Banished by Sophie Littlefield

Sophie Littlefield is everywhere these days! She's got the Stella Hardesty series, which I've heard nothing but good things about, the Aftertime series, a futuristic dystopian series with zombies (yay!), and her YA books, Banished and the forthcoming Unforsaken. A little bit of something for everyone!

I actually read Banished last year when it was released in hardcover, but the paperback has just hit shelves (9/13) so it seems timely to do a post (my original review is in the Bookbitch archives).

For Hailey Tarbell, getting away is something she dreams about. She's shunned in school and her grandmother is a dealer who shows little to no interest and certainly no affection towards her. An accident in school leads Hailey to discover that she has the unique ability to heal, but even that doesn't win her any points. In fact, it only makes things worse when a couple of strange men start following her around. Then, an aunt she's never met arrives and promises to take Hailey away. Is she really the savior she seems to be? And why has Hailey never met her before now? Before Hailey can consider her options, it becomes clear that she has to get out of Gypsum. But there are those who would keep Hailey from leaving at any cost.

This one ended with a bit of a cliffhanger and many unanswered questions. Littlefield does touch on the Tarbell's history, the Banished, and their powers, and what is revealed is awesome as a backstory. I wanted more! I'm not actually certain how many books are projected to be in the series, but I'm expecting Unforsaken to cover some of these things in more detail. I know many a reader will be itching for the follow up when they turn the final pages on Banished.

Banished is out now in paperback and Unforsaken is set to hit shelves October 11.