Review: A Diamond in the Rough
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 11 12, 2013
Okay, so recently I did a cover reveal for this book and I was blown away by the cover - so much so that I went out and bought the book and pushed all my other review books aside so I could read this one!Was it worth it?Mostly.Parts of this book I found completely captivating and raw. Some parts hurt to read with their clarity of how a person might cope with the life and death decisions that have to be made after a catastrophic world event.Other parts left me wanting, but not in a great way. I found the first half of this book lacking when it came to character development. I just found I wasn't caring about the characters as much as I should be. The main character, Prue, is very hard to like. She is pointy and surly and tends to stalk off in a huff most of the time. I found myself wondering if maybe all her past relationships had broken down because she just wasn't a very nice person! Normally these are characteristics I lOVE in a female character. I'm not sure what went wrong, so I can't offer any suggestions on how to right it. Oh, and fans of AMC's The Walking Dead, and, in particular, the character Michonne, will probably love this book.However, this strange thing kept happening. Every time I put the book down, I couldn't wait to pick it up again! And boy was I glad I persevered. After Prue settles into a town that may or may not be sinister (is the town too good to be true or is the author excellent at portraying the inside of a mind that is near snapping point?), things start to pick up. All of a sudden I found myself turning pages in an effort to see what happens and how the characters will fare in the end.I found Nicole R. Taylor has a knack for describing action scenes and, surprisingly, romantic ones - a welcome surprise for sure! Her character dialogue is also brilliant and I found her character's voices ringing true as I read.Overall, I am giving What Remains by Nicole R. Taylor 3 out of 5 stars - please persevere, it's a diamond in the rough!