Review: So glad the Crew is back
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 10 19, 2013
If you haven't read Emerge, this review will give spoilers -- it's inevitable.**Embrace picks up right where Emerge left off. There is a great mix of deep emotional moments and those that left me chuckling quietly (or full on laughing, how can you not when Sawyer opens his mouth?).I was a little bit skeptical in the beginning. On one hand we have Evan nursing a broken heart, feeling pretty alone at a new school. And on the other is Whitley - the target of much of Laney's attitude and fire in Emerge. I really liked the way Hall let us further in to Whitley's world as the book progressed, especially seeing it through Evan's eyes this time, rather than Laney's. By the time things start to really get going in Embrace, I was over my initial hesitation and couldn't wait to see how Evan and Whitley were going to get through the initial stages of their relationship.I loved having the Crew play such a big part of the book. Yes, Evan and Whitley are central to the main plot point, but woven throughout are bits of Dane & Laney, Tate, Sawyer, Zach, and Bennett. Dane and Laney's story continues, and the third book in the series is set up as Sawyer's. After the things we started to see from him emotionally, both in moments with Laney and in the epilogue, I can't wait to see what's in store for him.The only thing I wasn't crazy about was how hard Evan fought with himself through a good deal of the story. I understand why he was so hesitant to start anything with Whitley (once bitten, twice shy and all that), but after a while it started to get on my nerves.Ultimately, this was a nice read and a great next installment of the series.