A gripping tale with vivid characters that will keep you hooked. There is a kidnapping and a sadistic madman what more can you ask for?

Finding You by Lydia Albano is one of those books that is kind of hard to categorize into a genre. Sure, it is easy to say that the audience is young adult. However, the society and world in this book are fictional. There’s no magic though. The technology is not clearly laid out – there’s both carriages and cars. Regardless of genre, this release from Swoon Reads kept me interested from beginning to end.

Essentially Lydia Albano’s Finding You opens up with main character Isla waving off her childhood friend Tam as he goes away to basic camp for the military. Isla realizes that she deeply loves Tam. Unfortunately for her, some hands come up behind her and drag her off, kidnapping her. It is then a journey through Industria and she ends up with a group of other girls at this sadistic aristocrat’s home. Isla finds hope in her locket that Tam gave her, initially believing he will come to save her. Reality comes at you kind of fast and so it is up to her to save the girls from a terrible fate and the worst of violations.

Isla really exhibits a lot of growth in this book. When we first start, she’s kind of naive and timid. She experiences adventure and bravery only through books. Now, thrust into a real and scary situation where others are depending on her, it’s like she sprouts this hidden well of courage. However, I also liked that she continued to have faith and hope in her love for Tam. Then it is like she is a girl on a mission. I am 100% all about that, especially as she gets revenge.

Although Finding You is a book from the Swoon Reads imprint, I felt like romance was not the main drive behind this book. Yes, Tam and Isla have feelings for each other. However, they do not really have a lot of page time together. Actually, most of the scenes with Tam are just flashbacks from Isla’s memory. Then when Tam does show up, it is not totally swoonworthy. Despite all that, I rooted for those two kids.

For the most part, Finding You is a decent read. I think there are scenes with Isla and the girls that are particularly hard to stomach — as they are held captive by Curram. This book does not shy away from the horrors of human trafficking. It’s hard to read about these girls being seen as commodities, property. I am glad though that this book is not unrelenting. We get some relief from the horrors we are presented with, which made it so I could actually finish this book and easily move on to the next one.

Finding You is set in a world similar, yet different, to our own, with a possible historical/steampunk type setting. Isla and Tam have been best friends for years, yet Isla can't help but hope for more. Those hopes are dashed when Tam announces that he is signing on to the army, as it means his family will have food for the coming winter. She goes to the station to say goodbye to him, and is literally snatched off the streets. Horror and degradation follow, with her constantly hoping that Tam will rescue her. Once she realises that she has to do this own her own, the pace picks up slightly and the story quickly evolves.

This is a very good debut, with action and story aplenty. Isla is forced to do things that she would never have dreamed possible; that she never thought she would be strong enough for; simply because of the circumstances she found herself in.

With plenty of characters to keep your attention, this is very well written, with no editing or grammatical errors to disrupt the reading flow. The pace was smooth, and the scenes flowed from one to the next.

A thoroughly entertaining read (some of it quite dark) that I have no hesitation in recommending.

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!

So the genre description for Finding You is Young Adult. I have some issues with this as I think the book is too violent and tackles some very upsetting topics and for a less mature young adult, it could cause great distress. So I think it should have some sort of pre-emptive message at the beginning of it.

As I started the book it shocked me with its raw and realistic descriptions of totally heinous events. I almost never continued to read but then I thought how shocked I was when I read The Hunger Games for example and I decided to read on. I’m glad I did, the overall takeaway message from the book is to believe in your self and your inner strength.

Incredibly well written, Lydia Albano has a unique and gifted style. Ms Albano writes for all the senses. I feel I was so chilled by the gritty and horrific events more so because of the enigmatic writing ability that Ms Albano has to set the scene.

Isla is our honest everyday main character and she is just an ordinary girl, her only true superpower is her inner strength. I enjoyed learning about her and going on this memorable and at times terrifying journey with her.

I thoroughly recommend Finding You to older mature young adults. It tackles many subjects such as kidnapping, rape and graphic violence.

