Review: Standalone Story
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 04 27, 2014
Breaking Alexandria was really all about one character's journey to finding herself. Alexandria, or Lexi, had such a strong personality. She was all dark hair and piercings, and with a bad attitude. I never found her to be really unlikable though. I enjoyed the moments where she was vulnerable and scared, the moments when she felt lost and all alone. That's where she shined the most, letting us see behind the hardass facade. Her character development was true and genuine, and in the end, she became the person she'd known she could be. The one who mixes both the good and the bad and knows who she is. I really enjoyed her voice as she went through a journey full of discovery and life, grief and heartbreak. A journey that brings her home.In the beginning, we see the tough side of Lexi. And we also get introduced to her boyfriend, Joel. He's five years older and the most notorious drug dealer in the area. But Lexi loves him, and it seems he loves her. And it's a love that will tear them apart when Lexi's mom catches her dealing for him. Her sentence: spend the rest of summer at her grandparents' house over three hours away. And no more contact with Joel.It brings about so many changes in Lexi's life. Both good and bad. The good is that being away has given her time to reflect on her life choices and her relationship with Joel. The bad is that things happen that send her spiraling and leave her questioning herself and the people around her.There, she meets Landon. He's sweet, sexy, and way too good for the likes of her. And he's the exact opposite of Joel. Where Joel's all hardness and bad boy looks, Landon is a "cowboy" with a huge heart. I liked both of them, even knowing that Joel is a drug dealer. He was still a likable character, and I kind of wish we'd seen more of him. But I think Landon brought out the best in Lexi, and he never once gave up on her. The romance and love that developed between them was sweet and sexy.Now, I don't know if this can be considered a true love triangle, considering all that happened. She did love both men, but events that happen in the book leave her with enough grief and heartbreak that sends her spiraling down into a dark depression. I don't want to say too much about it, except to say that I did enjoy the love triangle. And I do love how she brought herself out of it, and how she dealt with what happened. I think she did the best she could, and I loved her for that.There wasn't much to the plot, but I never found myself bored. I enjoyed Lexi's POV a lot, and I also loved the relationships that developed. The secondary characters, like her mom and her grandma, were huge influences on her, even if Lexi and her mom fought constantly. She is a teenager, though she never always acts her age. If anything, she acts older sometimes. But she still makes mistakes (one that I really disliked), and she likes to punch first and ask questions later. However, I thought she had great character development. She was a character I found myself relating with and liking a great deal.Breaking Alexandria was a sweet and sexy standalone romance. It was about hurt and forgiveness, anger and kindness, love and healing. But most of all, it was about one character's journey to finding the light within the darkness, and about discovering who she was along the way. :)