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A review by isitcake
Embers by Claire Kent
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