appeal 's review for:

Phantom Heart by Kelly Creagh

5.0

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So... I have so much to say, and at the same time, it feels like no amount of words could ever be enough.

First of all, I loved the book — no surprises here, Kelly's stories and wonderfully crafted prose never fail to enrapture me time and time again. There's just something about the way she's able to expertly weave and guide a tale, and it leaves me speechless.
And yet, as this is (supposedly) a review, I must appear somewhat eloquent.

Secondly, I cried at least twice, and while whether it's the hours of sleep I sacrificed for finishing this book or my own melancholy is neither here nor there. I hadn't expected to be as emotional about this book as I am.
It started off relatively slow (at this point, the Nevermore series is my point of reference), with tension sprinkled here and there. Honestly, halfway throughout the book, I found myself doubting the credibility of

Spoiler

either relationship because they all seemed so hasty and irrational, but the conclusion made sense of it all (at least for the most part).

I think that the most heart-wrenching thing about this entire story is its essence — and the essence of the Phantom of the Opera all the same — that there is so, so much more beneath the surface, and that empathy, understanding and love conquer everything else. It touched me as much as it did, because I know that if I were in Stephanie's shoes, I wouldn't have had it any differently, as crazy as that may sound. I'm a SUCKER for a good, even if at times tragic, romance, and this one? This one's good.

Another thing that really gripped me is the fact that in the conclusion of the book,

Spoiler

Stephanie ends up "choosing" Erik instead of Lucas.

I found it to be an especially rare, bold move, entirely unexpected. It was also the part of the plot that broke my heart the most — because how could Erik possibly go on when he'd been the one

Spoiler

begging Stephanie to lead him on, fully aware that it could only ever end in loss, sorrow and grief.

This bit right there screams 'true love' unlike anything else — because the sacrifices we'd all make for the person we love, for the slightest chance of them being happy, are what makes it real and tangible. It's the act of loving another even with all of their 'ugly' and 'shameful' parts. (That topic in and of itself would deserve an entire essay, anyway.)

And how enchanting it was to read about Erik and how... gentlemanly he is. Of course, he's a product of his time and yet, his "antics" never felt as such, and he was written in such a way that it felt genuine. The contrast between gentle, kind, proper and violent, selfish, wrong was executed very, very well.

All in all, I'd say that the only thing that bothered me about this book was the pacing — it could have used more action, even if not directly related to the main plot itself. Or rather, maybe some subplots, I'm not entirely sure. As much as I love Kelly's... everything, when it comes to her prose, I suppose I grew really impatient when it came to the ultimate unraveling of the story.
I'll definitely be returning to this one. I'm really grateful to have been able to embark on this wonderful journey Kelly was able to take me on.