by Sarah Fawkes
ARC Review
Released: April 8, 2014, St. Martin's Press
My rating: 4 of 5 ⭐️
Living in a trailer with a grandmother who hates her, a drunk mother, her baby brother, working two jobs, you'd think Lacey St. James had enough on her plate. But she manages somehow, from day to day, wondering how she can get out of this life. Until one day - her abusive boyfriend won't listen to no, her no-good friend turns on her and her home life sinks as low as it could possibly get - it all becomes too much. And suddenly she meets Everett, who gives her tiny glimmers of hope for something better.
Living in a trailer with a grandmother who hates her, a drunk mother, her baby brother, working two jobs, you'd think Lacey St. James had enough on her plate. But she manages somehow, from day to day, wondering how she can get out of this life. Until one day - her abusive boyfriend won't listen to no, her no-good friend turns on her and her home life sinks as low as it could possibly get - it all becomes too much. And suddenly she meets Everett, who gives her tiny glimmers of hope for something better.
Relegated out of the Big Apple by family and housesitting on of their properties on the cost, Everett is happy to be away from all the stresses that New York brings him. Spending time with his friend and working side by side doing manual labour during the summer months, seems to be just the thing to get his priorities straightened out. But from the moment he meets Lacey, she becomes his highest priority, and there is nothing he wouldn't do to show her all the promise she holds.
Tentatively easing closer, but both hampered by the demons of their past, Lacey and Everett barely seem to have a chance to start anything before it all catches up to them......
*****
Angsty and fairly dark young adult story, where both main characters have had to do some growing up - The hard way.
A solidly written standalone novel by Sarah Fawkes, with good boned out story, that has perhaps a bit too much drama going on at once. But then again, life tends to be that way, so who am I to argue.
Ms. Fawkes' characters are delightfully multi-dimensional: Lacey who seemed to have a decent life at some point in time until everything as she knew it was ripped out from under her, changing her views of the past, the present and her future. And not just her views, her realities changed drastically as well and until Everett came along, her future was not something she felt any control over.
Then there is Everett, who may have appeared to be as close to perfect as one can get, but is hiding some skeletons in his own closet, but he is so much better at hiding it. Privileged while growing up, he lived that lifestyle, until one singular event had him choose to reconsider his priorities. Searching for more meaning and content, he found it in the many layers of Lacey.
The storyline includes scenes and suggestions of emotional, sexual, child and alcohol abuse. These are important components and should be taken into consideration by a potential reader. Especially since this novel is quite an emotional rollercoaster.
✨An edgy, haunting - yet sweetly mesmerizing awakening.✨
**Copy provided in return for an honest review.**
No comments:
Post a Comment