Review: 4.5 stars. This book really sucked me in and surprised me!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 04 1, 2014
Alexandria has become her parents worst nightmare. She is out of control. tatted, pierced, fighting, and dating a drug dealer, Joel. Much to her disgust, in a last ditch effort to separate her from her boyfriend, her parents send her off to spend the summer at her grandparent's farm in a rural area. She is angry, argumentative, closed off, and used to being a city girl.Under the love of her Gram, firm hand of her Grandfather, and guidance and support of a young ranch hand, Landon, she begins to learn about hard work, motivation and a different life. She sees herself as dark and f***ed up. She has all sorts of twisted feelings about her love for Joel and her life. And she begrudgingly develops a camraderie and attraction to Landon as well. Her life is in limbo. It is all confusing and upsetting to her."I'm f***ed-up inside, Landon. I'm black. I figured I might as well show it on the outside, too.""Don"t think the best of me. You'll only be disappointed when you figure out you are wrong."There are several big twists and turns that surprised me. It was a emotional and difficult journey for Lexi. She had to find the strength to deal with change and heart break. It was a story of self actualization where she needed to learn who she really was, find her own way, and forge her own path. She had to face pain and her demons, to be able to let go and move on. It was definitely a struggle and full of challenges for her. She dealt with guilt, loss, pain, sadness, and fear. She was caught between two worlds and two men and not at all sure who she really was."There's something in your eyes begging to get out, but you keep it locked up. You've got to let it out, City. Just let it go."~LandonShe had really strong connections to both young men. I should have disliked her boyfriend, Joel especially in the beginning, but I couldn't really. He was not all bad and not all good. He was a sweet, caring guy in his own way, but he really was also a bad influence on her and made poor choices. I adored Landon. He was charming, strong, determined, dependable, and supportive. His smile and humor was infectious. Their interactions cracked me up. And he saw right through Lexi and her walls and was not afraid to push her. They seemed like opposites, but really balanced each other well.Every time Lexi seemed to find her footing, then it seemed like her life shifted again. It was a roller coaster of ups and downs for her. This book had interesting plot twists and dealt with some tough topics. The story went in directions I did not expect. But it was believable, and had emotional depth. It was all in Lexi's point of view allowing us to see her growth and change, and to see her break and build herself back up again multiple times. It was humorous, sad, dark, and emotional at times, but it was also sweet and inspirational as well.Thanks to KA Robinson for providing me with a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.