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Dusty #1
Innocents
The girl with an innocent heart knows all about bad choices, but has yet to make them for herself. Searching for freedom, she finds it in the delinquent down the hall.
The troublemaker with summer-sky blue eyes knows he should stay away, but can’t resist the blissful wonder who makes his house a home.
She’s a hopeless romantic. He’s just hopeless.
She’s his reason, but he might not catch her when she falls.
She loves him. He loves her crazy.
This is what happens when a love made of secrets is kept with rules instead of promises.
The troublemaker with summer-sky blue eyes knows he should stay away, but can’t resist the blissful wonder who makes his house a home.
She’s a hopeless romantic. He’s just hopeless.
She’s his reason, but he might not catch her when she falls.
She loves him. He loves her crazy.
This is what happens when a love made of secrets is kept with rules instead of promises.
282 pages, ebook
First published July 12, 2014
About the author
Mary Elizabeth
18 books1,712 followersMary Elizabeth was born and raised in Southern California. She is a wife, mother of four beautiful children, and dog tamer to one enthusiastic Pit Bull and a prissy Chihuahua. She's a hairstylist by day but contemporary fiction, new adult author by night.
Mary can often be found finger twirling her hair and chewing on a stick of licorice while writing and rewriting a sentence over and over until it's perfect. She discovered her talent for tale-telling accidentally, but literature is in her chokehold. And she's not letting go until every story is told.
"The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure."--Jeremiah 17:9
Mary can often be found finger twirling her hair and chewing on a stick of licorice while writing and rewriting a sentence over and over until it's perfect. She discovered her talent for tale-telling accidentally, but literature is in her chokehold. And she's not letting go until every story is told.
"The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure."--Jeremiah 17:9
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 728 reviews
July 16, 2014
Title: Innocents
Series: Dusty #1
Author: Mary Elizabeth
Release Date: July 14, 2014
Rating: 1. 5 stars
Cliffhanger:. Yes
HEA:
NOTE: There are many reviews summarizing the plot of Innocents, that’s why I won’t be doing it in my review. I will only tell you why I gave this novel 1 star rating. May contain minor spoilers.
After hearing so many wonderful things from my friends who loved Dusty when it was only a fanfic, I knew I had to read this novel. I definitely would have gotten to it earlier, when it was still free and in its original version, if it was written in first person point of view. Unfortunately, it was not, so I decided to wait for the published version, where the authors changed it. I took it a sign from heaven – it meant I had to READ it.
Well, let’s just say it was a big mistake on my part. I would have been better without reading Innocents. It was not a book for me. If I am being absolutely honest, this novel gave me the creeps. And why I can understand why so many of readers fell completely in love with this story, as the writing was very moving and my hands itched to highlight almost half of the book, sorry but in my opinion, Innocents is easily the biggest let down I experienced in ages… Why?
Firstly, I found this novel unrealistic and absolutely unbelievable. The plot was complete mind fuck; nothing made sense. It was like smashing a book for young adults, where the main characters are 13 to 16 years old and then giving them minds of ADULTS (18+) and absolutely nothing of parent supervision.
I just felt so uncomfortable seeing as 13 year old girl slept in the same bed with a boy and had a sexual relationship with him; I couldn’t enjoy those scenes! Let me tell you… 13 year old blushes or giggles when someone is talking about sex or still thinks it’s disgusting!!! I have a sister who’s 14 and every time something sexual happened I couldn’t stop thinking about my little sister!
But the sex was not the worst part; these ‘teenagers’ also were getting high… constantly. Smoking weed and drinking all the time, while their parents, supposedly strict didn���t realize what was happening under their roof. Really. *facepalm*
The things Dusty and Bliss said to each other about their love were not something a 13 or 15 year old could come up with. 20 year old? Yes! But not a little girl and a boy. No. Just no. How could they talk about love and the world like they experienced everything already?
Secondly, I hated the main characters. Dusty was absolutely the worst character I’ve read about. He was not a bad boy; he was just terrible human being, selfish brat and cheater. And Bliss? A little girl with small brain and naiveté of a newborn. She was clearly bad influenced and manipulated all the time.
What’s more I was getting confused with all the names and nicknames! They were popping out of nowhere. Dusty is Thomas, Bliss is LeighLee or L or Leigh…. Then there is Tommy and Hal or Smitty and then I was like WTH?
I am now sure I won’t be continuing on this series. It was not for me and I doubt I would have enjoyed the rest of it.
