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A review by donnareadsromance
The Words by Ashley Jade, A. Jade
5.0
Wow. This book, this story, is going to stay with me for a long time. And probably not in as good of a way as I’d like. When I first started reading this book, I was tempted several times to set it aside. I didn’t want to DNF per’se, but I struggled with some triggers. There was negative self talk, binge eating, weight related bullying from the mean girls to the FMC Lennon, culminating in the pig slop incident. It brought back memories of being pelted with rotten garbage while standing outside the gym waiting for my date for the Sadie Hawkins Dance. Only he, and the other cool kids, were the ones throwing rotten vegetables at me. Needless to say, I cried along with the Lennon character and felt every bit of her horrific embarrassment and hurt.
But I kept reading because by that point, I was invested. And a little piece of me wanted to see where the author was going to take the story. Especially when it looked like Phoenix was actually having feelings for Lennon, despite his protests to his friend that she wasn’t “his type” and he wasn’t “attracted to her that way.” Ugh. I’m normally very attracted to the bad boy characters, or the men who are considered “morally gray.” Phoenix wasn’t gray…I think his heart was encased in some kind of black ice until I read the last 25% of the book where he admitted how badly he messed up and how he regretted it.
Phoenix and Lennon aren’t your typical HEA couple. They’re both really dysfunctional, and codependent. His singular focus kept him from learning important life lessons. Ones he only learned after he stole Lennox’s song and purposefully shattered her heart by implying he was cheating on her with the head mean girl, Sabrina. He learned more after he was the only survivor of a wreck that killed his friend Josh, a pregnant woman and her four year old son. A wreck he blamed himself for because he was so drunk and high, he allowed his friend Josh to drive and Josh was even more drunk and high than he was. This was one book I was not looking for a HEA from…I *wanted* Lennon to take her revenge. Phoenix sure did go through one huge transformative arc.
Lennon was more sympathetic than Phoenix, but she was a mess. The author must have some experience with eating disorders, though, because her descriptions of Lennons actions and her inner dialogue were accurate. A little too accurate for my comfort. This was quite triggering to me. Others i know who’ve read it mentioned that the weight loss Lennon experienced (from the descriptions of high school Lennon, I’d say she was a 16/18) was triggering. She went down to a size 10/12, which as one reviewer said doesn’t really constitute a plus size character, which the novel is billed as having, but is still double digits and considered fat by a lot of people’s standards. The weight loss seemed like a natural side effect of her working on her mental health and relationship with food, so I didn’t judge it too harshly.
Lennon’s character frustrated me, though. She had a fiery temper, and a resolve that seemed to be made of steel one minute, only to turn into a spineless pushover the next. She basically allowed him and his little blonde friend to rape her, but it was okay because she enjoyed it. I get that Phoenix is forceful and pushy, it aligns with his character, but there are some instances where consent was not as clearly defined as it should be in this era of #metoo. Lennon’s character arc was not as steep as Phoenix’s, but she grew and it all worked out in the end.
All in all, the story was well told, the spice was hot as hell, and all the characters were engaging and multi-dimensional. That’s why I gave the book five stars. I only wish the author would give better trigger warnings and if I do recommend the book to anyone (and who are we kidding, I know I will) I’ll ensure to give them a heads up. I’m old and have dealt (mostly) with my demons, but someone far younger might have to at least be prepared for some of the more controversial parts of the storyline.
But I kept reading because by that point, I was invested. And a little piece of me wanted to see where the author was going to take the story. Especially when it looked like Phoenix was actually having feelings for Lennon, despite his protests to his friend that she wasn’t “his type” and he wasn’t “attracted to her that way.” Ugh. I’m normally very attracted to the bad boy characters, or the men who are considered “morally gray.” Phoenix wasn’t gray…I think his heart was encased in some kind of black ice until I read the last 25% of the book where he admitted how badly he messed up and how he regretted it.
Phoenix and Lennon aren’t your typical HEA couple. They’re both really dysfunctional, and codependent. His singular focus kept him from learning important life lessons. Ones he only learned after he stole Lennox’s song and purposefully shattered her heart by implying he was cheating on her with the head mean girl, Sabrina. He learned more after he was the only survivor of a wreck that killed his friend Josh, a pregnant woman and her four year old son. A wreck he blamed himself for because he was so drunk and high, he allowed his friend Josh to drive and Josh was even more drunk and high than he was. This was one book I was not looking for a HEA from…I *wanted* Lennon to take her revenge. Phoenix sure did go through one huge transformative arc.
Lennon was more sympathetic than Phoenix, but she was a mess. The author must have some experience with eating disorders, though, because her descriptions of Lennons actions and her inner dialogue were accurate. A little too accurate for my comfort. This was quite triggering to me. Others i know who’ve read it mentioned that the weight loss Lennon experienced (from the descriptions of high school Lennon, I’d say she was a 16/18) was triggering. She went down to a size 10/12, which as one reviewer said doesn’t really constitute a plus size character, which the novel is billed as having, but is still double digits and considered fat by a lot of people’s standards. The weight loss seemed like a natural side effect of her working on her mental health and relationship with food, so I didn’t judge it too harshly.
Lennon’s character frustrated me, though. She had a fiery temper, and a resolve that seemed to be made of steel one minute, only to turn into a spineless pushover the next. She basically allowed him and his little blonde friend to rape her, but it was okay because she enjoyed it. I get that Phoenix is forceful and pushy, it aligns with his character, but there are some instances where consent was not as clearly defined as it should be in this era of #metoo. Lennon’s character arc was not as steep as Phoenix’s, but she grew and it all worked out in the end.
All in all, the story was well told, the spice was hot as hell, and all the characters were engaging and multi-dimensional. That’s why I gave the book five stars. I only wish the author would give better trigger warnings and if I do recommend the book to anyone (and who are we kidding, I know I will) I’ll ensure to give them a heads up. I’m old and have dealt (mostly) with my demons, but someone far younger might have to at least be prepared for some of the more controversial parts of the storyline.