Review: Believe
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 03 8, 2014
This New Adult book by the author of 'True' shows the ups and downs of college life.  Robin, revelling in being away from home, tries drinking, partying and lots of guys. Then she wakes up in bed with her best friend's boyfriend. The night before is a blank and her stomach feels awful. Nathan wants to continue the experience but Robin bolts, disgusted with them both.BELIEVE that young Robin isn't a bad person. She can't tell friend Kylie that Nathan betrayed her so she stays sober, realising that a guy who loves her is not going to be found at a frat party. She's studying graphic design so she straightens out her life. Kylie is concerned, but the more she asks, the more Robin clams up unhappily. Phoenix, a cousin of another student is temporarily staying in their shared house. He's just got out of jail and while he had a girlfriend she's moved on in his absence.  The tattooed lad chats to Robin about her art.Phoenix's addict mother vanished, and maybe it's his past that makes him a sucker for a sad girl. Robin is only happy while painting. Phoenix knows he has no business getting involved with a college girl, but he could do with friends, and neither of them drink or take drugs so they start hanging out, watching movies or in the park.  Robin doesn't need to say that she's not sleeping with guys - Phoenix can tell there's a boundary, and he respects that.The bedroom does heat up once the young people are ready for a relationship. There's also strong language and hard drug abuse, while a person who downs too much vodka too fast suffers realistic blood alcohol poisoning.  On a lighter note, the constant use of the word awesome is annoying; it just seems to be in fashion.  The events in BELIEVE are heavier than in True. I see very little sense of location and very little evidence of college classes and exams.  We can admire the new adults for taking charge of their lives with so little direction and so many big issues; on the other hand we wonder why there is so little law enforcement and so few older role models or advisors.  Stupidity seems to be the way kids go once they are not living at home, and they seem to think that the first guy who is nice to them will be theirs for life.  Especially if he's got more pictures on his body than on the living room wallpaper.Erin McCarthy brings in her past characters such as Rory to tie the books together and we wish all the cast well; I preferred True but this is equally a cautionary tale.