2.5 stars. This is good for a debut book but its obviously a debut. It was a pleasant read up until the end where things picked up and huge plot holes started showing up obviously.

How and why are they getting out of the forest so easily? Lexi gets confused and attacked trying to leave and even has to get around a fire one time yet some how she gets past those following her and the fire and leaves the same direction she came in and doesn't get lost.

Also, the romance is so unnecessary. A few random and out of the blue kisses were basically plot devices to convince us why Lexi and Cole would help each other. I really feel like all would have been fine if they were just friends who didn't want to see each other die. Or leave the romance to the very end. It had Lexi doing some stupid shit and making the plot unnecessarily convoluted. Why didn't she gather the bones on the first day she found them? Because she was too distraught by the news that Cole was dead she forgot she was supposed to be saving 5 kids including her sister. Ridiculous. Cole stayed on mission thankfully even though Lexi randomly overslept that one day. Really?

Otherwise, this was a good book. It is very atmospheric. You feel like you are in the bubble of Near and the surrounding Moor just like the characters are. Disconnected from the world. Because of this Cole seems very mysterious even his back story seems a bit flimsy because it could happen but where did he come from? Also, its very windy. The characters are so human with human motivations.