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A review by sagek
Wash Me Away by Wendy Owens
5.0
* I received a digital copy of this from Xpresso Book Tours in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 4.5/5
Wash Me Away is an emotional tale about a young girl trying to keep her secrets and pain her own. She finally has friends. She finally knows what being cared about feels like. But she still doesn’t quite know what normal is. And so she keeps her secrets while trying to figure out her friends and help them when they need it. Amidst her discovery of normalcy and love, secrets pile up and spill out until Addy's breaking. This is a tale about how she copes with what she's been through, how she grows and becomes stronger. It's a tale of dark days and brighter futures. It's about having hope and feeling happy and having all you need with your family and friends. It's how it all came to be better.
I didn't think I would love this so much. I figured I'd enjoy reading it, but it's more than that. Addy is broken, hiding secrets and what she truly feels. I love how strong she is as a character. She's been through so much and she's still standing! She's got a new life with her Aunt and Uncle, with her friends. Things are finally looking good. She has sleepovers now, home cooked meals, friends who she likes talking to and hanging out with, who care for her as she comes to care for them. But then Willow dies and Addy wants to learn more of who her mother was as a person and Julia is spewing secrets other's hadn't known, and then everything's crumbling. The secrets Addy discovers turn her world upside down. But she gets it back upright.
Leo is also a great character. He quotes movies from the 80s and has a knack for diffusing awkward or tense situations. He makes people laugh and smile and makes Addy's world a little better. That's probably why I like him most. He treat Addy well and you just know he'll never mistreat her. They both deserve happiness. Also, every moment they were together, I fell a little more in love with the story and their blooming romance. I was definitely rooting for them.
Which brings me to the writing. The writing is fantastic. It made emotions ooze through the words. The writing flows well and you really lose yourself in the story. Sure, not everyone can connect with what happened to Addy, but either way, many of us deal with depression and so that we can connect with. That helps us understand what the characters feel and what really makes this story so emotional.The author also really makes you think about it (suicide, death, life) more. She helps open our eyes just a little wider. And that's always a good thing.
The best part? It's not all death and depression. There's hope, happiness, light, love, humour, friendship and family. We see characters break, but we also see them stand up again stronger than ever. We see friendships form and feelings bloom. We learn of weird quirks or habits characters have. We learn that while hope may seem meaningless, things always get better eventually. This book inspires hope. That's all I really need to make this a more fantastic read.
Overall, I definitely recommend this to you lovers of romance books with great characters. Or read it anyway because I think you should. Be warned, it isn't for everyone.
Rating: 4.5/5
Wash Me Away is an emotional tale about a young girl trying to keep her secrets and pain her own. She finally has friends. She finally knows what being cared about feels like. But she still doesn’t quite know what normal is. And so she keeps her secrets while trying to figure out her friends and help them when they need it. Amidst her discovery of normalcy and love, secrets pile up and spill out until Addy's breaking. This is a tale about how she copes with what she's been through, how she grows and becomes stronger. It's a tale of dark days and brighter futures. It's about having hope and feeling happy and having all you need with your family and friends. It's how it all came to be better.
I didn't think I would love this so much. I figured I'd enjoy reading it, but it's more than that. Addy is broken, hiding secrets and what she truly feels. I love how strong she is as a character. She's been through so much and she's still standing! She's got a new life with her Aunt and Uncle, with her friends. Things are finally looking good. She has sleepovers now, home cooked meals, friends who she likes talking to and hanging out with, who care for her as she comes to care for them. But then Willow dies and Addy wants to learn more of who her mother was as a person and Julia is spewing secrets other's hadn't known, and then everything's crumbling. The secrets Addy discovers turn her world upside down. But she gets it back upright.
Leo is also a great character. He quotes movies from the 80s and has a knack for diffusing awkward or tense situations. He makes people laugh and smile and makes Addy's world a little better. That's probably why I like him most. He treat Addy well and you just know he'll never mistreat her. They both deserve happiness. Also, every moment they were together, I fell a little more in love with the story and their blooming romance. I was definitely rooting for them.
Which brings me to the writing. The writing is fantastic. It made emotions ooze through the words. The writing flows well and you really lose yourself in the story. Sure, not everyone can connect with what happened to Addy, but either way, many of us deal with depression and so that we can connect with. That helps us understand what the characters feel and what really makes this story so emotional.The author also really makes you think about it (suicide, death, life) more. She helps open our eyes just a little wider. And that's always a good thing.
The best part? It's not all death and depression. There's hope, happiness, light, love, humour, friendship and family. We see characters break, but we also see them stand up again stronger than ever. We see friendships form and feelings bloom. We learn of weird quirks or habits characters have. We learn that while hope may seem meaningless, things always get better eventually. This book inspires hope. That's all I really need to make this a more fantastic read.
Overall, I definitely recommend this to you lovers of romance books with great characters. Or read it anyway because I think you should. Be warned, it isn't for everyone.