Rites of Passage
Title: Rites of PassageAuthor: Joy N. Hensley
Publish Date: September 9th 2014
Rating: FIVE GOLDEN STARS
Synopsis: Sam McKenna has never turned down a dare. And she's not going to start with the last one her brother gave her before he died.
So Sam joins the first-ever class of girls at the prestigious Denmark Military Academy. She's expecting push-ups and long runs, rope climbing and mud crawling. As a military brat, she can handle an obstacle course just as well as the boys. She's even expecting the hostility she gets from some of the cadets who don't think girls belong there. What she's not expecting is her fiery attraction to her drill sergeant. But dating is strictly forbidden and Sam won't risk her future, or the dare, on something so trivial... no matter how much she wants him.
As Sam struggles to prove herself, she discovers that some of the boys don't just want her gone—they won't rest until she gives up. When their petty threats turn to brutal hazing, bleeding into every corner of her life, she realizes they are not acting alone. A decades-old secret society is alive and active... and determined to force her out.
At any cost.
Now time's running short. Sam must decide who she can trust... and choosing the wrong person could have deadly consequences.
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Review:
"Take a moment to understand the sheer awesomeness of what you are about to do."Wow. The fact that this is Joy's debut novel amazes me. I was not expecting something of this caliber. I was riveted. I can't tell y'all enough how immersed into this story I was. If y'all could see the messages I sent to my friends a small idea what was going on with me while I was reading.
Being stupid me, I started this book around 10 PMish and there are about 4 hundred pages. I told myself I'd go to sleep around midnight because I KNEW I had to wake you at 6 in the morning. So there I go diving into this book knowing I'd need to stop myself.
Yeah that didn't work out. I ended up going to sleep around 2ish and on pages 241. Guys... I was so willing to do an allnighter just so I'd be able to finish RoP. Every chapter left me wanting to continue and it didn't help that the chapters were short. I mean come on how can you pass up a short chapter, especially a chapter you know is going to be good!?
If y'all know a little bit about me you'd know that I rarely all out cuss and when I happen to I soften it by saying "Fudge" or "Shucks". I don't mind cussing, I just don't like cussing myself. I believe there's a time and a place for that. But if you were to record me while I was reading RoP the whole video would be bleeped out. GUYS my emotions were EVERYWHERE they were flooding my room. Rites of Passage evokes these emotions out of you. Writing this review has me flailing and cussing and I finished it days ago!
FUDGE MAN. It felt like I was reacting the way Sam should have been if she wasn't in the predicament she was in. I can't even.
Now what I wasn't expecting was the "romance" that was played in. I have to say that my favorite aspect about this book is that the love interest isn't really introduced until halfway through the book. Though we (we being the readers) want the romance it's not the main focus; it's more like wanting the other person to come to the rescue. And you're saying aloud "WHERE IS HE?!" or at least I was. Really the first part of the book is understanding the world that Sam has stepped into. And, oh god, is it torturous. Nothing but all the applause to Sam for sticking through it all. I freaking want to be as resilient as her.
Guys, grab Rites of Passage when it releases. I can say with full confidence that y'all won't regret it. It's an emotional ride that you never want to get off from.
Desperately wanting a second book
-Vangie
Romans 8:37