Finding You by Lydia Albano is a wonderful YA book. The book introduces us to two characters Isla, the main character and Tam, her best friend. As the first pages unfold, the realization that the book is about a time of war, perhaps in the past or in another world. The atmosphere of grit and dismal add an interesting tone to the novel. Tam leaves for war and Isla goes to say goodby at the train station, only to be kidnapped. While Isla’s life was not easy, she was safe and love. Her new reality is one of fear and horror. Trapped in a cell in a dungeon waiting for the unknown jailors to come and take them away. Isla discovers how she does have strength that she did not realize. Isla realizes that she has to save herself and the other girls and find a way to end the terror, but how when all the odds are stacked against her.

Lydia Albano’s debut novel was well written. The beginning drew you in totally with the introduction of Isla’s world. The new world was well drawn with Isla finding her own strength as the story continues. The novel is set up to have sequels, perhaps many to follow the storyline, even though the conclusion was quite satisfying. Finding You by Lydia Albano was a really good read!

Finding You was a book that intrigued me from the moment I read its synopsis. It sounded quite dark and mysterious, something that you don't come across often in YA literature. It really peaked my interest and I decided to give it a fair chance. I went into with some expectations, which means that I had hopes of it being at least as great as the synopsis made it out to be.

Don't get me wrong, the idea behind the plot and the story itself were interesting enough, but after the first couple of chapters I started getting quite bored. The beginning was amazing and made me eager to keep reading and find out what would happen next. The kidnapping scene was extremely unexpected and after that, I expected to be blown away by everything that would follow. I really did not.

The pace was so slow after the scenes that followed the kidnapping and kind of cleared things up that, I actually found myself skipping pages and frantically looking for something that would make me get back on the anticipation track and regain my excitement for the book itself. The ending wa close to getting me half way where I expected to be while reading this book but, it was so rushed and abrupt that I was actually overwhelmed. There were so many things that weren't thoroughly explained and I felt like the author just wanted to wrap things up and get it over with.

I really liked the main characters and found them to be very courageous and loyal. Isla was a very brave main character who was willing to do whatever it took in order to save, not only herself but also everyone else who was trapped with her. Her determination really showed through when she had to take really tough decisions and make choices that would affect everyone around her. The demons she had to fight were the definition of evil and I think that she did a great job. I didn't get to connect with her as much as I would've liked to but, I still admired her strength throughout the book and her sense of right and wrong.

Tam was also likable enough as a character but I feel like we didn't really get the chance to know him completely. He was introduced at the beginning, Isla mentioned him and her love for him throughout the book but, that was it. There was no character development on his part and we just got glimpses of what happened to him during the last couple of chapters. That was basically it. Which was very disappointing since, the majority of the book revolved around him and Isla's fierce determination that he would save her from Hell. He just wasn't physically there enough, which makes sense considering the path the story followed but, even when he was there, his contribution to the plot was minor.

The final chapters were getting me somewhere - as a dedicated reader ready to be thrown into an unexpected twist - but it just wasn't enough. They were still very rushed and not as well developed as I would have liked them to be. Unexpectedness turned into predictability fairly quickly and I realized that, the ending had arrived and I felt absolutely nothing for it. It might sound kind of dramatic but, that's the truth of the matter.

Overall, Finding You started out as a great and very promising read, just to become a repetitive cycle of events with a rushed ending. It was definitely my cup of tea but, something went horribly wrong. I would have loved it if the story had progressed differently and included more breath taking and exciting scenes. Something to keep me at the edge of my seat. Also, I didn't manage to connect with the characters completely, especially Tam, which is always a big problem for me. I think this is one of those books you'll either love or hate so, I would definitely recommend going into it knowing very little and expecting nothing. Hope you found this review helpful!

Isla and Tam are two young people torn apart by circumstance. When Tam leaves to join the army, he gives Isla a heart locket to which he has the matching key. Isla is kidnapped while seeing him off at the train station and ends up in a dungeon, along with several other young girls. During her incarceration and the distressing events that ensue, Isla maintains her sanity by her unwavering faith that Tam will come to her rescue. The heart locket is her symbol of this hope and, when it is taken from her, Isla realizes she must plan her own escape. Will Isla and Tam ever be reunited and, if so, at what cost?

