This book was great, I love the mind reading aspect. The characters are great, my favorite was Devon, I thought that it was funny that he acted like he wasn't interested in Ann but kept interfering whenever Archer got to close to her.

Ann Baker wakes up in shallow water. She’s been shot, and her memory has gone. With no idea how is chasing her, or why, she is pulled to safety by two men who tell her she’ll be safe. Needing medical help and to avoid the people still shooting at her, she escapes with Devon and Archer.

Ann soon realizes that she is in a world of trouble. Devon and Archer tell her she is one of them; a mind reader who is in danger from the outsiders who want them all dead. Living underground in a large bunker that was set up for human habitation centuries before, all of the mind readers are waiting for the most powerful reader of them all. According to prophesy, The Lost One has to be found for all the readers to be safe. Could Ann be The Lost One?

Ann is a gutsy and smart character, who has lots of abilities, but her memory has been wiped and this makes it impossible for her to know whom to trust. It is in this world that Harkins sets her story, and keeps her audience as well as her main character on edge.

Devon and Archer are well positioned by Harkins to play off against one another, almost good cop/bad cop, but this tension plays well with the uncertainty Ann has about her new world, and her lost memory. The hint of romance is there, but it isn’t a strong element of the story.

This is a cleverly plotted book. There is a clear line of logic throughout which helps to ground the new world Harkins has created. Sometimes new worlds can be too detailed and too complex to allow a new reader in easily, and other times the new worlds are too simply drawn to be believable. Harkins has struck that happy middle ground, making it easy to believe the constructed world she has created, without ever feeling bogged in detail or losing any sense of the plot and pacing which keeps the action ticking along.

Harkins has built a very readable story, with strong characters and an interesting plotline. I highly recommend this for people who enjoy thrillers as well as those who love science fiction. This is a clever book and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Advanced reading copy provided by NetGalley for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book, but it seemed a little obvious what was going to happen at some points. Sometimes, I was worried that it wouldn't be very suspenseful and it was going to be predictable.

However, I was very pleasantly surprised! There were twists and turns that I could never have predicted! It turned out to be a great book!

With the way it ended, I am hoping that the author writes a sequel. I felt like this one could have been longer and could have benefited from some extra details in some places and elaboration on some parts of the story, but overall, it was a great concept. I look forward to reading more from MK Hawkins!

I received a copy for free from the publishers, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.

I was a bit skeptical when I first began the reading of "The Reader". I feared this would be another "Twilight" style melodrama, but I was wrong. Right from the first page, I got hooked. The book opens up with the protagonist, Ann, waking up on a beach without any recollection as to where she is and how she got there. Two young men - Archer and Devon, find her and from that moment on, the book picks up in pace. We learn that the world has always been populated to some extent by Readers, Seers and Hijackers, and that a war between the Readers and the Hijackers is going on, and the victory lies in the discovery of who the Lost One is. Ann slowly discovers this paranormal universe and her identity as a Reader, but furthermore her place as a Lost One and everything that it entails. Very quickly, Ann has to learn to distinguish who her friends are from her enemies, as her abilities will help tip off the balance between Good and Evil.

I loved the story-line, and the characters. When I thought I had all of them figured out, M.K.Harkins did a good job by throwing me off the loop with story spins waiting around the corner. The story is told beautifully, and Ann is quite a funny person. I couldn't stop myself laughing. The paranormal world described is also well set up to compliment the real world in which we live. I loved that Ann is both strong and vulnerable, and witted. Every character was well developed which made the whole story more believable. I did however find a bit annoying the over use of the word Soul Mate throughout the book.

It's been a long time since I was this thrilled by a paranormal novel, and I was very happy to devour "The Reader", which M.K. Harkins did a wonderful job putting together. If you enjoy fast paced novels, paranormal/dystonian worlds, real characters, then you should definitely add "The Reader" to your next to be read pile of books.

Thank you to NetGalley, and author M.K. Harkins for an ARC of The Reader by M.K. Harkins, in exchange for an honest review.

5 stars and I regret nothing. I fell in love with this book, it’s perfect and I will definitely buy the paperback version.

