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4.2 AVERAGE
4.2 AVERAGE
ARC COPY PROVIDED IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW
It's impossible to find the other half of your soul and not recognize it for what it is. So how do you explain to someone that the other half of your soul is pulling away? How do I explain it to myself?
I don't know what to feel after finishing this book. For the most part, I really enjoyed reading this book despite some very disturbing truths that I encountered within its pages.
A part of me was angry when I finished this. I wasn't angry because I didn't like the book. I'm angry because the things that happened here most possibly happen to someone else in real life.
To The Stars is not just a fluffy romance novel. It was something more. Yes, there are sweet moments that would make you wish you were in their shoes. But like 60% of the time, you see a woman who was fighting for her life, for her family, for her happiness.
Just thinking about that guy... it makes me so angry.
I guess in a way i was able to connect with Harlow. What I experienced is not even a fraction of what he has gone through, but there were moment I swore I felt I was Harlow. It was like I saw what I would have been if I had been weak. If I had been scared of leaving.
This book greatly reminded me of INTO THE DARKEST CORNER which was also about abuse but dealt mostly about the after effects of the abuse. This book however was dealing more on the now. Anyways, let's get to the story.
At first glance, you'd think Harlow was a happily married woman.
She wasn't.
We'd been at a dinner party the first time I'd caught a glimpse of my monster - and it also should have been the last night I ever saw Collin. But I was in love, we'd just gotten engaged, and I kept making excuses for him in my head.
She was abused.
She married the monster, instead of the guy who waited years for her.
I should have known I was choosing the wrong man. He would have understood my mistake. He would have been waiting for me, like he had been for two and a half years.
If only she waited for Knox.
Before she met her monster husband, he met a guy named Knox. He was a bit older than she was which was an issue at the time they first met. He was turning eighteen and she was fifteen. They liked each other, but they couldn't jump into any relationship as Knox might go to jail if they do.
"Don't do this; we can't risk anything."
"The I'll wait for you, Harlow," he promised, and the sincerity in the words stunned me for long second. "I'll wait until your eighteen."
The thing is, both of them made a mistake. And it didn't end up well for them, especially for Harlow.
- The Overall Story
I really liked the overall story. Like I said, there were things about this book that I did not really care a lot about, but the story overall was engaging and interesting. I really needed to find out what happened to Harlow. Did she end up leaving this guy? Would Knox find out? What happened in the past which led Harlow and Knox to go separate ways? Did THE A**HOLE DIE??? those type of questions. This book kept me reading.
- The Writing Style
It was written in a dual POV that alternates timelines. You get to see Present and Past Knox and Harlow. For stories like this, I feel that this is the best way to tell the story because we get to see all sides of the story.
- Realistic Portrayal of Abuse
Abuse is not an easy topic to talk about, or even read about. There are books that talk about it, but always mellow down the things that are happening which I think is wrong. These type of things need to be portrayed as it is, no matter how disturbing or horrible the events that are unfolding is to make people aware of what these abused people experience and also the aftermath of being in such a relationship.
Luckily, this book did not shy away from the real effects of abuse. This book had some terrible, terrible scenes that involved Harlow and her husband. It was so fucked up, I often flinched whenever there was a scene that involved Harlow being hurt. It was so fucking hard to read about.
I'm not sure if Molly McAdams did research, but everything she wrote about Harlow's experience with "THE MONSTER" was on point to me. Her reasoning and how she thinks things could change and then makes excuses for the a**hole. I got out of a toxic relationship a few years back where I got hurt not only emotionally and mentally, but also physically. The things that Harlow was thinking about, were the same things I had in my head. I kept making excuses and feeding myself lies about how things would get better and he would grow out of it. I'm just lucky I got out of that relationship before it escalated further.
- The Antagonist
Collin... Oh boy. I want to kill him. He really got into my nerves which is what an antagonist should. They are there to antagonize the main character which is what this guy was able to successfully do. I do feel that his backstory was a bit lacking though.
- INSTA-LOVEY!!!
If you you've been following my blog for a while, you probably already know that I hate insta-fucking-love! You probably get attracted to a person. You might think they're cute, or pretty, or hot. But you don't pledge your loyalty to a person the first time you met them. I mean come on... Nope. Nope. Nope.
