Review: Spectacularly Emotional
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 05 16, 2013
Originally posted on Goodreads** Semi-Spoilery (but nothing too major) **I'm trying to keep this review as spoiler free as possible and most of what I've written can either be gleaned from the synopsis or is fairly evident early in the novel. I have not revealed any huge plot twists.Recently I've found myself whining a lot. Mostly about sexual assault and the way in which its victims seem to be portrayed in the Y/A & N/A books I've read lately. It seems there's this need to either minimize it or create characters who are zombie-like, morose victims. What seems to be missing in all of this is a basic understanding of the psychological impact of that kind of abuse. It's not like being robbed or carjacked. It's not like being mugged or even assaulted. Sexual assault is so personal, so intimate, and so tethered to that person it takes a long time to untangle from it and it's a process that can sometimes take a lifetime.Ryan's ability to function fairly normally while also suffering bouts of depression, rage, fear, and horrific nightmares rang true. His moods vacillate based on timing, situation and circumstance. He is always suspicious of people's motivations and never feels fully alive or worthy, but regardless of the weight he carries, has moments of truth and joy. This is real people. It's gritty and unpleasant and true. There are a few authors who, if they plan to write more on the subject, should take a lesson from Ms. Hall on how to construct a survivor of sexual assault. That's all I'll say about that.What really worked well was the juxtaposition between Ryan and Lili's characters. In many respects they were alike, oddly enough, but they were also different enough to be compelling to the other. Let me explain. Lili, too, had her fair share of crap. Pregnant at fourteen, gives birth to a child with autism, her father abandons her leaving her with a mother with MS and she is left to take care of everyone. Someone drew the short stick in life. But what I liked about Lili is that she had put her head down and pressed on. Yes, there were times she felt sorry for herself, but it was never in a "woe is me" kind of way. It was truthful and these instances seemed more like observations rather than opportunities to mope. When she cried, it was over real stuff, not imagined, and when she hurt, trust me it had been earned. But it was her unflinching ability to love unconditionally and without pretense that sucked Ryan in (and me too) and ultimately made him want to be better.I think it's key to mention that though Ryan initially saw her love as a healing mechanism, the author didn't paint him as someone completely delusional. Eventually Ryan understood that healing is a journey it's up to the individual to take. Sure, you can have others there to help you along the way, but they can't do it for you and that's an important distinction. Love can not heal you, it can only make you want to heal yourself. And that's another lesson some authors need to learn.Alex, Ryan's cousin and Lili's good friend, was another example of strength in this novel. His doggedly dedicated need to help Ryan was beautiful. These men loved one another, it was clear from the beginning. Alex took a lot of crap from Ryan, truly rank and vile crap, but he never faltered in his commitment. His personal sacrifices and absolute conviction were really something lovely to behold. Far too often men are painted as chest-thumping troglodytes incapable of emotion. OR they're painted as wussies. Alex is neither. He is ernest and thoughtful, insightful and strong. I love him and am so happy that the author plans to do a book two focusing on this character.Yes, there were some flaws in this novel. There were grammar, tense and structural issues that could have been ironed out with a good edit. There were a few short chapters used to advance the story's timeline which could have been scrubbed altogether. In addition, I thought the ending wrapped up a little too quickly and too easily for Ryan. Sure, he earned his HEA but his epiphany happened too quickly and all was well in a manner which didn't ring true based on all that had come before. In addition, I took some issue with Javier, Lili's son. He was noted as being a High Functioning Autistic but his behavior more mirrored that of a Low Functioning Autistic and at times his mere presence seemed more like a plot point than anything else. But all things being equal, this really was a well written book and the author clearly loved her characters because she made me love them too.