Torched by Andrea Lynn Colt

Goodreads summary: Rose Whitfield's senior year just went up in smoke. Instead of having a blast with her best friend, her cheerleading squad, and her boyfriend Ryan, she's framed for arson. Popularity and criminal records don't mix, apparently.

Luckily, Rose knows who's framing her: Paxton Callaway. Paxton and Rose have spent years locked in a war of practical jokes. This time he's gone too far. Rose sets out to prove her innocence, win Ryan back, and take Paxton down hard.

Not necessarily in that order.

Review

I think this book almost killed me because it caused me not to sleep for two days straight! Two days! Much needed rest! I could not stop reading or thinking Torched! I could not put this book down!

The plot is an 8 out of 10 for me. I kind of expected who really framed Rose (the protagonist). But I still had an awesome time reading this book. I loved how it really sucked me into Rose's life and her situation, and made me really join in the mystery. If I were a character of the book I would really help Rose. At the start you really won't have an idea or clue who really started the fire. Yeah, there is Paxton. But wouldn't pointing the finger at Paxton seem too expected and too wrong at the same time? And oh! All the emotion this book built inside of me made me want to scream... inside my head! If I were in Rose's shoes I would have killed myself already!

The characters felt so real to me! Rose, at the beginning, seems to be your regular, happy, nice, popular cheerleader. But later on, you get an idea who she really is and realize with Rose that she isn't the person she thought she was. People hate her! And throughout the first half of the novel she keeps asking why. Why would they hate her when she seemed to be nice? Then there were her friends, her shallow friends who would not want to believe her and would rather punish her. Later, when she finally learned the truth, Rose begins to change and you will probably start liking her again (I did). Overall, Rose is one of the best leading female characters I have read in YA novels so far. She is strong-willed, smart, and strong. I LOVE HER!

Paxton is a fantastic guy, who made me squeal when he confessed to Rose. Oh, he is just swoon-worthy and drool-worthy! I think you can consider him as the ugly duckling who turned into Prince Charming :D (I don't like swans and I don't like frogs).

Another reason why you should love this book is that it teaches you a moral lesson in a convincing, un-fairy-tale-like, realistic, heart-wrenching way. I JUST LOVE NOVELS WITH MORAL LESSONS! I LOVE TORCHED!

A highly recommended book with enough drama, romance, and mystery to make you read it from 6PM-3AM.

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