Review: Unexpected!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 11 4, 2013
I never know what I'm going to get with The Black. And so when I read Crush, I was not prepared. I knew for sure that the dialogue would be realistic, and the characterization believable but beyond that, I was just not prepared. For the very first time, I did not LOVE his female protagonist--Val in this book--and could not relate to her on any level, which shook me up a little. For much of the book, I was annoyed with her and wanted her to "get hers" because of the way she was playing the male protagonist, Paul.And then something happened to her which turned the whole thing around for me (and no, I won't say what). And suddenly, I was in her corner and wanting her to be redeemed and still get hers, except what I wanted her to get was very different than what it had been in the beginning to the book. And beyond the relationship story of Paul and Val, there is a paranormal undercurrent, which I personally believe is this writer's creative sweet-spot. The paranormal element is one of the things that made this book, and make this writer defy categorization. You just never quite know where his stories will take you.But where Crush did take me was on an emotional roller-coaster, where I was cursing at Val, shaking my head at and admonishing Paul and looking cross-eyed at those who were lurking in the background posing a threat to the couple's happiness. When I was done, I ruminated about this book, wondering whether I liked it at all, but that rumination convinced me that it was a five-star read. Because days afterwards, I was still mad at Val, still exasperated with Paul and still thinking about the incredible confluence of events that threatened them and their relationship.And finally, as a bonus, in Crush you get more of the characters who were the subject of Golden which is possibly my favorite offering from this author. Now that I've made my peace with the fact that any work from The Black will defy expectations, I'm all in--I'll read whatever the heck he writes.Nia Forrester