Rites of Passage by Joy N. Hensley

Rites of Passage by Joy N. Hensley 

Publisher: Harper Teen      

Publication date: September 9th 2014
My rating: 5 stars

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’s 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.

Wow! What a wonderful book! 

In February I was checking out new catalogs from Harper Teen and saw the cover for Rites of Passage. Since it seemed like a 'boy' book I decided to check out the blurb as well. It's not a 'boy' book! It's about something I've never read. I had to get it! I prayed to God, Jesus, Buddha, Zeus and Loki the lovely peeps from Harper Teen would grant me the wish to read it before everybody else. haha Well, my wish was granted and I couldn't be more happier because the book rocked! 

Sam joins the first class of girls to attend the Denmark Military Academy or DMA. Her brother dared her to do it before he killed himself so Sam felt she had to do it. Her father's in military, her two brothers as well so it was obvious she would follow in their footsteps. After her brother killed himself everything changed; her mother started popping pills, father wasn't around and her brother who's with her in the DMA wasn't talking to her. Aside from the family drama, Sam had to deal with hazing from the members of the school's secret society who want her and 3 other girls gone. She's not sure who to trust and who her real friends are. 

Throughout the whole book I was on the edge of my seat. It was as if I was Sam and I was being hazed every day for 9 months. I felt her pain and anger. I wanted to reach out and help her out somehow or at least punch the bastards who were abusing her daily. Some of the scenes were hard to watch. It just made me wonder how many people go through the same thing in real life. You'd think being a soldier is something to be proud of but just like in every other job there are good and bad people. The world is not black and white. 

I don't want to talk too much about the plot since the blurb already covered that part but you should know this book is worth the time. I think I'm going to persuade my friends to read it once it gets out because they can't miss this outstanding debut and you shouldn't either!