Review: Arsen - what a ride & punch in the gut!!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 09 4, 2013
Arsen is probably the first book in a while that I've read that made me feel so much!  This book made my head spin, stomach ache and gave me cold sweats.  I was silently screaming throughout!!!.The cover says it all "A Broken Love Story".  If you're looking for a sweet, romantic love story, this isn't the book for you.  What I loved about this story is everything I hated about it.Mia Asher's writing was emotional, mature, and uncomfortable.  I was torn to pieces and set on fire.  Asher tells the story by giving us a glimpse of the past and into the mind of each of the main characters - Cathy, Ben and Arsen through their points of view at various points in the story.Cathy, the main character is no heroine.  She is in a dark place and makes some selfish, hurtful decisions.  She is messed up.  I'm not sure I know many characters that need therapy more.  As crazy as this sounds, I was torn between judging her behavior and trying to understand what happens to someone when they are in such a dark place.  She hurts herself and those closest to her.  It is behavior that is deplorable and hard to understand.  Yet, unless you've walked in her proverbial shoes, it is hard to fathom.Ben is probably one of the most perfect male characters in a book that I've seen in a while.  He is as beautiful on the inside as he is on the outside.  With Ben my heart was stolen.  For Ben my heart was broken.  With this book I felt some dark, mixed emotions.Arsen is a hot mess.  He is hot, sexy but he is messed up.  There are some deep seeded issues there and his solution is being a sexy bastard.  I hated him, but seeing his perspective gave me some insight and (almost) made me forgive him a little.I also want to mention Cathy's best friend Amy.  Amy is a no BS character and she tells it like it is.  She felt very real to me and she is the type of friend we all need.  She will definitely not tell you what you want to hear; when she speaks her mind she will tell you what you need to hear regardless of how painful the truth may be.The story is beautifully crafted; the writing is developed, polished and brave.  But, I had to take mental health breaks after every few chapters.  It was intense, it conjured feeling and emotion.  I have no doubt that this is the type of story that will make your skin crawl.  Although you may hate the characters and their actions, this book did what a good book should do -- make the reader feel something!!  Give the reader an experience and cause a reaction!  The range of feelings elicited by this story seemed endless.  Heck, I even felt guilty just reading this book!Mia Asher's talent in this debut novel was displayed impressively.  There was nothing about the flow, pace or any mechanics that distracted me from the actual story.  Bravo on a job done amazingly!!  Strap yourself in and take this ride.  Give it a try!!  4.5/5.0