Publication Date: September 3rd, 2013
Publisher: Forever
Pages: 224
Series: Nova
Source: Netgalley
Rating: 4/5
Add to Goodreads
Nova Reed used to have dreams- of becoming a famous drummer, of marrying her true love. But all of that was taken away in an instant. Now she's getting as best she can, though sometimes that means doing things the old Nova would never do. Things that are slowly eating away at he spirit. Every day blends into the next...until she meets Quinton Carter. He's intense, honey brown eyes instantly draw her in and he looks just about as broken as she feels.
Quinton once got a second chance at life- but he doesn't want it. The tattoos on his chest are a constant reminder of what he's done, what he's lost. He's sworn to never allow happiness into his life...but then beautiful, sweet Nova makes him smile. He knows he's too damaged to get close to her, yet she's the only one who can make him feel alive again. Quinton will have to decide: does he deserve to start over? Or should he pay for his past forever?
Going into this book I wasn't 100% sure what to expect. Well besides knowing it's an NA book and so far all of them have one thing in common; giving Brittany all the feels. But quickly I came to realize that this book wasn't going to be about happily ever after. Both main characters are very damaged. Their lives have quickly spiraled downwards since death invaded them. Eventually they meet each other and enter into a very toxic relationship.
Nova's dad passed on when she was a tween. She saw it happen. But she made it through. It wasn't till she was 18 and her boyfriend, Landon, committed suicide (she found him dangling from the ceiling) that she found it near impossible to function. She's been diagnosed with anxiety and OCD, and that definitely shows through in her character. Although she did go away to college and that's where we met her, finishing her first year. Nova is sad and broken. So by keeping to a routine she finds a way to get by.
Right at the start of summer Nova is taken to her bff's, Deliah, ex-boyfriends new trailer (to check it out) and this is where she meets Quinton. Right away she is drawn to him. His voice, eyes, mannerisms are exactly like Landon's. He's also got that sadness to him and she feels a need to help him because she couldn't help Landon. This is her chance to save someone.
Quinton's collision with death is different. His girlfriend and cousin died at his hands. He crashed the car they were in. He also died that night and some people might think of it as miracle that he was brought back. He wishes otherwise. Quinton had a future before that night. Great grades, beautiful artist, plans for life. But of course that all quickly changed and he turned to drugs. He's jobless, living at his dad's house, high all the time. Until his dad kicks him and he ends up crashing at his cousins new trailer, where he meets Nova. As with Nova, Quinton is instantly drawn to her. Besides being beautiful, her eyes just drip sadness. She's broken like him.
Drugs plays a huge part in this book. All the characters, Nova, Quinton, Deliah, Dylan (Deliah's boyfriend and Quinton's roommate) and Tristan (Quinton's cousin and roommate) are using to numb themselves. Whether from pain, lose or just life. And this fact is acknowledged frequently by Nova and Quinton. That was my main problem with the book. I was having a hard time sympathizing with them. I personally don't understand how people can turn to drugs. I know addictions come in every form, but drug addiction it baffles me. So needless to say, them turning to drugs every few pages to numb themselves from feeling something they shouldn't got very frustrating for me. But, of course, that makes me think that Sorensen did her job, because it should frustrate the reader. You just want to constantly yell "don't you effing pick up that joint! Just bloody talk about it!"
This is a really sad and heartbreaking story. It's hard to see even fictional characters lives deteriorate like that. Especially seeing how they both had promising futures.
I'm interested to see what demons Sorensen explores in the sequel. The ending definitely leaves you wanting more.
Happy reading!
Brittany
No comments:
Post a Comment