Review: Escape From Eden by Elisa Nader
Escape From Eden
By: Elisa Nader
Publisher: Merit Press
Published: Aug. 18, 2013
Genre: Young Adult Thriller
Rating:
Since the age of ten, Mia has lived under the iron fist of the fundamentalist preacher who lured her mother away to join his fanatical family of followers. In Edenton, a supposed “Garden of Eden” deep in the South American jungle, everyone follows the Reverend’s strict but arbitrary rules—even the mandate of whom they can marry. Now sixteen, Mia dreams of slipping away from the armed guards who keep the faithful in, and the curious out. When the rebellious and sexy Gabriel, a new boy, arrives with his family, Mia sees a chance to escape.
But the scandalous secrets the two discover beyond the compound’s façade are more shocking than anything they ever imagined. While Gabriel has his own terrible secrets, he and Mia bond together, more than friends and freedom fighters. But is there time to think of each other as they race to stop the Reverend’s paranoid plan to free his flock from the corrupt world? Can two teenagers crush a criminal mastermind? And who will die in the fight to save the ones they love from a madman who’s only concerned about his own secrets?
This was one of those books that you’re either going to really enjoy or your going to hate. One being your take on religion and how devoted you are. Some people may be offended by this book. I however, am going to hell, so I found the book to be entertaining.
Mia lives in Edenton. A place that’s barricaded off from the world and it’s technologies. Everyone blindly follows their beloved Reverend. This man can do no wrong, even when he outwardly poisons his own “flock”. I mean, God hates greedy people apparently and you greedy lil’ bastards must pay for your sins via death. *nods head* Sure. I mean the Reverend was only carrying out the Lord’s command. *shrugs shoulders* Are you believing the B.S that I’m giving you? No? Yeah, well it didn’t fly with Mia either. Unfortunately, everyone else was nodding along in understanding as their flock members were dying a horrible death. Thus, the reason why Mia wants to escape. The Reverend is a demented masochist and his flock is a bunch of blind sheep being lead to their own slaughter while singing the praises of their saviors, the Reverend and the Lord up above.
The people staying there weren’t necessarily stupid but they were brainwashed into believing there was nothing else for them and that this was their only salvation. *rolls eyes* Although it was comforting to know that not everyone was as brainwashed as they appeared. Mia and Gabriel being among them. Although Mia had her moments that if I were Gabriel I would have just left her behind because she could see what was going on, knew it was wrong but would still have her doubts.
My one complaint was Gabriel. Why does he have to be your typical bad boy? Why not a geeky guy with glasses who’s parents just decided to up and join the cult… er I mean Edenton? He was your generic hot/cold bad boy giving out mixed signals left and right.
I liked that the author took a risk with her debut novel. Not only is it a crazy subject but there are various layers of taboo mixed in with a few dashes of suspense that I was captivated from the get go.
“You know, Gabriel,” Juanita said, “the word bridge isn’t used in the Bible.”
“It’s not?” Gabriel asked and I couldn’t help feeling he was humoring us. “And why is that?”
Juanita’s face fell as she remembered one of the Reverend’s sermons.
“Because,” I said, reciting what I could recall, “God’s people must pass through the dangerous currents of suffering and death, not simply ride over them.”
“Suffering and death for God’s people, huh?” Gabriel peered down into the ditch. “I guess if I was going to fly my atheist flag, now would be the time.”
Hi. I’m Elisa. I like cheese and reading and TV show marathons. Writing is scary, but not as scary as, say, Civil War amputations. I’m an Aquarius. Uh… let’s see… I’m not very good at writing my own biography. Or autobiography. I guess this is reading more like a slightly incoherent personal ad.
Top 5 with Tigris Eden
When she’s not writing Tigris marvel’s at life’s gifts. She likes to take pictures of beautiful things. She openly admits that what she may find beautiful another person might not, and she’s perfectly okay with that. She enjoys her music and doesn’t leave home without it. Long pillow conversations with LL about nonsensical things, and hanging out with her boys, when they deem her “cool enough.”
