Book Review: Chasing Alliecat

Sadie Lester has been dumped with relatives for the summer. Boredom seems inevitable in her small Minnesota town until she meets Allie—a spiky-haired off-road biker with incredible grace and speed. Training for the upcoming bike race, Allie leads Sadie and cute fellow cyclist Joe up and down Mount Kato—an exhilarating rush that pushes their limits. The fun ends abruptly when they stray off the trail and find a priest, badly beaten and near death. After calling for help, Allie mysteriously disappears from their lives.

Just like the trash littering the beautiful river bluffs, there’s something foul afoot. Creepy rednecks are prowling the woods, the same ones who ran Sadie and Allie off the road one night. It’s not until the day of the big race that Sadie finally learns the startling truth about Allie, her connection to the priest, and what drove her into hiding.

–From Goodreads

Intended Reading Group:
Young Adult

Content Screening:
Realistic and sometimes graphic moments. Tough issues alluded to. Light cussing.

*****

Cover Inspection:
This cover is so perfect for this book! I love the darkness of the trees.

First Thoughts:
I like Sadie a lot, I think because I see myself in her. She’s willing to do what she needs to but that doesn’t mean she won’t gripe inwardly about it.

*****

My Review:
In terms of realistic fiction, Chasing Alliecat was my first foray into this world in YA fiction. This book hooked its fingers into me and drew me into reading from the very first chapter. If this is what all realistic fiction is like, well please let me say that I’m more than happy to go find some more! I felt so invested in these characters that I loved every minute of this book. Absolutely amazing.

If you are the type of reader who wants their characters to be well developed and drive the plot, this book is for you! Sadie, Joe and Allie are all so different and yet there are similar parts in their lives that draw them together. Like a band of lovable misfits, I had a blast watching them interact. Sadie provides the sensibility, Allie the toughness and Joe the adorable awkwardness. The three of them just meshed so perfectly that I really felt like they were real people. I’d hang with them in a heartbeat.

Their love of mountain biking especially ties them together. I loved the descriptions of the way they felt as they rode. The sheer adrenaline that was described sounds amazing! Reading about how mountain bikers have such respect for nature and their bikes, it really blew me away. How much do we really hear about mountain bikers anyway? I have to say that it was refreshing to see a book about a sport like this. Mountain bikers have always impressed me, but to see younger characters who were so invested? Wow, just wow. You can definitely tell that Rebecca has a passion for this.

Story wise, Chasing Alliecat felt to me like a roller coaster. A wild ride indeed, this book starts out slow and allows you to meet the characters and get to know them. Then all of the sudden things start to happen, the characters are moving at a lightning pace and there are times when you’ll forget to breathe. Trust me. The ending of this book especially just blew me away. To say that I loved Allie, Sadie and Joe’s story is a bit of an understatement. I’d say more that I actually felt a part of their story. It’s so true to life.

Am I being vague? Definitely. I won’t give a single part of this book away for you because honestly that would be doing you a disservice my friends. Suffice it to say that this is a fantastic story! Chasing Alliecat has it all. Friendship, romance, mystery and intrigue. You want it, it’s there! You’ll need to go grab a copy as soon as you can to see what I’m talking about.

Book Details
Title: Chasing Alliecat
Author: Rebecca Fjelland Davis
Publisher: Flux
Pages: Paperback; 288
Source: Received for promotional review.
FTC Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.


Final Rating: 4 Keys to My Heart