Lady Reader's Bookstuff: Blog Tour - Becoming A Butterfly by Mia Castile (Review and Giveaway)

16 year old Lacey was never the center of attention, unless she was tripping, stammering, or being deposited into a pool by the local popular kids. All she wanted was to fit in, until one night when everything changed.
Jade and Tasha, her two best friends, helped her create an online personality that was everything she wanted to be - and it was only the beginning. In doing so she attracted the attention of Henry, her lifelong crush and next door neighbor. Unfortunately it was Farrah, her online personality and not herself, he was interested in.
She also attracted Chase the brooding, quiet, anti-social new kid of Brownsburg High School, who easily figured out her secret and blackmailed her. They forged a friendship that was both unique and complicated.
Lacey must decide if revealing herself to Henry and her entire school as the cool, charming, and funny Farrah is worth possibly losing him forever, and she finds herself needing to make an even harder decision than she ever thought possible. When did the lines between truth and lies get so blurred?
Becoming a Butterfly is a story about coming of age and finding yourself when you never knew you were lost.

**This is a MATURE YA FICTION SERIES**

Welcome to Lady Reader's Bookstuff and thank you for stopping by to celebrate the release of Becoming A Butterfly by Mia Castile.

My Thoughts:

I was thrilled to join the blog tour for this novel because I knew it to be an "issue book" -- one that is realistic and would make you think about life. I jumped in head first, as always, not exactly knowing what I was getting into when I started reading. I found myself enthralled. Mia Castile has written something that most teens, more than we know, actually go through.

Imagine high school and being the odd one out. Feeling like you would do or be anything to be noticed. Lacey is a typical teen girl with a great family, two best friends and nothing would be better if her long time crush would just notice her and have the same feelings. The thing is...he is best friends with the two that continue to bully and make fun of Lacey. As soon as Lacey and her friends concoct and act on a complete off the wall spontaneous idea to boost her popularity everything slowly starts spiraling out of control. After awhile she drifts apart from her best friends, spends less and less time at home and becomes someone she doesn't even know. She's been so blinded and consumed with this new invented world she has created she doesn't even notice the signs of a terrifying, yet all too real problem that is happening right in front of her eyes. Will Lacey snap back to reality and do what's right before it's too late?

I was very impressed to see how Mia took the story and turned into something that so many kids/teens/people can relate to. There are so many who have the same problems or issues and just don't speak up. Initially I thought this was a stand alone novel and when I finished I was surprised to find that it is actually book one in a series. I am very anxious to continue the journey with these kids and see where they take things from here. I definitely recommend Becoming A Butterfly for a realistic fiction read.

*This novel was received by the publisher in return for an honest review.