Wednesday, February 12, 2014

REVIEW: Song of the Fireflies by JA Redmerski

New York Times bestselling author J.A. Redmerski brings us a stunning and heart-wrenching new novel about a couple who find each other in their darkest moment.

 Since they were kids, Elias Kline and Brayelle Bates have been inseparable. When Bray moves to South Carolina, separating the two for the first time, they both at last realize that their innocent childhood friendship has developed into something much more. So when Bray finally returns to Georgia—and to Elias—things between them couldn’t be more perfect…until one fateful night changes everything.

Desperate not to go to prison for a terrible accident, Elias and Bray decide to run. As they try to make the most of their freedom, the two find themselves relying on a rebellious group of people who tempt the duo into a wild and daring new life. But they can’t run from their troubles forever.

As the consequences of their past catch up to them, the couple must finally face reality. Even if they can make it through the unimaginable, Elias knows the truth about Bray’s painful history, and in the end he may not be able to save Bray from herself…


New Adult Contemporary Romance - Standalone Novel 

 
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18189342-song-of-the-fireflies?from_search=true
Review
 
 
"And like I vowed to her and to myself in the beginning, I was going to run with her. Because I fucking loved her. And love makes a person do crazy fucking things." 

This was one of the best stories of unconditional love that I have EVER read. It was so intense that it really just took my breath away. Elias would have gone to the end of the earth for Bray. The same thing goes for Bray IF she had been emotionally stable. That's one thing you should know going into this book... Bray is not your conventional female character. She's a little unstable and far from the innocent sweetheart that the New Adult genre seems to love right now.

I'm going to be completely honest because I think that may help you in deciding whether or not to read this. The truth is... I looked at the early reviews and almost decided not to even read it. Luckily, some of my blogging friends urged me to give it a chance, and I'm so glad I did. I really loved it. As screwed up as their relationship was, they had a love that most people DREAM of having. It was an all consuming, can't-live-without-you love that had no lengths. Giving up was not an option for them. They were going to be with each other even if it meant going down with each other. *sigh*

So the storyline... Basically, Elias and Bray grew up together and were best friends throughout their whole childhood. They tried the relationship thing and Bray screwed it up. She comes back into Elias' life and things are perfect, but then something tragic and accidental happens. Something that Elias thinks he has to protect Bray from. The only solution (in their eyes) is to run. So they run for their lives. They run for love. 

They set out on this journey together with no plan for their future. They are living one day at a time in a life full of fear. They make friends along the way. Some good. Some bad. They end up in difficult situations. They party and do drugs. They have a lot of sex. They find themselves in life or death situations. It's REALLY not your conventional love story. How refreshing!

They only reason that I can come up with to explain the mixed ratings this early on is the fact that some people struggled to relate to the characters on a personal level. Personally, I like reading about characters that are different than me. I like looking at life from a different perspective. If you can be objective and see things from the character's perspective then I think you'll really like this.

J.A. Redmerski captures the intensity of love so beautifully in each book she writes. So, like everyone told me, GIVE THIS BOOK A CHANCE! It's fantastic, fast-paced, and panic inducing. It will keep you on your toes until the last page!

P.S. Andrew and Cameron make an appearance!

4+ Stars 





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