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Dark Road #1
Addicted
Sixteen-year-old Bella Kynaston has been the victim of a brutal rape, by someone she can only describe as ‘the scar-faced man.’ With little recollection of what happened, she must somehow rebuild her life. Being the person she once was proves more difficult than she imagined.
To complicate matters, Bella has just met Jeremiah Detrone, the new guy in school. He’s attractive, funny, and smart. All things she’s ever wanted in a boyfriend. Too bad she’s conflicted over so many unexpected emotions. Without realizing it, she falls down a rabbit hole and begins walking a dangerous line between addiction and self-preservation.
As Bella works together with the police to bring her attackers to justice, will she be able to see it through to the end? And even if she does, will it only bring her more pain and misery? Or will she find an anchor in Jeremiah and figure out how to move forward?
To complicate matters, Bella has just met Jeremiah Detrone, the new guy in school. He’s attractive, funny, and smart. All things she’s ever wanted in a boyfriend. Too bad she’s conflicted over so many unexpected emotions. Without realizing it, she falls down a rabbit hole and begins walking a dangerous line between addiction and self-preservation.
As Bella works together with the police to bring her attackers to justice, will she be able to see it through to the end? And even if she does, will it only bring her more pain and misery? Or will she find an anchor in Jeremiah and figure out how to move forward?
- GenresYoung Adult
274 pages, Paperback
First published October 17, 2014
19 people are currently reading
373 people want to read
About the author
Krys Fenner
28 books34 followersWriters exist because they have a story to tell. Sometimes it’s whatever comes out of our imagination. Other times it’s something that comes from our own experiences. Either way, I believe we can learn from every book we read and every book (as authors) we write. The more I write and read, the better at my craft I become. No school can teach me that, but it can still give me the basics. That is the reason I’ll be finishing my Bachelor’s and moving on to my Master’s.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
December 1, 2017
Bella is traumatized after being attacked and raped by a scar-faced man. She suffers from nightmares and starts taking too many of her pain pills in order to get some sleep. Even though she has the support of her parents, friends, and new boyfriend, Jeremiah, Bella also has a number of enemies, any one of who could be responsible for her attack. Everybody seems to be keeping secrets, including her parents. Who is Bella's attacker and what are his motivations?
The story is told in the third person from the points-of-view of Gervasio, Bella, Jeremiah, Sheriff Detrone, and Detective Russell. The storyline is extremely hard to follow, with events constantly being hinted at but nothing ever being fully explained. In addition, new characters keep popping up with half-formed background stories, which only leads to further confusion. Timestamps would be helpful as events that appear to happen straight after previous events, don't actually occur until some days later.
On the plus side, this book has one of the most beautiful covers I have seen. Book two follows at a close second. I also enjoyed the song references. Suspense is maintained throughout, as there is so much violence that occurs without any build-up or warning, that you don't know who will get hurt next or when. I was interested to find out how things would be resolved; unfortunately, the book ends abruptly with many unanswered questions. And of the content that is there, so much appears to be irrelevant.
Why the title Addicted? Several addictions (Alex to party drugs, Bella to pain killers) are hinted at but never explored. A plan to supply pain killers to Bella is mentioned briefly, but we never see her abusing them even though she is one of the narrators whose heads we are inside.
Why is Bella's mother Portuguese and her father Chinese, while Gervasio speaks Spanish? This leads to there being speech in Portuguese, Chinese, and Spanish. The languages aren't translated, but the meaning can be deciphered through the text. But why is any of this necessary? It's not relevant to the story. Why don't they just speak English? In addition, Bella's family is very religious and are said to be Baptist. I found this highly unlikely, given her parents' backgrounds. Being Baptist would make sense if they were American. *Spoiler* Bella finds out she has been adopted and has no Chinese blood. How is this not obvious to everyone?
What's with the sickles as section dividers? Their significance becomes apparent about a quarter way through the book. But they are an unnecessary and obtrusive gimmick.
Why does everyone need a nickname? Bella's real name is Maylin, so Bella is already a nickname, but Jeremiah calls her Bell. Bella calls Jeremiah Miah. Alexandra is Alex, Amanda is Mandy, Victor is Vick, Sarresh is Z, not to mention the nicknames of all of Gervasio's accomplices.
Why does Jeremiah have six siblings? None of them but Amanda ever seem to be present in the home, and they serve no purpose. Also, why is his mother pregnant again? It doesn't appear relevant to the plot.
These plotting issues could be explained by the fact that this whole series has been re-written; in its original incarnation, the third book was called Addicted. Or maybe things will become clear in the next installment. But I'm not sure I'll hang around long enough to read it.
Warnings: coarse language, rape (not graphic), graphic violence, ends abruptly with a stack of unanswered questions (luckily, the next book, Damaged, is due for release 20 November).
