Review: Heartbreaking and amazing!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 03 8, 2014
Saving Quinton is a fantastic second book in the Nova series and it just makes me that much more excited to read the next book!This book starts up nine months after Nova left Quinton and drug use behind. She has managed to get her life together, but she can't forget Quinton and what he meant to her. She can't lose one more person in her life and she's not willing to let him go. So, she finds him. The problem is, Quinton has spiraled much further into his addiction and he's not ready to let the drugs, or his guilt over his past, go. But Nova isn't willing to give up and Quinton can't help but feel when she's around - no matter how much he tries to numb himself.The negatives:Quinton might be too self-aware?This is really a tiny negative, but it's honestly the only thing I could think of. The book is written in both Nova's and Quinton's POVs. Considering how drugged up Quinton is throughout most of the book, I occasionally thought he seemed a bit too self-aware, realizing the impact of his actions and decisions just a little too much. Of course, I think his POV would probably be pretty muddled and ridiculous if he was always too drugged up to think clearly, so I can forgive this pretty easily.What I LOVED:The realities of drug use.Sorenson doesn't pretty up Quinton's addiction. It's dirty and it's ugly and it has a real grip on him. He lives in a hole and is in constant danger of being beaten to a pulp or killed by the drug lords who he owes (well, technically, it's his cousin who owes them, but that doesn't stop them from coming after Quinton too). The things he does to keep the drugs flowing are ugly as well. Quinton knows that the drugs are ruling his life, but he is unable and unwilling to do anything about that. He's aware that he's killing himself, but he thinks that a slow death is what he deserves.Nova and Quinton.This book really didn't center around the romance between Nova and Quinton as much as it centered around Nova trying to help Quinton see that he could and should put his guilt and the drugs aside. The romance was still there, but it wasn't the main focus, and I was really glad about that. I really felt for Nova as she tried to break through Quinton's shell and reach him. Once again, it all felt very realistic - No matter how desperately Nova wanted to help Quinton, she couldn't save him if he didn't want to be saved. And, no matter how powerful her sway over Quinton was, the power of the drugs and his self-hatred were always stronger. Still, the moments between Quinton and Nova where they connected were beautiful and wonderful and I was desperately hoping that Nova would eventually break him down.If you're looking for an NA series that doesn't just revolve around the main characters hooking up, this is a great choice! Saving Quinton, like Breaking Nova, is filled with heartbreak and pain interspersed with moments of hope. The combination makes for a fantastic read! I can't wait to see what Sorenson has in store for us next (I've already pre-ordered the next book so it will be in my hands on April 15th). 5/5 Stars