The book is set in a dystopian future, a world where there is no electricity, no motor vehicles, nor any modern methods of communication. How this world came to be is not explained. But the themes of the story are timeless, and the main theme of sex trafficking is especially timely. The book is slow to begin, but the pace picks up halfway through, when the story switches from Isla's captivity to being on the run. The book is very well-written, with some wonderful lines, but I found the overuse of the words "grating" and "rifling" to be, quite frankly, grating.

From the very first line, there is no doubt that Isla is in love with Tam. However, she is not sure that he reciprocates her feelings. It is this doubt that gives Isla the impetus to grow in confidence and self-reliance throughout the course of the book. She goes from being mild and bookish to being the leader of her ragtag band of new friends. Given this growth, I was disappointed by how she was "rescued" toward the end of the book. Although, as Isla herself says, "Maybe everyone needs saving sometimes."

While this story is complete, the author leaves it open for a sequel.

Warnings: sexual references, graphic violence.

Fantastic read! I enjoyed this book from the beginning to the end. I can't wait to order this book for the library collection!

I received a free copy from NetGalley. This was a difficult read. It made you think about human trafficking. It also shows just how strong you can be when you need to be in the face of danger and the power of love. A good story that kept the pages turning but a difficult topic to read. As long as you are ready for the trafficking, it is worth the time to read.

Finding You is an edge of your seat novel. It is the story of human trafficking and is brutal at times. Isla is taken by a sadistically cruel profiteer and thrust into an existence that is terrifying. She and several others struggle to live. One memory keeps her alive and fighting to stay alive. This story is very suspenseful with a couple of twists. I heartily recommend this book but with the caveat that the reader be aware of the frank portrayal of the horrors of human trafficking.

Whew, this book is intense! At the start of the book, we see Isla saying goodbye to her best friend Tam, the boy she loves, as he enters the army. At the train station, she is kidnapped from her hometown and sold. This is just the beginning of her nightmare. At first she keeps thinking that Tam is going to save her. After a few days, she realizes that she needs to save herself. I was glad when she decided to find a way to save herself. I didn't want her to sit around and wait for someone else to try and save her. There were other girls that were also sold with Isla and they worked together along with Des (another prisoner) to plan an escape. The relationships she had with the other girls was really well done. They were all strong in there own way especially because of what they were facing. There are also lots of flashbacks to her relationship with Tam which helped keep me invested in their story, otherwise, I'm not sure I would have cared. This book was at times difficult to read due to the subject matter, but Isla was a strong character that made you root for her win.

Albano starts her tale in a dystopian society, reminiscent of Hunger Games and Divergent. Quickly things turn as the main character is romanced, then snatched and held as a sex slave/prisoner for a 'master Curran'. A quarter of the way through the book and Albano has set up unlikely relationships between the girls kept in the cell with her, and another older prisoner Des, but honestly, I'm bored. There's a whole lot of reminiscing and not a lot of action that holds me invested in the story. Already I'm skipping pages and speed reading, trying to find something that pops for me. I'm sorry, but this one just doesn't hold my attention.

When Isla runs to the train station to wave her sweatheart goodbye, she is abducted and thrown into a train with a number of other kidnapped girls. After traveling for days, she along with a dozen other girls are selected and taken to a dungeon. One by one the girls are taken away until only a handful are left. Together, the girls escape and travel to the resistances camp.

Although this book had an interesting premise, it just didn't feel real. The character and the story were watered down. Overall, a bust.

This was a chilling YA debut novel! When young Isla is kidnapped from the train platform as she is attempting to say goodbye to her army-bound boyfriend, she has no idea what is in store for her. As a hostage with 3o other girls, she realizes they have been taken by a sadistic madman and have been sold into sex-slavery. At times brutal and disturbing, it is also a novel filled with hope as Isla realizes she must take matters into her own hands if she desires freedom from this hell. And while several scenes were uncomfortable, the author writes with unflinching honesty about the nature of humans to struggle to survive and find love.