Flawed Review

TITLE Flawed
AUTHOR Kate Avelynn
PUBLICATION January 22nd 2013 by Entangled Publishing
READ December 27 to 28, 2012
SOURCE Purchased

Sarah O’Brien is alive because of the pact she and her brother made twelve years ago — James will protect her from their violent father if she promises to never leave him. For years, she’s watched James destroy his life to save hers. If all he asks for in return is her affection, she’ll give it freely.

Until, with a tiny kiss and a broken mind, he asks for more than she can give.

Sam Donavon has been James’ best friend — and the boy Sarah’s had a crush on — for as long as she can remember. As their forbidden relationship deepens, Sarah knows she’s in trouble. Quiet, serious Sam has decided he’s going to save her. Neither of them realizes James is far more unstable than her father ever was, or that he’s not about to let Sarah forget her half of the pact . . .

This book tore me apart in the worst way possible and didn’t even bother to put me back together. Guys, I am serious, this was a very difficult book to read and I think I probably used up an entire box of Puff’s Plus. This is the story of Sarah and James O’Brien who have grown up in a house where they are abused and forced to watch their mother deteriorate into her drug addiction. The heavy issues presented led to a lot of scenes that were difficult to read but rest assured there was also beauty and hope within these pages.

Sarah was an amazing character; I couldn’t be happier with the way that Avelynn developed her. She was beaten and broken but she was still able to find beauty in life. After all she had been through she was able to open up in the most vulnerable way to the love interest of the novel, Sam. Oh, Sam, where do I even start with him? He was so sweet and patient with Sarah and I loved every scene he was in. I liked that, while he was so sweet and comforting, he was also this big burly guy who could throw a punch when needed. Their relationship was by far the most beautiful thing in this novel and the scenes with them created a really good balance of light and darkness within the novel.

The beautiful relationship wasn’t the only one being explored in Flawed. We also see how their home environment and what they have had to go through has created this unhealthy bond between James and Sarah. What really got me about these two was that I completely understood it. Their entire lives they have had to endure unimaginable pain and suffering and all they had was each other. James’ feelings and actions with Sarah often blurred the line of brother and sister, which was, of course, uncomfortable, but came across as understandable as well.

Throughout the story we get to watch as Sarah removes herself from the closed box of her house and comes to terms with how wrong things are with her brother. I really liked how Avelynn had the reader feeling the claustrophobic feel of Sarah being at home, the freeness of her working at the flower shop and then would suck us back in once her brother came around. I think this was a very good portrayal of a young girl finding happiness in the world that she had no idea was there because of her situation.

Be warned folks, this is a very difficult story to read, and it doesn’t gloss over everything with a happy ending, but that’s what makes it so perfect. It’s not fake and it doesn’t hide how ugly life can be.