Book Review March 21st
Fragile
by: M. Leighton
5 Stars ★★★★★
Hardy Bradford is an eighteen year old football phenomenon who has the girl, the school, the town and the future in the palm of his hand. His life is all mapped out for him, right down to who he’ll marry and how he’ll become a professional football player. It doesn't seem to matter that Hardy would’ve chosen a much different life if it was up to him. But it's not. At least not until his Miracle comes along.
The first time Hardy laid eyes on Miracle St. James, he didn’t know who she was, but he knew she was something different and that he’d never get her out of his head. And he didn’t. Now, months later, Hardy’s world is turned upside down when Miracle shows up in his class, stealing his heart and forever changing the course of his life.
Miracle’s sick. Very sick. And Hardy might be losing the only thing in his life that has ever mattered. How much is too much to sacrifice for the one you love? For just a little more time? For just one more chance? Can Hardy be the hero Miracle needs? Or is it Hardy that needs saving?
*Potential Spoilers*This was not the first time I read Fragile and I am sure it is not the last. Every single time this
story amazes me and deserves it's own galaxy of stars. It is such a beautiful love story filled with pain, sorrow and
determination it’s hard to believe the characters are only in high school. M.
Leighton struck gold with the beauty of this story and has forever become a
favorite.
Hardy is a star football player with a star lifestyle, or so
it seems. On the outside Hardy has the ideal high school life, he’s the star
quarterback, dating the head cheerleader and hopes to get a football
scholarship to a prestigious college. But in reality the life Hardy leads is
not what he wants. Rather he lets his domineering father steamroll his life and
live vicariously through Hardy who secretly loves photography and art.
“Nothing seemed as
interesting, as captivating, as important as the face of that girl.”-Hardy
Miracle is literally a shining star in Hardy’s life. She
never gets upset or angry and takes all the negatives in life and makes them livable.
When Hardy first glimpses Miracle, she’s a beacon of hope in his turmoil ridden
life. Even with her bald head and
anorexic like appearance Hardy glimpses something special within her. And when
they meet it’s like a gooey love connection that you can’t help but smirk over.
Miracle helps Hardy fight for the life he wants. At the same
time Miracle is fighting for her life and poor Hardy who isn’t ready to lose
her, does everything he can to find a way for her to live. (His solution will
make you tear up so have tissues on hand.)
I will say Hardy’s ex-cheerleader gf Cheyenne needs a serious
smack down. I was expecting some sort of apology on her part or at the very
least a moment of payback. But Miracle is above all that petty juvenile
behavior and barely bats an eye at her antics. She’s the epitome of evil, stuck
up, popular cheerleaders everywhere, who live only to make your life hell. Only
this time her focus is on Miracle. What she doesn’t realize is her complete oppositeness
to Miracle is what attracts Hardy in the first place and every stupid move she
makes only solidifies his choice to leave more. (I was pleased also by his lack
of interest in her for months. It helped make him and Miracle less rushed and
more realistic as Hardy finally started to see the error of his own ways. And
the pure evilness the way Cheyenne that he ignored as most teen boys would in
honor of her smoking bod lol). He becomes ashamed of her and the choices he
made but at least he wakes up in time to make his own decisions and see the
light, if you will, with Miracle. She gives him the ability to appreciate every
little thing whether it be the sun in the sky or a loss of a football game.
I was disappointed by there not being a more satisfying
epilogue. Partly, because, I’ll admit, I didn’t want the story to end. But a 5
year from now or 10 year from now epilogue would have made me more happy
especially considering Miracle’s already fragile health. Even without the
epilogue I was still grinning like a fool and wishing for more when I read THE
END.
And her sister Mila. Can she get a book lol, she’s pure
awesomeness. And the lucky star Miracle needs at home to keep her steady and
act the part of an average teen, even if she is the younger one. I love how she
openly admits how hot Hardy is and wants any and all details from Miracle on
his kissing prowess.
What I Loved
Everything
“He’d never wanted
someone so badly. Ever. And so completely, too. He wanted her heart, her body,
her mind. He just wanted to watch her, to listen to her, to just stand in her
presence.”
Miracle is beyond brave. Even I got squeamish when she let
the millipede crawl all over her. No thanks.
OMG the balloons. Hardy is both pure genius and sweetheart.
What I Didn’t Like
I’m so sick of domineering parents living through their
children especially the sports-minded ones
Cheyenne-ugh someone hit her with a car quick
How long Hardy takes to see the light (but since Miracle
helps him outta his safe-zone I accept it)
Overall
Screw Nicholas Sparks, he’s got nothing
on Fragile. Fragile covers all the bases but without all the added fluff and
boring interludes. Every page is interesting and you will be sucked into Hardy
and Miracles friendship/love. Reading
through it, it does have many similarities to A Walk to Remember, but somehow
Fragile is five million billion times better.
“Listen
to me. I can live without a kidney. I can live without football. I can live without
a lot of things. There is only one thing in this world that I can’t live
without. And I’m giving her my kidney so she can live, so we can be together.” –Hardy
~*~*~*Swoon~*~*~* Hardy gets me every time.
It’s a beautiful story that may invoke
tears, mostly happy ones. Everyone should read this, especially fans of M.
Leighton.
M. Leighton books on GR
HAPPY READING!!!
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