:( :( :(
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July 17, 2014
4 Conflicted stars!!!
Reading Innocents was an experience. The story was heart wrenching, tortuous, captivating, raw and undoubtably powerful. Rating this book was not easy for me. Most books I read I immediately know if I loved them, or if they didn’t work for me. This wasn’t like that. I spent hours going back and forth . I can understand why some people absolutely love this story and their 5 star ratings. There were moments I loved this story and wanted to give it 5 stars. On the other end of the spectrum, I can see how some hated it and gave it a poor rating, because just as much as I loved it, I hated it at times. I’m settling with a 4 because there were things I loved. Because a book that can effect me this much deserves a high rating for me. But due to a few issues I had, there is no way I can give it 5.
This was a story about love. Love isn’t always happy- it isn’t always sweet and kind. There are two sides to love.
When Bliss meets Dusty, they’re just children. She becomes best friends with his little sister, Becka. Bliss is new to town and she finally finds a place she belongs. In the Castor house. With Becka and Dusty. As they get a little older, their feelings start to change. Even though Dusty is a few years older than her, she starts to fall for him.
Bliss and Dusty’s relationship starts out sweet and innocent. And for the most part, it stays that way. For Bliss anyway. Dusty loves Bliss, but it’s confusing for her. If he’s in love with her, why does he continue to get with other girls? She hears the stories. She’s not stupid.
Dusty was a real piece of work. I didn't doubt his feelings for Bliss, but he sure had a funny way of showing his love and devotion. He expected so much from her- to stay innocent, to be there when HE needed her to be, but he wasn't there when she needed him. He got high and fucked around on her constantly. His pov helped some, to get where he was coming from, but most of the time I was disgusted with him. But there were some times, some moments, I really did love Dusty too. But only sometimes.
Bliss was young, but I don't think she was naive. She knew exactly what was going on with Dusty, what he was up to, she just chose to accept him and love him as is. She still gave him her all even though she didn’t get that in return. The quote below sums up Dusty's love for Bliss pretty well...
Dusty and Bliss are characters you will love to hate and hate to love. You will grow frustrated with them both. You will want to slap Dusty and yell at Bliss. They are young. They are caught up in an all consuming type of love that they don’t know how to handle just yet. Dusty is a drug addict and some of his decisions stem from that. Dusty and Bliss might have a dysfunctional love, but it’s plain as day they do love each other.
As frustrated as I was with both main characters at times, a character I really did love was Rebecka. I thought she was hilarious, spunky and fun. She always put a smile on my face. Most of my laugh out loud moments were stemmed from something funny she did or said-
I think my biggest issue with this one were the ages of the two mc's. Drugs, cheating etc I can usually handle but Bliss was SO YOUNG. She was 13-15 for the bulk of the book, with Dusty being 15-17. I wish they would have been maybe 16 and 18 at the start of their relationship instead. I know this is a deal breaker for a lot of people. Not just the age- but the cheating, excessive drug usage etc. If those are your buttons, stay far far way from this one.
And I have to mention the names. At first it was confusing. Dusty was Thomas. His moms name is Tommy. Hal is Smitty. Leighlee is Leigh, L, Bliss etc. Then later it’s my girl, his boy, my love, etc. Lots of nicknames and some pov switches that took me a minute to ‘get’.
This book was a roller coaster of emotions. I hated it, I loved it, I smiled, I laughed, I cried, I screamed, I felt. This is a story that won’t be for everyone. Some will love it, some will hate it, but most everyone will have strong feelings about it. As stressful as it was to read, it was addicting too.
A large part of me wishes I would have waited until the second part was out for me to start this. I think I might have enjoyed it more had I gotten the whole story at once. I know how much of a fan favorite this is, so I have high hopes for part two, that Dusty can get clean, get his shit together, and get his Bliss.
Reading Innocents was an experience. The story was heart wrenching, tortuous, captivating, raw and undoubtably powerful. Rating this book was not easy for me. Most books I read I immediately know if I loved them, or if they didn’t work for me. This wasn’t like that. I spent hours going back and forth . I can understand why some people absolutely love this story and their 5 star ratings. There were moments I loved this story and wanted to give it 5 stars. On the other end of the spectrum, I can see how some hated it and gave it a poor rating, because just as much as I loved it, I hated it at times. I’m settling with a 4 because there were things I loved. Because a book that can effect me this much deserves a high rating for me. But due to a few issues I had, there is no way I can give it 5.
This was a story about love. Love isn’t always happy- it isn’t always sweet and kind. There are two sides to love.
Love.
Fucking love.
Love feels like tingles and sunrays.
It’s a tightness in my chest and an extra beat of my heart.
Love is completeness- sappiness. Better than the best chocolate ever.
Love gives me the tickle-chills and super high, high, high smiles.
It keeps me from sleeping. It makes it hard to breathe, blink, care.
Love is indescribable, cumbersome, silly-selfish, consuming, life-changing, goose bump-giving, knowing-all-the-words-to-the-song exciting, I-can’t think-straight-without-him, overwhelming, sigh-swooning, laugh-out-loud-for-no-reason anxious. It’s fun and always near.
It’s a rule-causing, jealousy-inducing, leg-kicking, dream-giving, wonderful, filling, shake-trembling, wonder-where-you-are-always obsessive, necessary, requiring, joyful flow.
Our love is secret-keeping, late-night sneaking, gift-giving, cream-soda loving, vanilla, trouble, and princess-pie-dusty-incomparable.
His love is locked around my bones.
His love is forever-never-leaving.
Thomas’ love for me is simple. It’s for us and no one else.
When Bliss meets Dusty, they’re just children. She becomes best friends with his little sister, Becka. Bliss is new to town and she finally finds a place she belongs. In the Castor house. With Becka and Dusty. As they get a little older, their feelings start to change. Even though Dusty is a few years older than her, she starts to fall for him.
Staying over with Rebecka means stolen nights with Dusty. We’re a world apart the rest of the time, and he rarely lets me forget it- until we’re alone in his room. Alone, we’re us: an innocent secret made of bad habits spread across his bed. I cherish it. I crave it.
Bliss and Dusty’s relationship starts out sweet and innocent. And for the most part, it stays that way. For Bliss anyway. Dusty loves Bliss, but it’s confusing for her. If he’s in love with her, why does he continue to get with other girls? She hears the stories. She’s not stupid.
If he’s in love with me, why does he need her? I’m here. I’m love. What is she?There were times my heart broke for Bliss.
“Why them and not me?”
Dusty was a real piece of work. I didn't doubt his feelings for Bliss, but he sure had a funny way of showing his love and devotion. He expected so much from her- to stay innocent, to be there when HE needed her to be, but he wasn't there when she needed him. He got high and fucked around on her constantly. His pov helped some, to get where he was coming from, but most of the time I was disgusted with him. But there were some times, some moments, I really did love Dusty too. But only sometimes.
Bliss was young, but I don't think she was naive. She knew exactly what was going on with Dusty, what he was up to, she just chose to accept him and love him as is. She still gave him her all even though she didn’t get that in return. The quote below sums up Dusty's love for Bliss pretty well...
“Don’t you get it baby?”
“What’s there to get?”
“That I love you.”
“Well, you have a shitty way of showing it.”
“That doesn’t make it any less true.”
Dusty and Bliss are characters you will love to hate and hate to love. You will grow frustrated with them both. You will want to slap Dusty and yell at Bliss. They are young. They are caught up in an all consuming type of love that they don’t know how to handle just yet. Dusty is a drug addict and some of his decisions stem from that. Dusty and Bliss might have a dysfunctional love, but it’s plain as day they do love each other.
As frustrated as I was with both main characters at times, a character I really did love was Rebecka. I thought she was hilarious, spunky and fun. She always put a smile on my face. Most of my laugh out loud moments were stemmed from something funny she did or said-
“Earth to Bliss.” Rebecka snaps her fingers in my face. “Are you daydreaming about cocks? I look like that when I daydream about them, too.”
I think my biggest issue with this one were the ages of the two mc's. Drugs, cheating etc I can usually handle but Bliss was SO YOUNG. She was 13-15 for the bulk of the book, with Dusty being 15-17. I wish they would have been maybe 16 and 18 at the start of their relationship instead. I know this is a deal breaker for a lot of people. Not just the age- but the cheating, excessive drug usage etc. If those are your buttons, stay far far way from this one.
And I have to mention the names. At first it was confusing. Dusty was Thomas. His moms name is Tommy. Hal is Smitty. Leighlee is Leigh, L, Bliss etc. Then later it’s my girl, his boy, my love, etc. Lots of nicknames and some pov switches that took me a minute to ‘get’.
This book was a roller coaster of emotions. I hated it, I loved it, I smiled, I laughed, I cried, I screamed, I felt. This is a story that won’t be for everyone. Some will love it, some will hate it, but most everyone will have strong feelings about it. As stressful as it was to read, it was addicting too.
A large part of me wishes I would have waited until the second part was out for me to start this. I think I might have enjoyed it more had I gotten the whole story at once. I know how much of a fan favorite this is, so I have high hopes for part two, that Dusty can get clean, get his shit together, and get his Bliss.
Our love is not perfect. We are fucked-up and bleeding, but neither one of us is powerful enough to walk away from it like we should.
July 17, 2014
Here's my casting for Dusty...
“Tell me a secret.”
“I love you.”
This was a complete “rule-breaker” book for me in nearly every way and yet I found myself addicted and unable to put it down. I read it in one sitting and finished it at 4AM and with my mind spinning and my heart hurting so I’m going to try and write all my thoughts out here and process everything.
This is a story of first love. A desperate, all-consuming love kept secret by necessity, and complicated by unhealthy addictions and heart-breaking betrayals. It’s not your typical romance by any stretch.
Please note: this book has cheating, drug addictions, and an unresolved ending. I know each of those are trigger points for a lot of you (the cheating especially was for me, in a big way) but this book has a massive fan base and a lot of readers love it so I was too curious. I just had to give it a try…
“She’s the only thing worth anything in my life.”
Bliss and Dusty met in grade school — she was the new girl starting Grade 5, he was the older, cooler sixth grader. The innocent girl met the delinquent trouble maker and so began their tumultuous relationship. The story takes place over approximately 4 years. She becomes best friends with Dusty’s little sister Becka and spends a lot of time at their house — each weekend, and every summer. We see her fall for him from afar. We see him fall for her. But everything between them remains a secret and no one ever knows.
I’ve read a lot of dysfunctional relationship stories because I just kind of love them but this one I think is the ultimate winner. Their situation was all kinds of fucked up…. and yet I was strangely addicted.
“This is our thing. Our secret… I’ve managed to bury better judgement and put aside warnings about boys, alcohol, drugs, and bad choices.”
See in his own messed up way, Dusty loved her but he knows he shouldn’t. She was his little sister’s best friend. So he stayed away. He smoked, drank, fooled around with girls. The only things between them were these secret, stolen, unlabelled moment where she was Bliss and he was Dusty and they just were.
“I can’t stop thinking about what’s going on between [us]. We haven’t talked about why we keep what we do a secret, but the reasons don’t need to be spoken out loud.”
I’m being asked a lot about the cheating issue so I’m going to just lay the situation out here. Yes, there is cheating. A whole helluva lot of it. But if you want to argue technicalities, Dusty and Bliss were never (ever) an official couple, so “technically” it was never “official” cheating. But it is. OMG. It totally is. They had their secret love and no one knew about them but them, but they really both loved each other. Like really loved each other. But the one thing that Dusty was more addicted to than Bliss was drugs. He was high 90% of the time and slept around openly — especially with one girl in particular (even though he wasn’t dating her or anything). He did drugs all the time (he started with weed but graduated to hard drugs over the years), had sex with half the high school, and partied non-stop. In public, he and Bliss acted like they didn’t mean anything to each other. But he totally loved her. And she totally loved him. She knew what he was doing and he knew that she knew but he still did it and she never stopped him. She just loved him — for exactly who he was, as he was. It was fucking heart breaking and so totally messed up.
“Because I love you, nobody else will ever touch me. Even though you are constantly touched.
Gah. Tell me that line doesn’t just hurt???
“We’re attached in ways I can’t comprehend. While everyone else expects me to fuck up … she just loves me. And I’m reckless enough to let her.
She’s my softer side, and I’m her motherfucking monster.”
Complicated relationships, damaged characters, and hopeless situations are some of the ones I love most to read about but I’m not going to lie that this one really pushed the boundaries of my comfort zone. I was, and still am, really torn about how I feel about the whole situation. I’ve gone back and forth between loving and hating this story. I loved their love for each other but I also hated what he kept doing to them.
“I’ve been taught that relationships are supposed to be built from trust, but we’re a walking untruth — solely made from love.”
My heart hurt so much for Bliss hearing all the time about him being with other girls, seeing him be with other girls right in front of her but knowing she was the one who had his heart. I couldn’t tell if I was mad at her for letting him do that or if I admired that she was strong enough to love him through his addiction. He was hypocritical, unstable, unfair, destructive, violent at times (though never towards her), and he made it nearly impossible to like him. He was a drug addict, a bit of an asshole, a total manwhore — he was every father’s nightmare — but he had such a good heart. He loved her so strongly and I was torn between wanting to junk punch him and wishing I could just help him somehow. I wanted to hate him for what he was doing to her but that was impossible. I just couldn’t hate him.
“You’re my safe spot. You have my heart. There’s nothing else.”
But then this from Bliss… *sniff*
“Why them and not me?”
I questioned his love for her over and over again. If he really loved her, wouldn’t he do anything to be with her? Why would he continue to keep breaking her heart? Why would he continue to sleep around? In case you’re wondering though, we do get a bit of an explanation into why he is the way he is. He’s a product of his childhood and his experiences. Did it excuse the way he was? Hmm, well, that’s for you to decide… but it did explain it. I just wished with all my heart that he could find a way to overcome his issues.
