Summary:
It would’ve been different if I had courage, even an ounce of it. But I was a coward from the day I met you, Ryan Crowley. I still am. In the end it doesn’t matter. The bottom line is the same. It’s my fault.
When the unthinkable happens Carly Cavanough is left beaten, betrayed, and devastated. Her best friend doesn’t understand. Her parents won’t listen. Everyone in her life turns against her. She’s alone. Completely alone, except for Ryan Crowley, the boy she’s been crushing on for years. She won’t admit to him what she can’t admit to herself. But he understands without words. He knows more about what she’s going through than she can possibly imagine and he knows what it will take to start the healing.
With Ryan’s help Carly begins to piece together the fragments of her once perfect life and embarks on a journey of love and healing, just long enough for the rug to be pulled out from under her again. Can she find the strength and will to pull herself together to save Ryan and herself when their lives are on the line?
Length: 260 pages (Kindle)
Source: Review Copy
Available Formats: Print/E-book
Publication Date: April 2013 by KFR Communications
I'll be the first to admit that I'm still not a huge fan of the New Adult genre, I can see the demand for it and think that the genre is needed but I would like to see a lot more diversity in the characters, plot lines and sub-genres in the genre which is why I when I agreed to review To My Hero I went in with an open mind.
To My Hero was an emotional, gritty and heartbreaking read. Right from the first page of the book Danielle had me hooked with the honesty of the writing and while it was not an easy read it was a very well written one.
While I thought that the dialogue between the teens in the novel was a little exaggerated for my tastes I still enjoyed the conversations between Ryan and Carly. For most of the book though I though Carly was a bit ditzy and to be honest even if what happened to her hadn't happened I couldn't see myself being friends with her but I still liked her as a character overall. This was true for Ryan as well. I'm not sure that if he were real I'd be friends with him either but he was a smart and really caring guy and I did like him in the story and the role he played.
What I liked most about the story was that it was written. It was raw and was one of those stories where I hated so much about it in terms of the situations the characters were put in and how they were treated that I couldn't help but like the way the author handled the writing process.
Overall, I thought this was a really well written book and it was a refreshing read in the genre because I hadn't read a New Adult novel like this one before. There was so much drama going on that there were so many times that I had to put my Kindle down just to take a breather because I was getting so angry at certain characters like Carly's father who, just for the record I think should be hit by a bus. He was basically the definition of an anti-father and I just hated him. However, I really want to point out it was the author's ability to create characters that were so horrible that made me like the book so much.
To My Hero was my first time reading a book by Danielle Sibarium and I'm so glad I had a chance to review it for her because it went to show that there are some really great New Adult authors out there who are willing to stray from the norm and create some really emotionally gritty stories out there and I can't wait to pick up my next read by her.
I would recommend To My Hero to fans of the New Adult Genre who want to have their hearts ripped out, stomped on an put back together again.
*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my free and honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed herein are 100% my own.
I read this book for the following reading challenges:
2013 150+ Reading Challenge
2013 New Adult Reading Challenge
Really Liked It!
★★★★
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