Synopsis
For some, it’s simply one of life’s certainties, nothing more. For others, it’s merely a fleeting thought, one often overshadowed by the reckless delusion that they have been blessed with the gift of immortality.
For Aubrey Miller, death is the definition of her very existence. Overcome with the guilt resulting from the loss of her beloved family, she alters her appearance from the once beautiful, blonde-haired, blue-eyed little girl to that of one shrouded in complete darkness, enveloping herself in her own unbreakable fortress of solitude as a form of protection for others.
As she enters her first year of college, her goal is simple: Earn a degree with the least amount of social interaction as possible. What she never anticipates is the formation of very unlikely relationships with two people who will change her life in ways she never believed possible: Quinn Matthews, the boisterous former pageant queen, and Kaeleb McMadden, a childhood friend from her past who never really let her go.
Over the years, as their connections intertwine and grow, a seemingly indestructible bond is formed between the three…
But when death painfully reemerges, Aubrey is lost once again, burying herself deeper than ever before inside the familiar fortification of her fears.
Will the refuge of friendship, the solidarity of life-long bonds, and the power of unconditional love be enough to do the impossible?
Will they be enough to finally bring about…
The Resurrection of Aubrey Miller?
Review
Have you ever wanted to be someone else? Someone who is not tormented by demons of the past or weighed down by regrets? How easy would it be to construct a façade of who you really are inside by wearing an external mask – one that allows a wall to be built around the devastation and destruction you feel and keeps out everyone else? For most of Aubrey Miller’s young life that is exactly what she had done to cope with a plethora of traumatizing events. By creating Raven Miller, she has allowed no one to get close to her – both for her sake and theirs. The journey to resurrect Aubrey Miller is plagued with heartbreak, hard truths, and multiple misgivings, but it’s a route that every reader needs to take with L.B. Simmons because the beauty of Aubrey’s transformation is one of the most breathtaking journeys I have ever read and to not witness and experience it with her is incomprehensible.
What do you do when you don’t want anyone to get close to you because you fear that you will destroy them just like you have done to so many other people? You create an exterior image that will be sure to keep people away, which is exactly what Raven Miller does. By burying Aubrey Miller to the depths of her psyche, Raven Miller believes no one else will get hurt, and to ensure her path stays clear of any personal connections, Raven creates a “freak” like exterior full of piercings, make-up, bizarre eye contacts, and attitude. For most of the years since her transformation, she has accomplished her goal of isolation, but that all changes when she enters her first year of college; two people enter her life and refuse to be pushed away – so much so, that they begin to push back and start peeling away at Raven’s façade, chipping away little by little and forcing Aubrey’s restoration.
Quinn Matthews is Raven’s college roommate, and the first person who sees past Raven’s painted exterior. Quinn believes that you should never judge a book by its cover because it hardly ever reveals what is truly inside someone. She’s sweet, funny, and supportive, but she also carries demons with her that she doesn’t allow anyone else to see. It makes perfect sense that Quinn and Raven would form a bond and that she would become someone Raven lets down her walls for – they are more alike than Raven knows. By creating Quinn and Raven’s friendship, L.B. allows readers to witness the importance of friendship; the idea that someone has your back regardless of if you think you need it or not. Quinn is an extremely dynamic character and a much needed side kick to help Raven/Aubrey see that life is for living not simply being.
Kaeleb McMadden – I wish I had a college buddy like him when I was a freshman;) He shares a past with Raven/Aubrey – a bond that terrifies them both for different reasons. As Kaeleb begins to break Aubrey out of her self-imposed prison, he fears that he will lose her again if he’s not careful with what he says/does. Raven is afraid to get close to Kaeleb because she feels something will happen to him by being near her, but there comes a point where she can’t fight it anymore and gives into her feelings for Kaeleb, hoping that she won’t destroy him in the process. Readers cannot help but fall in love with Kaeleb. He’s protective, romantic, and caring. He gives of himself so freely, not expecting anything in return. He helps Aubrey come back and fights like hell to keep her there.
But Aubrey’s path to resurrection is not easy; at times, she is making great progress but then incidences occur that force her to shut down and become her “safer” self – Raven, and no matter what her friends try to do to pull her out of her self-created abyss; ultimately, she is the only one who can do so, and it will take a moment of great clarity for that to happen.
L.B. Simmons takes readers on an emotional ride in The Resurrection of Aubrey Miller. It’s a heavy read in the sense that the topics explored are heavy topics: mental Illness, suicide, self loathing, and depression. But the story is meant to provide light to the darkness and to illustrate how precious life truly is. Aubrey’s story is at the heart of the text, but many of the supporting characters go through struggles of their own, and as readers, we witness their strength and marvel at their determination to overcome.
