Review: A truly amazing story
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 02 21, 2013
How exactly am I supposed to review this book? To be honest, I have no freaking idea. It was a phenomenal story. Not exactly something I was expecting (because really, how much stuff can a mute 16 year old get into?) but I fell in love with the story, its characters and their troubles. I even cried once... Okay, maybe it was twice.Even though Skylar can't talk, he's still a rather chatty boy inside his head. I found that very amusing. He had a sarcastic or funny thought about almost everything within the story. His transition from living in the city to living on the reservation was very well done and how he grows from a timid but angry boy to an accepted and cherished individual was a great thing to watch. More than that, I adored Granny and her role in helping Skylar become a confident, loveable person. Rafael, though, might be my favorite character. I adore Skylar but there's something about those guys who hate the world that get me every time. I loved the way Rafael was able to understand Skylar even though Skylar couldn't talk. He gave Skylar a voice, even if he still couldn't speak. No one understood Rafael until Skylar came along and made it possible for someone to see just how big his heart is. These two together are so sweet and adorable it just about broke my heart. They didn't care that they were supposed to be enemies. Instead, they embraced the connection that is so obvious between them.A big part of the story is the problems reservations go through and how the government treats them. This is actually the theme that the whole series follows. This particular book, though, is focused on the culture of the Shoshone but also the conflict that came out of Skylar's dad conducting a right he was due and the consequences associated with it. Those consequences bleed over to Skylar's new life and starts to cause him and his Granny some trouble. I actually don't want to go into too much detail about these events (I know I'm not doing it justice) because I want the reader to figure them out for themselves. I will say that while the story isn't exactly dark, I felt like there were dark elements within the story. It gave the book depth and emotion because of the problems of the past. The only thing with this story was that it left a few questions unanswered BUT those questions are answered in book two, Looks Over, so just be patient LOL.All in all, a beautiful story about love, anger and ultimately forgiveness. There are some harsh realities in this series, which made me open my eyes to some things, but it is a very engaging and captivating read. I immediately went onto the second book and then the third book. It's been so long since I found a series I could get so engrossed in but this is definitely one I'll recommend to anyone looking for an exceptionally delightful and alluring read.Be warned, though, this is m/m YA but they are 16 and 17 years old. So if you have issues with minor characters, please do not read this series, you will only be doing it an injustice.