Books I Want to Read in 2014
Huge thank you Book Sniffer’s Anonymous for having me on their blog today. I really appreciate them taking the time to host The Genesis Project Tour!
I love reading! It’s one of my greatest pastimes, and I’ve been patiently waiting for the following books to read. Below you will find my can’t wait to read books of 2014. These are books that I’ve pre-ordered so that when they come out, they are waiting on me when I power up my Kindle.
1. Burned by Karen Marie Moning, I can’t wait for this one! I fell in love with this series in 2012 thanks to my girl Belinda Bullock over at Hanging with Bells.
2. Turned by Virna De Paul, because Vampires are hot and if there is anyone that does vampires like it’s no bodies business it’s my girl Virna!
3. The Professional Part II by Kresley Cole (by the time you read this post I will have devoured part 2 and reading part 3)
4. Revenant by Larissa Ione
5. Chained by Night by Larissa Ione MoonBound Clan Vampire #2
Those are my top 5 want to reads for 2014!
Thank you again for stopping by today and taking the time to read the post. What book are you looking forward to reading in 2014?
The Genesis Project
By: Tigris Eden
Publisher: Kats Kreative Ideas
Published: Jan. 28, 2013
Genre: Sci-Fi Erotic Romance
Goodreads | Amazon | B&NOld earth has been deemed unsuitable for life, New Earth is home. With the Uni-Wars over, races have joined together in order to sustain their way of life. All life was considered worth saving, but only one race failed to submit. Humans.
Now extinct, humans are a thing of the past. The people of New Earth won’t acknowledge their hand in their eradication, but they have benefited from it. Dr. Vaggo Blackmore has found the answer, he’s restored his races way of life- sustenance through farming. The one thing that will give them back their long lives….. Blood, human blood.
Biologically engineered in a lab, Genesis Blackmore has always been different. Her father has told her it’s due to her enhancements, the Federated Council sees her as a genetic mutation; and her fellow peers see her as the shiny new toy. Gen has had better days.
Everyone on New Earth has milky white skin, platinum blonde hair, and electric blue eyes. It’s the norm. Genesis’ glossy, black hair, ice blue eyes ringed by gold, would have almost made her socially acceptable- if it wasn’t for her golden skin and blue, gold veins. In a sea of milky white she alone is the dark anomaly.
All Pars get their life’s nourishment through blood plasma. All Pars find their match through the tasting. Gen can do neither, forbidden by her father to do so. She can neither taste, nor be tasted. Something that’s never bothered her until now.
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Excerpt: Yesterday’s Kiss by Carly Fall
Yesterday’s Kiss
By: Carly Fall
Publisher: Westward Publishing
Published: Dec. 15, 2013
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Is she really encountering her one true love from the past?
When Maggie Ramos signs her divorce papers, she’s determined to start a new life free from her ex-husband’s verbal abuse and unfaithful behavior.
As a new start and celebration, Maggie decides to take a trip to Bisbee and Tombstone, Arizona. Because of her fascination with history, the two places have always captivated her with their rich pasts.
During a tour of the Copper Queen Mine in Bisbee, Maggie’s encounter with a miner named Joseph leaves her questioning her sanity. Claiming that he is her dead husband from the past, he is determined to prove to her that their love was real. He takes her on a journey vacillating between the present and the early 1900s, leaving Maggie to wonder if her psyche is shattering, or if she is really encountering her one true love from the past.
Does true love transcend death?
“Margaret?”
She jumped and stepped back, putting a hand over her heart. The miner she had seen earlier stood before her, and now that he was closer, a strong feeling of recognition overcame her. She tried to remember where she knew him from, but the information eluded her.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “Do I know you?”
The man smiled, his teeth bright against his dirt-stained skin. She guessed his age at twenty-five or so as he took off his hat and ran his fingers through a mop of chin-length black hair. His light blue eyes twinkled as he smiled. “It’s me, Joseph. I’m shocked that you’re here. I knew you’d come back, Margaret.”
Why was he calling her Margaret? The last time someone called her by her given name she had been in line waiting to be summoned by the worker at the DMV.
A cauldron of emotions swept through Maggie, and she took another step away from him. Her heart raced as she tried to put a name on the feelings: uncertainty, excitement, relief, fear, and . . . something else she couldn’t pinpoint. For the life of her, she couldn’t place where she knew this man. However, it was obvious he was very pleased and seemed excited to see her.
“I’m sorry, but it’s just not coming to me. Where have we met?” she asked.
“Margaret, I’m your husband, Joseph. Please try to remember,” he said.
Her husband? What he said resonated as truth deep within Maggie, and she felt the urge to run, but something held her there, standing in front the miner. She shook her head. Obviously, this man . . . Joseph . . . had her confused with someone else.
“I wasn’t sure it was you until you smiled at me,” he said, “but then I knew. Only you could smile at me like that and light a fire within my heart.”
Maggie swallowed, trying to wet her throat so she could set this guy straight.
“I’ve been waiting for you for so long, Margaret. I’m so happy to see you.”
Carly Fall is a wife, a mother and a slave to Nicky the dog.
She loves to laugh, thinks chocolate and wine should be considered their own food group, and wishes Christmas happened twice a year.
She is the author of the award-winning and best selling Six Saviors series, as well as contemporary romances such as Time or Money, Against the Ropes and Chica Bella.
Review: Believe by Erin McCarthy
Believe
(True Believers, #3)
By: Erin McCarthy
Publisher: Penguin Group
Release Date: Jan. 21, 2014
Genre: New Adult Contemp. Romance
Rating:
Robin used to be a party girl… until she got black out drunk and woke up in bed with her best friend’s boyfriend. Now she’s faced with being THAT girl, and couldn’t be more disgusted with herself. She can’t even tell her friends the reason for her sudden sobriety and she avoids everyone until she meets Phoenix—quiet, tattooed, and different in every way that’s good and oh, so bad…
Phoenix is two days out of jail when he meets Robin at his cousin’s house, and he knows that he has no business talking to her, but he’s drawn to her quiet demeanor, sweet smile, and artistic talent. She doesn’t care that he’s done time, or that he only has five bucks to his name, and she supports his goal to be a tattoo artist.
But Phoenix knows Robin has a secret, and that it’s a naïve dream to believe that his record won’t catch up with them at some point. Though neither is prepared for the explosive result when the past collides with the present…
Due to a mistake Robin made while she was black-out-drunk, she’s hated herself ever since. She’s gone from the outgoing party girl to the wear baggy clothes and stay in type. So when she gains the attention of her roommate’s boyfriends cousin who was just released from jail, the last thing she wants to do is start a relationship. However, she finds a kinship in him. Like herself, he’s lost and trying to start his life over as well.
I’ve never read any of Erin’s work before and was really looking forward to diving into this even though it was the 3rd book in a series. I mean, cmon, we’re talking about a guy who’s just been released from prison. I don’t think the hero in any of my books has a record. So I was pretty interested to see what this book had to offer.
This story was entertaining but unfortunately fell into the new adult mold. Aside from the whole prison thing, I didn’t really feel like this was an original story. The characters instantly fall in love. Drama arises. Then they live happily ever after. The beginning of the story when the two first start hanging out but lost interest about half way through. The author tried bringing up Phoenix’s time in prison with some guy who he used to know on the inside but it fell flat for me. It seemed out of the blue and didn’t really tie in with the story.
I liked that the author gave the characters self-redemption. She allowed them both to heal from their past and move on. However, this story just didn’t work for me in the end. It started out strong but soon turned into a bad boy with anger issues who falls in love for the first time with a girl he barely knows.
