Review: "..I'm not letting you go."
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 04 4, 2014
Not only was this book more than I expected, but it is probably one of my favourite books that Kelly has written and I’ve read every book that she has published so far; this was a pretty tough decision considering how fabulous Twisted Ties was.Now I will admit when I first read the synopsis for the book, I may have cringed a little because my first thought was ‘not another love triangle.’ I absolutely despise the whole ‘two-boys-fighting-for-one-girl-and-she-can’t-make-up-her-mind’ theme and I held on with bated breath till I learnt that this was not what the storyline entailed AT ALL. It was a thousand times better!After being introduced to Alexandria, I easily fell into the role of the overprotective older sister as I watched her pursue a life that is less than what she deserves. I have a tendency to get way too emotionally attached to the book characters that Kelly creates, hence the fact that I now see myself as an older sibling to Alexandria when really she’s an only child. There may come a time when I’m going to need therapy cause my attachment to these characters is anything but sane.When Alexandria’s parents can no longer handle her destructive ways, they send her away from her drug dealing boyfriend to spend the summer with her grandparents who she has not seen in years. Though she’s hesitant at first, Alexandria soon starts to question if the person she has become is really the person that she wants to be.When Alexandria arrives at the family farm, she meets a very appealing country boy. Landon is the complete opposite to Alexandria’s boyfriend Joel, but she can’t help but feel a spark whenever she’s near him. I fell in love with Landon instantly and I am definitely #TeamLandon all the way.Alexandria’s life soon takes a dramatic turn and sets off a chain of events that send her life spiralling downward till she is nothing but a shell of the person she was. I had to crack out the tissues at this point because I was just so devastated for Alexandria and the fact that she was suffering. Too bad for me, I did most of this crying in public - I need to learn to not read emotional books at Uni. But I wouldn’t change a thing about my experience while reading this book because the whole time that Alexandria was suffering, I was still there mentally supporting her along the way. I did a mental fist-pump when she finally decides to pick herself off the floor. I was so proud! :’)From what I was expecting to what I actually read; I was completely overwhelmed with complete love for this novel. Not only does it show that Kelly has completely excelled with moving away from writing series to writing a standalone, but it also demonstrates that she can write the best kind of story – the one that you will hold onto forever. Alexandria inspired me and I’ll always carry a piece of her strength with me. I can only hope that Kelly continues on this style of writing in her future projects and I cannot wait to follow on with the rest of her career.