My ParaHangover

This story is so unique and has such a peculiar, uncommon feel to it that I just fell in love with how different it was from everything else out there in young adult. Looking back at the story and how I felt reading it, I grow fonder and fonder of it and the author.

Both strong in storyline and characters, I think it’s the odd cast that gives this book it’s backbone.

Violet and Luke are brother and sister twins living in a large, dilapidated mansion near the ocean. Their parents left them alone to traipse around Europe for their “art”. Violet was close to her father’s mother, her grandmother Freddie. Even though Freddie is gone, she is still huge influence in Violet’s everyday life.

Violet is an eclectic teen. She dresses in Freddie’s old clothes, she’s not easily distracted by obvious teenage pastimes like making out, she reads the Bronte sisters, and drinks espresso. And she has a healthy fear of the Devil. Luke, on the other hand, just cares about his muscles and making out with girls.

When their money starts to run low, Violet posts a sign in town advertising their guest house for rent. Not long after, River West shows up on the front steps. New in town, he needs a place to stay. And he has Violet’s full attention.

I was utterly surprised how fast this story moved and how it was still able to fully develop the characters. Even side characters like Sunshine, who annoyed the crap out of me, and characters appearing later in the story were completely established.

Yes, I’m being completely and utterly vague about the story but you really want me to be, trust me…

Creepy and hypnotic are the best words I can come up with to describe the storyline. As I read, I couldn’t even have hazarded a guess where we were going and how the book was going to end. I still can’t even tell you if I’m satisfied with the ending. I know I enjoyed it and I can say I don’t think I would have wanted it to end any other way, thought!

I am beyond happy that the next book, Between the Spark and the Burn, is the last book in this tale (it’s expected Summer 2014). I don’t think I could handle this story being stretched out any further. My poor feeble mind might not have been able to handle it.

Review appears on