Against Her Will reviewed by Elana Johnson

On March 30th, Against Her Will releases and then the launch party will take place at Teen Author Boot Camp! I'm excited to share this book with the hundreds of teen who will be there--this year our registration numbers are the highest they have ever been. The book brings up important topics such as bullying and how ultimately their own decisions affect their lives more than the decisions of others. It also holds the message that life can be hard and people can treat you bad, but we each get to choose who we'll be and how we let our struggles define us.

Elana Johnson, author and friend, agreed to read the book and blurb it for me! I snagged the review she wrote on her blog and am posting it here. 

“A compelling glimpse of life inside the teenage mind, AGAINST HER WILL, was a fascinating train wreck I couldn't look away from and read in one sitting.”

--Elana Johnson, Author, the Possession series (Simon Pulse) 

About AGAINST HER WILL: My name is Cassidy Connor and my parents hate me. Well, they can go to hell. After yet another fight with my manipulative lawyer father and bible thumping mother, I disappear onto Hollywood Blvd among the other street kids. Or so I thought. The cops pick me up for a BS crime I didn't commit, and Dad announces the only way I can avoid charges is to voluntarily admit myself into Oak Dale, a psych ward for crazy teens. I don't belong there -- my parents are the real nutjobs --but it's not like I have a choice.

At Oak Dale, everyone is going on about the kid who just killed himself trying to escape. How could they dump me in a place like this? I'm thrown in with my anorexic roommate, Erin; foster care system victim, Gina; and pyromaniac Tony. Guess he likes to light 'em up. All of us are unwanted baggage, here against our will. 

I quickly learn only the strong survive Oak Dale -- and some of us won't make it out alive.

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"I absolutely loved this book in a sort of love-hate way. I couldn't stop reading it, and I wanted to yell at the characters. Things like, "No! Don't do that!" Or "Please eat something." Or "This is a bad idea..." Or "Tell someone! Tell someone!" 

AGAINST HER WILL is an emotionally powerful book -- I called it a train wreck I couldn't look away from. It stuck with me long after I finished it, and I find myself still thinking about it from time to time. 

I think the reason it impacted me so much is because it is the polar opposite of my experiences as a teenager. Cassidy's story opened my eyes to things I knew about, but didn't really KNOW about, if that makes sense. It is a fantastic read for anyone -- if you relate to Cassidy's story, if you don't, and anywhere in between.

AGAINST HER WILL doesn't come out until March 30, but you should pre-order it now so you can devour it then." -Elana Johnson

AGAINST HER WILL paperback version is available for pre-order now! Also, now available for pre-order on Kindle!