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hilary89's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
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
4.75
Another incredible post-apocalyptic romance. I loved how Rachel was so resilient and had a strong backbone. Cal frustrated the hell out of me with how he treated Rachel, but it still felt true to character considering the slightly taboo nature of their relationship. I love a good age-gap novel, but this is a pretty big gap so if that’s a turn-off for you, just be aware.
I think Travis and Layne are still my favorite couple in this series, but Cal and Rachel may be a close second.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Sexual content, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Death
Minor: Sexual assault
smuttymcbookface's review
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.75
Although this has been my least favourite of the books so far (and not because of who the characters are), Claire Kent has, as always, done an amazing job of developing a romance so real that you can almost feel it as you read it.
With the taboo of their connection to each other, Cal being the father of Rachel's (now dead) boyfriend, I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to root for these two. But, as always, I do.
The relationship is developed slowly, over so many years that it's easy to picture why these two would gravitate together. They provide safety, security and happiness for each other in an awful world. It's frustrating reading about the sexually frustrated and well-communicating Rachel get turned down and stone-walled. It was even harder to read about how she felt like she had to walk around eggshells just so she wouldn't be emotionally cut off. And although you can, in a sense, understand why Cal is doing this, it works wonderfully in to normalise their relationship in your head.
Third act breakups are something I typically struggle with. It's hard to believe that a main character able to walk out on their love interest can really provide a happy ever after. And it was even harder in this scenario where Rachel communicated her feelings perfectly, opening up, and Cal still chose to leave her the night after admitting her was considering it. And although I still didn't like it here, I felt I could understand the reasonings behind it.
My biggest hang up with Embers is that some of their dialogue didn't feel genuine to me. I appreciated the openness of Rachel, and that it needed to be this way for us to be comfortable that she's just as in control of the relationship as Cal is, but that meant that their conversations felt like plot points at time.
With the taboo of their connection to each other, Cal being the father of Rachel's (now dead) boyfriend, I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to root for these two. But, as always, I do.
The relationship is developed slowly, over so many years that it's easy to picture why these two would gravitate together. They provide safety, security and happiness for each other in an awful world. It's frustrating reading about the sexually frustrated and well-communicating Rachel get turned down and stone-walled. It was even harder to read about how she felt like she had to walk around eggshells just so she wouldn't be emotionally cut off. And although you can, in a sense, understand why Cal is doing this, it works wonderfully in to normalise their relationship in your head.
Third act breakups are something I typically struggle with. It's hard to believe that a main character able to walk out on their love interest can really provide a happy ever after. And it was even harder in this scenario where Rachel communicated her feelings perfectly, opening up, and Cal still chose to leave her the night after admitting her was considering it. And although I still didn't like it here, I felt I could understand the reasonings behind it.
My biggest hang up with Embers is that some of their dialogue didn't feel genuine to me. I appreciated the openness of Rachel, and that it needed to be this way for us to be comfortable that she's just as in control of the relationship as Cal is, but that meant that their conversations felt like plot points at time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Sexual content, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Abandonment
Minor: Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Pregnancy
emmacartlidge's review
adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Adult/minor relationship
isitcake's review
emotional
hopeful
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
5.0
I can't stop thinking about this book. This is one of the most beautiful love stories I've ever read and I can already tell this is going to be one of those books that I reread again and again.
One year after the meteoroid impact, 17-year-old Rachel and her boyfriend Derrek move in with his dad Cal after his mom dies (Rachel's mom, and only relative, died soon after the impact). Cal and Derrek's mom had him when they were teenagers and she didn't tell him about him, so they aren't close. Cal also has a troubled past, he ran around with a group of tough guys that got him put in prison for 5 years.
