Synopsis
Death.
For some, it’s simply one of life’s certainties, nothing more. For others, it’s merely a fleeting thought, one often overshadowed by the reckless delusion that they have been blessed with the gift of immortality.
For Aubrey Miller, death is the definition of her very existence. Overcome with the guilt resulting from the loss of her beloved family, she alters her appearance from the once beautiful, blonde-haired, blue-eyed little girl to that of one shrouded in complete darkness, enveloping herself in her own unbreakable fortress of solitude as a form of protection for others.
As she enters her first year of college, her goal is simple: Earn a degree with the least amount of social interaction as possible. What she never anticipates is the formation of very unlikely relationships with two people who will change her life in ways she never believed possible: Quinn Matthews, the boisterous former pageant queen, and Kaeleb McMadden, a childhood friend from her past who never really let her go.
Over the years, as their connections intertwine and grow, a seemingly indestructible bond is formed between the three…
But when death painfully reemerges, Aubrey is lost once again, burying herself deeper than ever before inside the familiar fortification of her fears.
Will the refuge of friendship, the solidarity of life-long bonds, and the power of unconditional love be enough to do the impossible?
Will they be enough to finally bring about…
The Resurrection of Aubrey Miller?
****Standalone NA Contemporary Romance/HEA****
****WARNING – Due to the graphic nature of some scenes, this book is intended for mature audiences only. Contains adult language and themes.****
Véleményem a könyvről
Hűha. Nem úgy indult, ahogy gondoltam, de nagyon jó volt ez a könyv! A cím telitalálat, bár azt hiszem a The Metamorphosis of Aubrey Miller is tökéletes cím lenne ehhez a történethez… 🙂
Aubrey ‘Bree’ Miller még 8 éves kora előtt elveszíti a kishúgát, majd rövid időn belül az édesanyját, majd az édesapját is. Így gyakorlatilag árvává válik, és végül az anyukája barátnője veszi magához és neveli fel. Miután ilyen sok szerencsétlen tragédia éri a lányt, megrögződésévé válik, hogy ő valami bajt hoz a körülötte lévő emberekre és ezért megpróbál mindenkit elijeszteni magától. Emiatt elnevezi magát Raven-nek, befesti a szőke haját feketére, piercingekkel aggatja tele az arcát és fura kontaktlencséket hord (lilát, narancssárgát, meg olyat amitől úgy néz ki a szeme mintha egy macskáé lenne). Hmm… Hát én igyekszek széles látókörű és elfogadó lenni, de őszintén szólva valószínűleg nálam működött volna ez a próbálkozás, ugyanis ha egy ilyen lány jönne velem szembe ismeretlenül egy sötét utcán, valószínűleg minden tárgyamat eldobva, sikítva menekülnék a másik irányba.. :)) Azt hiszem,hogy ez valami olyasmi védekezési mechanizmus lehetett a lánynál, mint mikor Nastya ribinek festi magát minden nap a Nyugalom tengerében. Mégis, a ridegsége és távolságtartása ellenére Bree annyira szerethető karakter! Vicces, néha szarkasztikus és főként nagyon-nagyon szép lelke van.
A történet a főiskola első napján kezdődik. Mikor Bree megérkezik a kollégiumba, egyből sokkolja az új szobatársa Quinn, aki egy gyönyörű szőke lány, talpig rózsaszínben, csupa mosollyal és hatalmas szívvel. Nem sokkal ez után kopogtatnak az ajtón és megérkezik az úgynevezett Boarding Buddy (akinek az a feladata, hogy körbevezesse őket a campus-on). Mikor Bree meglátja a fiút, egyből rájön, hogy gyerekkori legjobb barátja áll vele szemben, akivel 8 éves korukig -míg el nem szakították őket egymástól Bree elköltözésével-, sülve-főve együtt voltak. Mivel a lány Raven-ként mutatkozik be, és elég „extrém” a kinézete, a lány reméli, hogy Kaeleb nem ismeri fel. Az idő múlásával ők hárman nagyon szoros barátságot kötnek, és Aubrey is megnyílik előttük, majd szépen lassan leveti minden álcáját.
A könyv második fele picit olyan volt, mint amikor a Ki nevet a végén?-ben már a célnál lennél, és kiütik a bábudat. Olyan „Menj vissza a startmezőre, és kezd előröl a játékot” típusú csapás. Bár ezt a részt őszintén szólva valószínűleg kihagytam volna, de még ennek is nagyon-nagyon sok mondanivalója volt!
