Review: Outcast (Living Out Loud #1) by Denise Jaden

Book Blurb:

She's not crazy.

Kass Bateman may be a lot of things, but she swears she's not crazy--even when she wakes up strapped to a wheelchair in a psychiatric hospital and can't remember how she got there.

When Kass's family members go missing one by one, she enlists the smartest guy she knows to help find them. Unfortunately for her, underneath his brains and indifference are some dark secrets and a whole lot of distracting sexy.

Can Kass keep her head together long enough to rescue her family members from their captors--the truly dangerous and crazy ones?

Find out more about Outcast on Goodreads and pick up a copy from Amazon

My Review:

4 Out Of 5 Stars

Genre: Mystery, Romance, Suspense, Teen--

Kass has been living her life in the outskirts, not fitting in or really even caring since her mother abandoned her and her father became secluded due to his mental illness. When she sees what she thinks is her mother returned to find her, Kass uncovers more truths and lies about her family, but at the cost of her last family member. Just when she feels alone, Kass has a random encounter with quiet, nerdy Eli who knows more about struggle and compassion than Kass could ever hope for. Can the two of them get to the truth about Kass' family as well as discover each other?

Solving a few different mysteries was the main plot of Outcast, but the book was so character driven. The author made you care about Kass and Eli, so much so that to me at least, it was the best part of the story. The mystery(s) was interesting and very twisty and I wanted answers but I really enjoyed getting to know all the characters even more so then solving the problem. The book is dual narrated by Kass in the present, trying to piece together how she ended up tied to a wheel chair in a random hospital room with putting together her last few days in flashbacks and then by Eli from the past as he met Kass. The narrations came at the same conclusion but from two different voices and two different styles and I think that was really unique way to present the mystery.

I sat down to read a few chapters one lazy weekend morning and next thing I realized it was 2 hours later and I was almost finished with the book. The story was able to suck me into the pages so easily due to a mix of the ease of the writing, the likable interesting characters and the complicated twisty mystery. Outcast was my first book by Denise and I enjoyed her delivery method as well as the overall package of the book.

Outcast is the first in a series which makes me happy because I would love for something good and positive to come for Kass. This story was pretty dark and sad, I just wanted to hug Kass repeatedly and tell her she is not alone and I want nothing more but to have something wonderful happen for her in the future. Also Eli was so incredibly wonderful I want more Kass-Eli bonding time, especially since this book did not end with ANY closure for her, him or them in general. The next book in the series sounds like an entirely different plot and genre so I am really excited to see how their lives continue.

​I am voluntarily reviewing an advance, complimentary copy of this book. ​