I Become Shadow

Ren Sharpe is a shadow.  When she was fourteen, a secret government program kidnapped her from her bedroom, convinced the world she was dead, and began training her to protect someone who will become important in the future.  In their defense, she would have died in a few months anyway.

A few years ago, a super powerful satellite somehow managed to reveal not just crystal clear images of earth but earth in about forty years.  Since then, F.A.T.E. has been kidnapping and training teens who would've died in the regular course of their lives to protect people who will be important for one reason or another--political leaders, scientists, etc.

This training has turned Ren and her friend Junie into killing machines.  To complicate matters, Ren has developed feelings for Junie that could only get in the way.  As soon as the training is over, she will probably never see him again anyone, so what's the point?

Once she is linked to her F.I.P. (future important person), she feels an intense longing to be near him.  Gareth is an engineering student at Texas A&M, so F.A.T.E. sets Ren up as his neighbor.  She's not supposed to interact with him, just to watch over and protect him.  But, of course, things go sideways, and Ren and Gareth soon find themselves in a battle of life and death with no idea who to trust.

Joe Shine's debut novel is full of action, and I can definitely see a lot of people enjoying it.  For me, it was difficult to overcome some of the nagging plot holes, and the bizarre opening trip to the gynecologist that had nothing to do with the rest of book.