Review: Tragic by J.A. Huss

Tragic 

Author: J.A. Huss

Age Group: New Adult

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Published: May 20, 2013

Summary From Goodreads:

Rook Walsh is TRAGIC

Because life so far – just sucks. Some girls get parents. Rook got the foster care system. Some girls get Prince Charming. Rook got an abusive frog. Some girls get lucky…

Rook got a second chance.

And she took it. Because when fate throws you a bone – you grab it with both hands and run.

Antoine Chaput knows the minute he spies Rook in his photography studio that she’s got The Look. The dark and desperate look he must have to land the exclusive TRAGIC media contract.

Rook is paired up with top model, Ronin, and he’s everything her abusive ex-boyfriend wasn’t. Patient, gentle, happy, attentive, and sexy! He knows exactly what to do to make Rook blush for Antoine’s camera. 

Rook’s luck changes in an instant and suddenly she’s the darling of the modeling world. It’s a dream job to go with a dream guy and all she has to do is look pretty and follow directions. But there’s always a price to pay – and Rook is about to get the bill.

New Adult Contemporary Romance *Mature Content* Recommended for ages 17+ due to sexual situations and language usage

My Thoughts

Tragic kept showing up on blogs that I read as a pretty great book. That plus the fact that I am really smitten with the cover had me heading over to amazon to snag the sample. I had a little time so I started in on the sample (honestly this was the first time that I had used the sample feature) once I had finished the sample I was completely and totally hooked and had to go back and hit the purchase button. There was no way I could have stopped reading this book.

I've been reading mostly New Adult books all year (I can't get enough!) and I've noticed that they mostly follow the same formula. This is ok because obviously I like this formula. However, sometimes one book flows into the next and they don't always stand out from the book before or after. Tragic has that extra something that made it really stand out for me. This is one book that won't be fading into the next one. 

Rook's character is so amazing. Here is this girl...she comes off at first as hopeless and vulnerable. Then right away she bucks up and puts up this amazing hard core front. She really is vulnerable but definitely not hopeless. This girl is a super hero. Truly!

Ronin is a definitely everything you could want in a guy. He's hot (really hot), and he wants this life. This life that most girls dream of. He wants to fall in love and take care of his wife and send his kids to private school and have that great, wonderful, boring family life that sounds just so....great. (Trust me I know, and it really is amazing!) 

Of course it's not that easy though. Rook and Ronin aren't able to just fall in love and be together. They each have their own tortured pasts to deal with. I just hope they don't hurt each other too much to be able to end up together. 

This book has some serious heat. I loved Rook and Ronin's photo shoots they were seriously scorching! 

I can't wait to read Manic, the continuation of Rook and Ronin's story. Thanks to all of my blogger friends that recommended Tragic. 

Neurotic Thoughts on Want to Go Private?

Want to Go Private?
Author: Sarah Darer Littman
Released: August 1, 2011
Genre: YA Contemporary
Pages: 336
Publisher: Scholastic Press
ISBN: 0545151465
Target Age: Young Adult but parents should definitely read too!
Source: Around the World ARC tours

Summary from Goodreads:

Abby and Luke chat online. They've never met. But they are going to. Soon.
Abby is starting high school—it should be exciting, so why doesn't she care? Everyone tells her to "make an effort," but why can't she just be herself? Abby quickly feels like she's losing a grip on her once-happy life. The only thing she cares about anymore is talking to Luke, a guy she met online, who understands. It feels dangerous and yet good to chat with Luke—he is her secret, and she's his. Then Luke asks her to meet him, and she does. But Luke isn't who he says he is. When Abby goes missing, everyone is left to put together the pieces. If they don't, they'll never see Abby again.

Usually when I rate a book a 5 it's because it's an amazing read that I just couldn't put down. It's a book that I want to shout about, and tell everyone that I know that they HAVE to read this book.  What's really weird though is giving a 5 to a book that I loved and hated all at the same time.  I loved it because the writing was powerful and gripping. I truly didn't want to put this book down because I needed to know what happened with Abby and her obsession with Luke. On the other hand, I yelled and screamed at Abby about what a freaking idiot she was and why, WHY would you talk to some guy when you've heard over and over and over again about how if you don't know that person in real life then you don't know who that person REALLY is. Abby knows this, she knows it, she even says how it's been drilled into her head. So why???

Then I would catch myself feeling sorry for Abby and those scared, confused and frustrating feelings that she was going through. I remember being 15 and it sucked and sometimes you really did just want someone to tell you that you were right and your feelings were justified and real.  Abby found that someone, only it turns out he wasn't who he said he was. This book was so powerful that it literally took my breath away at times.

However, I hate that a book like this needed to be written. I hate that I feel like I should tell everyone I know that they should read this book. I hate that there are sick people out there that really do this, and that everyone who knows a teen needs to look out for them even when they are in their own home. So now I sadly emphatically tell you all that yes, you should definitely read Want to Go Private because you need to, and because it really is an amazing book.