Review: Losing Lila by Sarah Alderson

  Title: Losing Lila
  Author: Sarah Alderson
  Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK
  Publication date: 2nd August 2012
  My rating: 4 stars 

  

Alex and Lila are on the run, desperately trying to stay one step ahead of the Unit, which somehow is managing to track their every move. Whilst Alex is determined to keep Lila safe and her ability secret at any cost, Lila’s only thought is of finding a way back to California so that she can rescue her brother and mother from the military base where they’re being held.

Struggling to control both her growing power and her deepening feelings for Alex, Lila decides the time has finally come to stop running and start fighting. Together with Alex, Demos, and the people she’s come to think of as family, Lila plans not just to save her brother and mother, but to completely destroy the Unit and everything it stands for. 

But the plan requires Lila to return alone to California, make friends with the enemy, and to risk losing everything - Alex, her family, and even her life.

Losing Lila was a book I’d immediately added to my wish list once I’d devoured Hunting Lila earlier this year. Sarah Alderson had made me go through so much with the first book, and then she left me flabbergasted with two big sucker punches at the end! Alderson sure knows how to toy with your emotions, with teasers for Losing Lila posted on her twitter, a promise of a pov from Alex at the end of Losing Lila and the novella Catching Suki kept me hanging on for more. I honestly couldn’t wait for its release; I’d pre-ordered my copy long ago and nervously counted down the days. But I was super lucky to get my hands on an arc thanks to the lovely Sam over at Realm of Fiction. I literally jumped up for joy when my copy arrived, all my current reads could wait as nothing would be getting in the way of me and Alex Losing Lila.

Losing Lila kicks off with Alex and Lila on the run from the unit. Now finally understanding what the unit is up to, Lila couldn’t get away fast enough. But after what happened and the bombshell Demos dropped Lila has no choice but to go back, but with security obviously upped after what happened, it’s going to be tough to convince the unit to welcome them back with open arms. But Lila and Alex need to come up with some plan as they need to go back.

Alderson sure knows how to suck you back into a book, I was super excited for it from the beginning, but so many things are thrown your way from the get go; my heart was pumping frantically, I had an immediate adrenaline rush (this may have largely due to the fact that I was back with the gorgeous Alex). Alex and Lila were in such a tough situation, I was surprised that Lila hadn’t already crumbled with everything going on around her. But Alex was the strong support she needed, he always had faith in her and her ability and provided the re-assurance that they would find a way out (with or without Demos).

I had so much fun being back in this world again, I think that these are the best bunch of characters I’ve ever come across. Ever since Hunting Lila I had been dying to get to know Demos’s group more and we certainly got the chance to. I didn’t think it was possible but I loved them even more after this instalment. I adored Suki ever since we got to know her that little bit more in Catching Suki, but I again looked forward to her quirky, zany personality, her quick witty comebacks with the others and her and Nates constant fangirling over Alex. Demos; this big hunk of a man, still remains a big enigma to me, but I adored his character so much and on several occasions my heart went out to him.

Alex; this guy deserves his own paragraph, in Hunting Lila he quickly became one of my favourite literary crushes and in Losing Lila he easily proved why. Some of his scenes were so swoony and gut wrenchingly achy. This guy so knows how to wear his heart on his sleeve, and I think that’s what made me love him even more, he wasn’t afraid to reveal his feelings for Lila or defend her honour *sigh*.

Losing Lila provided a powerful follow up to the unforgettable Hunting Lila. It was fast paced and again constantly had us in two minds as we never knew who we could fully trust, and who would stab us in the back. Overall Losing Lila was an action packed engrossing read full with nonstop tantalising moments. It will definitely be joining Hunting Lila on my favourites shelf.