An intriguing young adult story that holds nothing but possibilities.
For Mischa Kenning-Elliott, almost everything is a serious matter. Her health? She’s got Lupus, so it’s no joke. Schoolwork? She’s a smart girl, focused on getting into her first choice university. Her love life? Well, not everything can be serious. She’s had boyfriends along the way, but nobody worth remembering. Until Casey Everfeld. An adopted kid with a crazy good pitching arm, Casey is known for his athletic skill at Centerville High School as much as for his winning personality. Almost overnight, Casey and Misha become the perfect couple, as if she willed their relationship into existence. They even have plans to double date with Casey’s brother and Mischa’s best friend for their junior prom. But the profound connection between Mischa and Casey seems to come out of nowhere. Suspicious, considering the other odd things happening in Mischas’s life. The number 7205 repeatedly popping up in unexpected places. Recurring dreams that have a habit of coming true. Can Mischa control people’s thoughts and actions? Is all of this somehow her doing? Or is she being controlled by some dark force? The answers may never come to light since someone is out to kill Mischa. And the killer has more than one backup plan.
PULL is like a wild mashup between the inexplicable elements from Steven King’s Carrie and the complex character work of a Leigh Bardugo series. Jaime Winn flawlessly and perceptively guides readers through the challenges of a dangerous high school ecosystem, calling sharply to mind all the awkward moments, petty interactions and poor choices that you might remember from your own personal experience. At the same time, a tender romance is given a prominent place and is eclipsed only by the darkness and intrigue surrounding Mischa’s aggressor. With a purposefully unhurried pace, it’s possible to get so wrapped up in Mischa’s teenage turmoil that you almost forget what’s really fueling the drama. There is definitely something going on behind the scenes and readers are treated to just a morsel of a much larger whole. An intriguing young adult story that holds nothing but possibilities for future installments, PULL is a must-read for fans of teen romance or psychological thrillers.
