I loved almost everything about this book, and what I did not love, I did not hate either. The story itself is incredible. It might not be a terribly original idea, but it is worked in such a way that it seems new. The characters are so believable they could be real people. I loved both the main characters and how their relationship develops, and I liked the way the secondary characters came into play. The plot is a perfect mixture of action and development, both of which are handled remarkably well. I am not a fan of the intense fighting, and this book has it without making me want to skip over words and guess what is happening. My mind was not swirling when Amy Plum describes conflicts, which I appreciated. I suppose if you like action-packed novels, this novel will does not fit that description, but, in my opinion, that is a strong point. Sometimes authors have trouble writing scenes in which the characters are not in running, moving, or fighting, but Plum overcame that problem in this novel. Even the scenes in which one of them describes the other doing seemingly mundane things, the story moves along. There are no purposeless scenes, and every scene is the perfect length.

The characters:
Juneau: One of the main characters, Juneau Newhaven has been living in a tiny community in Alaska where there is no electricity or (modern) technology. A few chapters into the novel she comes back from hunting to find that her entire clan was kidnapped, and for the first time in her life goes beyond the boundaries of their territory with the intention of finding them. Once outside, she discovers that WWIII never happened as she was taught her entire life, and those in her clan are therefore not the sole survivors. Juneau is not only the best hunter in her clan, but also only one of two people with the gift of Conjuring, (SPOILER: the ability to be at one with nature and do things that could be considered supernatural, such as Read people (which means that you can see their memories), use a person as an oracle and ask him or her questions about the past, present, and future (though the answers for questions of the future are purely educated guesses), and use nature to see and feel things that are happening miles away.) Juneau must deal with the fact that her entire upbringing was a lie and figure out who she is, who she can trust, and what she believes in order to be able to continue her quest.Although she is mature from the beginning, she continues to grow up and somehow manages to survive everything she is faced with, sometimes with the help of others.

He has lived what Dennis would call a fortunate life, unfortunately for the rest of the world. The blissfully ignorant spawn of the rich.

But its going to take time to sift through it all and decide what I truly believe.

Miles: Miles is the privileged son of a wealthy businessman. Due to the lack of attention he receives at home, Miles pulls stunts that get him into trouble and eventually kicked out of high school only months before graduating. He sets out to find Juneau and bring her back to his dad, hoping to prove his worthiness so that his dad will pull some strings and get him into Yale. He believes Juneau is beyond crazy, and she thinks Miles is stupid nave. There is no insta-love (thank the gods!), but instead their relationship grows from not trusting each other, to friendship, to like (the romantic kind). I thought their relationship moved at a believable pace, as they slowly get to know each other better. Like Juneau, the journey makes him mature and open his mind to a world that seems impossible.

Im lying here in a tent, pretending to be asleep but actually fearing for my life as I watch a bunny murderer have a conversation with our campfire.

This was followed by a meltdown in the chocolate aisle. The hippies obviously didnt grow their own cocoa beans back in Alaska, because Ive never seen anyone load up on so many candy bars in my life.

The romance:
Light and sweet, the romance moves at a normal pace, no insta-love bullshit. Finally. Authors, take note (please and thank you).

Something about her expression makes my heart do a little surge of happiness. Whats wrong with me? Im definitely catching her crazy.

The plot:
Although there is definitely some foreshadowing, I cannot say I guessed the plot until each twist was starring me right in the face. I did do some educated guessing, but it was often right before something happened, and not a hundred pages ahead. The Yara (basically another name for nature or Mother Nature) does definitely solve some issues that would otherwise be near-impossible to explain, but the explanation Juneau gives for this is good enough to keep my suspension of disbelief in place.

The supernatural:
I know I am totally going out on a limb here, and some people might think I am insane, but I want to believe that the whole one-with-nature thing is true. I already knew (believed?) that being close to nature is important for our health, and, really, using nature in ways that can be called supernatural is only one step away from that. I think that is probably the closest humans ever really get to the paranormal, and, since I love all of this shit so much, I kind of want it to be true. I think Plum does a great job at world-building the fantastical aspect of this novel, merging reality with make-believe in such a way that I actually sat back after finishing the novel and thought about all those times I heard the wind, watched the rippling lake-water, or sat around a fire, and how those moments would seem different to Juneau.

The cliffhanger:
Of course there is one! Obviously, I know that (HUGEEEEEEE SPOILER: Miles will survive) but I don't know how that will affect the plot for the next novel. Also, Plum left just enough questions unanswered to make me crave more.

I wasn't in love with this book, it was just not my style to be quite honest.