ARC Review: Angelina's Secret

Angelina's Secret by Lisa Rogers, February 1, 2012. 260 pages. Published by Spencer Hill Press. Source. Publisher (requested).

As a child, Angelina spent years in counseling learning that Josie, her imaginary friend, wasn't real, but it turns out her childhood friend wasn't imaginary after all.
Now Angelina has to accept she's either (A) crazy or (B) able to see ghosts. Wanting to believe in her sanity, she chooses (B) and welcomes Josie back into her life. But even Josie can't help her deal with Shelly, the spirit of a confused teenager, and things go very, very wrong.
When Angelina finds herself in a psychiatric hospital, she faces a choice: she can spend the rest of her life pretending to be someone she isn't, or she can embrace who she is and take a chance that she may never get to go home.span>

First Sentence (ARC):

The premonitions always made her feel this way-weak, disoriented, scared.

I almost did not get past the first two chapters of Angelina's Secret, and it was not because ti was poorly written or the story was not fascinating, it was because I felt like I had been dropped in the middle of the story...

While the beginning very nearly lost me because I felt like the book started not at the beginning of Angelina's story, but as the story came began to come together I find myself quickly forgetting about my earlier confusion as I had to know what was going to happen next and if Angelina would find some one to believe her or if she would be forever branded insane.

Angelina's Secret was one of those books that once it pulls you in, you will not want to put it down till you have read the very last page. That is how I felt after I got past the first couple of chapters because I needed to know how things were going to play out for Angelina, and if she was actually crazy or not.

Angelina, was a pretty likable character. I admit, that at first I did not care too much for her, but when faced with the choice of hurting her mother by letting her think that she was trying to punish her for something she did, which would have gotten her released from the "nut house" or sticking with her story and staying there indefinitely. I find myself liking her more and more based on the choice she made, and also because it was interesting to see how long she would stick with the truth.
Besides, Angelina, I really liked Kobi-can't tell you much about her without giving too much away and Sam, her brother.

Surprisingly enough, my favorite thing about Angelina's Secret would have to be Angelina herself. I thought she was a great leading character and just wanted her to succeed and for her to find someone to believe that she should see the dead and was not in fact crazy. Ms. Rogers' did a fantastic job of crafting her MC.
      Even though I found this to be an enjoyable read, there are two things that I did not like about this book. My first problem-and biggest-problem with Angelina's Secret would have to be how every one called her 'Angel', to me it just did not fit in with her actual name and drove me crazy. I know, this probably seems like an odd thing to be irritated with, but irritate me it did.

Final Verdict: Angelina's Secret a great character driven read.

Angelina's Secret earns 4 out of 5 pineapples.