Derrek dies after another year or so from bad air sickness that has killed off a lot of people, meaning that Rachel is now living with a man about 20 years older than her. Over the next couple of years, Cal and Rachel learn to live with, depend on, and trust each other. Before there's any lust Rachel recognizes that she has a deep attachment to him, even if it's not immediately stated as love. Cal developing a skin rash on his back is when they really start to even touch at all, and that's followed by a particularly brutal winter where they sleep together.
They both struggle, but Cal more so. Rachel recognizes that she has no guidance for how to handle this situation, that she's interested in her dead boyfriend's dad. Cal is disturbed that he's attracted to her, his dead son's girlfriend. When Rachel reveals she's physically attracted to and wants him, he doesn't quite believe her instead thinking its the result of their circumstances. He starts taking her around to meet other people, hoping she can meet a "nice boy" her own age, but they also both find that they like helping fellow survivors. Finally, while at New Haven Farm (Faith and Jackson's farm) Rachel and Cal admit they love each other but the next morning Cal has disappeared. This is so. fucking. heart breaking. The anguish Rachel feels is so well written my own heart was breaking for her. Cal believes he's doing what's best for her, even though he loves her and it kills him to do this.
Rachel only tries 1 time to get with another guy, and it's only out of revenge against Cal, and she can't even make it past kissing. She spends a few months at the Farm, a couple months with Maria's all-women crew. It's just really sad reading this as she thinks about Cal a lot. Finally the survivors plan this big resettling trip and Cal shows up to help out. Rachel nearly dies but he saves her and asks if they can start over. He takes her on a few dates which repairs their relationship. Rachel finally feels ready to revisit the cabin they had stayed in together and he follows her there. This is ultimately where they reconcile completely and eventually move back in together.
I just fucking loved how confident Rachel was in clearly stating her thoughts and intentions to Cal. And when Cal left her, yes she initially broke down but she recovered and found her own way, or as she says she became her own person. She's one of the most resilient women on the page that I've read. And of course I loved Cal. He was just trying to do what's best for her in this shitty world they live in now.
Derrek dies after another year or so from bad air sickness that has killed off a lot of people, meaning that Rachel is now living with a man about 20 years older than her. Over the next couple of years, Cal and Rachel learn to live with, depend on, and trust each other. Before there's any lust Rachel recognizes that she has a deep attachment to him, even if it's not immediately stated as love. Cal developing a skin rash on his back is when they really start to even touch at all, and that's followed by a particularly brutal winter where they sleep together.
They both struggle, but Cal more so. Rachel recognizes that she has no guidance for how to handle this situation, that she's interested in her dead boyfriend's dad. Cal is disturbed that he's attracted to her, his dead son's girlfriend. When Rachel reveals she's physically attracted to and wants him, he doesn't quite believe her instead thinking its the result of their circumstances. He starts taking her around to meet other people, hoping she can meet a "nice boy" her own age, but they also both find that they like helping fellow survivors. Finally, while at New Haven Farm (Faith and Jackson's farm) Rachel and Cal admit they love each other but the next morning Cal has disappeared. This is so. fucking. heart breaking. The anguish Rachel feels is so well written my own heart was breaking for her. Cal believes he's doing what's best for her, even though he loves her and it kills him to do this.
Rachel only tries 1 time to get with another guy, and it's only out of revenge against Cal, and she can't even make it past kissing. She spends a few months at the Farm, a couple months with Maria's all-women crew. It's just really sad reading this as she thinks about Cal a lot. Finally the survivors plan this big resettling trip and Cal shows up to help out. Rachel nearly dies but he saves her and asks if they can start over. He takes her on a few dates which repairs their relationship. Rachel finally feels ready to revisit the cabin they had stayed in together and he follows her there. This is ultimately where they reconcile completely and eventually move back in together.
I just fucking loved how confident Rachel was in clearly stating her thoughts and intentions to Cal. And when Cal left her, yes she initially broke down but she recovered and found her own way, or as she says she became her own person. She's one of the most resilient women on the page that I've read. And of course I loved Cal. He was just trying to do what's best for her in this shitty world they live in now.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
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