Review: This was a really big disappointment for me and unfortunately, I ended up not finishing this book.
Rating: 1 out of 5
Date: 02 21, 2014
Review courtesy of Dark Faerie TalesQuick & Dirty: This was a really big disappointment for me and unfortunately, I ended up not finishing this book.Opening Sentence: They say you never forget your first love, and I have to say that they are right.The Review:Elias Kline and Brayelle Bates grew up together and they have been best friends most of their lives. Throughout their teenage years they tended to cross some of the lines of friendship but they never committed to each other. But they always knew they had something special. One night in college they decided to give a relationship a try, but like all of Bray’s relationships it only lasted a few months. The breakup not only ruins their relationship but also their friendship. Bray moves away and they lose contact.Years later they have both been through a lot of relationships, but nothing has really worked. Elias will always be in love with Bray and any other girl will never live up to her. So when she comes back into his life asking for a second chance, he gladly gives it to her. This time they are determined to make their relationship work, but then there is a horrible accident that sends them on the run. But freedom will only last so long and eventually their past will catch up to them. When it does, the consequences force them to face reality and they may not make it through everything together.Bray was so hard for me to connect with. You have this girl who grew up in a comfortable home, but maybe didn’t get shown as much love as she deserved. She isn’t capable of feeling love, but Elias is the only person she has ever really cared about. She is so shut off from everyone, including Elias that it made it hard for me to like her. She just goes through the motions of being a human but she doesn’t seem to feel things and because of that her character never drew out emotions from me. With the plot line in this book, you would really need characters that can make you feel a lot of emotions or it just doesn’t work.Elias was gorgeous and very sweet. He has loved Bray his whole life and he has always been there for her. I liked Elias just fine, but I felt he was slightly forgettable. My biggest problem with this book was the relationship between Elias and Bray, I really didn’t like them together. They have been friends forever, but they are horrible at communicating with each other, which leads to a lot of unnecessary drama. They make a ton of terrible decisions throughout the story and I found it really frustrating. Honestly, I didn’t feel a strong enough connection with either character to really care about finishing their story.First off, I want to start by saying that I have loved other works by J.A. Redmerski. Her Edge of Never series are one of my favorite new adult books. So I was very excited to read this book because we got to briefly meet Bray and Elias in the Edge of Always, but this book did not work for me at all. I got about half way through the book and found that I honestly didn’t care about what was going to happen next. I didn’t really like either of the characters and I just thought that the plot line was totally over dramatic. I usually try to stick through books, but I gave this one multiple tries and I was never able to get into the story. I don’t think that I will ever finish this book, but I will read other works from Redmerski because I think she is an amazing author.Notable Scene:I thought this was going to be the end. The end of us, the end of everything that we stood for. The last thing in the world that I wanted was for her to turn and walk out that door so I would never see her again. But that was what I expected. The truth is, I would’ve waited forever for her. I couldn’t imagine myself in a serious relationship with any other girl. Sex? Sure. I’m a guy and I like sex. But to love someone other than Bray seemed eternally impossible. So yes, I lied when I told her that it couldn’t be the way it had been any longer. Because I would’ve waited for her forever. I would’ve stayed just like we were, unconventional best friends who shared a lot more than secrets and sleepovers. But with Bray, I knew I had to be harsh. I felt like I had to be the one to make her understand that our relationship might not be what she wanted. As much as it hurt me to do it, I had to let her know that it was OK to go our separate ways. I didn’t want her to cling to the thought of us for the rest of her life and continue pushing people away because of me.FTC Advisory: Forever/Hachette Book Group provided me with a copy of Song of the Fireflies. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.