Harlow and Knox relationship started out very insta-lovey. I kid you not! I was like... okay... definitely a no-no. BUT!! There is a big but here. But once the insta-love stage passes, you get to really like Harlow and Knox' relationship. They develop this sort of best-friend/lovers relationship when they aren't really in a relationship. It's cute. So if you're okay with a little bit of insta-lovey, then you should be fine.
- ROMANCE
Now don't get me wrong, I did love Knox and Harlow's relationship. They had the best sort of relationship in the past that could have continued in the future. But there were times, that it was so good to be true. There were times I was wondering whether, there was really going be someone like Knox in real life. Probably not.
- KNOX'S FRIENDS
I hated them as much as I hated Collin. Seriously. I mean they get better towards the end, but they were a**holes to Harlow... It was annoying.
- THE CONCLUSION
The conclusion was a bit weak for me. It felt a bit rushed. It was like everything was wrapped up in a big bow and everything is okay which I don't feel that it should be. A lot has happened in the book and felt that there should be some repercussions to those actions that weren't really mentioned in the book or if it was, just mentioned in passing, and like I said, it was rushed.
By the way, I failed to mention that this is book two in the Thatch series. When I requested this, I didn't realize it was part of a series. Haha. Good thing you can read this as a standalone. You don't have to read the first book to enjoy this. Someone of the main characters from the first book were also here. So think Stephanie Perkins and Ana and the French Kiss trilogy.
If you're into romance and not the type to nitpick on small stuff, then I would definitely recommend this to you. I was honestly glued to my seat the entire time (not literally haha) because I seriously want to know what happens to these characters and if they get to be together. Did one of them die? Did the author do a GRRM and kill a bunch of main characters (LOL)?
THAT IS IT FOR THIS REVIEW. IF YOU'VE READ THIS BOOK, WHAT DID YOU THINK OF IT?HAVE YOU READ ANY OF MOLLY MCADAM'S OTHER BOOKS??
I loved this book. It was a little dark, quite a bit disturbing... but all in a good story kind of way and balanced well with a side of sweetness (corny sounding, I know, but still true). I loved the characters (and totally sympathize with them; wish I didn't most days), even when I thought they were being stupid (which was the point...) and the plot line was well developed and kept me intrigued the entire way through. Though I can't say I understood everything (madmen don't always make a whole lot of sense to me), I can say that I couldn't put this book down. I read it eagerly from start to finish.
[Note: review also posted on LibraryThing; received this book as a LibraryThing Early Reviewer Giveaway in exchange for an honest review]
[Note: review also posted on LibraryThing; received this book as a LibraryThing Early Reviewer Giveaway in exchange for an honest review]
From the moment they'd met, Knox Alexander and Harlow Evans had just known that there was something special between them, something so special that neither time nor distance could dim it. But when choices were made that changed the course of their love, and life took them in different directions, would that love be enough to anchor them to each other?
TO THE STARS by Molly McAdams is one of those books that you cannot bear to put down, even as it is tearing you apart. Knox and Harlow met when she was still very young, and, even though she was mature for her years, she was unable to see that Knox was trying to let her find her own way before settling down with him. The choices that she made, completely understandable ones for a young woman her age, would bring heartache that neither she nor Knox could imagine.
This book is a love story, yes, but deals with some very timely and very uncomfortable scenarios, including many that are most definitely triggers for some people. Molly has done a phenomenal job of detailing a relationship gone so very horribly wrong, and of the dark side that can exist just below the surface. The paralyzing fear that Harlow experiences, the devastation of realizing that the veneer of civility is so very thin in certain individuals, is almost visceral, and I found myself moved to tears of sorrow more than once when reading TO THE STARS.
This is the sort of story that gives you pause as you read, because it is very easy to imagine this very situation happening to someone that you know. And, honestly, statistics show that the sort of things that Harlow suffers happen all too frequently.
In the end, TO THE STARS paints a picture of a love strong enough to overcome even the most heinous evil, and shows that love always does, indeed, win. I would recommend this book without fail, and encourage you to add this one to your TBR, but make sure to have your tissues ready. 5+ stars for a story beautifully and tragically told, one that is a warning, a lesson, and, ultimately, a story of hope.
