Saturday, September 28, 2013

*GUEST REVIEW* "Find You in the Dark" (Find You in the Dark #1) by A. Meredith Walters

Well everyone, please let me introduce you to Nicola!
I'll Be Reading's newest guest reviewer!

Since we all know I've been a liiiittle bit slacking on the reviews, other than blog tours (currently), Nicola has offered to come help out to get some reviews back up on here! Turns out, her and I read pretty much the exact same genre's, so look forward to the authors and books you love!

So, here is Nicola's first review for I'll Be Reading! She just happened to pick "Find You In The Dark", which I had read the month before I started the blog, so I hadn't reviewed on here. Aka, she's also a mind reader! I loved this book. :) 

Now.. everyone, wave hello to Nicola! Thank you <3 
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Maggie Young had the market on normal. Normal friends, normal parents, normal grades...normal life. 

Until him.

Clayton Reed was running from his past and an army of personal demons that threatened to take him down. He never thought he had a chance at happiness.

Until her.

Maggie thought their love could overcome anything. Clay thought she was all he needed to fix his messy life. 

That together, they could face the world.

But the darkness is always waiting. 

Sometimes the greatest obstacle to true love is within yourself.



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Nicola's Thoughts

WOW! It is the only word to describe this book.  It had me gripped from the prologue right through to the last word and left me aching to read the next book.

Find You in the Dark follows the relationship of Maggie Young and Clayton Reed, two high school teenagers from very different backgrounds who have a love that no one understands. 

Maggie lives a very average, normal life and once she meets Clay, she realises just how bored she is with it.  Clay however has some serious issues within his life and would quite happily swap his life for Maggie’s more mundane one. 

As their friendship develops, Clay confides in Maggie about his situation.  This gives her a better understanding of his life and the reasons behind his behaviour, but also makes her realise that while her feelings for him are growing, she can’t act on them as he needs to focus on his own life without the added complications of a relationship. 

The magnetism between the two is too strong and they finally give in to their feelings, however their relationship is strained from the beginning due to Clay’s issues and the tense relationship between Clay and Maggie’s best friends, Rachel and Daniel, and eventually between Clay and Maggie’s parents.  While Maggie knows deep down that this relationship is probably not the best thing for either of them, particularly Clay, she can’t deny her feelings and the love that they share and so continues to ignore obvious issues, that should be addressed, in the hope that she can help Clay and that together they will be stronger. 

“I ignored the nagging voice in my head that whispered doubts and concern over clay’s intense need to be with me.  How he used me as a bandage for all of his other problems.  I pushed aside the annoying realisation that perhaps that wasn’t a healthy way to me…that I couldn’t make everything better for him; as much as he told me that I was all he needed.”
Maggie

I loved the characters in this book and A. Meredith Walters made it so easy to fall in love with Maggie and Clay.  The banter shared between the two helps to show how compatible they are – they just get each other. 

“You were there, I was mad, so I shot my mouth off at you.  You didn’t deserve that.  I’m sorry.” 
Clay

“Well, what about that first morning?  You sorry for that too?”
Maggie

“Um, no.  You were the one who resembled a one woman wrecking ball.  I didn’t have a chance.” 
Clay

“I think we need to start wearing neon safety vests or something.”
Maggie

“Probably not a bad idea, you’re kind of lethal.  It would give me a bit of warning the next time you come careening at me.” 
Clay

I also love the fact that while Maggie is young, innocent and in love with Clay, she doesn’t stand for his nonsense either.  Don’t get me wrong, she knows how to pick and choose her battles, and doesn’t always make the right choice, but when she stands up to him she doesn’t hold back.  She is feisty when she wants to be and it gives her an added depth that is usually missing from the female leads in other books of this nature. 

The same can be said for Clay, he is not your average leading man, but that doesn’t stop you from loving him and feeling for him every step of the way.  The struggle he endures is heartbreaking and he has very little support to help him, so when he falls in love with Maggie he clings on to her for dear life and unfortunately sees her as the saviour to all of his problems which puts added pressure on their relationship. 

“But I need you, Maggie.  You know that.  Everything is so dark without you.” 
Clay

“This is forever, Maggie.  I would follow you into hell if I had to.”  
Clay

I went through an emotional rollercoaster with this book, enjoying the banter between the two, feeling angry at the naivety of them and even sobbing my heart out at some points but I enjoyed every moment of it.  The ending isn’t necessarily a cliffhanger, but it definitely leaves you wanting more, and thankfully A. Meredith Walters doesn’t disappoint, giving us Cloud Walking (Find You in the Dark #1.5) and Light in the Shadows (Find You in the Dark #2).

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good story of intense young love and heartache whilst dealing with a very real and serious issue.

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Review by Nicola




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