I will try, but it will likely be a mess. This story, Chase's story, is so tangled up in my own experiences that it is hard to talk about one without talking about the other.
***Also- there will be spoilers. Consider yourself warned*** Ok. So. This book hit really close to home. I was not prepared to see myself so clearly in Chase, even though I knew that he and I had a lot in common. It is no secret that I struggle with body dysmorphia and disordered eating. My relationship with food has been notoriously damaging. Seeing Chase struggle in similar ways with using food and exercise as a control mechanism, watching him deal with body dysmorphia is ways wildly similar to my own, and seeing how he feels the sting of the same sort of comments I received was hard. It’s good though, because it’s reality, and there is no reason why we can’t read about it and talk about it. We should, because often times the shame of it compounds the issue. Add in the gender conversation and Chase was basically batting 1000 for me. Now… the story. It’s everything. It’s everything college age me probably needed to read and see. The accuracy of that moment in time when everything is finally coming together only to fall apart again- I think we’ve all been there and Salvatore opens that door and let’s us see every beautiful, messy moment of it. We want Chase and Jack to figure their shit out, but we also know life isn’t always that easy. In the end what we want more is for them both to be okay, no matter what that looks like. I wrote the bulk of this post almost immediately after reading And They Lived... for the first time. I've since sat with it, and reread parts. There are moments in this book that just stick with you. For example- we had a thunderstorm the other day, and I LOVE thunderstorms, almost to a dangerous level given that I was once almost hit by a tree branch when the tree got hit by lightning- at any rate, the lightning combined with the music I had on immediately brought Chase and Jack to mind. Salvatore has some magic thing... each book creates this connection. Carey and Wicked in Can't Take That Away, Chase, Jack and a good rainstorm, hell, I'd be lying if I didn't say Salvatore came to mind whenever I saw something Mariah Carey related. But I digress (always). This is a phenomenal book. I can’t wait to hear whatever thinks about And They Lived...
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As predicted, January came in with an absolute massive number of books read, and February saw a drop off- still a respectable 7 books, but a definite slowdown. The big bonus of February was getting access to a few amazing ARC's from NetGalley that I had really been dying to get my hands on- my excitement for those 2 books derailed anything else I might have been reading. On to the wrap up...
when you know they might not all deserve it, even when you know that it’s seemingly impossible for that ending to be reached. Long story short- go pick up And They Lived... (Out now!) and pre-order Hell Followed With Us.
I've leaned more towards contemporary fiction, but when the pickerwheel said The Gilded Wolves was up next, I dove in. And I'm glad I did. At first blush it seemed like a pretty straight forward story, but as we got more into the backstories of the characters, into their motivations and fears, the story became more and more layered and I was hooked. In the end I was totally invested in what would happen next and where the characters were going. The big bonus for grabbing an older book is that there is no wait for the sequal- instant gratification is always a plus!
Luc and Oliver are still the same disasters as always, but I was able to listen closer, knowing where they would end up. Joe Jameson was the narrator on this one, and I thought it was a perfect match. If you haven't listened to this one yet, get on it! Full February Wrap Up:
this book. I will try, but it will likely be a mess. You have been warned.
***Also- there will be spoilers. Consider yourself warned*** Ok. So. This book hit really close to home. I was not prepared to see myself so clearly in Chase, even though I knew that he and I had a lot on common. It is no secret that I struggle with body dysmorphia and disordered eating. My relationship with food has been notoriously damaging. Seeing Chase struggle in similar ways with using food and exercise as a control mechanism, watching him deal with body dysmorphia is ways wildly similar to my own, and seeing how he feels the sting of the same sort of comments I received was hard. It’s good though, because it’s reality, and there is no reason why we can’t read about it and talk about it. We should, because often times the shame of it compounds the issue. Add in the gender conversation and Chase was basically batting 1000 for me. Now… the story. It’s everything. It’s everything college age me probably needed to read and see. The accuracy of that moment in time when everything is finally coming together only to fall apart again- I think we’ve all been there and Salvatore opens that door and let’s us see every beautiful, messy moment of it. We want Chase and Jack to figure their shit out, but we also know life isn’t always that easy. In the end what we want more is for them both to be okay, no matter what that looks like. I already know that this will be a book I reread. I can’t wait to hear whatever thinks about And They Lived... |
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Home of the ramblings of an avid reader. In my spare time I also run, ride, teach, go on adventures and get into shenanigans. Find me here: Goodreads Etsy TikTok 
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