wasn’t ready to die, I was ready to live.
God, thank you for being my companion through everything. So many emotions pulled me in all directions this past year, but even though I strayed off course, You never left me. Help me find my safe harbor in Your grace. Help me to awaken to a bright new day in the comfort of Your love, no matter what lies ahead with the two guys standing next to me. There are so many thoughts running through my head about what I want to do with my life now that I have a second chance, but help me to know everything will turn out okay if You have other plans. After all, You are the protector of my heart and my soul, the One I can always count on for a perfect ending.
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Jamie Ayres writes young adult paranormal love stories by night and teaches young adults as a Language Arts middle school teacher by day. When not at home on her laptop or at school, she can often be found at a local book store grabbing random children and reading to them. So far, she has not been arrested for this. Although she spent her youthful summers around Lake Michigan, she now lives in Florida with her prince charming, two children (sometimes three based on how Mr. Ayres is acting), and a basset hound. She really does have grandmothers named Olga and Gay but unlike her heroine, she's thankfully not named after either one of them. She loves lazy pajama days, the first page of a good book, stupid funny movies, and sharing stories with fantastic people like you. Her books include the first two installments of her trilogy, 18 Things and 18 Truths. Visit her online via Twitter, Facebook, or at www.jamieayres.com.
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