I received this book in return for an honest review.
Full blog post: https://booksdirectonline.blogspot.co...
The story is told in the third person from the points-of-view of Gervasio, Bella, Jeremiah, Sheriff Detrone, and Detective Russell. The storyline is extremely hard to follow, with events constantly being hinted at but nothing ever being fully explained. In addition, new characters keep popping up with half-formed background stories, which only leads to further confusion. Timestamps would be helpful as events that appear to happen straight after previous events, don't actually occur until some days later.
On the plus side, this book has one of the most beautiful covers I have seen. Book two follows at a close second. I also enjoyed the song references. Suspense is maintained throughout, as there is so much violence that occurs without any build-up or warning, that you don't know who will get hurt next or when. I was interested to find out how things would be resolved; unfortunately, the book ends abruptly with many unanswered questions. And of the content that is there, so much appears to be irrelevant.
Why the title Addicted? Several addictions (Alex to party drugs, Bella to pain killers) are hinted at but never explored. A plan to supply pain killers to Bella is mentioned briefly, but we never see her abusing them even though she is one of the narrators whose heads we are inside.
Why is Bella's mother Portuguese and her father Chinese, while Gervasio speaks Spanish? This leads to there being speech in Portuguese, Chinese, and Spanish. The languages aren't translated, but the meaning can be deciphered through the text. But why is any of this necessary? It's not relevant to the story. Why don't they just speak English? In addition, Bella's family is very religious and are said to be Baptist. I found this highly unlikely, given her parents' backgrounds. Being Baptist would make sense if they were American. *Spoiler* Bella finds out she has been adopted and has no Chinese blood. How is this not obvious to everyone?
What's with the sickles as section dividers? Their significance becomes apparent about a quarter way through the book. But they are an unnecessary and obtrusive gimmick.
Why does everyone need a nickname? Bella's real name is Maylin, so Bella is already a nickname, but Jeremiah calls her Bell. Bella calls Jeremiah Miah. Alexandra is Alex, Amanda is Mandy, Victor is Vick, Sarresh is Z, not to mention the nicknames of all of Gervasio's accomplices.
Why does Jeremiah have six siblings? None of them but Amanda ever seem to be present in the home, and they serve no purpose. Also, why is his mother pregnant again? It doesn't appear relevant to the plot.
These plotting issues could be explained by the fact that this whole series has been re-written; in its original incarnation, the third book was called Addicted. Or maybe things will become clear in the next installment. But I'm not sure I'll hang around long enough to read it.
Warnings: coarse language, rape (not graphic), graphic violence, ends abruptly with a stack of unanswered questions (luckily, the next book, Damaged, is due for release 20 November).
I received this book in return for an honest review.
Full blog post: https://booksdirectonline.blogspot.co...
November 12, 2017
I had grabbed this book due to the cover as it seemed quite a dark and edgy book and the cover is pretty amazing. As I read the book we meet Bella who seems to be stalked by an anonymous person who loves leaving her gifts; she also has captured the attention of three schoolmates - David, Peter, and Jeremiah. When I read this, I often laugh as seriously how realistic is it to go from someone who has never had a boyfriend in her seventeen almost eighteen years of life and then all of a sudden have multiple guys interested in her and all wanting her at once. Addicted was a complicated read as I found myself in parts getting confused as apparently, a tragedy happened to her in church when she was little with a kid beating her up bad when she offered to help and said something nice to him. Like where were the adults? Now older, she gets jumped in the alley and brutally raped, and then her life starts to go downhill as she discovers people are after her and want her to themselves and those she loves dead. We also learned briefly that she was adopted and wonder if it has anything to do with her birth parents. I have to admit I found this book a bit too much over the place for me and then when I finished as the book ends on a cliffhanger. I started to read the preview for the next book Damaged - only to discover as it sounded familiar that I had already read Book #2 a couple of years ago in September 2015 which then led me to discover that Addicted is a reprint of Book #1 which was originally called Destroyed in 2014.
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September 14, 2018
I initially grabbed this book because duh, look at that cover. It’s beautiful. But as I read the book, I wasn’t as engrossed in the story as I hoped I would be, like when I seen the cover. I don’t think that the story ever grabbed my attention.
The thing that got me with Addicted was the way the story was given to us. I stayed confused a lot and got my timelines and occurrences very mixed together. The story was all over the place. It was near impossible to stick with what was happening and when. There was also a lot of people involved that we didn’t get enough information on so I struggled with who was who as well. Every other chapter we were having more and more names thrown at us. Maybe I processed it wrong.
I will say that for a young adult book, I’m very impressed with the psychological suspense that the author pulled off. But I wasn’t impressed with how long it took me to get into the actual story. I think once I hit 30% the story picked up and something finally happened. Thankfully, I didn’t put it down before then. I would have really missed a lot if I had.
