A handful of books use smells to connect the reader emotionally. CJ Simone does it sparingly in The Manic Mission, but this line grabbed me. In the late 80’s, young love smelled like Carmex, Almay, Drakkar Noir, and sometimes grape bubble gum.
The Manic Mission is for readers interested in tough topics that eventually offer a glimmer of hope. Simone is a talented author who focuses on dark psychological thrillers, and her descriptive style is engaging, and her psychotic characters have depth and are believable. Sometimes the very real and very painful is what ultimately forces a character to make the right decisions. C.J. Simone took that route with this YA novel, and she rightly includes trigger warnings, because she deals with difficult, but real issues, such as child/sex trafficking, sexual assault, suicidal ideation, and more.You can learn more about Simone and her work in GoodReads.
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