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eesh25's review
5.0
4.5 Stars
In This Iron Ground is the story of Damien finding a home and discovering self-worth.
We first meet Damien when he's thirteen and living with a truly horrible foster family. They're monsters. And one evening, he runs off into the woods, and that's when he comes across the Salgado pack. And we then follow Damien and some members of the pack—Mia, Cameron and their kids—as Damien deals with what was and is done to him by various foster families.
And this is a book that I wouldn't generally enjoy just because the synopsis gives away stuff that happens when Damien turns eighteen, and since two-thirds of the book is leading up to that, I'd have been frustrated as hell. But that didn't happen, and I loved Damien's story.
I don't want to give away too much of what happens, but I will say that this is a story that deals with depression and serious self-loathing. The things that Damien goes through, and more importantly, how they affect him, is a huge part of the story. And it can be triggering to read about. I know that, just a few years ago, I would've had a hard time reading it as well. Not because it's not represented well, but because it hits hard.
The romantic element of the story doesn't quite come into play until the final third. There are a few hints here and there, and we find out how Damien feels about Hakan—he's one of Mia's kids and two years older than Damien—before that point, but any actual romance happens later in the story.
This book is beautifully written and definitely heartbreaking. And the only issue I can think of is all the nature stuff that kinda stood out to me (description, etc.), even the werewolf thing. It didn't take anything away from the story, and it did offer some fun scenes. But I feel like everything could've been accomplished without werewolves or any supernatural element. I mean, I love fantasy, but this time the fantastic element was just there, rather than being a point of interest.
Overall though, this was a great book, and I highly recommend it.
In This Iron Ground is the story of Damien finding a home and discovering self-worth.
We first meet Damien when he's thirteen and living with a truly horrible foster family. They're monsters. And one evening, he runs off into the woods, and that's when he comes across the Salgado pack. And we then follow Damien and some members of the pack—Mia, Cameron and their kids—as Damien deals with what was and is done to him by various foster families.
And this is a book that I wouldn't generally enjoy just because the synopsis gives away stuff that happens when Damien turns eighteen, and since two-thirds of the book is leading up to that, I'd have been frustrated as hell. But that didn't happen, and I loved Damien's story.
I don't want to give away too much of what happens, but I will say that this is a story that deals with depression and serious self-loathing. The things that Damien goes through, and more importantly, how they affect him, is a huge part of the story. And it can be triggering to read about. I know that, just a few years ago, I would've had a hard time reading it as well. Not because it's not represented well, but because it hits hard.
The romantic element of the story doesn't quite come into play until the final third. There are a few hints here and there, and we find out how Damien feels about Hakan—he's one of Mia's kids and two years older than Damien—before that point, but any actual romance happens later in the story.
This book is beautifully written and definitely heartbreaking. And the only issue I can think of is all the nature stuff that kinda stood out to me (description, etc.), even the werewolf thing. It didn't take anything away from the story, and it did offer some fun scenes. But I feel like everything could've been accomplished without werewolves or any supernatural element. I mean, I love fantasy, but this time the fantastic element was just there, rather than being a point of interest.
Overall though, this was a great book, and I highly recommend it.
ryank74's review
challenging
dark
emotional
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
4.0
comrade_bestie's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
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
4.5
gillianw's review
4.0
3.5 stars
Quite angsty with a focus on psychology and healing rather than the paranormal, but for the most part I did enjoy it.
Quite angsty with a focus on psychology and healing rather than the paranormal, but for the most part I did enjoy it.
beck22's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
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
4.0
nhixxie's review
Good but lost interest for it and wanted to read other things. Maybe in the future i’ll pick it back up
creativelifeofliz's review
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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
4.0
This book was a bit hard to rate. The pacing was a bit of a struggle for me because the story covers a lot of time. However, Damien's growth was amazing and heartwarming.
elyseisreading's review
emotional
reflective
sad
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