Review: Angsty, Amazing, Awesome and Astonishing! I Could NOT Put It Down!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 10 27, 2013
5 Mind-Blowing, Beautiful, Heartbreaking Stars!The Review:Every once in a while, I'll finish a book that is just to affecting for words. A story so poignantly beautiful and captivating that I couldn't begin to tell you its wonders in a single review. But thats what I'm going to try and convey here. I want to tell you just how amazing this book is, how soul wrenching the story is and how positively elegant the writing is.Did I love this read? Yes. Definitely.Would I recommend it to others? Without hesitation.I Never Wanted This Read To End!!!Story...Paige Zukowski has lost everything. The devil slammed into her life one horrible night and took everything she loved and snuffed it out. First, her brother was killed, then her mom took her own life, then slowly her father drank himself into oblivion, until she had no one left to count on. She convinced herself that her brothers killer was wholly to blame for it all and obsessed over that one fact for three years. When her brother was killed, her family fell apart and she lost her way. Determined to live the life that was so tragically taken from him, Paige has vowed to follow in her brothers footsteps even if it means giving up her own wants and desires to do it. She enrolls at Granton University, a college her brother dreamed of going to and she signs on to study business as her brother would have done. Its not her dream but its a dream she feels she needs to fulfill. But on her first day of class, she unexpectedly comes face to face with her brothers killer and all her careful planning goes straight out the window.Sometimes tragedy strikes so blindingly fast, there's no time to think and there's nothing anyone can do. Sometimes things happen in the heat of the moment and you can't take them back. Thats what happened to Logan Xander one fateful night and no matter how hard he tries, he can't make up for that one misstep in judgement. He lost everything that night. He lost his friends, his family, his home and he lost himself in the guilt and tragedy. Three years later, he's still struggling from day to day just to outrun the brand of murderer he knows he deserves. When he comes face to face with the little sister of the man's life he stole, the darkness that he's tried to keep at bay, swoops in and completely engulf him.He knows he can never make up for what happened but there's something so hauntingly beautiful about Paige that keeps Logan in the shadows, watching over her and sacrificing pieces of his own life to try and make hers a little better. Its a connection born of tragedy and one that quickly turns to a forbidden love that he can neither have or should want.Characters...These two characters are in so much pain its almost overwhelming to read. They were both suffocating under grief and guilt.Paige starts out thinking Logan is this evil, vile boy who stole her world and he's out living the high life after having gotten away with murdering her brother. But she couldn't have been further from the truth. Paige is just trying to survive all the pain and loss. She's a beautiful character who has far more forgiveness and generosity in her than most people would under the same circumstances. Her wealth of compassion after all she's lost is amazing and wonderful and goes a long way towards healing herself as well as Logan.Logan goes out of his way to help Paige. He systematically gives up parts of his life to try and make her happy, even when it causes more pain then he can handle for himself. He's holding on by a very thin thread but he needs to ensure Paige is out there living her life. Its just one of the many things he's doing, in a long list of things, to try and redeem himself. He's smart, he's kind and he's hard working. The entitlement he used to feel no longer has a place in his life. He's humble and self sacrificing.Thoughts...I felt crushed by all the grief and self abhorrence Logan had for himself. Through this authors incredible writing, I actually felt trapped alongside Logan at the end of his dark, never ending tunnel as he tried to live out each day. It literally hurt my heart to watch him in so much agony. He fought hard and was existing, trying not to give up. But on most days, though he tried to move forward, the ground had him glued to one spot, forever reliving that one day when everything changed. Paige was in the same exact position. Her loss was so heartbreaking and real and dismal. And though she blamed Logan in the beginning, she soon realized it was a horrible accident and no one could punish Logan more than he was punishing himself. Together, they found the spec of light at the end of the tunnel and both ran for it.Watching these two come together after so much pain, healed my heart right alongside theirs. It was scary and wonderful and cathartic all at the same time. And that ending! That ending will have you flat out floored, shocked and awed all in one!!! I won't give anything away, but I have to say how it was both spectacularly written as well as horrifying to live through.The Wrap Up:This is my third book by Linda Kage and I can say without a doubt, she only gets more brilliant with each book. Her writing is beautiful, her stories are emotional and angsty yet always full of hope. I loved this book and its definitely one I'll read time and again.Note: Fighting Fate is book one in the Granton University series and is a New Adult Contemporary Romance written by Linda Kage. A gifted copy was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review through AToMR Tours.