Cycles by Lois D. Brown

Synopsis

She remembers things that never happened.

She's a stranger in her own home.

She always knew she was different.

She just didn't know why.

Until now.

Renee Beaumont is about to die . . . again.

Review

I am sure I have said it about a million times now, but YA books are not my favorite type of book on the planet. But lately this view of mine has been challenged. I have had the opportunity to read a lot of really quality YA books, with writing that has seriously impressed me. I personally love it when a YA author uses language that doesn't talk down to people just because their young, I think it makes a younger person learn and it makes the book more enjoyable for adults. Thankfully this book is one of the YA books I have enjoyed. 

I think one of the things I enjoyed the most about this novel was the pacing of it. You get brought into the novel very quickly and the situations introduced make it so much easier to get into the book and to care about the characters. I think a dramatic beginning in a book makes the reader want to read more, they want to find out what happened, why it happened, and how the character is going to respond. This was done really well in this book. Renee, the main character was in an accident in the beginning of the novel that required her to have a blood transfusion. That starts the plot off for Renee and the rest of the characters. 

The book had a bit of a mystery element to it, with Renee and Sam (her best friend) trying to figure out why her neighbor had some of her blood (the same blood used to save her after her accident). I think the mystery element works exceptionally well in this book, especially if I were a younger reader. Any book that makes a person think or try to figure out what is going on/what is going to happen next is a book I like. 

I spent most of the time with this novel wondering what was going to happen next, and trying to piece the puzzle together in my own head. I was glad that when I thought I had things figured out or created my own theory to the situation a curve ball would make me rethink things. 

I also thought the characters were really well done. Renee and Sam are easy to like, easy to pull for, and in general identify with them. I do think that maybe they would have been older judging by their maturity throughout the book, but other than that I thought they were both good characters. 

I have to say once more I liked this YA book, and I would recommend it for anyone who enjoys reading YA, or anyone who wants a little bit of a non-conventional mystery to sink their teeth into. It was really a fun read.