Cipher by: Cindi Madsen

Synopsis: Summer Davis sees deaths before they happen. She attempts to live a normal life by focusing on the dance team and her quarterback boyfriend. But then the way-too-cheery Angel of Death shows up and tells her she’s a Cipher—a person chosen to help people who are going to die resolve problems with their loved ones. Ashlyn Moore, one of Summer’s classmates, is going to die, and she needs Summer’s help before that happens.

It’s nearly impossible to get through to Ashlyn, who surrounds herself with chess nerds and geeks and makes it clear she doesn’t want to be friends. Desperate to complete her Cipher task before it’s too late, Summer turns to Troy, the guy who’s always been there for her and one of the few people she can trust. With his help, she makes progress. In fact, the closer she gets to Ashlyn and her friends, the more she feels like she’s finally found where she belongs.

As the clock starts running down on Ashlyn’s life, Summer decides to change her objective. She’s going to save her new friend before it’s too late—even if it means messing with fate.

Thoughts: I absolutely have loved every book I’ve read by Cindi Madsen, and Cipher is no exception. When I read the synopsis I was expecting a different story than I got, but the story I got was one I absolutely adored and way better than I was hoping for. With romance, laughs, best friends, family, bittersweet moments, and supernatural elements this book definitely has a little bit of everything.

One of the best things to me is when you see the main character change from being one person in the beginning to a different person in the end. When they change to a better version of them self. That’s exactly what Summer does. Summer starts off with what looks like “a perfect life”, but it’s really not perfect and Summer really isn’t as happy as she seems. I loved watching Summer return to “herself”, figure out who her real friends are, and ultimately be a happier better version of Summer.

Not going to lie, I wanted things to move a lot farther, shall I say, with Troy, but then I realized its a series and I was like oops, never mind. There’s more books to make babies during…. I mean… Just kidding. So we have two “major” boys in Cipher, even though I think there’s no competition between them at all, Cody and Troy. Cody is sweet and good-looking but pushy in all the wrong ways. Then there’s Troy. Troy you adorable boy you. Everyone loves Troy, he’s that always-smiles-plays-drums-super-sweet-sexy boy. You cannot help but love Troy, and I cannot wait to see where Summer and his relationship goes.

I really have to commend Cindi for how she ended the book. I honestly don’t think most authors would have gone in the direction she went. Cindi didn’t take the easy way out, but ended the book how she saw it ending which actually took me by surprise and I was impressed. I personally loved the ending. It was very bittersweet but at the same time it made me so excited for book two, Rift. Absolutely loved this book and cannot wait to see what Cindi Madsen book I can get my hands on next… I may just have to nicely beg for Rift. If you’re thinking of picking this one up… I say definitely!