Whitewashed is my new favorite series, and you NEED these books!
Published by H. L. Roethle , 7 years ago
WHERE DO I EVEN BEGIN?!?!? The most accurate description I can use to convey my feelings is a lot of gasping, sobbing, not breathing, awwwwwing, laughing, screaming, and wild fangirling. In a word, obsessed. Forever. 😍
First, imma gush, then I'll talk about The Trace individually.
Adelaide Thorne is now one of my favorite authors of all time, and her books are some of my all time favorites. Yes, I just read them. No, my mind will never change. This is not a passing phase. I am in love, and forever will be.
This is the story of metahumans and their war with the strange grey monsters known as Grifters. This is the story of a girl who takes responsibility and guilt for things she has no control over, yet does whatever she can to make things right; a boy who does the right thing no matter what, and has to learn what emotions even are; and an enemy that will blow your mind...literally. I didn't know what to expect, but this series has touched my heart in ways I never dreamed.
Please, do yourself a favor and get these books. Now. (Also Ethan Sheedy is the best thing since sliced bread. Jus' sayin'. You maybe have heard the hype? Oh honey. He's even better than anything you've heard!)
THE TRACE!
It's starts a teensy bit slow - but not really. Like, it's not pulse pounding, but it's compelling and draws you in, and then BANG! You get to a point where you can't breathe and you just have to keep reading and reading and reading until GIANT CLIFF HANGER and oh yay, grab book 2. If you haven't bought The Integer yet, you just made a serious mistake, because that cliff hanger is KILLER OKAY?!
The Trace is a beginning of sorts for Ella Kepler. And if you are wondering why I phrased it that way...read the books. She is thrown into a world where it seems she belongs, but it's utterly foreign to her mind. She makes friends, she makes enemies - but most importantly, she learns that not everything is black and white. Not everything is as it seems.
I loved her arc in this book. She has to deal with so many emotions, such as anger, guilt, and revenge, and /wow/. It's done so well, and personally I was extremely blessed by it. So many books nowadays have little or no life lessons taught any more, but this book? Masterfully done. I felt like I was reading the stories of old - where you read a book, not just for the epic plot and deep, beautiful characters, but also for the lessons and morals, the stories that shape your character and taught you to be a better person.
There are seriously no cliche characters, and I daresay there's not a single cliche in this entire book. The relationships are AMAZING! Ella's friendship with Kara is seriously #goals. Her sweetness in looking after and going out of her way to be kind to the shy, awkward Avary made me tear up at times. And her relationship/friendship with Ethan...my gosh people.
For once, we get a male lead who isn't dark and emo for the sake of it; who doesn't bend the rules just because he can, and it's "super dashing" when he does so; who doesn't make all the girls swoon and knows it; blah blah blah. No. Black haired, blue eyed Ethan Sheedy shatters that mold. He's almost robotic, but...not quite. He does the right thing. He's sweet and kind and thoughtful, but not for what he can get out of it. He's a natural leader, and he takes responsibility so seriously. Lying, cheating, cutting corners - they are foreign to him. He's a bit snarky, but I don't think he even realizes it. Have I fallen for him? Absolutely. It's the type of character you dream about but never get...and for once, HE EXISTS!
I could go on about this book, but then I'd enter SPOILER TERRITORY and who likes to read a review like that? So I'll shut up and go gush about The Integer. Adelaide, thank you. So much. This story and this book and this series and these characters have changed me FOREVER. Thank you. 💙
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