“Life is like waiting in line at the grocery store. You wait, you slowly move forward, you pay the price, then you exit unsatisfied and broke.” -Phoenix
Review: The Professional: Part II by Kresley Cole
The Professional
Part II
By: Kresley Cole
Publisher: Pocket Star
Published: Jan. 6, 2013
Genre: Erotica
Rating:
He makes the rules…
Mafiya enforcer Aleksandr “The Siberian” Sevastyan’s loyalty to his boss is unwavering, until he meets the boss’s long-lost daughter, a curvy, tantalizing redhead who haunts his mind and heats his blood like no other. Ordered to protect her, Sevastyan will do anything to possess her as well—on his own wicked terms.Rules are made to be broken…
PhD student Natalie Porter had barely recovered from her first sight of the breathtakingly gorgeous Sevastyan before the professional hit man whisks her away to Russia, thrusting her into a world of extreme wealth and wanton pleasures. With every day she spends under his protection, she falls deeper under his masterful spell.Are you ready to play?
Yet all is not as it seems. To remove Natalie from an enemy’s reach, Sevastyan spirits her into hiding. From an opulent palace in Russia to the decadent playgrounds of the mega-wealthy in Paris, the two lovers will discover that even their darkest—and most forbidden—fantasies can come true…
Review: Where You’ll Find Me by Erin Fletcher
Where You’ll Find Me
By: Erin Fletcher
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Published: Jan. 7, 2014
Genre: Young Adult Romance
Rating:
When Hanley Helton discovers a boy living in her garage, she knows she should kick him out. But Nate is too charming to be dangerous. He just needs a place to get away, which Hanley understands. Her own escape methods (vodka, black hair dye, and pretending the past didn’t happen) are more traditional, but who is she to judge?
Nate doesn’t tell her why he’s in her garage, and she doesn’t tell him what she’s running from. Soon, Hanley’s trading her late-night escapades for all-night conversations and stolen kisses. But when Nate’s recognized as the missing teen from the news, Hanley isn’t sure which is worse: that she’s harboring a fugitive, or that she’s in love with one.
What would you do if you found a guy living in your garage? First thought is to call the cops and kick him out. Hanley does kick him out but decides to leave it at that. Then a cold front comes through with barely above 0* temperature and she finds herself inviting him back into the garage to stay warm. She doesn’t want another death on her conscious. From there the two talk and find a companionship that they can’t find with others. They may now know each others secrets but they know what it’s like to have them.
The author did a great job with keeping this story believable. It wasn’t so absurd that Hanley would feel the need to help another person by offering the same living quarters that they were using for who know how long before she found out. When I was younger I would sneak stray cats into the house in the middle of the night when my parents were asleep. Well first I’d sneak them into the front hallway to the apartments to get them out of the snow and when the coast was clear, I’d sneak them into the house. Granted, stray cats and stray humans are two different things, I could see the whole saving a stray human thing. HaHa
The romance built up slowly so there was no “love at first sight”. Hanley is weary of Nate (as she should be) but decides to help him out. Over time they find common ground and start to build a relationship. I liked that the two didn’t instantly fall in love. Yeah, there was interest between the two but that was it.
However, the ending I found to be a bit to over the top. I was on board up until that point. I won’t go into detail but the ending is the biggest HEA I’ve ever seen. I just felt like some of the parent’s responses were over the top.
In the end this was a great debut novel for Erin Fletcher. I will be keeping my eye out for more of her work.
“I think sometimes it’s easier to pretend to be okay than it is to admit weakness.”
Erin Fletcher is a morning person who does most of her writing before sunrise while drinking excessive quantities of coffee, believes flip-flops qualify as year-round footwear, and would spend every day at the beach if she could. She has a bachelor’s degree in mathematics (which is almost never useful when writing books) and lives in North Carolina.
Review: Knowing Jack by Rachel Curtis
Knowing Jack
By: Rachel Curtis
Publisher: Self-Published
Release Date: Jan. 17, 2013
Genre: New Adult
Rating:
I am not a slut, although I’ve been called one often enough. Yeah, I spent three months screwing one of my college professors, but I was crazy about the guy. Then he broke up with me.
I am not a bitch, although people like to say I am. I kept our relationship secret. I’m not responsible for telling the university administrators about it, but a lot of students still blame me for getting their favorite professor fired.
I am not a drama queen, although everyone thinks I am now. When I got a few nasty messages, I just deleted them. When I got the threat, I assumed it was someone being stupid. I still think that’s all it was. My parents worry, though, so they hired me a bodyguard. Now Jack follows me around, intimidating everyone who approaches me and looking obnoxiously hot.
