Review & Giveaway: Lost in Thought (The Sententia #1) by Cara Bertrand

Book Blurb:

Perfect for readers who love books and series such as Vampire Academy, Spellbound, and Sweet Peril, Lost in Thought is a sure winner for young adult readers interested in the paranormal, romance, and action-packed twists

Lainey Young has a secret: she’s going crazy. Everyone else thinks she has severe migraines from stress and exhaustion. What she really has are visions of how people died—or are going to die. Not that she tells anyone that. At age 16, she prefers keeping her crazy to herself. When doctors insist she needs a new and stable environment to recover, Lainey’s game to spend two years at a private New England boarding school. She doesn’t really think it will cure her problem, and she’s half right. There is no cure, but as she discovers, she’s not actually crazy. Almost everyone at Northbrook Academy has a secret too. Half the students and nearly all the staff are members of the Sententia, a hidden society of the psychically gifted. A vision of another student’s impending death confirms Lainey is one of them. She’d like to return the crappy gift of divining deaths with only a touch, but enjoys spending time with Carter Penrose—recent Academy graduate and resident school crush—while learning to control it. Lainey’s finally getting comfortable with her ability, and with Carter, when they uncover her true Sententia heritage. Now she has a real secret. Once it’s spilled, she’ll be forced to forget protecting secrets and start protecting herself.

My Review:

4 Out Of 5 Stars

Genre: Mystery, Supernatural, Teen--

16 year old Lainey believes she is going crazy. She has visions of other people's murders when she touches an item, also causing her to faint and have migraines. She has seen many medical specialists for her condition (minus the visions, which she has told no one about)with no answers forth coming. It is recommended that she give up her nomadic life style with her artist god-mother, and take an anonymous legacy seat at a prestigious boarding school. Lainey is excited for the chance to finally be a regular teen, embracing normalcy with no visions. One day while in the popular teen hang out, the bookstore, she brushes up against a classmate and see's the girls death. This incident pushes Lainey on a quest for the truth as to who she is, who her parents really were, and what is going on at her new school. Nothing prepares Lainey for the challenges she faces as she comes to terms with who she is really and what she is capable of.

I liked the character of Lainey. She was strong, and not so wrapped up in teen drama and angst as some teen book characters can be. I liked how the author explained her mature attitude due to the fact she has mainly interacted with adults, as she and her aunt traveled all over the world. She is exposed to many teen bad choice scenarios, but she has a strong sense of self and makes her own choices even when being pressured. There were a few times when she acted so maturely and responsibly, that I was impressed because at 16 (maybe even now) I am not sure I would have stayed so calm. Also, her actions at the end of the book were surprising, showing she is a good person even when she did not have to be. There were a few times when she was so naive about certain situations or people, but that could also be attributed to her upbringing.

Carter the love interest was a bit more confusing a character. I am not sure I like him, because it seems like he has more he is hiding from Lainey, most likely not good. The ending especially confirmed my suspicious as to what Carter is really involved in. I did like the relationship between the two of them though, especially since she set the rules and said when to go and when they needed a break. It is rare to see a teen book character not get obsessed over a boy and lose all logic.

Amy was a great character, a good friend who brought comic relief as well as a touch of reality to Lainey's otherwise mixed up world. The other side characters had potential as well, from evil queen Alexis to ...Jenna. I won't go into Jenna now.

Overall, it was a really entertaining book. I look forward to reading more books in the series, especially with all the loose ends left at the end of the book, I need more.

I want to thank the author Cara Bertrand for giving me a copy of her book, which in no way influenced my opinion or my review of the book. Enter the Rafflecopter for a chance to win:

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