Watched by Cindy Hogan

Watched by Cindy Hogan

Watched by Cindy Hogan is a debut novel.  Originally posted on Amazon as an ebook, Cindy's novel was a finalist in Amazon's Breakthrough Novel Award Contest.  Watched is now available in Costco, Barnes and Noble and other bookstores.

I am excited to introduce you to Watched because Cindy lives near me.  I have to admit that I am always a bit leary of ebooks, (sad, I know, because I am also an Indie author) but you never know what the quality is going to be.  I got sucked into the story right away and enjoyed how sensitive the author was to teen issues.

Read synopsis here.

Food to Eat While Reading: On the Go Caramel Ice Cream Topping

On the Go Caramel Ice Cream Topping

The backdrop for Watched is Washington D.C. where a high school student witnesses a violent act of terrorism.

I love being taken places that I want to visit someday and Washington D.C. is on the list.  The   setting and the political background is a nice change of pace for me. I do wish that the teens would have explored more of the monuments and museums that are hot tourist spots.

The book is a clean read with mild kissing and swearing is only referenced, not spelled out.

I related to Christy right away (and not just because we share an awesome name).  She is trying to figure out who she is and how to act so that people will like her and overlook her past braininess (is that a word?).  Her character arc is effective and by the end I was cheering for her ability to integrate her new Washington D.C. self with the brainy self she was trying to escape. She changes socially, emotionally and physically.

The cast of characters in Watched is well fleshed out and I enjoyed the time the gang spends together. I like both love interests, Alex and Rick but Christy's flippant attitude about the two boys bugs me.  I suppose a lot of teens act selfishly when they first start to date, but I feel bad for the boys and distanced myself from Christy a bit because of it.

I can't quite understand where the author is going with the no dating before 16 rule.  I understand the idea of no dating before 16 (and followed it myself), but Christy didn't seem to understand why (after all she kisses guys before 16) and it made her out to be rebellious where I don't think Cindy meant her to be.

The internal dialogue iswell done and Cindy has a knack for getting into the character's head.  There were times that the dialogue went on too long for my tastes and felt a bit dumbed down, but for the most part it helps push the plot forward.

The Verdict:  Watched is a political thriller that will have you routing for the inexperienced teens who escape terrorists in the nation's capital and in the process find themselves.