NOTE: I received the ARC from the author. Gemma, you rock!
Here's what I wrote Gemma, a.k.a. G.J.Walker-Smith when I was finished with Storm Shells:
"Upon my honor, Gemma, Storm Shells rocked my world! I had to read it as soon as I got it and now that I'm done, all my piled up ARCs pale in comparison!!! It's all your fault, too! How could you write such a magnificent piece of prose???????? I'm not kidding when I say that Saving Wishes is the #1 contemporary series of 2013. All three books blew my mind, and I think I'm gonna have to go back and read them all over again just so I could spend some more time with Charli, Adam, Alex and Ryan."
My feelings have settled now, seeing that it's been almost a month since I read the book. Guess what though? I'd write the same thing now. Storm Shells, just like the previous two books in this series, was written in such a brilliant way, finishing it made me want to cry. I need more, darn it! I don't think I'd ever get enough of this story, of the characters, of the little quirks of Charli's character. And of La La Land. Gosh, I need La La Land!
The whole book was mesmerizing. I couldn't put it down to eat, to sleep, or to do chores. I just had to finish it and that was that. The writing flows too well, bringing one scene after the next in a way that keeps you immersed into the story from cover to cover. I never ever wanted to put it down. To be honest, I didn't want the story to end at all. I will miss each and every character, be it a minor or a major one. They were all so thoroughly depicted, it was incredible. No character was done in a superficial manner. Even those that got 5% attention were well developed with depth that you rarely see.
The entire novel was full with ups and downs from beginning to end. If you've read the previous two, you'd know what ups mean. Ups = Adam. Downs = NO Adam. Yeah, you'd say that's borderline obsession. No. It isn't. It's love that knows no boundaries. It's love that gets mad, love that forgives, love that lets go. I won't say if there's a happy ending for Adam and Charlie. I will only say that those two had to go through so much - to grow so much - to get to the end of that book. Neither one was the same after the transformation of knowing the other.
Book two had me sooooo disappointed in Adam, I was ready to cry (I even teared up which is rare for me!). Book three's summary got me breathing hard. I was on edge the entire time not knowing whether Adam, a.k.a. Boy Wonder would finally get to his senses and realize that school and work don't equal happiness. He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. He was selfish and stubborn but also incredibly smart and loving. Even when I was mad at him I couldn't NOT love him. Adam was Adam - Charli's Adam, but he became mine too. I loved him even when I was disappointed with his decisions. I loved him even when he let Charli go, even when he left her again and again. I thought "man, he won't ever sacrifice his law career, would he?" and a pang of pain laced itself around my heart squeezing, squeezing... Gah! That boy was one of the few fictional males who played with my head and heart way too much! I hate you Adam Decarie. I HATE YOU. AND I LOVE YOU TOO!
Charlie, my dearest Charlotte has grown into a real woman. Not a practical one, but a realistic one. She doesn't live high on unrealistic hopes anymore. She knows that Adam's love isn't enough because even though he loves her, he isn't with her. And she knows that her father, Alex, is the only man who would ever have her back 100%. There's this HUGE secret that Charli keeps from Adam and I believe she might've never told him, had not Ryan (Adam's brother) shown on her doorstep. You'll see what I mean when you sit down and read it, I won't spoil this perfect story for you. I'm just going to say that Charli is tough. She's smart and dedicated to all things RIGHT. She sees the world through a lens not many of us dare to use nowadays. I can only admire her.
And a word about Ryan. That guy is slowly winding his way into my heart. I just have a weakness for Decarie boys it seems. Anyway, I just can't forget the scene when he came to Charli, all dirty and sweaty from chopping wood with (as he put it) a 'real' axe. He was so excited! If I had been there, I'd been caught gawking at him.
Anyway, you see how excited I am about this series. It's for a reason - it's simply amazing! If you're into contemporary, reading The Wishes Series is a MUST.
My rating is 5/5 stars
You're wonderful, Vanya. Thank you.
ReplyDelete