Story pacing and plot placement could have really helped this book. And maybe even keeping the POV on one person for more than just two paragraphs. There was so much jumping around and around that I got dizzy.
I keep reading reviews where the scattered POV’s really helped the story but I have to disagree with them. Instead of being in love with the story I was too busy back tracking trying to figure out who or what I was reading about and when it was happening. And how this character was involved and why they were involved and also who they were.
The thing that got me with Addicted was the way the story was given to us. I stayed confused a lot and got my timelines and occurrences very mixed together. The story was all over the place. It was near impossible to stick with what was happening and when. There was also a lot of people involved that we didn’t get enough information on so I struggled with who was who as well. Every other chapter we were having more and more names thrown at us. Maybe I processed it wrong.
I will say that for a young adult book, I’m very impressed with the psychological suspense that the author pulled off. But I wasn’t impressed with how long it took me to get into the actual story. I think once I hit 30% the story picked up and something finally happened. Thankfully, I didn’t put it down before then. I would have really missed a lot if I had.
Story pacing and plot placement could have really helped this book. And maybe even keeping the POV on one person for more than just two paragraphs. There was so much jumping around and around that I got dizzy.
I keep reading reviews where the scattered POV’s really helped the story but I have to disagree with them. Instead of being in love with the story I was too busy back tracking trying to figure out who or what I was reading about and when it was happening. And how this character was involved and why they were involved and also who they were.
May 15, 2015
'Destroyed' is a young adult psychological thriller that I feel should be put under the contemporary fiction category instead. I'm a huge fan of thrillers, with that genre being one of my favorites. I was intrigued when I read that this was a psychological thriller and had some expectations because of that. In my opinion, this book falls more into the category of realistic or contemporary fiction. Don't get me wrong - it's a good book. I just think that the reader should be aware of what they'll actually be reading before they open the cover. I was expecting suspense, twists and turns, and other aspects that thrillers are known for. However, I didn't get any of these inside this book. I don't want to focus my review on the genre labeling, but I feel it's important to know these few things as they impact my review of the book.
As I mentioned above, this is a good book with interesting characters and a quick pace. Bella, the main character of the story, makes a good heroine - although her character and the story itself felt a bit cliched. She's smart, shy, kind, and a 'good girl.' Her character undergoes some growth in the book - she goes from being timid and weak to being strong and more confident by the time the book is over. The obstacles that she faces during the book force her to look inside herself and discover what she's really made of, which is a great example for the reader. She's realistic and pretty easy to identify with, which made the story flow easier for me. The book itself is written in the third person point of view - my least favorite style. I think that writing this way makes the whole story - including the characters - feel distant. You're fully aware that you're reading a story. I'm unable to completely lose myself inside the author's world when a book is written in third person, which makes it very hard to feel like you know the characters and the experience is simply not as intimate. When a book pulls me in from the very beginning and I feel as if I'm right there alongside the characters - that's when I know I'm reading a very well written novel. Most of these are done in first person POV. Some readers might not care about the point of view the book is written from as much as I do, but for me it makes a large impact.
The plot was solid and well written, but I just couldn't get into it fully. I really think it's because I was expecting something completely different - and I was a little confused when the whole thriller part of the story just never really happened. Sure, there were some tense and even suspenseful moments in the book - but not enough to label it a thriller. I know I keep repeating myself, but everything circles back on the fact that I was expecting one thing and got something else entirely. If the novel had been labeled as contemporary fiction - then my review would be totally different, because the various aspects of the book are well done and I didn't have much problem with anything (except for the part I mentioned about feeling the story and characters were a bit cliched). Other readers are sure to have completely different experiences than I did with this novel. These are obviously just my personal observations and opinions. I do recommend it for fans of realistic and contemporary fiction that has a little suspense thrown in.
Disclosure: I received a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
As I mentioned above, this is a good book with interesting characters and a quick pace. Bella, the main character of the story, makes a good heroine - although her character and the story itself felt a bit cliched. She's smart, shy, kind, and a 'good girl.' Her character undergoes some growth in the book - she goes from being timid and weak to being strong and more confident by the time the book is over. The obstacles that she faces during the book force her to look inside herself and discover what she's really made of, which is a great example for the reader. She's realistic and pretty easy to identify with, which made the story flow easier for me. The book itself is written in the third person point of view - my least favorite style. I think that writing this way makes the whole story - including the characters - feel distant. You're fully aware that you're reading a story. I'm unable to completely lose myself inside the author's world when a book is written in third person, which makes it very hard to feel like you know the characters and the experience is simply not as intimate. When a book pulls me in from the very beginning and I feel as if I'm right there alongside the characters - that's when I know I'm reading a very well written novel. Most of these are done in first person POV. Some readers might not care about the point of view the book is written from as much as I do, but for me it makes a large impact.
The plot was solid and well written, but I just couldn't get into it fully. I really think it's because I was expecting something completely different - and I was a little confused when the whole thriller part of the story just never really happened. Sure, there were some tense and even suspenseful moments in the book - but not enough to label it a thriller. I know I keep repeating myself, but everything circles back on the fact that I was expecting one thing and got something else entirely. If the novel had been labeled as contemporary fiction - then my review would be totally different, because the various aspects of the book are well done and I didn't have much problem with anything (except for the part I mentioned about feeling the story and characters were a bit cliched). Other readers are sure to have completely different experiences than I did with this novel. These are obviously just my personal observations and opinions. I do recommend it for fans of realistic and contemporary fiction that has a little suspense thrown in.
Disclosure: I received a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
November 1, 2025
About: Bella has everything going for her. She's starting out the school year strong. She's head tutor. She meets an amazing guy who she gets permission from her parents to start dating. She couldn't be happier. Then, tragedy strikes. Bella is brutally attacked by two men and left for dead. Life as she know it has been altered forever. In the aftermath, she must figure out how to cope with everything and figure out how to move on with her life.
Plot: If you're looking for a book that will catch you in all your feels and leaves you a wreck, this is definitely the book for you. It's hard not to get totally involved with this book. The only issue I had with the enitre book were the time gaps. Sometimes I didn't realize how far forward in time it had jumped. After reading it all, I think that was done on purpose. I plan to read this again in the future. Most likely multiple times.
Characters: It's hard not to feel sympathy and understanding for Bella. Even if everybody around her seems to struggle with understanding her and what she's going through. Miah is just such a perfect boyfriend in the beginning. He's patient and understanding. He does what he can to make her feel comfortable and safe. His father is amazing too. He goes above and beyond to make sure that Bella gets the justice she deserves.
Narration: This book is narrated by Kae Marie Denino. She did a pretty amazing job. It was pretty amazing hearing the emotions in her voice. While I plan to go back and actually read this book without audiobook next time, I would love to hear more audiobooks narrated by her.
Suggestions: Be mindful of time gaps.
Recommend: Yes! But please know that this book covers senstive topics and isn't for people who may be triggered easily.
Plot: If you're looking for a book that will catch you in all your feels and leaves you a wreck, this is definitely the book for you. It's hard not to get totally involved with this book. The only issue I had with the enitre book were the time gaps. Sometimes I didn't realize how far forward in time it had jumped. After reading it all, I think that was done on purpose. I plan to read this again in the future. Most likely multiple times.
Characters: It's hard not to feel sympathy and understanding for Bella. Even if everybody around her seems to struggle with understanding her and what she's going through. Miah is just such a perfect boyfriend in the beginning. He's patient and understanding. He does what he can to make her feel comfortable and safe. His father is amazing too. He goes above and beyond to make sure that Bella gets the justice she deserves.
Narration: This book is narrated by Kae Marie Denino. She did a pretty amazing job. It was pretty amazing hearing the emotions in her voice. While I plan to go back and actually read this book without audiobook next time, I would love to hear more audiobooks narrated by her.
Suggestions: Be mindful of time gaps.
Recommend: Yes! But please know that this book covers senstive topics and isn't for people who may be triggered easily.
September 2, 2015
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review when I signed up to host the book tour. I made no guarantee of a favorable review.
Good book but was extremely slow at the beginning and though I wanted to put it down and stop reading it I continued and found that it did start to become interesting. Tragedy hits Bella and her family which was extremely sad but I did enjoy the relationship between Bella and Jeremiah and some parts of the story dropped my jaw wide open. It is a good read, I just wish it hadn't dragged on during certain parts.
Good book but was extremely slow at the beginning and though I wanted to put it down and stop reading it I continued and found that it did start to become interesting. Tragedy hits Bella and her family which was extremely sad but I did enjoy the relationship between Bella and Jeremiah and some parts of the story dropped my jaw wide open. It is a good read, I just wish it hadn't dragged on during certain parts.
July 14, 2019
I liked that the book started out with a warning about the content. I like books that are up front with you about their book and that if you are a survivor of rape or sexual abuse that it could cause triggers for you.
The book started out slow and was hard to follow in some places. I felt like some of the characters needed to be developed more in the book. It was hard for me to take the time to read the book when I was not interested, but I wanted to know what happens because the description had me wondering. Bella’s reactions to how she was feeling after the attack I felt was described very well along with Jeremiah’s wanting to help her, but didn’t feel like he was doing a good enough job doing so.
The ending of the book was a big cliffhanger and now I want to read the second book, but I hope it does not start off like this one where I couldn’t get into it. At the end of the book it does give you a chance to read part of the second book, but I stopped because well honestly it was bed time.
OH, I must not forget… did you see the cover of the book!!! LOVE IT!
Thank you for reading my review!
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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/loveinjune16/
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The book started out slow and was hard to follow in some places. I felt like some of the characters needed to be developed more in the book. It was hard for me to take the time to read the book when I was not interested, but I wanted to know what happens because the description had me wondering. Bella’s reactions to how she was feeling after the attack I felt was described very well along with Jeremiah’s wanting to help her, but didn’t feel like he was doing a good enough job doing so.
The ending of the book was a big cliffhanger and now I want to read the second book, but I hope it does not start off like this one where I couldn’t get into it. At the end of the book it does give you a chance to read part of the second book, but I stopped because well honestly it was bed time.
OH, I must not forget… did you see the cover of the book!!! LOVE IT!
Thank you for reading my review!
Follow me at any of these places:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/loveinjune16/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jrenfro99
November 14, 2017
Wow! For a book that started out so slow for me in the beginning - I really ended up loving this book and now can't wait to read the next one in the series.
As I said, it took me a while to really get into this one. Nothing seemed to be happening. I knew something was going to happen so I just kept reading. Then about 1/3 of the way in it started getting really intense, a lot of action, suspense, and kept you guessing on every page. There are also quite a few heartfelt moments, and parts were a little sad. So the last part of the book well make up for the slow beginning. I read the last 2/3 almost in one sitting.
This book was pretty clean for the most part - no overly graphic details and no sex (besides the rape and that is not detailed either). This shows you that a book, even about a rape can still be really good and suspenseful and edgy and be clean at the same time.
Good solid character development. I liked Bella and her friends. I really liked Jeremiah "Miah" and how sweet and respectful he was to Bella. He was a guy you could truly take home to mother! A couple of her friends were a little sketchy and you weren't sure what was going on with them, but that was just part of the guessing game the books puts you into. And the "bad guy", creepy! His character was done very well!
The ending is left wide open! Of course because you need to read book two - Damaged. I really did enjoy this book and will continue the series. And - a little added extra - LOVED the cover! Isn't it awesome?
I voluntarily posted this review after receiving a copy of this book from Xpresso Book Tours ~ Thank You!
As I said, it took me a while to really get into this one. Nothing seemed to be happening. I knew something was going to happen so I just kept reading. Then about 1/3 of the way in it started getting really intense, a lot of action, suspense, and kept you guessing on every page. There are also quite a few heartfelt moments, and parts were a little sad. So the last part of the book well make up for the slow beginning. I read the last 2/3 almost in one sitting.
This book was pretty clean for the most part - no overly graphic details and no sex (besides the rape and that is not detailed either). This shows you that a book, even about a rape can still be really good and suspenseful and edgy and be clean at the same time.
Good solid character development. I liked Bella and her friends. I really liked Jeremiah "Miah" and how sweet and respectful he was to Bella. He was a guy you could truly take home to mother! A couple of her friends were a little sketchy and you weren't sure what was going on with them, but that was just part of the guessing game the books puts you into. And the "bad guy", creepy! His character was done very well!
The ending is left wide open! Of course because you need to read book two - Damaged. I really did enjoy this book and will continue the series. And - a little added extra - LOVED the cover! Isn't it awesome?
I voluntarily posted this review after receiving a copy of this book from Xpresso Book Tours ~ Thank You!
December 9, 2017
Wow! This book will definitely keep you on your toes. It has a LOT going on in it’s pages. It is gritty and dark and I would probably say this is closer to New Adult than Young Adult but nothing graphic is described in any particular detail. The cover is what initially drew me to this book and I don’t think the book disappointed either!
Initally, there was a lot of world building and questions forming which helped to build the suspense of what was to come. The author carefully exposes parts of the plot to give you something but not too much in one go. I found this kept me reading page after page.
Just as the story really gets going and you start gaining some explanations for the things going on in Bella’s life there is a major cliffhanger! I cannot wait to read the rest of the books in this series as I believe they story line is only going to get stronger and more interesting!
http://thepursuitofbookiness.co.uk/20...
Disclosure: The Pursuit Of Bookiness received a copy of this book free of charge in return for an honest review. All opinions are our own
Initally, there was a lot of world building and questions forming which helped to build the suspense of what was to come. The author carefully exposes parts of the plot to give you something but not too much in one go. I found this kept me reading page after page.
Just as the story really gets going and you start gaining some explanations for the things going on in Bella’s life there is a major cliffhanger! I cannot wait to read the rest of the books in this series as I believe they story line is only going to get stronger and more interesting!
http://thepursuitofbookiness.co.uk/20...
Disclosure: The Pursuit Of Bookiness received a copy of this book free of charge in return for an honest review. All opinions are our own
August 21, 2018
This book is aptly named because it is addicting. YA isn't normally the type of genre I read, but this striking cover caught my eye and then I was pleasantly surprised when I became captivated by the story. The bad guy is introduced in the first chapter and haunts you the whole way through, lurking and plotting. The characters are well-developed and draw you in. Some I wanted to hug. Poor Bella! My heart broke at what she went through. Others I wanted to punch Heather, Petar, and David -(I don't trust that guy!)... and some... let's just say Gervasio needs to die!
The author does a great job at creating suspense and offering tidbits of information that keep you turning the page. I would write more, but I'd rather dive into the next book to see what happens with Bella and Miah (such a sweet, innocent love), and I need to know what happens with Gervasio. Darn cliffhangers! haha Great book!
The author does a great job at creating suspense and offering tidbits of information that keep you turning the page. I would write more, but I'd rather dive into the next book to see what happens with Bella and Miah (such a sweet, innocent love), and I need to know what happens with Gervasio. Darn cliffhangers! haha Great book!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 14, 2019
This book is full of surprises from the multiple love stories going on between the various characters in the book to discovering Spanish and Bible verses.. these are all good surprises. They bring elements to the story that take it deeper, make you go “hmmm” or ponder for a moment on the message the story brings because I promise there is a message subtly and expertly weaves between the lines and paragraphs of the story. Fenner is a master of words and gripping twists. Her unique insight into a world most adults don’t want to return to while dealing with a subject matter most consider taboo yet is very real in today’s world is refreshing and honest. And you’ll never stop guessing who is who in this beautifully crafted story which ended too soon for me. I can’t wait to read Damaged!
If you seek a light hearted YA, this is not the read for you. Be prepared for some hard realities and real life confrontations, all handled delicately yet honestly by the author.
If you seek a light hearted YA, this is not the read for you. Be prepared for some hard realities and real life confrontations, all handled delicately yet honestly by the author.
November 9, 2017
This is a book that deals with a difficult subject. It was a difficult one to rate, as in one way I feel that it deserved a higher rating as it was well-written, but it just didn't work for me. I didn't connect to the characters and some of them were so self-absorbed, for example, I found myself losing my patience a bit with David pressuring Bella to continue to tutor him after what she had just been through. The first book ends just when the explanations are beginning and I'm still unsure as to the significance of the first chapter with the rest of the story. I'm not sure I will read the sequel. Rating: 2.5 stars
I received an ARC from the author and I am voluntarily giving an honest review.
I received an ARC from the author and I am voluntarily giving an honest review.
November 2, 2018
I was intrigued by this book. It deals with a hard topic, one I think should be discussed, so bravo to the author for going there. This book seems more geared to younger YA readers who will appreciate the high school feel more than older YA fans who may be expecting a gritter read. There is a large cast of characters but since Addicted is the first book in the Dark Road series I expected some world building. It is a slow boil with a thriller aspect and I liked Addicted enough to read book 2, Damaged.
February 26, 2018
I will start with the good, Addicted does a decent job of dealing with the difficult topics (there are a few taboo topics in this book). I believe Bellas reaction to her situation is spot on, and well depicted. That being said, the timeline is all over the place, and the point of view for this book, while needed for the deep topic, isn't executed well. Also, the version of the book I read needs a serious line edit.
June 8, 2021
Gorgeous cover, and blurb sounded interesting but the story itself was a little lackluster. Setup is pretty interesting, with the backstory as to why the scar guy is so obsessed with a 16 year old girl, but the storyline gets bogged down with too many narratives and too many perspectives. Also, why does every YA have to have a stupid ass love triangle? also, why does everything have to be a series? I find that trend extremely annoying. Find an editor and clean up your writing.
November 14, 2017
First off, let me just point out how awesome the cover is. The synopsis really grabbed my attention, and gave me high expectations for this story. The story was well written, but it was a little difficult for me to stay with it. This story was interesting, but I had some trouble getting into it.
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October 18, 2023
Honestly, I dislike how the chapters constantly switch up the scenery. I feel like it doesn’t all tie in together as it should. The ending was very much a cliff hanger. I am going to read the second book because I want to see how the story continues to unfold - however, I feel like it can be a bit better.
May 27, 2019
I was a little disappointed that it did not have an ending, but I was glad to see another author tackle a very difficult subject. It seemed to drag a little bit slow for me, it is not a page turner. But it was not a bad book so a solid three stars from me. I would recommend it to young adult fans.
November 24, 2017
Review coming soon
September 11, 2018
Very disappointed. This could have been written so much better and I couldn't feel the passion and conviction behind the words. I feel let down as the cover was very beautiful.
