Blurb:
They say everyone’s a superhero to someone. I’m not sure who I’m supposed to save, but I know who saved me.We were kids. His name was Christopher. And up until the day he pulled me from death’s grip, he was nothing more than a boy I felt sorry for. In a blink of an eye, he became the only person who made me feel safe.
And then he disappeared.
Now I’m seventeen. I’m not a kid anymore. I haven’t been for years. While death didn’t take me that day, the things that happened left me with scars—the kind that robbed me of everything I once loved and drove me into darkness. But more than anything else, that day—and every day since—has taken away my desire to dream.
I wasn’t going to have hope. I wouldn’t let myself wish. Those things—they
weren’t for girls like me. That’s what I believed…until the new boy.
He’s nothing like the old boy. He’s taller and older. His hair is longer, and his body is lean—strong and ready for anything. I don’t feel sorry for him. And sometimes, I hate him. He challenges me. From the moment I first saw him standing there on the baseball field, he pushed me—his eyes constantly questioning, doubting…daring. Still, something about him—it feels…familiar.
He says his name is Wes. But I can’t help but feel like he’s someone else. Someone from my past. Someone who’s come back to save me.
This time, though, he’s too late. Josselyn Winters, the girl he once knew, is gone. I am the threat; I am my worst enemy. And he can’t save me from myself.
Review:
* * * *
You have to know by now that Ginger Scott is one of my favourite authors. I've read all her books but one (I know... I'll correct this soon, I promise). I generally feel upbeat when I'm done reading one of her stories but something new happened here. She left me bewildered with a list of questions wondering what exactly I've just read.
The entire story unfolds from Joss' perspective and it's an angsty one. She's an unhappy, apathetic young woman prone to self-destructive habits, be it drinking and popping pills, to lashing out at authority which is mainly her estranged father, the source of her problems. Joss isn't necessarily a damsel in distress in the traditional terms but things get crazy when she acts up. Beneath it all though, she's a fragile mess who needs to know that she matters to someone. Wes and his brothers show up shakes up the status quo. She feels an inexplicable pull towards Wes, like they've met before, and gradually she goes from not giving a flying beep about anything to caring. Though Wes vehemently denies any prior connection that Joss adamantly insists is the case, she still pushes it which causes some strain between them. That's what Joss does throughout most of the book: she pushes until chaos ensues and then Wes steps in.
This world that's presented to us is a darker, angrier, more hostile reality. The startling contrast between Joss' home life and that of Wes' only reinforces how different things are for them. I struggled with Joss because she has a tendency to create havoc. But later, what starts out as an
edgy story about a rebellious, heartbroken teen turns into a mystery that has
everything to do with the history between Joss and Wes. I can't reveal any details but I can say that it's
part of the reason why he denies their connection and this change of pace wound
up changing my view of Joss. I always think that it's an accomplishment for any author to write a character so well that any initial perceptions the reader has about that character eventually changes. That's exactly what Scott did here with Joss and I'm amazed by it.
A Boy Like You leaves us with a stunning cliffhanger (seriously, what are you doing to me Ms.
Scott?) that looks to be the crux of the next book. I really wish I had that
book at hand because I would have jumped into it immediately before I even took
my next breath!
~ Bel
GIVEAWAY:
About the Author:
A sucker for a good romance, Ginger’s other passion is sports, and she often blends the two in her stories. (She’s also a sucker for a hot quarterback, catcher, pitcher, point guard…the list goes on.) Ginger has been writing and editing for newspapers, magazines and blogs for more than 15 years. She has told the stories of Olympians, politicians, actors, scientists, cowboys, criminals and towns. For more on her and her work, visit her website at http://www.littlemisswrite.com.
When she's not writing, the odds are high that she's somewhere near a baseball diamond, either watching her son field pop flies like Bryce Harper or cheering on her favorite baseball team, the Arizona Diamondbacks. Ginger lives in Arizona and is married to her college sweetheart whom she met at ASU (fork 'em, Devils).
Social Media Links:
No comments:
Post a Comment