Rites of Passage by Joy N. Hensley

I added Rites of Passage to my library queue because I had heard good things. The buzz surrounding Rites of Passage isn't for nothing. This is the real deal.

Samantha comes from a military family. Her dad and both of her brothers are in the military. Sam decided to join the military a long time ago but was recently dared to go to Denmark Military Academy (DMA), a rigorous all-male high school for future military. So Sam and four other young women join DMA. Sam knows it won't be easy but she's determined to graduate.

Lately, I've been struggling to read anything that wasn't light. I had concerns that now might not be the best time for me to read Rites of Passage but after the first couple of pages, my concerns disappeared. I really enjoyed reading about Sam and I thought Hensley did an awesome job of making her real and believable. Sam is already hurting when she walks through DMA's gates and some of the young men at DMA hurt her more. I admired her strength and perseverance. Rites of Passage was tough to read at times especially toward the end when things got really tough for Sam.

I don't read too many military based books but I really enjoyed Rites of Passage. I'll be looking for more books by Hensley. Others who shared their thoughts on Rites of Passage: Good Books & Good Wine, The YA Kitten, The Perpetual Page-Turner, and Blue Sky Bookshelf.