Book Review: The Taking by Kimberly Derting

The Taking
The Taking #1
Author: Kimberly Derting
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Science Fiction
Released: April 29, 2014
Review Source: Harper Teen

A flash of white light . . . and then . . . nothing.

When sixteen-year-old Kyra Agnew wakes up behind a Dumpster at the Gas ’n’ Sip, she has no memory of how she got there. With a terrible headache and a major case of déjà vu, she heads home only to discover that five years have passed . . . yet she hasn’t aged a day.

Everything else about Kyra’s old life is different. Her parents are divorced, her boyfriend, Austin, is in college and dating her best friend, and her dad has changed from an uptight neat-freak to a drunken conspiracy theorist who blames her five-year disappearance on little green men.

Confused and lost, Kyra isn’t sure how to move forward unless she uncovers the truth. With Austin gone, she turns to Tyler, Austin’s annoying kid brother, who is now seventeen and who she has a sudden undeniable attraction to. As Tyler and Kyra retrace her steps from the fateful night of her disappearance, they discover strange phenomena that no one can explain, and they begin to wonder if Kyra’s father is not as crazy as he seems. There are others like her who have been taken . . . and returned. Kyra races to find an explanation and reclaim the life she once had, but what if the life she wants back is not her own?

Imagine waking up and realizing five years have passed. Everything around you is different, but you're still the same. Same age, you've got the same bruises in the same spots. Everyone is telling you five years have passed, but why haven't you aged? That is what happens to Kyra in The Taking. She was gone for five whole years. Life went on, people moved on. So, when she returns it all seems so bizarre to everyone, especially her. Her mom now has a new husband and baby. Her dad has gone off the rails, according to everyone. Her boyfriend, Austin, is off in college. In steps Tyler, Austin's brother, to help Kyra feel less scared. And then things get weirder. With Tyler at her side, she decides she has to figure out what exactly happened to her five years ago and why she hasn't aged.

To say that I loved The Taking is putting it lightly. I more than loved The Taking. Granted, I'm a sucker for anything sci-fi/alien related. Still, Derting wrote an amazing story that is unlike anything else out there. Someone was actually taken, or abducted AND returned! That alone should get you to pick up the book. But, if you need another reason; Tyler *swoons*. Oh my sweet heart, Tyler. Honestly, he's what had me glued to the book. Don't get me wrong, Kyra was a great character. Strong, smart, and relate able in a sense that her reactions to the situation are reactions anyone would have. Tyler, though was the most charming character I've read in some time and perfect in every angle. If one word could describe Tyler that word would be adorable. I seriously "aww'd" and sighed so much during his scenes.

All in all The Taking is a fantastic read that I would highly recommend. Kimberly Derting is a sci-fi rockstar! Please go pick up a copy and fangirl with me!

PS. Dying of anticipation for the next installment in The Taking! I need more of this world!