I received a copy of this book for my stop on the blog tour at Donnie Darko Girl.
Aqua is the first novel I've read by M.A. George and definitely won't be the last! This book has it all - great characters, plenty of action, mysterious happenings, and snarky dialogue. Oh, the dialogue! Sheer genius! I laughed out loud a countless number of times, especially with the ever-changing, colorful descriptions Layla gave Pyke.
Right from the start I felt Layla and I are kindred spirits with our mutual love of writing. I just really loved this girl! I felt for her and couldn't believe she has to move every year on her birthday. Layla, her mother, and aunt literally spend Layla's birthday packing up, driving to their new destination, and unpacking in their new home. That's no way to spend a birthday! Not to mention being the new girl every school year - I agreed with Layla that it would be better to be home schooled.
M.A. George was so good at making Layla brush off strange events that she almost had me convinced this wasn't going to be a paranormal story even though I knew it was. The banter between Tristan and Layla was priceless. Layla narrates the story as though she's having a conversation with the reader, and I felt like I really was getting to know her and endeared her to me.
I had been dying to read this book since I first heard of it, and I'm ecstatic it not only lived up to my expectations but surpassed them. I could have read Aqua for the dialogue alone - it's witty, realistic, and flowing. I loved discovering the mystery of Layla and her family. Aqua is a book worthy of reading more than once.
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