Nagyon megszerettem a szereplőket, főleg persze Kaeleb-et. 🙂 * sóhaj*. Az írónő stílusa tökéletes és nagyon szépen volt felépítve a kötet, rengeteg üzenettel. Tetszett, hogy lassan épülő történet volt, és hogy nem oldódott meg minden probléma néhány hónap leforgása alatt. És habár néhány igen komoly témát is érintett a kötet (úgy mint halál, depresszió, öngyilkosság), az írónő mégis megtalálta a tökéletes egyensúlyt a dráma és a könnyedség között. Úgy gondolom, hogy akik szerették a Nyugalom Tengerét Katja Millay-tól, őket ugyanúgy elvarázsolja majd ez a különleges történet is, hiszen Aubrey utazása rengeteg érzelemmel, szeretettel, drámával és humorral volt megtöltve.
My Review in English
Wow! So it hasn’t started as I thought but this book was really great! The title is perfect but The Metamorphosis of Aubrey Miller would also be fitting. 🙂
Aubrey ‘Bree’ Miller lost her little sister when she was just 8 years old, not long after she lost her mom, and shortly after her father. After she becomes an orphan she has to move to the best friend of her mom. Because of these so many tragedies she believes that something is wrong with her and somehow she is responsible for the death of everyone who is surrounding her, so she tries to scare everyone away. In an effort to keep other people at a distance she creates herself an alter ego. She calls herself Raven, she dyes her blonde her black, she wears cat-eye contacts, goth style makeup and several facial piercings. Okay… I always try to be broad-minded and accepting, but I think maybe this concept would work against me. Because if I would meet this unknown girl in a dark alley, I think I would run screaming in the opposite direction. :)) I think this is the same kind of defense mechanism that Nastya did with her slutty clothing and makeup in The Sea of Tranquility. Despite her darkness and distance, Raven was a so lovable character! She was funny and sarcastic and she has a beautiful soul.
The story starts on the first day of college. When Raven meets with her new roommate, Quinn at the first time, she shocks her with all her sweetness, happiness and “pinkness”. 🙂 Shortly after her arrival there is a knock on the door and their assigned “Boarding Buddy” named Kaeleb McFadden shows up. Bree immediately realizes that Kaeleb is her childhood best friend who she had to leave behind when she moved away when she was 8 years old. Because she introduces herself as Raven and because of her really “extreme” appearance, Raven hopes that Kaeleb doesn’t recognize her. As the time goes by the three of them become very close friends, and Aubrey starts to open up for them and slowly takes off all of her camouflage.
The second half of the story was like a board game, when someone lands on the same square as your game piece and you have to move all the way back to the beginning and have to roll to get on the board again. To tell the truth maybe I would rather missed out of this part of the story because it broke my heart, yet this still had a beautiful message.
I really loved the characters, especially Kaeleb 🙂 *sigh* The writing style was perfect and I loved that the story was slow-building and the problems has not been solved in a few months. Although the story covered some really heavy subjects (death, depression, suicide), it had the perfect balance of drama and lightheartess. I think who loved The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay will also love this amazing, unique story. This beautiful journey of Aubrey was filled with so many emotions, love, drama, and humor. I highly recommend it!
My Favorite Quotes From the Book
“Sometimes it’s impossible for mere words to encompass how you really feel about someone. There’s nothing you could ever possibly say to adequately emulate the effect of that person’s presence in your life. It’s an overwhelming, indescribable feeling that consumes your heart and captivates your soul. It simply just is.”
“Without heartache, there is no understanding of the true meaning of love. Without anger, passion cannot be comprehended. Without fear, there is nothing gained when overcome. And without sorrow, happiness can never be realized.”
“I’ll help you get lost any time, Sunshine. The only deal is you have to promise to come back. I never want to lose you again.”
“You see, we’re intertwined. Tethered. Bound. And even while you thought you were alone, you weren’t. I had a strong hold on that cord connecting us and there was no way in hell I was letting you go. I will always be your anchor, Bree.”
“I hope that one day you’ll find that source of light and let it heal you, too. Because if you do, it will illuminate your path and eventually lead you home. To me.”
“My soul takes flight with the fire inside me. It lifts as it becomes weightless like a Chinese lantern, further brightening the path in front of me as it floats, and I watch as eight-year-old Aubrey Miller approaches in the distance. Her features are angelic and the smile on her face is full of nothing but radiance and joy as she takes my hand, encouraging me to take my first step.”
“Every being in this world makes an impact on at least one person they encounter during their lifetime. You can change the course of someone’s life by just a kind word, a hateful one, or even by simply choosing not to say anything at all. Every choice you make has the potential to create a ripple effect, trickling into and affecting the lives of others.”
“Life is full of so much that you refuse to let yourself experience. The blanketing comfort of love, the fulfillment of contagious laughter, the peace of finding true joy, the butterflies of uncontainable excitement…these are all things that make up life. They should never be taken for granted. You of all people should understand that, sweetheart.”
5- Bonding- Stars
About the Author
L.B. Simmons is a graduate of Texas A&M University and holds a degree in Biomedical Science. She has been a practicing Chemist for the last 11 years. She lives with her husband and three daughters in Texas and writes every chance she gets.
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Twitter: lbsimmons33
Website: http://www.lbsimmons.com/