Review: Stylistically improved compared to Shredded
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 05 20, 2014
I received an ARC of this book from the Publisher, via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.This is the second book in Wolf's Extreme Risk Series. At the end of Shredded Ash Lewis receives a call informing him that his brother is in surgery and his parents are dead. This book starts with Ash having thrown his career away and working in the rental shop, going down the same meaningless sex path Z, from the previous book was on. There he meets Tansy, a 19-year-old virgin who has spent the last decade battling rhabdomyosarcoma. She's got wild hair and a crazy love of life, which leads her to try to get him, involved with Make-A-Wish. As might be expected of this sort of angsty situation, Ash refuses to snowboard anymore because his brother is paralyzed and no longer can.This book was much better than the first of the series, Shredded. The mix between child-like and adult-like behaviors was much more appropriate and the slang was toned down to levels that are more manageable, so the book didn't seem to drag as much.Tansy and Ash were both characters you can have empathy for. Tansy is trying so hard to determine her identity now that she feels her identity is no longer just girl with cancer. Ash, who wasn't exactly Mr. Irresponsibility before, is still struggling to cope with now being the guardian for his younger brother. They felt like real people. And it was really nice to see Z being the grown up semi reasonable one.I did have a few quibbles. First, there was a big continuity issue, in the last book, Z's sister is named, April, this book Ash is calling her Lily. Second, their resolution, while sweet, was just too fast.What I want, but probably won't get, is the book 6-8 years from now with everyone settled, happy and grown up, and Logan is getting his HAE. I really want Logan's story, but instead we'll probably get Cam and Luc's story, which I just don't want. Luc's such a sweet guy I want a real HAE for him, and not just for him to get to be Cam's second choice.