This is what life is about, right?
Taking risks, going for it.
Falling in love - and not looking back.
When Alex falls for the charming new boy at school, Cole - a handsome, funny sports star who adores her - she can't believe she's finally found her soul mate... someone who truly loves and understands her. But as the months pass, Alex cannot ignore Cole's small put-downs, pinches, and increasingly violent threats.
As she struggles to come to terms with the sweet boyfriend she fell in love with and the boyfriend whose "love" she no longer recognizes, Alex is forced to choose - between her "true love" and herself.
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Alex is a teenage girl who is yet to experience her first boyfriend. At home she struggles to deal with the loss of her mother who died when Alex was a child. Although the death occurred many years previously she is still mourned daily by both her husband and children. Alex's father lives his life in near silence, rarely interacting with his daughters for more than a few minutes at a time. Even though Alex has great support from her two best friends she still feels like she has been set adrift alone in life without someone to guide her. When Alex meets Cole she feels her isolation has ended and a bright future filled with love and companionship is about to begin. However Cole has a darker side that turns his love and her happiness into anger and fear.
This book was thrilling and I literally had to finish it as quickly as possible. I was desperate to find out what would happen to Alex. It was heartbreaking to watch her relationship unfold. At first glance Cole appears to be the perfect boyfriend, he is kind, loving, generous and attentive. However as the story progresses we see that those qualities are linked to getting his own way. At times when his life is not going as he would like or he feels Alex is giving her friends and family to much of her time and attention he reacts badly.
The story was hard hitting and a great way to educate people into the danger signs of abusive relationships. I found the book was very accurate in the progressive nature of such behaviors and the author did a great job. However it was still a really enjoyable book to read even though it focuses on a difficult subject. I really liked Alex and could understand her confusion over her life and its direction even before she met Cole. I often wanted to take her in my arms and give her a big hug. I found that author wrote a fantastic character for just those occasions when the story was becoming a little to 'heavy'. Alex's boss Georgia was a great influence in the book, she provided a neutral and adult point of view that would usually come from a parent.
Overall the story was fantastic and I am thankful I came across it as I hadn't heard of it before. I will definitely be keeping an eye open for more books by Jennifer Brown as I have really enjoyed reading this story. I loved the fact that the ending wasn't "happy ever after" like a fairytale but was realistic and left open to debate. It made you think and come to your own conclusions in many ways. It's a book I would recommend to a friend without a doubt.
I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars.
Hard-hitting and addictive read with a brilliant ending. I highly recommend it.
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