Review: Not If I Save You First by Ally Carter

Title:  Not If I Save You First

Author:  Ally Carter
Publisher: Scholastic Press

Publishing Date: March 27th, 2018

Pages:  304
Genre: YA Thriller

Series:  Stand Alone
Source: Audio

 

Maddie thought she and Logan would be friends forever. But when your dad is a Secret Service agent and your best friend is the president's son, sometimes life has other plans. Before she knows it, Maddie's dad is dragging her to a cabin in the middle of the Alaskan wilderness.

No phone.
No Internet.
And not a single word from Logan.

Maddie tells herself it's okay. After all, she's the most popular girl for twenty miles in any direction. (She’s also the only girl for twenty miles in any direction.) She has wood to cut and weapons to bedazzle. Her life is full.
Until Logan shows up six years later . . .
And Maddie wants to kill him.

But before that can happen, an assailant appears out of nowhere, knocking Maddie off a cliff and dragging Logan to some unknown fate. Maddie knows she could turn back- and get help. But the weather is turning and the terrain will only get more treacherous, the animals more deadly.

Maddie still really wants to kill Logan.
But she has to save him first.

I had been waiting for a new Ally Carter book to come out for a very long time. I love her books. Just adore them. I was so excited to see that this one was a bit more thriller and less spy-action type book. So let me tell you. This book was so good. I was just entranced. I didn't want to do anything but listen to this lovely book. I was in deep. It was so awesome and I could just gush and gush about this read. Great characters, thrilling story, fabulous setting, yup just so freaking awesome! 

Little girl Maddie had an interesting childhood and childhood best friend. Her father was secret service detailing the president. She was best friends with the president's son. She spent fun times in the White House. She loved this life... until a dreadful night where things went bad and changed her future. Right after this night, her father quit the secret service and moves them to Alaska. Not just Alaska but Alaska no man's land. She loses the life she loved, the dresses, the part, the excitement. She loses her best friend, and she loses her sanity. She and her father live in a small cabin in Alaska where no one else seems to exist. She often wrote to Logan, the president's son, for years. But she never did get letters back in return. She gave up. Now years later, Logan is sent to her cabin in Alaska to spend some time... his parents hoping it would keep him out of trouble... but trouble seems to follow him. On a dreadfully cold day, Maddie's father is on a job out of town, She and Logan get kidnapped by some crazy guy. This is where the adventure begins and secrets come out. 

This was one of my most anticipated reads for 2018 and one of my favorite reads for 2018. Of course, I do have a lot of those but this book is definitely at the top. I just loved everything about it. Ally Carter has a writing style that always draws me and makes me fall in love with all her characters. This book was no different. I had so much fun reading this. Not that the book was only fun, there were nail-biting moments, angry moments, sweet moments, slap the characters in the face moments, and all the moments I need to make me love the book. 

Maddie is just a wonderful character. She had her flaws for sure. She was angry, she was lonely, she was unforgiving. But I loved her because she was also tough, smart, resourceful, fierce, snarky, sassy, and all around bad ass. 

Logan was a bit more of a flawed character. He was a troublemaker but not in the bad kind of trouble making but the sneaky and prankster kind of troublemaker. He was a hooligan, he was a smart ass, he was someone that needed a little bit of discipline in his life. He was fun though and I spent so much time laughing at him and his shenanigans. He was not a bad ass though. He was kind of helpless at times. But he did know when he had to step in and be a man and when he needed to he did. 

What is great about this book. Well besides everything, in this story, the girl is the hero. She is the one that has to do the saving.  Yes, there were a few times where Logan had to save her but for the most part, she was the brains, she was the muscle, she was the hero. I for sure wouldn't want to cross her. 

The parents in this book were awesome too. We don't see them much because well the two teens are kidnapped and roaming the wilderness of Alaska, but the parts that are there, they are loving and funny and endearing. 

There is romance but not at the beginning. In the beginning, Maddie pretty much despises Logan but really what YA book doesn't come with a bit of romance in the adventure and life-saving moments. It's a good romance too. Five stars for the romance. 

I can't say what really stood out for me in this book because I loved it all. The entire things from characters to story, setting, writing, thrills, and chills, adventure, romance, it was just all superb and really came together so flawlessly.

Awesome! Awesome! Awesome!

Ally Carter writes books about spies, thieves, and teenagers. She is the New York Times Best-selling author of the Gallagher Girls, Heist Society, and Embassy Row series. Her books have been published all over the world, in over twenty languages.

She encourages you to visit her online at allycarter.com and embassyrowbooks.com.