Review: Intense indeed...
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 10 21, 2013
Loves intensity is the story of two teens who meet each other at a time in their lives when they are both searching and exploring boundaries.When the reader meets Brad Natali, he is in full-blown rebellion. He misses his deceased mother, hates his step-mother and resents his father. He also doesn't have the time for Kressa Morales and her family, who move into his home as domestics. Even worse, he has to associate with her at school, which causes complications with his friends.Kressa is unhappy at having to pull up roots and move to the United States because of her mother's job. Her father also has issues with the family's move and doesn't understand the relationship between his wife and her employer.Both families experience conflict partly because of the attraction between Kressa and Brad. Neither teenager understands the love/hate nature of their relationship, but over time they are drawn to each other.The story thrives on conflict and several themes run through the book, including bullying, friendship, spousal and parent/child relationships. There is a paranormal angle to the story which makes things interesting. However, I feel the substance of the story could have been conveyed in a lot less pages. I also wasn't sold on the ninja aspect of the storyline. Teenage readers may enjoy the range of emotions that the main characters feel as the relationship develops between Brad and Kressa.The novel is open-ended, hinting that the story will continue.