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March 26, 2014 7:38 am
Title: Roar
Author: Aria Cage
Genre: New Adult
Release Date: March 17, 2014
Charlie
I’m shadowed by sins; mine and the ones passed on to me. The only light comes in the way of him. He wants to fix me, but he can’t fix something so lost and broken. I’m completely undeserving and secretly unwilling. But how do I turn away the one person my body and soul soars for, the one thing that makes me forget the fear, the loss and the guilt? How do I stop the primal need which we are addicted to?
Nate
She is a stranger amongst the world, a captive behind her smiles and lies which shelters the truth. But I know her, we are caged together with the demons and guilt, yet my love is stronger against all our loss and I want to help her heal, to set her free. Under her cloak still lies my scared kitten, feral to her soul because of what he took from both of us. If it’s the last thing I do, I will help her roar like the tiger I know her to be, even if it means setting her free from me.
Caged by their demons and primal need, will their love be strong enough to set them free?
Let me start by saying that this book is not for everyone. It’s a book about abuse and its devastating effects. It illustrates humanity’s darkness at its most primal level. It’s a tough read because of the subject matter and the devastation and self loathing that the main characters experience due to the abuse, but it’s also a story about redemption and fighting back…allowing one’s self to ROAR, metaphorically and literally.
The story is told in dual point of views with flashbacks that provide insight into the abuse that caused both Charlie and Nate’s present day actions and feelings. The explanations and descriptions of the abuse sufficiently illustrate what happened to them as children, but it’s not explicitly portrayed…that’s not to say that its discussion will not enrage and upset readers, but I think it’s a necessary facet of the text. It needs to be addressed in order to understand the depth of Charlie and Nate’s demons and the damage that has been done to them.
Charlie is such a tortured soul…her flashbacks are so beautifully written using naïve narration that they break my heart. She’s an innocent little girl who has to endure years of abuse, and then when it finally ends, the darkness consumes her, and her self perception is so distorted that she believes no one can love her like she deserves to be loved, so she goes from one monster to another, and its effects are just as damaging.
Nate experiences the abuse right along with Charlie, but while she gets lost in the darkness, he gets help. Rationally, he understands that what happened is not their fault…that they can love each other like they do and it’s not perverse or twisted. Now, he just needs Charlie to feel the same way. Nate wants to break Charlie from the cage that surrounds her…help her to “roar like a lion” and power through the guilt and the shame that keeps backing her into the corner. He feels it’s his job to protect, but the only way he can is if she allows it.
Roar is an amazing read. Aria Cage does a tremendous job of depicting the effects of abuse on its victims. Through the writing, readers feel the characters’ devastation and experience Charlie’s self-deprecation. There were times I had to take a step back because I was torn apart by Charlie and Nate’s suffering, but that only proves how well their story is told. Charlie and Nate’s journey together has been difficult since childhood. For many years, they are separated…both trying to cope as best as they can without their other half. Fortunately, though, their love is strong enough to bring light into the darkness and allow Charlie to escape the cage she has been in for so long. Despite the text being an emotional and heartbreaking read, I’m so glad I read it because it demonstrates what the power of love can do despite all that battles against.
I received a complimentary copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.
5 poison apples
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About the Author
My name is Aria and I have three confessions:
#1 No matter how much I try, I can’t stop shopping at Typo or the local tattooist. I believe that would be how I would introduce myself at an anonymous club, right?
#2 I write under another name but I’m not going to tell you … don’t beg, she will kill me if I tell. Ha! So I guess you could call me a genre whore.
#3 My phone is my life line. I can’t leave the house without it.
If you want to get to know me, follow my social pages on facebook and twitter and my blog.
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Posted by Rebecca
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