Rites Of Passage by Joy N. Hensley

Rites Of Passage by Joy N. Hensley

Release Date: September 9, 2014

Publisher: HarperTeen

Age Group: Young Adult

Pages: 416

Summary:  Sam McKenna’s never turned down a dare. And she's not going to start with the last one her brother gave her before he died.

So Sam joins the first-ever class of girls at the prestigious Denmark Military Academy. She’s expecting push-ups and long runs, rope climbing and mud-crawling. As a military brat, she can handle an obstacle course just as well as the boys. She's even expecting the hostility she gets from some of the cadets who don’t think girls belong there. What she’s not expecting is her fiery attraction to her drill sergeant. But dating is strictly forbidden and Sam won't risk her future, or the dare, on something so petty...no matter how much she wants him.

As Sam struggles to prove herself, she discovers that some of the boys don’t just want her gone—they will stop at nothing to drive her out. When their petty threats turn to brutal hazing, bleeding into every corner of her life, she realizes they are not acting alone. A decades-old secret society is alive and active… and determined to force her out.

At any cost.

Now time's running short. Sam must decide who she can trust...and choosing the wrong person could have deadly consequences.

My Thoughts:  Another great contemp that I loved!

We are introduced to Sam who comes from a military family. Her older brother died a while ago from suicide but he dared her to go to Denmark Military Academy and become one of the first female cadets. She also has another older brother as well, and her dad is military too!

She was born military, she breathes, and sleeps military so its only natural when she accepts Amos dare and joins the school. She’s one of the few females there. This is the first time females can attend.

We meet quite a few characters. We meet Stamm, who goes by Drill most of the book. Oh man. He was sooooo swoonworthy. I loved him! I loved the chemistry between Sam and Drill. Oh baby! I loved all the moments from eating pie to her sleeping on his couch. Oh man! Loved him!

We also meet another boy named Cadet Kelly. I liked him at first but than out of nowhere he just changed, and I didn’t like that. By the end, I liked him a bit more but I’m always going to be Stamm’s girl.

Another boy in the story spends most of his time bullying Sam! I wanted to punch him so many times! I did not like him at all!!!! Arrrgggg. So much bullying in this one! And I know that is the point!

Things aren't easy for Sam and there is more to the story than that. A secret society out to put girls in their place, to make the girls quit, so the school can continue to be guys only!

So much was going on in this one and I just loved it all! I loved the plot but I also loved how much the characters progressed. I loved seeing how much Sam grew in a short period of time! I loved everything, even the ending though things were not perfect!

I loved this debut!  The romance=swoonworthy!!!

Overall:  AMAZING!!!! This is WONDERFUL! I haven’t read a military based book since Simone Elkeles How To Series and I loved those too!

This is a for sure must read!!!! YOU NEED THIS ONE IN YOUR LIFE NOW!!!!

Cover: Love it! Love the dog tags and the colors!

What I’d Give It: