Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi, 338 pages
(Book one of series)
The book is as disjointed as the writing, yet still appealing to the reader. Juliette grew up never knowing the loving touch of another human. No one can touch her skin and live. Her parents have abandoned her to the __ABUSIVE__ insane asylum where she has been for years without human contact. Too keep herself sane, she keeps a journal. Written in first person, the writing includes a lot of crossed out sentences, repetitive words and nonsense - pretty much what you would expect from someone who has been locked up for years and is trying to remain sane. When the government takes an unnatural interest in her, it's all she can do to keep it together and get out alive. Throw in a bit of romance, suspense, drama and special powers, and you have this book in a nutshell.

Stolen Away by Alyxandra Harvey

Stolen Away by Alyxandra Harvey, 278 pages

I have never had whiplash from a book before. This was a first for me. The story is told in first person, not just from the view of our main character Eloise Hart but also from her friend Jo's perspective. Eloise learns that her family has a connection to fey that may be the death of her, while Jo discovers the boy she abruptly falls in love with is far more than he seems. The story loops and weaves through the two perspectives covering much more ground in the short 278 page book. Two blossoming romances, one bad fairy, several battles and one tragic romance. It's a quick, one-time read that you will enjoy ... once you get use to the back and forth storytelling.