Losing Lila Review

“Alex and Lila are on the run, desperately trying to stay one step ahead of the Unit, which somehow is managing to track their every move. Whilst Alex is determined to keep Lila safe and her ability secret at any cost, Lila’s only thought is of finding a way back to California so that she can rescue her brother and mother from the military base where they’re being held.

Struggling to control both her growing power and her deepening feelings for Alex, Lila decides the time has finally come to stop running and start fighting. Together with Alex, Demos, and the people she’s come to think of as family, Lila plans not just to save her brother and mother, but to completely destroy the Unit and everything it stands for.

But the plan requires Lila to return alone to California, make friends with the enemy, and to risk losing everything - Alex, her family, and even her life.”

OK, just to be clear – if you haven’t read Hunting Lila (the first book which I reviewed here) then I suggest you go no further as you WILL encounter spoilers for the first book. 

Still with me?  Well, let me tell you that whilst I’m still hating the covers, I’m still loving the books! Losing Lila is a fantastic follow up to Hunting Lila which took me by surprise recently when I read it.  Losing Lila is in some ways a little bit more intense as the stakes are definitely higher than ever before.  I mean, not only is Lila’s mother still alive and being tortured for research purposes but her brother Jack (oh, Jack *sigh*)  is in a critical condition, at the mercy of The Unit.   Thank God Lila has Alex and the rest of the Psygens who band together to bring down The Unit once and for all.  Damn straight! But can they pull it off?!

So, if you’ve read my review of Hunting Lila, you’ll know that whilst Alex is all kinds of super sexy, I actually have a bit of a thing for Jack and I’m pleased to say that we learn a little bit more about him in this book.  Quite obviously, I have a thing for older brothers (who are not mine of course, I don’t actually have any brothers) and Jack is just...well....*melts*.  He’s uber protective and he’s a little hot headed which means he is PASSIONATE and I can live with that.  I know he’s been a bit of a player in the past but I really do feel that he is just waiting for the right girl!   And when he got shot? Seriously,  I can’t stand the thought of anything happening to him and that’s when I knew that he’d overtaken Alex in the literary boyfriends stakes for me.   Speaking of which, I think my favourite sequence in Losing Lila has to be Lila’s attempt at breaking Jack out of hospital (at The Unit).  That was just genius. 

Losing Lila was very plot driven with touches of character development sprinkled throughout the book.  I loved learning more about the Psygens and seeing Lila’s abilities develop.  There are a few revelations in the book which include family secrets that I can’t possibly reveal but believe me when I tell you that they will change everything.  And whilst this book is full of tension, there is definitely a lot of funny there too and I love any author that can make me snicker or laugh out loud when reading.  I REALLY, REALLY hope there are more books in this series as there definitely could be and I may have to start some kind of petition if needed.  Whilst the story comes to a satisfying conclusion, some things are still left open as a possibility.  There could even be a spin off with say...Jack as the main character?  ;) 

 Full of angst, tension and comedic relief, Losing Lila will keep you gripped until the very last word. With the movie rights being sold recently, I’m keeping my fingers crossed that 'Team Psygen' is introduced to the masses SOON. 

Losing Lila is published on 2nd August, 2012 and at the end of the paperback, there is a snippet of a scene from Alex’s point of view taken from when he first sees Lila again after 3 years and you’re going to want to read that.    To find out more about Sarah Alderson and her books, please click here to visit her website.   You’ll find some deleted scenes, a play list and a fantasy cast (I can’t stop picturing Chris Hemsworth as Alex).