June 29, 2015
TITLE: Destroyed
AUTHOR: Krys Fenner
PUBLISHER: Christine F. Anderson Publishing
PUBLICATION DATE: 2015
ISBN: 978-0692312674
The Other Side of Darkness
Krys Fenner’s Destroyed
Reviewed by
Emily-Jane Hills Orford
Award winning author of To Be a Duke (CFA Publishing 2014)
When the darkness surrounds you, there’s nothing left to see but black. It’s overpowering, all-consuming and there’s no escape. That’s what makes up a nightmare: darkness and black. It can paralyze and terrorize all at the same time and it doesn’t always happen when you’re asleep. Ask Bella. She’ll tell you.
Nightmares can be frightening. In fact, they can be very frightening. When the nightmare becomes real, then everything a person has lived for is shattered, destroyed. Sixteen-year-old Bella has nightmares, very frightening nightmares. Sadly, one of her nightmares comes true and she is raped and beaten to within an inch of her life. Barely out of the hospital, her attacker snatches her, threatens her and, in a scuffle, the girl is shot. The blackness had returned. It is a blackness that comes out of nowhere, unbidden, unwanted and it catches her unawares whether she’s asleep or awake. For Bella, will this blackness ever go away? Will the nightmares, real and in her sleep, ever cease?
Bella is a very smart teenager. Not only is she clever, she is talented, bright, cheerful, and she’s very active at both her church and her school. When Jeremiah’s family moves to Rescate County, New Mexico, Bella is asked to show the boy around the school. The two immediately strike up a friendship that quickly develop into something more. Unfortunately there is evil lurking and Bella is the target. Will the relationship survive?
Bella is definitely the victim in this story, but there is another victim, another sixteen-year-old. Bella’s attacker has a younger brother, Cristobal, who is serving time in a youth detention facility. Bella’s father, the pastor, is the counsellor at this facility and he has helped Cristobal find a new life, a new belief, one founded on faith. The older brother is not too happy and seeks to wreak havoc on the man who changed his brother’s loyalty from him to God.
Krys Fenner has written a complex and troubling story about the good, the bad and the ugly in society. The story interweaves multiple plots and multiple points of view. While the reader learns to love and feel compassion for the young teenagers falling in love (Bella and Jeremiah), the reader also feels compelled to come to terms with another teenager’s (Cristobal) difficult position as he struggles with his new-found faith and the love he feels torn about sharing with an evil older brother. Underscoring these contradicting forces of good and evil is another untold story, one that perhaps has deeper meaning to Bella than she realizes, because it’s a story she has not yet been told.
This is a very powerful story about the complexities of good and evil in modern society and the difficulties young people have in choosing wisely between the two. The story has many layers of truths, half-truths and lies. As well as the drama and the subterfuge, this story also makes a very strong coming-of-age story, as the teenagers (all of them) struggle to come to terms with their own state of being in the world around them, a very troubling world even for a small town.
Well done!
Emily-Jane Hills Orford is the author of several books including her award-winning novel, To Be a Duke (Christine F. Anderson Publishing 2014), which is a story about her two dogs. Several of her creative nonfiction stories and books have received awards, including To Be a Duke which has been named Finalist for the 2015 Next Generation Indie Book Awards, The Whistling Bishop (Baico 2008) which was named Finalist in the 2009 Next Generation Indie Book Awards and F-Stop: A Life in Pictures (Baico 2011) which was named Finalist and received the Silver Medal in the 2012 Next Generation Indie Book Awards. For more information about the author, check out her webpage at: http://emilyjanebooks.ca
December 1, 2017
Okay, so let me start with this.... CLIFFHANGER ALERT! I went into this book solely based off the blurb. I liked the idea of a DARK young adult book and this really isn't as dark as I anticipated, but definitely contains darker themes. Then when the book got sent, this cover showed up. THIS COVER. Did you see the cover? This cover is gorgeous. Just look at this cover.
I had never heard of Krys Fenner, but I was impressed. I was nervous at first because this book hits lots of POVs with no definitive distinction. It seemed a little scattered in the way in which the story was organized, but as the plot was slowly built up, it actually really did work, but I was confused from time to time. It did finally come together. The beginning did take a bit to take off, and I wasn't expecting a cliffhanger; but unfortunately, this book does have one. But no worries, the second book releases in mid November! The fact that it was a cliffhanger by no means affected my rating. The book builds slowly, and then hits with plenty of angst. I can't wait to read book two. This was a great mature young adult book!