The story starts with a young woman, injured and passed out in a beach with no recollection of who she is and she got there. When two boys approach her, Ann Baker as no choice but to follow them and hope for the best. When she’s taken to their home, a compound in the mountains, she’s faces an impossible reality: she is The Lost One, one of the few Readers in the world with a power so strong it could bring their enemies to their knees. Surrounded by both friends and foes, Ann starts the adventure of a lifetime in a compound where everything counts and not everybody is what they seem.

A very engaging, fast-paced plot where every detail counts! It’s fresh, creative, passionate and it mixes a bit of everything, from action to mystery, romance, supernatural and adventure. The style of writing is beautiful and very addictive. I couldn’t put it down and the descriptions were incredible. It was like living the story instead of just reading it. The pace of the story is also great, fast-paced, never a boring moment.

As for the characters, Ann is an incredible female protagonist. She has everything: wit, strength of character, wisdom, instinct and always follows the path she thinks it’s right. I really enjoyed seeing her interaction with other characters, how naturally she fits in. Devon and Archer are every girls dream: both are handsome, strong, and protective. Devon is the col, closed off type that acts like a bad-boy but deep down he cares; and Archer is the sweet, understanding type that will listen to everything and give good advice. I really enjoyed reading about their own little rivalry when it comes to Ann’s attention. I think they both have a great chemistry with Ann, can’t imagine who she would pick.
The thing is: all the characters are very much human. I couldn’t actually feel that the special abilities the author describes were “supernatural”. It all seems very much “real”, very much human. There are flaws, rivalries, companionship, doubts, problems, which gives them depth.

Overall, probably one of the best YA books I’ve read so far. I highly recommend it!

Review: 4 out of 5 stars

I was quite fascinated by the premise of The Reader and thoroughly enjoyed the action, romance, mystery and overall storyline.

Our MC is 18 year old Ann Baker who wakes up on a deserted island with no recollection of why or how she arrived there; when she is approached by two guys claiming to know who she is she is initially wary but trusts them to get her to safety.

Devon and Archer take Ann to a compound where she meets a group claiming to be able read minds and believes that she is the most powerful of them all, The Lost One and destined to save a race of people.

I thoroughly enjoyed the uniqueness and the concept, the world-building was entertaining and not overly complex. The notion of higher evolved humans and their abilities was intriguing and seeing Ann have to decide who to trust with the war against The Readers and The Jacks kept things entertaining.
Ann was a great character, full of sass and sarcasm; she is selfless and strong. Devon and Archer were both interesting, a little evasive and complete opposites, we also meet Lucy who was a fabulous character and Suzie drove me crazy! Each of the characters played a pivotal role in the overall story and to be honest I couldn’t tell who could and couldn’t be trusted.

The plot moved at a solid pace; it was highly engrossing but there were a few parts where I felt there could have been further development; certain situations were resolved quite easily, I did enjoy the twists and turns that weren’t expected.

This book does have romance and it was one I thoroughly enjoyed, sweet and slow to burn.

Overall, if you are after an action packed, mysterious, thrilling and romantic read then The Reader will be perfect.

I received a copy of this title via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

This book just grabs you and leaves you breathless then on the edge of your seat guessing whats going to happen next! There are very very few books that actually bring me tears but i really love this book!! 😍

I absolutely adored this book. The book was very fast pace. I read it in one sitting, I couldnt put it done. I really connected with the characters. Ann is a very strong independent woman which is always nice to see in a novel. As well as everyone can see themselves in Lucy, who turns out to be good friends with Ann. She is very bubbly and preppy and just wants to have fun. She seems to always left the mood and creates a happy atmosphere. As well as Devon, the boy who doesn't care about anything but actually really does care. His mysterious character has the reader wanting to learn more about him. It has a really unpredictable ending. The only thing I wish was that the books ending was a little more. I didnt want the book to end. I want to learn more about the characters and more about the story :)

This was a good YA. I really enjoyed it-well written, starts strong and continues that way to an good climax and very satisfying ending. The characters are YA but do not talk immaturely and I appreciated the balance between the fantasy/scifi elements and the romance and character developments-no one thing took over as it does in a lot of books like this. The action and twists were fun and I will be looking for more books from this author to try.

I could NOT put this book down. It starts with such a hook that you absolutely need to keep reading to find out why the main character has no memory, and who is who they say they are... or not. There is conflict, deceit, action, a fantasy element. There's so much going on, in a good way! I love books that have a thriller aspect to them, they keep me turning the pages faster than no other genre, and this book was no exception. Bravo!