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4.02 AVERAGE
4.02 AVERAGE
The Nicky-Nick duo did it again because they managed to make me cry... and that's HARD to do! Nicky went back to her angsty roots and I for one was very happy.
Second chances, mental health, childhood promises and a promised HEA.
Granted it wasn't as angsty as I had imagined but still a great read regardless.
Give me more of these books Nicky!
Second chances, mental health, childhood promises and a promised HEA.
Granted it wasn't as angsty as I had imagined but still a great read regardless.
Give me more of these books Nicky!
[3.9] oh how i love a second-chance, hurt-comfort story stemming from an estranged friendship.
i'm not usually one for flashbacks, particularly chapters alternating timelines, but i loved their inclusion here (and confession: i almost preferred the glimpses of their past to the present - I KNOW, GASP
i'm not usually one for flashbacks, particularly chapters alternating timelines, but i loved their inclusion here (and confession: i almost preferred the glimpses of their past to the present - I KNOW, GASP
slow-paced
This would've been very good, had the writer and/or editor cut out the repetitive stuff, excesses that grew more frequent toward the end. Reading is usually quite a lot faster than writing is; most readers are capable of remembering emotionally important points. I skimmed a fair bit of the second half because of this rehashing and reiterating. I dislike the past/present/past/present method of storytelling, but it's worse when things are repeated rather than referenced. (And then repeated again).
And then, the sea change for Koa's attitude managed to feel rushed and even not well supported. Of all the things to not make clear and reasonable...
And then, the sea change for Koa's attitude managed to feel rushed and even not well supported. Of all the things to not make clear and reasonable...
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Man did this drag. I was intrigued by the time jumps, the unique dynamic, and the mystery surrounding Koa. His trauma was well written and well fleshed out, and the story between him and Jersey felt realistic and sweet but also harrowing. Following them from childhood to being grumpy adults and jumping back and forth between those, revealing what happened between them as kids bit by bit, was a super compelling idea. Unfortunately, most of the time, the overly verbose prose and long dragging scenes detracted from the better aspects of the book. I still think Koa was a deeply beautiful character but since most of the angst was his to bear, Jersey ends up feeling less fleshed out and less important. I managed to handle the purple prose by convincing myself it was just Koa's voice, but in Jersey's POV it just didn't make sense for his voice and it grated.
S. I seriously thought they was gonna finish out the book without mentioning again Jersey’s messed up relationship with his son. Wish that was more stretched out but honestly Nicky James books have a length that don’t Jam Pack a lot unrelated to the MCs
I really like that this book made me think, and I saw so much of myself in Koa and how he thinks about things.
It's funny what major trauma and PTSD will do to your brain and how it completely changes your outlook on life, and even though this book was bleak and morbid more often than not, I actually found it very comforting to finally see a character with a very similar mindset to my own.
It's funny what major trauma and PTSD will do to your brain and how it completely changes your outlook on life, and even though this book was bleak and morbid more often than not, I actually found it very comforting to finally see a character with a very similar mindset to my own.
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced