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Title: Charming
Author: Krystal Wade
Publication date: October 6th 2014
Publication date: October 6th 2014
Published by: Curiosity Quills Press
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Thriller
Genre: Thriller
BLURB
They say what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, and that’s great . . . as long as you don’t die.
Sixteen-year-old Haley Tremaine had it all: top-notch school, fantastic family, and a bright future, but all of that changed when an accident tore her family apart. Now, an alcoholic father, a bitter younger sister, and a cold headstone bearing her mother’s name are all she has left.
Chris Charming has it all: a powerful CEO for a father, a prestigious school, and a fortune at his fingertips, but none of that matters when he lands a reputation as a troublemaker. Struggling to follow in his father’s footsteps, he reaches out to the one person he believes truly sees him, the one person he wants: Haley.
Little do they know someone’s determined to bring the two together, even if it means murder.
Review
It is no secret that I love fractured fairy tales, but those I have read have one similarity; they usually contain an element of fantasy, whether that is vampires, shapeshifters or magic. With Charming, Krystal Wade has adapted Cinderella with a huge difference; its sense of realism. Here there are no dragons to save Haley and the real villains are simply human.
I admit that as the story began I had my doubts about Krystal Wade's writing, but it quickly became clear that she is brilliant at bringing her characters to life, allowing us no-holds-barred access into their private lives. Under Krystal Wade's supervision Haley comes alive, making her feel like a friend. We immediately react with empathy to the state of her life and the desperation she feels, living with an abusive alcoholic father and favoured younger sister. Haley's life is spent between school, work and her chores, as well as avoiding her father's anger. She reminds me of the Cowardly Lion in The Wizard of Oz who thought he discovered his courage at the end of the journey, when really he had it all along.
Charming is much more than a romance and we are never certain that Haley will receive her HEA. Krystal Wade takes her reader on a rollercoaster journey with its own twists, turns and stomach-clenching moments. Yet around the shocking and sometimes horrific events Krystal Wade builds a multi-layered plot and as we peel each of these back, we find something to engage us further. I found it impossible to pull myself out of this story, even as I reached the end.
Although Charming has main characters who are 16, it will be loved by readers of varying ages and I would happily recommend it! I can't wait to read more by Krystal Wade.
Rating:
It is no secret that I love fractured fairy tales, but those I have read have one similarity; they usually contain an element of fantasy, whether that is vampires, shapeshifters or magic. With Charming, Krystal Wade has adapted Cinderella with a huge difference; its sense of realism. Here there are no dragons to save Haley and the real villains are simply human.
I admit that as the story began I had my doubts about Krystal Wade's writing, but it quickly became clear that she is brilliant at bringing her characters to life, allowing us no-holds-barred access into their private lives. Under Krystal Wade's supervision Haley comes alive, making her feel like a friend. We immediately react with empathy to the state of her life and the desperation she feels, living with an abusive alcoholic father and favoured younger sister. Haley's life is spent between school, work and her chores, as well as avoiding her father's anger. She reminds me of the Cowardly Lion in The Wizard of Oz who thought he discovered his courage at the end of the journey, when really he had it all along.
Charming is much more than a romance and we are never certain that Haley will receive her HEA. Krystal Wade takes her reader on a rollercoaster journey with its own twists, turns and stomach-clenching moments. Yet around the shocking and sometimes horrific events Krystal Wade builds a multi-layered plot and as we peel each of these back, we find something to engage us further. I found it impossible to pull myself out of this story, even as I reached the end.
Although Charming has main characters who are 16, it will be loved by readers of varying ages and I would happily recommend it! I can't wait to read more by Krystal Wade.
Rating:
Krystal Wade is happily married to the love of her life (don’t gag) and raising three beautiful children in the gorgeous state of Virginia. They live just outside Washington, D.C., and every day she wakes up to find herself stuck in traffic trying to get there.
The horrid commute gives Krystal plenty of time to zone out and think about her characters in full, brilliant details (she’s a safe driver; don’t worry). Stories give her a way to forget about the sometimes smelly strangers sitting next to her on the fifty mile trek into town (she picks up hitchhikers every day. True story. Check out www.slug-lines.com if you don’t believe us).
Krystal has been a part of organized hitchhiking for nearly fifteen years, but that’s just one small aspect of her oh-so-large life. When she’s not working, commuting, or chasing after her three children (four if you count the man), you can usually find Krystal outside talking to her chickens like they’re the cutest things in the world (they are), or training her amazing dogs how to herd said chickens (which they love), or curled up on the sofa with a good book (why can’t that be 100% of the time?).
This sounds really cool and I love that even though it's a fairy tale retelling she made it realistic to our own world! Great review! :)
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