This is what I am. I’m Chloe. I’m a twenty-year-old art history major. Kind of shy, although I pretend not to be. Stubborn enough to stay here for my senior year, even though everyone hates me.
And I’m stuck with Jack.
He calls me “Princess,” but I’m not a princess either.
Chloe slept with her professor resulting in the professor being fired from his job. Now the school (both teachers and students) are angry at Chloe over it. They view that it’s her fault he was fired and they lash out at her. Now she’s getting threats via text message and there’s a Tumblr page dedicated to her with some not so nice pictures of her with other guys. Which is where Jack comes in. He’s screwed up with his previous job and his father has decided to put him on a cotton candy case that’s supposed to be easy peasy. But when he meets the girl he’s supposed to protect, he finds that he needs to protect her from himself as well.
I thought the story sounded really interesting. I mean I’ve read bodyguard to lover stories before but the whole background to this one sounded like it would make for a great suspenseful read. However, it fell flat for me. The suspense just wasn’t there. It was cyber bullying at it’s finest. There were no real threats. Plus the writing was really choppy. The conversations between Jack and Chloe read as if someone scripted it as apposed to an actual conversation two people would have.
I also wasn’t a huge fan of Chloe. She was like a cat in heat. throughout the entire story. I don’t mean just because she was fawning over Jack either. There were times where he’d lean in to talk to her and she’d stick her chest out at him, or he’d push her away and say he couldn’t go there with her and she’s straddle his lap and kiss him. I just felt like the sex in this book was way over amped and it overshadowed the story.
“There’s no way I can hide it. I let my head fall backwards and arch my spine against the wall, pressing my breasts toward him without thinking. I let out a long, textured, embarrassing sigh. It’s almost-almost-a moan.”
The story had some promise but I think it needs some time with a good editor to work out some of the kinks and help it run a bit more smoothly.
“When you’re trained from kindergarten, from the cradle, to always protect, to always be strong, to control your surroundings, to let nothing slip by you, then it breaks the core of who you are when you fail.” -Jack
Sunday Wrap-Up #28
Sunday Wrap-Up is all about sharing the books and book related items that I’ve picked up recently. I also recap what went on last week and let you in on what’s coming up. I link up my post to Sunday Post, Bought, Borrowed & Bagged, Showcase Sunday, and Stacking the Shelves.
Last week on BSA:
The Kiss of Viscount by Linda Rae Sande (Excerpt)
M-Day by DT Dyllin (Review & Giveaway)
Stolen by Lucy Christopher (Review)
This week on BSA:
Knowing Jack by Rachel Curtis (Review)
Where You’ll Find Me by Erin Fletcher (Review & Giveaway)
Believe by Erin McCarthy (Review)
Yesterday’s Kiss by Carly Fall (Excerpt)
Need You Tonight
By: Roni Loren
Genre: Erotica
Goodreads | Amazon | B&NFrom foster kid to trophy wife, Tessa McAllen is about to reinvent herself all over again—and defy every insult her cheating ex-husband ever used against her: Selfish? She’s championing a charity. Stupid? She’s getting her degree.
Boring in bed?
Kade Vandergriff can help her with that one. When they encounter each other at a singles event held at one of his restaurants, Tessa blurts out that kink is for girls who try too hard, and Kade instantly wants to show this sassy stranger how thrilling a night under his command can be…but when he learns her name, the game changes for both of them.
In high school, Tessa was the popular girl who stuttering, awkward Kade fell for. But she chose another. Now, as she eagerly learns lesson after lesson, he’s going to make sure she never forgets him again.
Theirs to Cherish
By: Shayla Black
Genre: Erotica
Goodreads | Amazon | B&NThe perfect place for a woman on the run to disappear…
Accused of a horrific murder she didn’t commit, former heiress Callie Ward has been a fugitive since she was sixteen—until she found the perfect hideout, Club Dominion. The only problem is she’s fallen for the club’s Master, Mitchell Thorpe, who keeps her at arm’s length. Little does she know that his reasons for not getting involved have everything to do with his wounded heart…and his consuming desire for her.
