Review: So much happened in this book! SO MUCH!!! The action was through the roof!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 11 22, 2013
Shooting Scars is the second book in The Artists Trilogy by author Karina Halle. The trilogy includes the following novels:#0.5 On Every Street#1 Sins & Needles#2 Shooting Scars#3 Bold TricksSo much happened in this book! SO MUCH!!! It was a wild, wild ride. The action was through the roof and I kept re-reading these amazing scenes. By the way, did you know Coffee-mate is flamable???At the end of Sins & Needles (book #1), Ellie makes a deal with Javier in an effort to ensure Camden and his family's safety. Shooting Scars is about Ellie's experiences with Javier while she is fullfilling her end of the bargain. The story is told in alternating points of view by both Ellie and Camden so we also watch Camden struggle with Ellie's choices. Gus is heavily involved in this book which I loved! As referenced in the book synopsis, Javier is evasive about what Ellie's part of the deal truly entails and she must always be in survival mode, never knowing what will happen next or the true motivation behind events. Javier has changed over the past six years and it is not pretty. On Camden's end, he "toes the line between love and retribution, he realizes that in order to get back the woman he loves, he may have to lose himself in the process. He might just turn into the very man he’s hunting." The characters in this story are forced to "evolve" along with their experiences and the layering is incredible. While one may not like these characters and their actions, the author succeeds in allowing the reader full understanding of why they are the way they are and what is prompting their change. We all had changed. The past was behind us. And I had no idea what our future was."My favorite quotes:"'Tough neighborhood?' I asked. 'I saw a girl on a My Little Pony bike outside, she looked kind of nasty.""Gus brought the duffel bag into the back seat and began sorting through the weapons...An assault rifle, a few handguns of various calibers, plus a sniper rifle. Then there were two knives, a small axe, a small plastic bottle, hornet spray, various gas lighters and a container of Coffee Mate...'Coffee Mate,' he said, face serious. 'You get a cloud of that in the air, there's nother more flammable. Not to mention how easy fireballs are to make.' 'Okaaay,' I said...I wasn't counting on doing anything that involved igniting a puff of non-dairy creamer. Also made me wonder if people knew what they were putting in thier coffee every morning.""'Then why aren't you upset?' 'Not everyone shows it like you. Just because I'm not setting people's faces on fire, doesn't mean I'm not upset.""There seemed to be a light at the end of this tunnel when you were facing the other way."