Book Review: The Revealed by Jessica Hickam

The Revealed
The Revealed Book #1
Author: Jessica Hickam
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Dystopian
Released: June 17, 2014
Review Source: Spark Press | Netgalley

Lily Atwood lives in what used to be called Washington, D.C. Her father is one of the most powerful men in the world, having been a vital part of rebuilding and reuniting humanity after the war that killed over five billion people. Now he’s running to be one of its leaders.

But in the rediscovered peace on Earth, a new enemy has risen. They call themselves the Revealed – a powerful underground organization that has been kidnapping 18 year olds across the globe without reservation. No one knows why they are kidnapping these teens, but it’s clear something is different about these people. They can set fires with a snap of their fingers and create a wind strong enough to barrel over a tree with a flick of their wrist. No one has been able to stop them, and they have targeted Lily as their next victim.

But Lily has waited too long to break free from her father’s shadow to let some rebel organization just ruin everything. Not without a fight.

A war happened that wiped out well over half of the country. As part of the rebuilding process, a new president must be elected. In steps Lily Atwood's father, who's running against old time family friend, now enemy, Roderick Westerfield. Yes, he's creepy. Let's talk about his son, Kai Westerfield, who is probably the number one person responsible for Lily's self-esteem issues. Kai is back from military duties. But, that's the least of Lily's problems because there is a mysterious, and super-powerful group, that kidnaps 18 year olds. Lily keeps receiving alarming notes that indicate she will be taken by them. Once the 18 year olds are taken they are never seen or heard from again.

From page one of The Revealed I began creating different theories in my head of who The Revealed might be, and what they wanted. I was wrong on all counts and for that I praise Jessica Hickam. Chapter after chapter kept you guessing and anticipating what would happen next. The plot twist totally blind sided me, and given that not much surprises me these days that is a HUGE compliment.

Lily Atwood totally irritated me over half of the time. And, I don't consider that a flaw of the book. Not at all. Characters are suppose to make us love them or hate them. In this particular case, Lily was not my favorite. I dislike that her insecurities were based on what a guy thinks. But, hey that's a teenager's real dilemma for ya! The rest of the supporting characters were great. Kai was totally swoon worthy! Her best friend, Rory, was awesome and kick-a.

I really loved how the book ended. Endings are tricky. The cliff hanger can be totally over done, or the happy ending can be anti-climactic. The Revealed ended how I like my books to end, somewhere in between leaving the next book totally open for tons of different options. Hickam is definitely an author you should keep your eye on! Bravo on her debut novel! I am so ready to read the next installment of The Revealed series!