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cheryldownes's review
4.0
Alex and Charlee are soulmates and should be together but they're not. In the past it was easy but now there are others who are hurting in between and the family is ripped apart.
An author who is able to capture that kind of love in words has a gift. It's painful to read that they're not together even though from the blurb you kind of know they will be.
I loved a lot of this book but I struggled with the flashbacks and didn't always know where I was.
I received an ARC for an honest review
An author who is able to capture that kind of love in words has a gift. It's painful to read that they're not together even though from the blurb you kind of know they will be.
I loved a lot of this book but I struggled with the flashbacks and didn't always know where I was.
I received an ARC for an honest review
claureading's review
emotional
funny
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
angieinbooks's review
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
I'm going to go ahead and point out that I've never seen an episode of The 100 and have no attachment to those characters. Those that do will probably like this more because they already have a context to this story that I lack. And while it isn't technically fan fiction (names were changed to protect the innocent and all that), this is definitely Clexa fanfic. So as someone coming to this without Clexa-tinted glasses here are the ways this novel did not work for me:
1. The narrative structure is confusing. This jumps between Charlee and Alex's perspectives in both the past and the present. There is no indication with narrative point of view I'm reading or which time period I'm in, which made following the narrative really difficult. I mean, it's not rocket science, so it does eventually become obvious, but it would sometimes take a few paragraphs to contextualize what I was reading.
2. The angst is the entire plot. Don't get me wrong. I love angst. My favourite novel is super-duper angsty, but the angst in that novel is driving to a purpose and has a clear context why it exists. This is simply angst. Nothing here makes sense. They meet; they hate each other; they have hate sex in a library; they have a great love for years; they break up; they don't speak for five years but continue to obsess about the other the entire time; they meet again; they're clearly still in love but do nothing to move their story along. It was tiresome. Again, maybe this works as a serialized fan fiction where the author doesn't have to fully contextualize these characters because the reader is already familiar with them and their contexts, but for someone coming in blind... It did not work. At all. And, also, why did they break up? Charlee is an artist and can literally move anywhere. It was so contrived!
3. Charlee and Alex are horrible people. This is probably a me problem more than a narrative problem, but if you're still obsessed with your ex--and I do mean OBSESSED, maybe you shouldn't be in a relationship with another person? This really bothered me because both characters are in relationships with other people and it's clear neither one cares about this other person who clearly deserves more.
This is the third novel I've read by KL Hughes and it's definitely her weakest.
1. The narrative structure is confusing. This jumps between Charlee and Alex's perspectives in both the past and the present. There is no indication with narrative point of view I'm reading or which time period I'm in, which made following the narrative really difficult. I mean, it's not rocket science, so it does eventually become obvious, but it would sometimes take a few paragraphs to contextualize what I was reading.
2. The angst is the entire plot. Don't get me wrong. I love angst. My favourite novel is super-duper angsty, but the angst in that novel is driving to a purpose and has a clear context why it exists. This is simply angst. Nothing here makes sense. They meet; they hate each other; they have hate sex in a library; they have a great love for years; they break up; they don't speak for five years but continue to obsess about the other the entire time; they meet again; they're clearly still in love but do nothing to move their story along. It was tiresome. Again, maybe this works as a serialized fan fiction where the author doesn't have to fully contextualize these characters because the reader is already familiar with them and their contexts, but for someone coming in blind... It did not work. At all. And, also, why did they break up? Charlee is an artist and can literally move anywhere. It was so contrived!
3. Charlee and Alex are horrible people. This is probably a me problem more than a narrative problem, but if you're still obsessed with your ex--and I do mean OBSESSED, maybe you shouldn't be in a relationship with another person? This really bothered me because both characters are in relationships with other people and it's clear neither one cares about this other person who clearly deserves more.
This is the third novel I've read by KL Hughes and it's definitely her weakest.
brencoombs's review
5.0
Beautiful imagery, well developed main and secondary characters, and realistic dialogue.
judemz's review against another edition
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
lcburghard's review
3.0
My heart ached, my skin was on fire at times and the frustration levels were excruciating to deal with.
It was the slowest of burns.
It was the slowest of burns.
spencer0200's review
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
aljj's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I loved this the first time I heard it. The next time a little less, but it was still good. I like how they handle scenes and the visuals are great.
yepdatjj's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This one hits in you in the feels right out the gate. You feel bad for everyone in this book except the sister for MOST of the story. There's so much loss and emotion written into this. If you're not in the mood to feel all the feels, then skip this. But if you enjoy being taken on an emotional journey, I definitely recommend this. I had a hard time finding a stopping point to put it away.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief