Book Review | WINDSWEPT by Gwen Cole

   

Windswept by Gwen Cole
Publication: July 21, 2020
Publisher: Sky Pony
Genre: Fantasy / YA Fiction
Rating: ★★★★

Every day, Sam endures the same subway ride on her way to school, but when she meets a boy named Reid, suddenly her daily commute isn’t so ordinary. Reid has the ability to teleport—or, drift, as he calls it—and for the first time, Sam has the opportunity to travel anywhere without a passport or plane ticket.

But as their two worlds come together, Sam discovers her family had been keeping secrets from her, and meeting Reid was just the beginning of unraveling the truth. When drifters begin to disappear, Sam has no choice but to face the threat when she finds out her family is among the missing.

As Reid and Sam start their search for the missing drifters, help comes from the most unexpected of places. After a significant breakthrough, Reid is taken, and Sam finds herself alone in a world she knows nothing about. With the enemy closing in, she soon realizes she’s the only person who can save them all.- Goodreads

Readers who are tired of the commonly chosen one trope, like Katniss or Tris, will likely weigh up and skip this book. Pleasantly, Gwen Cole handled the “only person who can save them all” part, as the book blurb said, in a clever way. Both Sam and Reid have personalities befitting teenagers who have room to change and does not make some cliché choices.

And besides the “oh so” cute teenage romance, there is a certain element that separates WINDSWEPT from the rest of Jumper-ish stories. These people have fleshed out as vulnerable, flawed, and troubled creatures. Not untouchable, god-like beings, which are able to jump from one place to another without care or consequence. Absolutely no world meltdown.

Although the author has the opportunity to stretch out the mystery and explore more of the drifters’ history, it is refreshing that this is a quick read ending on a high note. A YA fantasy that readers shouldn't miss. I recommend.

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About the Author:

Gwen Cole is an award-winning author of Cold Summer and Ride On. She grew up in northern New York and after moving to Virginia, she met her husband while playing in a hardcore band. When she’s not writing, you can find her playing Xbox, skiing in the winter, playing softball in the summer, and always watching too much Netflix. She now lives in Richmond, Virginia with her family, always longing for colder winters.

*Thanks to Sky Pony and Edelweiss for the galley in exchange for this unbiased review.
*This post is a part of the monthly linkups organized by Lovely Audiobooks! You can click here to check it out and be a part of it.