To live out her wildest fantasies…
Enter Sean Kirkpatrick, a Dom who’s recently come to Dominion and taken a pointed interest in Callie. Hoping to make Thorpe jealous, she submits to Sean one shuddering sigh at a time. It isn’t long before she realizes she’s falling for him too. But the tender lover who’s slowly seducing her body and earning her trust isn’t who he claims…
And to fall in love.
When emotions collide and truths are exposed, Sean is willing to risk all to keep Callie from slipping through his fingers. But he’s not the only man looking to stake a claim. Now Callie is torn between Sean and Thorpe, and though she’s unsure whom she can trust, she’ll have to surrender her body and soul to both—if she wants to elude a killer…
Taut
By: JA Huss
Genre: New Adult Romance
GoodreadsFord Aston is getting the f*ck out of Denver. He does not give a shit about blizzards, getting his old-ass Bronco over the Rocky Mountains in one piece, or a girl knocking on his hotel door looking to be saved. Ford Aston is known for many things. Being an emotionless, messed up bastard, a freakishly smart social outcast, and a cold, domineering master who keeps “pets” instead of girlfriends. And after Rook broke his heart, he plans to keep it that way.
Ashleigh is getting the f*ck out of somewhere, but she’s not quite sure where she’s coming from, let alone where she’s going. Ashleigh is known for nothing, and that’s exactly what she’s got going for her. She’s broke, stranded in the mountains with a three month old baby, and Ford Aston is f*cking with her head. Big. Time. And she plans to f*ck with his right back.
The Howling Heart
By: April Bostic
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Goodreads | Amazon | B&NPaige Donovan is an ambitious college graduate who aspires to reach the top of the corporate ladder. She’s climbing fast when given the promotion of a lifetime at a prestigious fashion magazine in New York City. Her bright future comes to an unexpected halt after news of her father’s death. She inherits his old cabin in the Colorado Rockies, and just when she thinks her luck couldn’t get any worse, she has a car accident in the mountains and awakens in the small, remote community of Black River.
Soon, she’s engulfed in the mystical world of Varulv—wolves descended from 13th century Scandinavia and blessed by Norse gods with the ability to appear human. Paige is desperate to return home, but never expects to fall for her rescuer, Riley Gray, a charming young werewolf from England who offers her an alternate future with his pack.
Now, she must choose between the career she’s always wanted and the love she’s always dreamed.
If you didn’t already know, if you order your books through University Bookstore (Richelle’s local bookstore) she will sign your book before they ship it to you.
The Indigo Spell
By: Richelle Mead
Genre: Paranormal YA
Goodreads | Amazon | B&NSydney Sage is an Alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of humans and vampires. They protect vampire secrets–and human lives.”
In the aftermath of a forbidden moment that rocked Sydney to her core, she finds herself struggling to draw the line between her Alchemist teachings and what her heart is urging her to do. Then she meets alluring, rebellious Marcus Finch–a former Alchemist who escaped against all odds, and is now on the run. Marcus wants to teach Sydney the secrets he claims the Alchemists are hiding from her. But as he pushes her to rebel against the people who raised her, Sydney finds that breaking free is harder than she thought. There is an old and mysterious magic rooted deeply within her. And as she searches for an evil magic user targeting powerful young witches, she realizes that her only hope is to embrace her magical blood–or else she might be next.
The Fiery Heart
By: Richelle Mead
Genre: Paranormal YA
Goodreads | Amazon | B&NSydney Sage is an Alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of humans and vampires. They protect vampire secrets – and human lives.
But the struggle isn’t over for Sydney. As she navigates the aftermath of her life-changing decision, she still finds herself pulled in too many directions at once. Her sister Zoe has arrived, and while Sydney longs to grow closer to her, there’s still so much she must keep secret. Working with Marcus has changed the way she views the Alchemists, and Sydney must tread a careful path as she harnesses her profound magical ability to undermine the way of life she was raised to defend. Consumed by passion and vengeance, Sydney struggles to keep her secret life under wraps as the threat of exposure — and re-education — looms larger than ever.
