IGNITING LIES
Rebecca Donovan
Sadie, Collin and Jonathan have been best friends since childhood. Sadie
was the bleeding heart, always seeking a cause. Collin was the comedic,
peacemaker of the trio. And Jonathan was the protector of them all.
The summer before their senior year of high school, Sadie and Jonathan
finally admit to having feelings for each other, putting their lifelong
friendship at risk.
Jonathan’s notorious for getting into fights, a reputation Sadie’s
chosen to ignore. Collin’s always been the one to smooth things over and
de-escalate Jonathan’s rage.
After witnessing a dispute she wasn’t meant to see, Sadie suspects
there’s more to the cuts and bruises than his troublemaker reputation. Maybe
she doesn’t know him as well as she thought. And this time, Collin’s words
can’t twist what she saw with her own eyes.
All
Jonathan wants is to be believed. To be known as something other than the monster
he’s been labeled. There’s one person in his life who wants to see the truth,
even his darker side. Except believing him may cost Sadie everyone she’s ever
loved, including Jonathan.
Sadie + Jonathan + Collin
It's 2004/05 and we're seniors in Highschool. Sadie is finally dating Jonathan - one of her two best guy friends - who she's been in love with forever.
But things are weird. Especially because they're not talking about things... about his dad and Jonathan's anger and violence.
We remember Jonathan from the Breathing series and this is his 'origin' story. Told from Sadie's POV. The person who loves him most in this world. But is it enough to fight his demons? And everything else that seems to be against them?
Ugh. Before I start complaining... just know that I loved it.
But I also hated it, because I hate trilogies. Especially when not all three books have been written before book #1 comes out. Due to my Bookalzheimers I need books to be released really close together! Which won't be the case here.
I re-read the Breathing series to have Jonathan all back in my mind. Which I already forgot again because: Bookalzheimers and it's been a few months because this book was supposed to be out in march and I re-read the others in february.
Some other things that bothered me about this book... it felt a bit weird. The writing and the setting is somehow strange. It felt like we were thrown into a town, time, school, friendship group that we should already know. Not enough time was spent on explaining things to us - and too much time was spent talking about unimportant details.
Like for example - we don't know that we're in 2005 until the last couple of pages! We also don't really know where we are. New York/Philly adjacent? No idea.
I think this should've been a bit better edited - or - if I had my way... I would've put Jonathan's whole story into one big book. But nope. We got this and we will love it.
And I did love it.
We immediately love Sadie and Collin and Jonathan of course.
But we also immediately know that someone or rather more than one someone needs to be in therapy asap. But that's not happening. What is with all those parents just not wanting to see their children's and their own problems?
Anyway.
I loved reading this and I can't wait to read the next two books - even though I'm super afraid. I'd rather go straight to a happy end now. Will we get one? Who knows.
And we also don't know when the second book will be out - so - waiting again.
IGNITING LIES was a very sweet + heartbreaking + scary + funny + just beautiful YA/NA love story. A great first book in this new trilogy. Read it!
Rebecca Donovan is the USA Today and
Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author of the highly-acclaimed Young Adult
trilogy, The Breathing Series, with novels: Reason to Breathe, Barely
Breathing, and Out of Breath, along with her stand alone novel, What If.
Rebecca is a graduate of the University
of Missouri-Columbia and lives in a quiet town in Massachusetts with her son.
Excited by all that makes life possible, she is a music addict, concert junkie,
impulsive traveler, and is willing to try just about anything once.
