PEACE LOVE BOOKS : Ramblings of a Book Dork: Torn Review

Book Review May 1st

Torn #1

by: K.A. Robinson

★★★★ 4 Stars

Synopsis: Chloe hasn't had the best life. With a mother who is gone more often than not, she has had to raise herself. After graduating high school, she leaves to start a new life away at West Virginia University with her best friends Amber and Logan, determined to leave her demons in the past.

On her first day, she meets a stranger who takes her breath away at first sight. Until she met Drake, no one had ever sparked her interest. Now this tattooed and pierced bad boy is all she can think about, no matter how hard she fights it.

Falling for Drake was never part of her plans, but when it happens, things seem to do anything but fall into place.
REVIEW
For not being a fan of love triangles, Torn and Twisted really surprised me. I enjoyed Torn more than Twisted and often found myself screaming in frustration and wanting to throw my Kindle, but I was hooked like a fish on a line. Every moment both good and bad sucked me in and I could not wait to see what would happen next.

The main character Chloe started off likable for me but as time went on it grew to more of a love-hate relationship. She’s not the brightest bulb in the shed and though she seems down to earth and cool with her rockin’ T-shirts and gauged ears, she’s pretty dense and selfish. Her best friend Logan is and has always been there for her. Of course he has feelings for her that she is too oblivious to recognize. First day of college classes and she makes eyes with Drake. This is where the story really begins.

Drake is your typical bad-ass rocker who is not ashamed of the perks that come with fame such as groupies. He drives a hot car and really lives to the beat of his own drum. Drake and Chloe are both sunk after the first look and neither knows it. Drake is so set in his lifestyle once he gets to know Chloe, he is hesitant to start anything with her that could tarnish their friendship.

Then there is Logan who seeing Chloe’s interest in Drake decides to step things up and reveal his feelings. Gosh, it was so hard to read because you just knew everyone was going to get hurt. She is clueless of his feelings for so long that when she gives in she hardly takes time to grasp her actions or think of how things will change, whereas, Logan has nothing but time to determine his feelings.

Chloe often refers to Logan in a brotherly fashion so when they hook up it’s almost a little gross and way, totally wrong, because Logan is such a great friend and person and does not deserve to be in the middle of Chloe’s crazy relationship drama.

Drake’s lifestyle kind of bothered me at some point. I’m not a huge fan of man-whores in general, but I was uncomfortable with the situation he put Chloe in before they even started anything. Before she would go out with him he would go out and go home with different girls, as if taunting her and showing her what would keep happening until she gave in. Ugh, no!! More than anything I thought this was stupid on his part because it made it look more and more like all he wanted was sex, so from Chloe’s POV I can see why she pushed him back. Plus I was grossed out by his drawer full of leftover bras and panties. YUCKIE. I hope he at least washed them. But seriously, he was like proud of this and to take up a whole drawer=puhleaze… I don’t think I could have put on the undergarments of one of his past conquests.

But Drake pushes back just as hard. When she finally takes his brush-off seriously she runs right to Logan. Again without thinking. She refuses to ‘chase’ Drake and its like Logan is the easy alternative and she knows he won’t turn her away. She uses him to drown her pain of losing Drake. And once they are ‘together’ she still can’t determine if her feelings are anything more than friendship, as if even thinking that is not enough of a warning.

It was interesting to see how she deflected reality from intruding and yet, so often, hurt so many people close to her. She refers to herself as a destroyer and is not far off particularly in the case of Logan and Drake. I can’t believe they even gave her a choice in the end, as if she deserved it. However, she finally wises up in the end and pulls a ‘Twilight Edward’ moment and sets them free in order to protect them, for their own good.

By the last chapter I was surprised to see the sudden appearance of Drake’s POV. It changed a lot and made the ending that much harder to read, but finally gave us another insight into all the drama. I still didn’t feel like I knew Drake or even Logan well enough to decide which one I liked more. I will say this though, Logan in no way deserved her actions and Lord knows how he can still remain her friend after everything.

Overall, Torn was insane and YES, I Loved it. It was painful at times to read but I could not put it down until I got through both books. Fans of love-triangles will go gaga for this book as well as drool over the bad-assness of Drake and the sweetness of Logan. Too bad she can’t have both!!!