Dark Side of Valor by Alicia Singleton

The novel is about Leila Freeman, a child advocate. She knows and does her job well because she knows what it is like to live on the streets. As a teenager she herself had run away from her home, leaving an alcoholic mother behind, and had lived on the streets. She had gained a lot of experience and lost a dear one in those years. But she was lucky as she managed to get off the streets and clean up. Not only did she manage to make a good life for herself but also help those around her. Her dedication and hard work leads her to a war torn Africa, where Leila finds that not everything is as it is supposed to be. That’s when all the troubles begin. With adrenalin running high Leila has to decide who to trust and ghosts from her pasts come back to haunt her.

This is an amazing novel from every aspect. The plot is beyond great! It has a lot of action and a lot of heart tugging moments that take you on a roller coaster ride. The author has painted the stark truth about the life on the streets where everybody loses something. The pain and hurt portrayed through a number of characters in the book is bound to touch your heart. The language and writing style is also pretty good and helps you to settle down with the book. Coming to characterization, the author has done a great job portraying different shades of characters and personality. I personally loved Leila - real strong female protagonist!

Loved the book and would definitely want to read more from Alicia Singleton.