This book is a true masterpiece about the human psyche in all of its wonder and at times horror. Readers’ emotions will run the gamut – at points, you will be laughing and at other times, you will need to dry your eyes. As Raven attempts to resurrect Aubrey, we experience her journey with her; we go through her struggles; we feel her devastation and cower back with her as she puts on her mask again. And the reason we are able to understand all that Aubrey goes through is due to L.B. Simmons fantastic writing and extraordinary character development. This is a book you will be thinking about long after you are finished reading it. It’s a book that should be experienced by everyone!
“Without heartache, there is no understanding of the true meaning of love. Without anger, passion cannot be comprehended. Without fear, there is nothing gained when overcome. And without sorrow, happiness can never be realized.”
A complimentary copy of the text was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
5+++ poison apples!
Excerpt
“Thank you so much, Quinn. This day has been…unbelievable. And I owe it all to you. You have no idea.” My voice trembles a bit with the admission, because she really has no idea what she’s done for me today.
I feel normal.
A normal girl, about to have a normal birthday celebration with her friends, in a normal (albeit spectacular) dress, with normal hair and make-up.
The only thing that’s missing is a pair of normal shoes.
“Shoes! I need shoes!” I exclaim.
“No, you don’t.” Quinn giggles and reaches for the knob of my bedroom door.
“What? Why wouldn’t I need shoes?”
That makes no sense.
She’s drunker than I thought.
That’s it, I’m officially hiding the champagne.
“You’ll see,” she says just as there’s a knock at the front door.
She winks. “Trust me. Just, stay in here. Don’t come out until someone comes to get you.”
After Quinn quietly shuts the door behind her, I remain seated. As the sounds of Kaeleb’s murmur filters into my room, a nervous excitement flitters through my belly and spreads into my chest. My joy takes flight and I breathe in deeply, contentment pumping enthusiastically with each thrumming heartbeat.
Damn, it feels good to be alive.
I don’t have to wait for long. After a very loud squeal from Quinn in the other room, there’s a knock at my door. My pulse kicks up and I rise from the bed, smoothing out my dress. With a glance in the mirror, I pluck a couple of sections of my new hair with my fingers and set them back into place. “Come in,” I remark, turning in the direction of the door.
The handle turns and as Kaeleb pokes his head around the corner, his eyes find mine. His eyebrows rise as his mouth falls slightly open, and he breaks my gaze as his focus shifts to take in my hair, my exposed neck and the line of my dress. He holds his stare briefly at the crystalline sash lining my waist, and then slowly drifts down to my smoothly-shaven legs and perfectly painted toenails. The left side of his mouth quirks up as he clears his throat, frozen in place. He tears his scrutiny away from my feet to fully step into the room, then turns away from me to shut the door.
I take advantage of the 1.5 seconds his back is turned, and survey him from head to toe. His light-blue button-up is folded to his elbows, displaying the prominence of the flexed muscles along his forearms. As he places both palms on the door and leans into them, his shirt rides up enough for me to see the designs on the back pockets of his dark jeans. They hug his ass perfectly, and for the first time in my life, I want to slide my hands right into those pockets just to feel the hardness of his toned body.
My fingers itch with the need to touch him, but I maintain control while Kaeleb braces against the door, inhaling and exhaling deeply. He stays planted there for a few more seconds until I suddenly begin to feel self-conscious. I run my hands over my hair and dress to make sure everything is as it should be.
Just as I start to ask him if he’s all right, he whips around with a full smile on his face. A few long strides later, and he’s standing right in front of me. Raising both hands, he traces the tips of his fingers along the sides of my cheeks, leaving a scorching trail as they run down my neck and thread themselves into the hair at my nape. With his thumbs underneath my chin, he tilts my head back and looks me directly in the eyes.
“You look amazing, Sunshine. Truly breathtaking.” His head dips slightly and he runs his lips tentatively along mine, the movement so sensual I can’t keep my hands off of him any longer. Fisting his shirt in my hands, I pull him into me and press my mouth hard against his, the need to taste him overriding my caution. A whimper rises in my throat and escapes into his mouth as his tongue slides in between my lips, slowly and deliberately, taking his time to stroke and caress mine. His hold tightens as his fingers curl deeper into my hair, the tinge of pain sending shockwaves of pleasure coursing through my body until they land right in between my legs, the throbbing sensation growing with each strike.
After another gentle sweep of his tongue, he lessens the kiss and pulls back slightly. His lips brush against mine before they slide over to the corner of my mouth, up along my cheek, and then rest them against my ear as he breathes, “Happy birthday. The dress is phenomenal.”
☆✮About L.B. Simmons ✮☆
L.B. Simmons is a graduate of Texas A&M University and holds a degree in Biomedical Science. She has been a practicing Chemist for the last 11 years. She lives with her husband and three daughters in Texas and writes every chance she gets.
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