The Secret of Ella and Micha    by Jessica Sorensen Order:  USA  Can Forever, 2013 (2013) Softcover, e-Book      Reviewed by Ricki Marking-Camuto The Secret of Ella and Micha is what a New Adult contemporary should be. Jessica Sorensen has created a solid story with the right amount of conflict and romance. Ella and Micha have been neighbors and best friends their whole lives. The summer after their senior year, their relationship begins to take a turn in a fuzzy area. However, Ella has much more to worry about, such as taking care of her bipolar mother. After her mom kills herself and Ella blames herself for it, she runs away from her life. As an art student at the University of Nevada Las Vegas, Ella sheds her edgy emo ways and turns into a sweet prepster, just like her roommate, Lila. However, Ella cannot run forever, and when the school year ends, she is forced to let Lila drive her home, where her old life comes crashing down on her immediately. Ella is not sure she can face Micha, her family, or even who she used to be. Ella is a very complex character, yet one to whom most can relate. Micha was a tad less in depth, being the typical bad boy with a good heart. I believe this is the reason that the sections narrated by Ella flowed more smoothly than those narrated by Micha. Luckily, Ella carries most of the book, as it is her growth that really makes the story. Despite being a New Adult contemporary, The Secret of Ella and Micha moves along at the clip of an action novel, driven by Ella's conflicting feelings and Micha's passion for Ella and life. Sorensen did an excellent job of combining all of these elements into a novel that will hit home to many college students. For fans of or newbies to the New Adult genre, The Secret of Ella and Micha is a must read. While it can stand well on its own, Jessica Sorensen does have more in store for Ella and Micha, and I, for one, cannot wait to see what happens next. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Contemporary books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews