Publisher: Copper Lane
Publishing Date: February 17th, 2012
Page Count: 289
Source: Accepted for Review
Format: E-Book
Description from Goodreads.com:
Bright, spunky Heather Robbins has escaped her small hometown and is anxiously beginning her freshman year of college. Rising above her rocky childhood, she’s found a place where good things are finally starting to happen: her own private apartment, refreshing college classes, and an intense attachment to a mysterious and rugged classmate, Nick Richards.
But when her dreamy college life turns out to be nothing more than a wonderful dream while resting in a coma, questions threaten.
Now, Heather must press forward to unlock the real past, and find the answers buried deep in her mind. What she unlocks instead is a roller coaster ride through flashbacks, embellished memories, and a whirlwind romance.
And when it’s all over and she comes face to face with the truth, will she lose everything she’s fallen in love with?
Review:
*WARNING*
This review will contain spoilers. If you have not read this book yet, and don't want anything spoiled for you, please scroll down to the "overall" section.
Reflection was a very interesting read for me. I don't think I have read something exactly like it before. I've read similar themed books, but I believe this was my first coma book. With that being said, I call it an "interesting" read, because overall I liked the story, but I definitely had some issues with it.
Let's begin with what I liked the most: our MC's. I really connected with Heather even though she is kinda of a super awkward spaz lol. She has lived a pretty secluded life so it made sense for her character to be that way. Some of the things she did or said just made me shake my head at her. She is definitely how she is described in the book: different. Then we have Nick, our love interest. I really enjoyed his character and I loved getting to know him.
The romance between them is what really kept me reading this story. It felt very authentic and messy. Sometimes romances in book are a little too perfect. They meet, they fall in love, nothing gets between them, happily ever after. Heather and Nick's relationship is not like that at all. It is rocky, messy, complicated, and it takes them a while to confess that what they have is a thing. I really enjoyed it and it is the number one thing I can point to in this book for what kept me reading till the end.
There was one small thing that kind of irked me about the romance and that was the whole "zap" when they first touch. That is usually only described happening in a paranormal romance. I will warn you now, before you get your hopes up like me, that there is nothing paranormal in this book. So, needless to say I was a little annoyed with the "zap" description and how many times his eyes were described as hypnotizing.
Now let's get into the whole coma aspect. This is what ended up annoying me the most. I really liked the idea of her actually being in a coma, BUT I don't think it should have been told ahead of time. From the description above, you kind of get the sense that the first half of the book will be her "dream" and then the second half will be her finding out if Nick is real or not. That is not how it actually plays out. At about the 70% mark is when she wakes up from the coma. It doesn't take long to find out that Nick is real and the real shocker is how long she has been under. I think it would have played out a lot better if we never knew she was in a coma until she wakes up. Make THAT be the shocker. At the end of the version I read there is an excerpt of book two and I think that where the excerpt of that ends is where book one SHOULD have ended. It would have been a little more seamless and would have really given a shock ending until book two.
What annoyed me the most was because we know she is in a coma from the description it makes pace seem like it's dragging a little bit. We are constantly waiting for her to wake up. When she finally does, the pace goes into hyperdrive since there is only a little bit left of the book. I also didn't like that I was made to believe that she went into the coma from when her stepdad pushed her when really it was an entirely different event. I just think it could have been done a little better and could have that extra shock value for the reader.
Now, I really liked the story up until she wakes up, because then we get into all those reasons that annoyed me that I just mentioned. However, the ending is what saved it again. And, again, it's all thanks to Heather and Nick. It is such a crushing ending when she finds out that she has been in a coma for 2 years and 7 months! That is insane! Yes, thank God, she finds out that Nick is real, but does he even care anymore? To her it was yesterday, to him it was a different point in his life. Just insane!
Overall:
This book gave me very mixed feelings. I absolutely loved the romance between Heather and Nick and I loved the ending. The part that really got me was already knowing that she was in a coma. It messed with the pace of the novel, because I was constantly waiting for her to wake up and when she did the pace went crazy fast. I wish it would have been concealed from us until the end, because I think that would have made it a lot smoother and more shocking. The ending saved me, though, again thanks to Nick and Heather and I will definitely be picking up the next book.
Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 4/5
**The books cover, description, and info was all found on Goodreads. A link back has been provided. All other work and ideas are of my own creation. This book was sent to me by the author in exchange for an honest review.**