Thanks Nikki Duncan for the awesome swag!
And last but not least… the Mr. got me a Christmas gift that ran a tad bit late and turned into more of a new years gift but I love it! It’s a laptop that turns into a tablet! I guess he got tired of all my complaining about not being able to read manga and graphic novels on my Kindle.
I’ve been wanting a tablet for a while but my concern was, what if, on vacation, I realized that I didn’t write up a post that needed to go out. I’d hate to imagine typing up a post on a tablet. I don’t even own a smart phone! That’s right, I’m still rockin’ a flip phone. So I’m behind on all this technology. However, I wanted a table for reading manga/graphic novels and and easy way to check the internet when traveling w/o the Mr. and his laptop. I had no idea that this even existed. It’s the best of both worlds. I love that it even folds into a standing position so that I can watch tv/videos without even having to hold it. Okay I’m gonna stop gushing about Lenni. I love her, she’s amazing, that is all.
Review: Stolen by Lucy Christopher
Stolen
A Letter to My Captor
By: Lucy Christopher
Publisher: Chicken House Ltd
Published: May 4, 2009
Genre: Young Adult
Rating:
It happened like this. I was stolen from an airport. Taken from everything I knew, everything I was used to. Taken to sand and heat, dirt and danger. And he expected me to love him.
This is my story.
A letter from nowhere.
Sixteen year old Gemma is kidnapped from Bangkok airport and taken to the Australian Outback. This wild and desolate landscape becomes almost a character in the book, so vividly is it described. Ty, her captor, is no stereotype. He is young, fit and completely gorgeous. This new life in the wilderness has been years in the planning. He loves only her, wants only her. Under the hot glare of the Australian sun, cut off from the world outside, can the force of his love make Gemma love him back?
The story takes the form of a letter, written by Gemma to Ty, reflecting on those strange and disturbing months in the outback. Months when the lines between love and obsession, and love and dependency, blur until they don’t exist – almost.
This was such and interesting an compelling story. I wasn’t even 50 pages in and I was reading excerpts to my co-workers. Which in turn creeped them out, made them question what I was reading, and then they turned around and added it to their book list. This entire story is written as if she were writing a letter to Ty, her kidnapper. She recollects her time in the airport with her parents, meeting Ty at the coffee shop, being drugged and ultimately waking up in the middle of the desert with nothing in sight.
We relive everything that Gemma went through from start to finish. Everything she thinks, feels and experiences all sort of become a jumbled mess towards the end, which in turn confuses not only Gemma but the reader as well. We start to think, yes Ty’s a bad guy for kidnapping her, no one can detest that, but he’s not so bad. You know the author did an amazing job writing the story when the reader starts to develop Stockholm syndrome as well.
There wasn’t really a point where I thought the story to be unbelievable or that Gemma wasn’t trying hard enough to escape. At first she doesn’t eat or drink, then she tries to commit suicide. She even ventures off into the desert twice trying to find civilization only to have Ty come and save her when she would’ve ultimately died out there. Then there’s this sort of hopelessness that this is it. There’s no hope of escaping because they are literally in the middle of the desert with nothing and no one around.
“I’d always kept a small seed of hope alive, hope that I’d be able to escape. But suddenly I realized something. That view of sand and endlessness… that was it, that was my life. Unless you took me back to a town, that was all I’d ever see. No more parents or friends or school. No more London. Only you. Only the desert.”
This was a thriller and then it wasn’t. At first I was on the edge of my seat wondering what would become of Gemma, then I started to understand that Ty just wanted company in his lonely isolated life and wasn’t going to hurt Gemma but in the back of my mind I knew my softness towards Ty was completely wrong and there was nothing I could really do to think of him as the monster that he was when he showed the softer side of him. And that right there is why this story is amazing. This story was a complete mind game for me. Kudos to the author for writing an awesome story.
“People should love what needs loving.” -Ty
