Toward a Secret Sky by Heather Maclean
Reviewed by: Lily Miller
Genre: YA
Publisher: Blink
Publication Date: April 4, 2017

Shortly after orphaned seventeen-year-old Maren Hamilton moves to Scotland to live with her grandparents, she discovers her dead mother’s old, enciphered journal, which was full of secrets Maren never knew her mother kept. She learns that her parents worked for a secret supernatural organization called The Abbey, an organization that starts to completely revolve around her new life in Scotland – an organization determined to change Maren’s life for eternity.

As Maren uncovers the truth of her dead parents, she meets the alluring, transcendental Gavin, who has never been allowed to fall in love with a human. When students at her school contract a maddening sickness, Maren and Gavin must save her unhinged friends. Together, Maren and Gavin must go on a perilous journey, one that included palatial estates, world-famous churches, and underground tunnels in order to get the antidote to save her half-mad classmates.

I found this book quite intriguing and intense. It had major plot twists and it felt quite fast-paced. I’ve never really been a huge fan of first person, but I felt that this novel was very well written. The plot took a turn I never expected and left me wanting to know what would happen next. I liked this book overall. It was quite different and interesting.

Rated R: This book was very violent. Usually I am fine with violence, but it was a little over the top for my taste. The book became more horrific as the story-line developed. There was also some mention of minor characters smoking cigarettes and the use of a cigarette to fix something which bothered me.

Reviewer’s copy was provided by Publisher. Thank you!