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Location: United States

Member Since: March 08, 2012

Ellen Gault

Smashwords book reviews by Ellen Gault

Project Five Fifteen #3 - Becoming on Nov. 27, 2013

The Project Five Fifteen Series is one of those series that will take up permanent residence in your memory and I have to say that it is a bittersweet moment because though I am thrilled with being able to read the final installment, I am also sad to see it end. Samantha Summers has done an outstanding job in creating a series that will capture your attention, and each book in the trilogy just gets better and better. Becoming is no exception, and Summers has once again outdone herself in providing an exceptional novel that will grip your emotions and attention from cover to cover. Project Five Fifteen is a story that centers around a group of badass young assassins and a girl name Ronnie Rose. Kalen, Ace, Denver and several other boys were part of a government run program (Project Five Fifteen) where the boys were trained to be ruthless, professional, and perfect assassins from a young age, 4 or 5 until age 16. They managed to escape and have been on the run and in hiding for the past 5 or so years, and have been constantly pursued by the agency since their escape, with quite a few of them having been murdered by the agency. For every boy that was killed, however, they took probably ten times that many corrupt agency soldiers with them. Becoming picks up where As You Were leaves off. The boys and Ronnie have suffered the loss of two of the team members (and the boys are like brothers), which has left them devastated. Kalen has made the decision with the support of the other boys to stop running and go to the source, taking Barker and the agency down once and for all. The story picks up with the group now in America, planning to do just that, and they are in the process of searching for and recruiting other boys who also escaped with them to help. Believe me that isn't an easy task and provides for some intense situations. Kalen is bearing the weight of the world on his shoulders, much of which revolves around his need to keep Ronnie safe, and in the process is pulling away emotionally from Ronnie more and more. Ronnie has a life-changing secret that she is trying to find away to tell Kalen about, but hasn't found "the right time" yet. A unforeseen circumstance arises and she is forced to make the secret known to Kalen, after which something happens to change the whole dynamic of everything that is and has gone on, and in the process, Ronnie has to face the fact that this may be something that drives a wedge between Kalen and her forever. As the story progresses and the details of the planned attack come together, more secrets are revealed, old friends and relationships resurface, lives are threatened, and everyone realizes what they are willing to do and willing to sacrifice for those they love and care about. This culminates in a epic battle that tests everything they all believe in, resulting in the ultimate sacrifice for some, and the promise of freedom for others. Becoming is an action packed, heart-stopping, thrill ride that will keep you on the edge of your seat, causing you to feel like you are hanging on by your fingertips at times, and then turned upside down and hanging on with the tips of your toes at other times. If I had to compare this series to something, it would be the Jason Borne movies, and trust me when I say Jason Borne doesn't have anything on Kalen and his crew. I have so enjoyed getting to know Ronnie and Kalen while watching their relationship and love develop over the course of the series. The romance aspect of the story adds so much to the overall theme. It has been so rewarding to watch all the characters grow and change over the course of the series. Ronnie has developed into quite the heroine herself, and with the help of the boys, can now hold her own very well when necessary. Of all the boys, Ace is my favorite, and I would love to see a spin-off series where we get to see more of him, as well as Denver. I truly connected on a deep level with Kalen, Ronnie, and Ace as well. The other secondary characters were also very well written and played integral roles in the story, and were also well fleshed out. We get to meet several new boys in Becoming also, as well as see some of the old arch nemeses that we saw in the previous books reappear again with a vengeance. I loved the ending. It was just perfect. I can't tell you enough what a wonderful series this is. The Project Five Fifteen Series, including this last installment, Becoming, is filled with suspense, action, romance, intense battle scenes, conspiracy, murder, and is absolutely thrilling. I thoroughly enjoyed it and most definitely recommend it. You won't be disappointed. I can't wait to see what Samantha Summers has in store for us in the future.