Review: Out of Sight, Out of Time

Out of Sight, Out of Time (Gallagher Girls #5)
By Ally Carter

The last thing Cammie Morgan remembers is leaving the Gallagher Academy to protect her friends and family from the Circle of Cavan--an ancient terrorist organization that has been hunting her for over a year. But when Cammie wakes up in an alpine convent and discovers months have passed, she must face the fact that her memory is now a black hole. The only traces left of Cammie’s summer vacation are the bruises on her body and the dirt under her nails, and all she wants is to go home.

Once she returns to school, however, Cammie realizes that even the Gallagher Academy now holds more questions than answers. Cammie, her friends, and mysterious spy-guy Zach must face their most difficult challenge yet as they travel to the other side of the world, hoping to piece together the clues that Cammie left behind. It’s a race against time. The Circle is hot on their trail and willing stop at nothing to prevent Cammie from remembering what she did last summer.


Rating: 5/5
Review: 

 Mind. Is. Blown.
Goodness gracious is it ever! Ally Carter has totally stepped it up with this book and raised the bar. I mean, the previous four books were great, starting off pretty light and fluffy, although the last two books showed signs of getting more serious and nitty-gritty, this book definitely raised it to a whole new level!


Cammie is no longer the naive and innocent spy girl who would sneak out to go on dates. She wakes up on the other side of the world with mysterious wounds all over her body, a total makeover, and absolutely no memory of what happened. She eventually returns to the Gallagher Academy, but she's not the same girl. There's a definite sense of paranoia as she tries to figure out what happened to her over the summer. At times, as the reader, I couldn't even be sure if she was in her right mind! 


At the same time, it was great seeing Bex, Macey, Liz, and especially Zach around the new her. MINI SPOILER: At the beginning, I know it looks like there might be a little something going on with Zach and Bex.... but fear not! It's not what you think! 


While Cammie's roommates are understandably upset and angry at her for leaving, they went all out to protect her once she returned. Carter does such a great job creating this wonderful sisterhood and family. 


And ZACH! *Sigh* if you've seen my book boyfriend post about him, you know that I am crazy about Zachary Goode! I absolutely loved how this book showed you a different side of Zach--one where he's not the one with all the secrets, where he's kept in the dark just like everyone else. Oh, you can definitely tell he does NOT like being in the dark, but this totally shows off his sweet side where Cammie's concerned. 


When the truth really did come out, I was... oh my. Flabbergasted. Shocked. Mind-blown. My heart really went out to Cammie for all the things she endured that summer and believe me, there was a certain someone I really really wanted to beat up.... Oh my lord, this book was absolutely hearwrenching! Like I said, on a COMPLETELY different level from all the previous ones. I was sucked in from page 1 and literally could not put it down until I was done! And now... I must endure more agonizing wait time as Ally Carter writes up the 6th (and final?!) book! 


(And does anyone else think there might be a little somethin'-somethin' happening between Abby and Townsend in the next book??? Or is it just me? Because I could totally see that happening, especially after this book!)

My Book Boyfriend: Zachary Goode

My Book Boyfriend is a weekly meme hosted over at the Unread Reader---for more info, check out the introduction post here

In honor of the new release of Gallagher Girls 5, Out of Sight, Out of Time, I just had to do a post on Zach! Oh sigh. I absolutely love Zach--and in my opinion, he is a MUCH better love interest for Cammie than Josh!


He was handsome. He was strong. And most of all, I knew that even though Josh might have been the boy who "saw" me, Zach knew where my favorite passageways were, Zach knew I was a pavement artist; Zach knew where I sat in Class and what I ate in the Grand Hall and who my best friends in the world were. Zach "knew" me--or at least the version of me that Josh would never see.
~~~

“So I hear we get to go to town this weekend. Want to catch a movie or something?
--Z
P.S. That is, if Jimmy doesn't mind.
 
Translation: This weekend might be a good chance for us to see each other outside our school in a social environment, free of competetiton. I do not view other boys as threats, and I enjoy making them seem insignificant by calling them the wrong names. (Translation by Macey McHenry)” 
 ~~~
No one said anything for a moment. We were all too wet, too sore, and we'd come entirely too far to turn back.
Then Macey stared straight into Zach's eyes. "We're leaving her with you," she warned.
"I'll be fine, Macey," I said, but it was as if she hadn't hear a word.
"We're leaving her with you," she said again. "And if you make us regret that..."
"I won't," Zach said, and somehow I believed him. 
 ~~~~

I don't know how long I cried. I don't know when I slept. All I know is that Zach's arms were still around me when I woke on the mats, lying in the center of the floor.
"Go back to sleep," he said, smoothing my hair.
I'd been sleeping. I realized that I'd been sleeping and I hadn't dreamed.
"Zach," I said as I lay there. "Where did you go? When you were looking for me?"
I shifted in his arms, looked into his eyes.
"Crazy." His voice was a whisper against my skin. "I went crazy."