***ARC provided by the publisher for an honest review.***
"Why would anyone waste their time only loving someone to the moon when they could love them to the stars?"💫
To The Stars Book Review: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=05zLbFZdm1w
Each time Molly McAdams publishes a new book, I always say it's my favorite because her words strike such a deep chord in me for whatever reason. She totally outdid herself once again. Although it's marked as Thatch Series #2, you don't have to read Letting Go to read To The Stars, but I'd highly recommend it just because it is another great book.
This is my first Molly McAdams novel and confess I was emotionally exhausted after reading To The Stars. Harlow and Knox's story is mesmerizing, tragic, yet breathtakingly beautiful despite the angst. Told from alternating POV in both the present (2010) and past (2008), I anticipated the reading to be jarring for myself, but refreshingly it wasn't.
The young protagonists meet at a party and are instantly attracted to each other. Approaching his eighteenth birthday, Knox Alexander presumes that Harlow Evans is the twin to the girl hanging out with his friends; a similar age, only to find out she's only fifteen years old. Unperturbed, they decide to continue seeing each other, against the wishes of those closest to them, with a promise that they'll belong to each other when Harlow turns eighteen too…
“I want to love you to the stars.”
Misunderstandings, poor communication and some interference lead Harlow to head in an entirely different direction once she comes of age.
What happens next is disturbing. Tragic. Horrific.
Collin Doherty is a monster. A cruel manipulator. An abuser. A once vibrant young woman turns into a shell of her former self...scared for her life and for those closest to her.
The author really digs deep to convey the utterly destructive relationship between Harlow and Collin. It is heartbreaking and incredibly uncomfortable to read. The abuse scenes feel realistic, which for me made them very tough to read. Yet to understand and empathise with Harlow, you need to understand her thought process, which Ms McAdams has managed to achieve. It is emotionally exhausting. Yet there is hope. Knox. He's not perfect and has also made mistakes. Still his love for Harlow is as strong as ever and believable. What a guy! The supporting characters are also integral to the plot. It is interesting to observe how their perceptions of both Harlow and Knox as circumstances change and shocking truths are unfurled.
To The Stars is a poignant story that will stay with you for a long while. It is thought provoking. It's intense. It's one of the best books I've read. Ms McAdams you have a new fan.
5 stars
***Arc generously received courtesy of publisher William Morrow via Edelweiss***
The young protagonists meet at a party and are instantly attracted to each other. Approaching his eighteenth birthday, Knox Alexander presumes that Harlow Evans is the twin to the girl hanging out with his friends; a similar age, only to find out she's only fifteen years old. Unperturbed, they decide to continue seeing each other, against the wishes of those closest to them, with a promise that they'll belong to each other when Harlow turns eighteen too…
“I want to love you to the stars.”
Misunderstandings, poor communication and some interference lead Harlow to head in an entirely different direction once she comes of age.
What happens next is disturbing. Tragic. Horrific.
Collin Doherty is a monster. A cruel manipulator. An abuser. A once vibrant young woman turns into a shell of her former self...scared for her life and for those closest to her.
The author really digs deep to convey the utterly destructive relationship between Harlow and Collin. It is heartbreaking and incredibly uncomfortable to read. The abuse scenes feel realistic, which for me made them very tough to read. Yet to understand and empathise with Harlow, you need to understand her thought process, which Ms McAdams has managed to achieve. It is emotionally exhausting. Yet there is hope. Knox. He's not perfect and has also made mistakes. Still his love for Harlow is as strong as ever and believable. What a guy! The supporting characters are also integral to the plot. It is interesting to observe how their perceptions of both Harlow and Knox as circumstances change and shocking truths are unfurled.
To The Stars is a poignant story that will stay with you for a long while. It is thought provoking. It's intense. It's one of the best books I've read. Ms McAdams you have a new fan.
5 stars
***Arc generously received courtesy of publisher William Morrow via Edelweiss***
Me: I’ll just read a couple of chapters before I go to sleep
Molly McAdams: Haha, that’s what you think - I still haven’t killed anyone yet, but it’s bound to happen soon and I’ve got you hooked so wave bye bye to getting some sleep tonight.
Molly McAdams: Haha, that’s what you think - I still haven’t killed anyone yet, but it’s bound to happen soon and I’ve got you hooked so wave bye bye to getting some sleep tonight.