Omorphi & Thárros by Cody Kennedy

Omorphi by Cody Kennedy

Pages: 471

Date: April 11, 2016

Details: #1 Elpida / Hope

Own / Paperback

The blurb:

“High school senior Michael Sattler leads a charmed life. He’s a star athlete, has great friends, and parents who love him just the way he is. What’s missing from his life is a boyfriend. That’s a problem because he’s out only to his parents and best friend. When Michael accidentally bumps into Christy Castle at school, his life changes in ways he never imagined. Christy is Michael’s dream guy: smart, pretty, and sexy. But nothing could have prepared Michael for what being Christy's boyfriend would entail.

Christy needs to heal after years of abuse and knows he needs help to do it. After the death of his notorious father, he leaves his native Greece and settles in upstate New York. Alone, afraid, and left without a voice, Christy hides the myriad scars of his abuse. He desperately wants to be loved and when he meets Michael, he dares to hope that day has arrived. When one of Michael’s team-mates becomes an enemy and an abuser from Christy’s past seeks to return him to a life of slavery, only Michael and Christy's combined strength and unwavering determination can save them from the violence that threatens to destroy their future together.”

My thoughts:

I could keep this review very short and just say: Cody Kennedy did it again; he broke my heart, showed me pictures and thoughts I didn’t want to see or think, and managed to lift me up in the process. Last year I read and reviewed Slaying Isidore’s Dragons and Omorphi is at least as good, as captivating, as heartbreaking and as thought-provoking as that book was. However, Omorphi was written and published before SID, so chronologically at least, that statement would be wrong.

Like SID, Omorphi deals with the aftermath of a most horrific case of child abuse. I’m not going to go into any details here, suffice to say that young Christie has lived through ordeals that are beyond anything most of us can imagine. But that is also the other side of the same coin, because not only has he managed to live through the ordeal, he is now learning how to survive and live with it in a most magnificent manner.

I’ve got to be honest and say that it was hard, at times near impossible to read about Christie’s past. If any of the horrible acts had been committed on the page I’m not sure I would have been able to continue reading the story. As it is, the truth about Christie is revealed slowly. As he learns to trust Michael, and that Michael won’t turn away from him once he finds out what he has been forced to endure, Christie slowly reveals ever more details about he’s been through. And, much to Christie’s surprise, this sharing is what makes it possible for him to start processing his past rather than just try and push it away. The most heartbreaking part of this process for me was the fact that Christie didn’t see his past as something that had happened to him, but something he was. The abuse had stripped away his self, leaving him in a position where he believed that he only existed as a vessel for others to be used, something dirty and disposable.

Despite his past and the way he views himself, Christie was a wonderful character. As fragile as thinly blown crystal, he also has an inner core of strength and determination he can’t recognise or acknowledge, but draws on almost unknowingly. Christie made me smile as often as he made me cry. His initial inability to believe that Michael would help him or give him presents without expecting anything in return was just one of many stabs at my heart. His mental nerve endings lie so close to the surface, his emotions are all over the place. Or, as Michael says it:

The rate at which Christie’s personality changed gave him mental whiplash. He was so damn confusing.

And that brings me to Michael, our all-round good guy. Michael doesn’t have a bad bone in his body and falls for Christie hard and fast. But for me the best thing about Michael was that he wasn’t perfect. Yes he was understanding, accepting and patient—everything Christie needed in order to learn how to trust. But Michael had his moments, lost his cool every now and again, and made mistakes. Because Michael had been lucky enough to grow up in a world where ordeals like the one Christie had survived didn’t seem to exist. In the hands of a lesser writer Michael might well have ended up as a too perfect saint. Cody Kennedy presented him as a well rounded, realistic and utterly loveable young man, filled with only the best intentions but fallible, like all of us.

The developing relationship between Christie and Michael was charming, beautiful and all too recognisable. Michael’s attempts to take it slow and the resulting battle with his hormones, desires and infatuation made me smile. It brought me back to my own teenage years when knowing what I should or (maybe more accurately) shouldn’t be doing wasn’t always what actually happened.

Before you think this book is almost five-hundred pages filled with heartache and pain, let me reassure you. This story is as much a thriller as it is a love story; it gives the reader as much beauty as it shows the ugly side of humanity, and for every tear you may shed there will be a smile or belly-laugh to balance things out again. Yes, Omorphi deals with abuse and trying to forge a life out of the ruins others have reduced you to, but it is also a story about friendship and loyalty. And best of all, it is a story that ends with a beginning because as long as there’s hope there is a way forward.

***

Today happens to be the release day for Thárros, the second title in the Hope series. I haven’t read the book yet and think I’ll give myself at least a few days to let Omorphi’s story settle before I pick it up, but have to admit I’m already looking forward to spending more time with Michael and Christie and their friends, if only to see Christie grow further and get closer to the person he should have been allowed to be all his life.

About Thárros:

Θάρρος. Thárros. Greek. Meaning courage

Courage. n. /ˈkərij/ 
1. The ability to do something that frightens one. 
2. Strength in the face of fear, pain, or grief.

High school senior Michael Sattler leads a charmed life. Almost.He has great friends, parents who love him just the way he is, and he was a champion hurdler until someone took out his knee when they kidnapped his boyfriend. Yet, Michael is determined to make the USATF tryouts in spite of his injuries. 

Christy Castle is Michael’s entire world. Healing from years of abuse, his abduction by a predator has left him hiding a new secret as he tries to start his life again. Together, Michael and Christy work to recover from their wounds in time to make prom and graduate high school. To complicate matters, Christy is astonished to learn a fellow victim from his native Greece has survived. Christy will stop at nothing to bring him to the US to keep him safe.

But the prosecution of Christy’s kidnapper looms large in their futures and the struggle to return to normal only worsens. Christy's past continues to haunt them and, when the prosecution turns ugly and Christy’s new life is torn apart, only their unrelenting courage and determination can save them from the nightmare that threatens to destroy their future together.

Read the first chapter of Tharros here:
http://ckennedyauthor.blogspot.com/p/... 

Buy links:

Omorphi:     Amazon       Amazon UK  Harmony Ink Press

Thárros:       Amazon       Amazon UK  Harmony Ink Press

About the Author:

Raised on the mean streets and back lots of Hollywood by a Yoda-look-alike grandfather, award-winning author, Cody Kennedy, doesn’t conform, doesn’t fit in, is epic awkward, and lives to perfect a deep-seated oppositional defiance disorder. In a constant state of fascination with the trivial, Cody contemplates such weighty questions as: If time and space are curved, then where do all the straight people come from? When not writing, Cody can be found taming waves on western shores, pondering the nutritional value of sunsets, appreciating the much maligned dandelion, unhooking guide ropes from stanchions, and marveling at all things ordinary. Visit my blog with comments, questions, or simply share what’s on your mind.

Link: http://www.ckennedyauthor.blogspot.ie/

SAFE by C. Kennedy

SAFE by C. Kennedy

 

Pages: 72

Date: May 3, 2015

Details: Young Adult

Own / Kindle

The blurb:

“They met at ten, kissed at twelve, and were madly in love by eighteen. 

Caleb Deering is the captain of the swim team and the hottest senior in school. He comes from a loving home with a kind father and a caring, but strict mother who is battling breast cancer. Nico Caro is small and beautiful, and has a father who rules with an iron fist—literally. 

One morning Caleb forgets himself, and he pecks Nico on the lips at school. A teacher sees them and tattles to the headmaster. The accidental outing at school might be the least of their problems, because the ball set in motion by the school’s calls to their parents could get Nico killed. In the face of that very real danger, Caleb knows he has only one mission in life: to keep Nico safe.”

My thoughts:

Safe could be described as a charming love story, but it is so much more than that. This is a story about pain, fear, friendship, loyalty, love and hope.

The tale starts with the moment Caleb and Nico’s world falls apart. They’ve been caught kissing by a teacher and their parents are being informed. While this is awkward for Caleb who hasn’t come out to his tolerant and loving parents yet, it is a disaster for Nico who has been suffering abuse at the hands of his father for as long as he can remember.

The story then goes back in time and shows us how the relationship between Caleb and Nico has evolved over the years. It is a charming and at times sexy journey for the two young men, until it all falls apart after that one unguarded moment.

As in Slaying Isidore’s Dragons, Cody Kennedy strikes the perfect balance between depicting the horrors of abuse and the beauty of unconditional love, thus leaving both his characters and his readers with a profound sense of hope that things will get better and love will prevail.

For me this story could have been longer. While we are shown all the pivotal moments in the developing relationship between Nico and Caleb I wouldn’t have minded seeing more than the glimpses we get. This is just a personal preference though, a secret wish to spend more time with characters I’ve gotten quite attached to over the course of seventy-two pages. Because all we need to know about Nico and Caleb is in this story. Their relationship is realistic, their love believable, and when the story ends the reader is in no doubt that the two young men have a future ahead of them – together. Because the end of their story is also the beginning of the rest of their lives.

After two books it is safe to say I’m now a fan of Cody Kennedy. His personal brand of hopeful realism has both impressed and captured me.

QUEERS

TITLE: QUEERS

AUTHOR: A.J. ROSE

Pages: 423

Date: 25/03/2014

Grade: 6

Own / Kindle

The blurb:

“Within her walls are stories. Love. Laughter. Tears. Lives lived to the fullest, and sometimes cut short before they really get started. She’s seen it all, from homelessness to super-stardom, boys dressed as girls, girls dressed as lamps, and boy, does she have secrets she could tell. Her one truth is that everyone who darkens her doors is accepted with open arms and a song. 

Her name is Queers, and for one of L.A.’s few dueling piano bars, she has a lot of heart. On her stage, the beautiful voice of Duff McKinley rings so true he captures the shattered heart of his boss, Brad Mosely, who checked out of life three years ago. But even lifelong dreams have untold consequences. 

Duff came to L.A. to chase his musical aspirations, but his best friend Garrett Slater accompanied him to chase a wish of his own: finding The One, his white knight. He believes Landon Kennedy fits the bill. Suave, handsome, and powerful in the music industry, Landon can show Garrett a life he's only seen in movies. But even as Landon helps Duff realize his dreams, he brings Garrett into a nightmare he may never leave, one from which Garrett's roommate, Jackson Moriarty, is determined to rescue him. If Garrett repays Jackson by seeing his own charms, so much the better. 

Yes, within her walls, Queers has long history. Unrequited love, sinister intentions, fame, fortune, and a group of friends and lovers who would do anything for each other no matter the cost.” 

------------------------------------------------------------------------

My thoughts:

“Queers was a dichotomy of tasteful and fun, stylish and comfortable, with just the right amount of sass to make it trendy.”

I don’t know why it should be the case but I have a much harder time reviewing books I adored than books I had second thoughts about. I thought sleeping on this story might make it easier to articulate all the thoughts and feelings I encountered while reading ‘Queers’ but no such luck. As it turned out, all that decision got me was a rather disrupted sleep during which my mind was too busy processing the story, thinking about the characters and everything I was fortunate enough to share with them over the past two days to allow me a proper rest. I have therefore more or less given up on the idea of a well worded and balanced review and resigned myself to the fact that this will be – once again – a complete and utter gush-fest. You’ve been warned.

In fact, it seems I’m incapable of writing a review for one of A.J. Rose’s books without turning it into a gush-fest. Don’t blame me; blame the author who manages to transport me into his world from the very first word on the very first page and hold me hostage until the last full stop at the end of the last chapter. Blame the man who writes characters so life-like that you feel you personally know them within just a few chapters. And most of all, blame him who forces you to feel all the emotions; the love, the hate, the fear, the despair, the friendship and makes you grateful for every single one of them. I would say I’m in awe of A.J.’s writing except that ‘awe’ isn’t a strong enough word to describe all the feelings his words, and the way he uses them, evoke in me. But, I guess it will have to do for lack of a better one.

I’m not going to expand on what this book is about beyond what can be found in the official blurb. This story is something you’ll want to experience for yourself. I’ve avoided reviews of this book before I picked it up and am very grateful I managed to resist temptation. I treasured the fact that I got to know the characters as the story evolved, was grateful that I had no idea what to expect and entranced by the scenes unfolding before my eyes.

This is a book about people living their lives the best they can. People who love, fight, make up, do stupid things and try to repair them. It is a story about friendship and all the things you’ll do for your friends even if you end up hurting yourself in the process. It is the sort of story that will break your heart and then helps you gather the pieces back together to leave you feeling uplifted and somehow better for having read the words.

I laughed while I read this book:

“I suspect if I liked guys, and you liked girls, we’d have quite the tumultuous love affair that would end in tears, shattered knick-knacks thrown in a fit of rage and betrayal, and a domestic disturbance call. I bet you’re a minx in bed. And on the floor, and the kitchen counter. Moonshine to Duff

And I cried, sighed and smiled.

“I can go to my grave knowing I experienced real joy. How many people can say that?” Brad

“This was right. This was what he needed like air, like sustenance, like the blood rushing through his veins. He needed Duff.” Brad

The accuracy of Duff’s definition of a live performance took my breath away.

“It’s a conversation with the crowd, sir.”

A.J. Rose managed to take two – on the surface conflicting – universal truths and reconcile them. I love how he managed to remind us of the importance of dreaming big and following those dreams while cautioning us to be careful what we wish for at the same time. That was one very well executed balancing act.

I don’t think there is an emotion known to man that I didn’t experience while reading this book. I can honestly say that I fell at least a little bit in love with all but one of the characters in this book. Duff, Brad, Moonshine, Jennica, Garrett and Jackson; all of them have forced their way into my head and heart. And I can’t help feeling they’ll be staying there for quite some time yet.

The song Duff writes for and sings to Brad? Tears in my eyes and a smile on my face, while I found myself wishing that I could hear it being sung. And, I’m working on that. If my plan works out I may be able to add a sound file to this review in the not too distant future. Keep your fingers crossed.

I rate my books one to five. Sometimes I go beyond that and add one or more ‘+’s’ to a five when I’m really impressed with a book. And on very rare occasions I’ll rate a book with a six. That rate is reserved for books that manage to touch me on a deeper level; for stories that I know will stay with me long after I’ve all but forgotten about other books I may have enjoyed. A six is the rate I’ll give to a book when I know I’ll re-read it even though I rarely – if ever – revisit books. Queers meets all those criteria and then some.

In the hands of a lesser author this story would have been told in at least three different books. A.J. Rose managed to take multiple main characters with their individual - yet connected - journeys and create a complex yet perfectly plotted whole.  In doing so he transported me to a world I want to live in, populated by people I would love to know and call my friends. Reading is always a pleasure. Occasionally it is better than anything else I might be doing. Reading ‘Queers’ was just such an experience. Thank you, A.J.

“I don’t think it’ll matter if she’s gay, straight, or into aliens. There’s no resisting you.” Duff to Moonshine

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COMPLETE ME

TITLE: COMPLETE ME

AUTHOR: J. KENNER

Pages: 320

Date: 13/08/2013

Grade: 3.5

Details: no. 3 Stark Trilogy

            Received from Random House

            Through NetGalley

Own / Kindle

The blurb:

This sexy, emotionally charged romance continues the story of Damien Stark, the powerful multimillionaire who’s never had to take “no” for an answer, and Nikki Fairchild, the Southern belle who only says “yes” on her own terms.

Our desire runs deep. But our secrets cut close. Beautiful, strong, and commanding, Damien Stark fills a void in me that no other man can touch. His fierce cravings push me beyond the brink of bliss—and unleash a wild passion that utterly consumes us both.

Yet beneath his need for dominance, he carries the wounds of a painful past. Haunted by a legacy of dark secrets and broken trust, he seeks release in our shared ecstasy, the  heat between us burning stronger each day.

Our attraction is undeniable, our obsession inevitable. Yet not even Damien can run from his ghosts, or shield us from the dangers yet to come.

My thoughts:

You are what I need, Damien. You’re all that I need.”

Damien and Nikki are in Germany where the powerful man has to face murder charges. When an unexpected development stops the trial almost before it starts it should mean the end to their problems, but life is rarely that simple and this isn’t one of those rare occasions. Damien is determined to keep his past the secret it has been for so long, but it appears that suddenly that decision is no longer in his hands. Somebody out there can make those sordid secrets public at any time. The fact that nobody knows who that somebody is only makes the problem bigger.

And there is more. Gossip about Damien and Nikki is regularly leaked to the tabloids and Nikki has acquired a stalker who is getting more threatening with each encounter. Facing so many threats together should bring Damien and Nikki even closer than they already were but Damien’s instinct to protect Nikki keeps on getting in the way:

“I believe with all my heart that Damien loves me. What I fear is that love isn’t enough. Not when he’s determined to push me away in some misguided attempt to protect me.”

Damien may tell Nikki that:

“At the end of the day, it’s just you and me. We make our own reality, Nikki. And no one can take it from us.”

But that doesn’t stop Nikki from worrying that they are living in a bubble; a bubble that could all too easily be burst by the very real threats the rest of the world still possess.

Despite the threat of disclosure hanging over Damian and the stalker issue Nikki is facing, there doesn’t appear to be a whole lot to this story except for the sex Damien and Nikki seem to engage in as a reaction to everything that happens to them. Sex when they’re happy and sex when they’re sad, sex when they’re celebrating and sex when they’re commiserating, sex when they feel carefree and sex when they’re under threat; sex seems to be the only way they have of dealing with the world and everything it throws at them.

“Between Damien and me, sex is as necessary as conversation. It is our method of discovery. Our sharing of trust. And our ultimate surrender.”

Do not get me wrong, I love a good erotic novel and can easily get caught up in descriptive and imaginative sex-scenes. And some of the scenes in this book really hit the mark. It is just that there were too many of them in this book. After so many scenes I reached saturation point and found myself skimming over the sexy bits to get to the little bit of background story that had to be hiding somewhere.

As much as I loved passages like the following:

“You’re what gives me strength. If I am what centers you, Nikki, then you are what anchors me. Every time I touch you, every time I bury myself deep inside you – Nikki don’t you see? You are the talisman of my life, and if I lose my grip on you, then I have lost myself.”

...it wasn’t quite enough to make this book a truly satisfying read. It seems to me that the characters could have grown more. The Damien and Nikki we end this trilogy with are not so very different from the personalities we met in the first book. In the last paragraph of my review of “Claim Me” I said that I would read this third and final book not so much because I was worried about whether or not there would be a happily ever after but because I wanted to know if these two characters would be able to resolve all their issues. I really am sorry that I have to end this review with the observation that while I was right about the relationship I was also right about those issues. This happily ever after has come to a couple that appears to be unable to truly come to terms with their pasts. If Damien and Nikki were real people I would be very worried about their future together.