Review: Raw and intense
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 01 8, 2014
4.5 stars. Welcome to the world of dark and depressing. This story was brutal. First there is Luke, whose adolescence was scarred by his father's abandonment, his mother's drug and alcohol addiction, and his sister's suicide. I couldn't even wrap my head around being forced as a little boy to help your mother shoot up. As an adult he copes with the pain by drinking excessively, gambling, and having meaningless sex. He doesn't care about anyone but himself. Honestly, how could he when no one showed him any love or compassion as a child?Then we have Violet, who found her parents murdered in her home and was then in and out of foster homes. She suffered intense guilt and horrible nightmares stemming from that night. No foster family was willing to put in the time, work, and love to help her heal and form new bonds. She finally found a stable home with Preston, to whom she felt indebted. Violet became his dealer and frequently found herself in dangerous situations. As a result of her upbringing she was a skilled liar and adept at not forming attachments.Neither character knew how to be in a relationship or even wanted to be in one for that matter. Even forming a tentative friendship was painful for them. As they spent more time together we saw them very slowly start to open up and consider that they might care for each other. Their story was extremely well-crafted, and I felt the progression of their romance was very true to the characters. These were two people who didn't know how to love and trust others, and I so badly wanted to see them find solace in each other.The feelings this book evokes are raw and intense. There was much pain and emotional damage in both characters' pasts (and presents for that matter). Their flashbacks were heartbreaking, and it made me so angry and sad that neither never had anyone to truly love and support them. As we saw them become friends and then lovers we were given some hope that they could both know love and have a better future. It is sure to be a long road, though.I figured out the twist very, very early on in the book and was devastated knowing the implications it would have. The ending was painful, but I felt that it fit with the overall tone of the book. Both characters have more growing and healing to do before they can be in a real relationship together, and they are definitely going to have to learn how to truly let each other into their lives. I can't wait to see what happens to them in the next book