3.75 stars
I had never heard of Krys Fenner, but I was impressed. I was nervous at first because this book hits lots of POVs with no definitive distinction. It seemed a little scattered in the way in which the story was organized, but as the plot was slowly built up, it actually really did work, but I was confused from time to time. It did finally come together. The beginning did take a bit to take off, and I wasn't expecting a cliffhanger; but unfortunately, this book does have one. But no worries, the second book releases in mid November! The fact that it was a cliffhanger by no means affected my rating. The book builds slowly, and then hits with plenty of angst. I can't wait to read book two. This was a great mature young adult book!
3.75 stars
May 29, 2019
Like you read above, this is a DARK book.
And the author doesn't take long for us to see this. Within the first few chapters, we are thrown into a traumatizing situation for the main character. From that moment on, we follow as she replays those horrifying moments over and over, causing her to question her life and those around her.
Even though this is a harder book to read (and should not be read by those who are easily triggered), it was such a captivating and suspenseful story. Addiction also played a central part to her PTSD suffering.
There are a lot of POVs in this book to help piece everything together, but I wasn't a fan of how this book ended. I have many questions that haven't even been touched yet in this series. It will be interesting to see them take part in future books.
I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars. With all the complexity, the plot felt like it was jumpy and unfinished. But in the end, it was still a really interesting yet heartbreaking story.
And the author doesn't take long for us to see this. Within the first few chapters, we are thrown into a traumatizing situation for the main character. From that moment on, we follow as she replays those horrifying moments over and over, causing her to question her life and those around her.
Even though this is a harder book to read (and should not be read by those who are easily triggered), it was such a captivating and suspenseful story. Addiction also played a central part to her PTSD suffering.
There are a lot of POVs in this book to help piece everything together, but I wasn't a fan of how this book ended. I have many questions that haven't even been touched yet in this series. It will be interesting to see them take part in future books.
I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars. With all the complexity, the plot felt like it was jumpy and unfinished. But in the end, it was still a really interesting yet heartbreaking story.
July 15, 2015
**I received a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review**
Bella is by all definitions, the school need. She is a smart girl, the head tutor, and is quite shy. She gets bullied by girls are school who are “loose”. Bella starts to come out of her she'll once she meets Jeremiah. What can he do to bring out her inner voice? Can Bella overcome the incredibly tragic event that happens all because her father works in the name of God?
I have to be honest, this book started out pretty slow. It didn't start to pick up and keep me interested until about a quarter of the way through. Bella and Jeremiah’s relationship is sweet and fun and easy to relate to. There were some tragic and heart breaking parts for Bella and her family. They had my heart breaking for Bella and for the innocent boy who was abused by his father. I loved how Bella has an outlet which she didn't really view it as such and didn't believe she was any good, singing. Everyone needs something to do that they love doing and are passionate for, even if you are shy to admit it. There were parts of the book that left me shocked or left me reading just because I wanted to know more.
Overall, it was a decent story. It was slow off and on and had a hard time keeping my mind on the story. In some parts I was glued to it, others my mind strayed.
Bella is by all definitions, the school need. She is a smart girl, the head tutor, and is quite shy. She gets bullied by girls are school who are “loose”. Bella starts to come out of her she'll once she meets Jeremiah. What can he do to bring out her inner voice? Can Bella overcome the incredibly tragic event that happens all because her father works in the name of God?
I have to be honest, this book started out pretty slow. It didn't start to pick up and keep me interested until about a quarter of the way through. Bella and Jeremiah’s relationship is sweet and fun and easy to relate to. There were some tragic and heart breaking parts for Bella and her family. They had my heart breaking for Bella and for the innocent boy who was abused by his father. I loved how Bella has an outlet which she didn't really view it as such and didn't believe she was any good, singing. Everyone needs something to do that they love doing and are passionate for, even if you are shy to admit it. There were parts of the book that left me shocked or left me reading just because I wanted to know more.
Overall, it was a decent story. It was slow off and on and had a hard time keeping my mind on the story. In some parts I was glued to it, others my mind strayed.
July 13, 2015
I have to admit that it took me a while to get into this book and also to understand it. I got confused as to who was who with the main character having a middle name the same as another so I was half expecting one outcome, but that was not the case! The book is mainly conversations which sometimes didn’t help the story or keep me entertained as I was busy trying to believe that American kids actually talked like that, but that is probably because I am not American, never met any American kids and find it difficult to believe they can be this Christian. About half way through, I got into the book and began to care about the main character. Some scenes I found hard to read and it played on my mind a while. Although not my kind of book, I will give it a four star because when I wasn’t reading it I was thinking about it, which is a good thing.
This book was given to me by the author for an honest review of Destroyed.
This book was given to me by the author for an honest review of Destroyed.
November 8, 2015
This was written by a friend and while I truly want to support her writing, I struggled with getting through the book. Destroyed is a great story that is skillfully told, although a bit slow for my taste. Still this is a book I would recommend.
July 7, 2020
Slut-shaming. Blech.
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