Katie's Book Blog!!

I am in awe of Stefne Miller. I read her first book, Salvaged, last year and I fell in love with Attie, Riley, Pops, Marme, and everyone else. When I found out there was going to be a sequel I was skeptical, like always. I wasn't sure the story could live up to the first but within the first few pages my fears were put to rest. I was hooked all over again.Rise starts up shortly after the ending of Salvaged. Attie is about to start school in Oklahoma and she is ready to move on with her life. Sadly things don't go as planned. The people at school aren't very happy to have Attie there and things become more than she can handle. When her dad shows up, out of the blue, wanting her to come back to New York with him, she doesn't know what to do. Will she stay with the family she has made for herself in Oklahoma or go back to New York and try to salvage what's left of her real family?Attie is one of my favorite characters. Ever. She is so down to earth and fun. She is just like normal teenage girls. She is scared, insecure, and unsure of what the future may hold for her and her loved ones. She is someone I can really relate to. There were times I wanted to smack some sense into her but that's okay. In the end, I loved every choice she made and they made sense to me. Riley, on the other hand, I never wanted to smack. He was so sweet, sensitive, and caring. Oh and did I mention hot??? I don't think there was a single moment in the whole book that I didn't like him. And don't even get me started on the other characters. They are all fabulous but if I went into detail my review would never end.The plot was surprisingly fast-paced for a contemporary story. There always seemed to be something going on and I couldn't stop reading. Attie went through so much in this book. I didn't know all that drama could happen in less than 400 pages. =)Overall, Rise is a beautiful book and one of my new favorites. I laughed, I cried, I wanted to throw the book at the wall. Rise brought out every emotion in me and I loved it. I can't wait to see what Stefne Miller has planned for readers next.