Review: A good beginning to an intriguing tale.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 02 20, 2013
I'm just going to get this out of the way. I liked the premise of Protector. I was drawn in by Dylan's sweet thoughts and then BAM-tragedy. Total shock to the system. And now we're stuck with Anna-Marie's grief. She is of course devastated. But while I sympathized with her I didn't feel the empathy I normally would when reading of someone else's heartache. I was really detached. Was it me? Anna-Marie's voice? Not really. It was the author's narrative style. It didn't grab me. It didn't feel like I was "there". Like I was going through this with Anna-Marie. It felt... more like a recounting of events, going through the motions (and of course Anna- Marie is- she's in shock and utterly heartbroken, hell she's barely functioning), but I was looking on the outside looking in, not really feeling those emotions. I couldn't quite figure out why I was feeling this way, but I was interested enough in the story to keep going. And I'm glad I did.While I still struggled with the emotional detachment, and unfortunately that lasted for most of the book, Anna-Marie and her desperation to find out what happened to her lifelong love kept wanting to discover the truth of her situation as well.Her world is now dark and frightening and yet her need for discovery and comfort drives her to take life threatening risks. She is caught again and again in fear for her life. Is she following trouble or is trouble following her?And though what she can and can't see scares her, she feels at once protected, safe and more driven to discover the truth.We see glimpses of a guardian angel. Someone keeps saving her from the monsters that haunt her in her sleep and seem to seek her out as she seeks answers. But is he really an angel or a threat?We finally meet Alessandro. He's a reluctant hero. He doesn't understand why Anna-Marie appears to be targeted and why she keeps putting herself in danger. So he approaches her under some pretense- you'll have to discover that for yourself and continue to watch over her.We go back and forth following Anna-Marie and Alessandro. We listen as they both question their pull toward each other. And the danger increases. Because of the narrative we're able to see a lot of what Anna-Marie cannot. This doesn't take away from the mystery and intrigue. The need to find out along with Anna-Marie what has really happened to Dylan and what's happening in her beloved town is strong- as is the speculation.The growing relationship between Anna-Marie and her protector leads to both making grave mistakes, and what was somewhat frightening becomes downright terrifying.What holds this story together is the undeniable attraction between these two. They both want and need each other and they find that they can't bear to be apart. And what transpires is a natural progression. Two people brought together seemingly by chance and misfortune. Anna-Marie and Alessandro are both wonderful characters. I really liked what they brought out in each other. But it's not easy and there are lot of unanswered questions.As I got further and further into this tangled web that Anna-Marie's life has become I found I couldn't pull away. I, like Anna-Marie, had to know the truth- the whole truth.Tressa Messenger does a wonderful job keeping you on pins and needles. Constantly in fear of what may happen and what will be discovered. And just when we think we've made it through the worst she leaves us with the most fantastic cliffhanger.All in all I really enjoyed this very eventful journey with both Anna-Marie and Alessandro. And while we've gathered some important information and grown comfortable in their love, there is so much more to discover and endure. Their story will not end quickly- and that's a good thing. I'm prepared to go along for the wild ride.