“Our love is not perfect. We are fucked-up and bleeding, but neither one of us is powerful enough to walk away from it like we should.”
Please note that this is the first of a 2-part series and this book actually ends at a bit of a low point for them. I’d highly recommend re-reading the prologue after the ending though (technically, it takes place after the ending) because it’ll give you just the tiniest bit more closure than you get from the last page.
I’m a little frustrated by the ending though because I feel like there really wasn’t any significant change in Dusty’s character. I’m a little nervous because I don’t know how the next book is going to end so I’m feeling torn. See, I’m the kind of reader who is willing to go through pretty much any amount of emotional pain with the characters if the ending makes it worth it. But I feel like I needed a reason to have suffered through his endless screw ups. I loved Dusty but I hated his actions and I need a reason to believe that it was worth emotionally standing by him through it all in order for me to fully commit to loving this story. ‘Cuz otherwise, it’s just a story about someone who screws up their life until they lose it all. I need there to be a reason for the suffering and a light at the end of their tunnel.
I want to root for Dusty and Bliss. I want to believe that even a couple as messed up and dysfunctional as them can make it. I do believe that despite all the mistakes and addictions that they can make it work. And I’d like to believe (even just in my head) that they do beat the odds and genuinely make it work.
But I honestly think I’m going to hold off on reading the second one until someone who has read it tells me exactly how it ends. Having gone through this much pain along their journey, I’m going to need to see a lot of healing and work done both alone and together by Dusty and Bliss to fix mistakes if I’m going to read it. Do I think Dusty actually deserves a second chance? Hell no. But I’m still totally willing to give it to him because I really, truly, strongly believe that the love they have for each other is real. And I want to see that love become the most important thing in Dusty’s life. I need to see that. I absolutely need it.
“Don’t you get it, baby?”
“What’s there to get?” she asks.
“That I love you.”
“Well, you have a shitty way of showing it.
I smirk. “That doesn’t make it any less true.”
A couple things… I liked the writing but felt like the book needed more editing. I also found the names a little confusing at times. Dusty’s real name was Thomas but his mom’s name was Tommy so every time I saw her name I thought of him. There were so many nicknames for each character that it took me a while to figure out who was who and to keep track of who was being talked about. The story also sporadically switched back and forth between Dusty and Bliss’ POV without any labelling. I found this confusing because the first time was quite late in the book (I believe Chapter 11-ish), so I wasn’t expecting it and I had to flip back and forth until I figured it out and then after that, I’d have to check each chapter because it would randomly switch. And, finally… I’ll admit that it felt a little weird reading the first part of the book with them being so young. Like, she was 13 and he’s 15 so even though there was nothing blatantly sexual that happened then, there were still times when I just felt a little awkward reading it.
This book will not be for everyone. There’s no doubt that I was addicted to the story but I think that whether or not I love it will ultimately depend on the content and ending of the next book. I feel like I can’t judge this alone because it’s only half a story and I don’t have a clear sense of what direction it’s headed in.
I can totally understand why some readers are madly in love with this, and I can also understand why some readers dislike it. I’ve seen every reaction from readers who can’t even finish it to readers who call this their most favorite book ever written. This story breaks all kinds of romance rules but if you can look past that, there’s a very raw and beautiful, but tragically dysfunctional love story at the heart of it. I want to believe that Dusty and Bliss can make it work. I want to believe they can beat the odds. I hope they can.
“Tell me a secret.”
“I love you.”
PS. The sequel, Delinquents, will be out October 23, 2014.
_______________________________________
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August 11, 2016
"I know he loves me. I never doubt his love. I doubt his intentions and respect. I distrust his motives and allegiance. Love? I smother in dictating love. He’s loves traitor." - Bliss
Bliss and Dusty:
Innocents is a story that will give you butterflies and make you feel all kinds of emotions. It’s a story that will grab your hearts, lift them up and then crush them. It’s difficult read, heavy on angst and definitely not for a faint-hearted. But most importantly, Innocents is the story that readers will never forget!
"Love is a fighting a losing battle."
In this book, Bliss and Dusty went from friendship, through secret young love to obsessive teenage love. Innocents is about the strongest of loves, about hurt and heartbreak, about lies and broken promises, about being emotionally dependant on someone and being unable to let go...
This novel is full of interesting and thoughtfully crafted characters, but Dusty definitely stands out. He lies, deceives and keeps up the pretense. He is temperamental and he always looks for the easy way out. He is not the most lovable hero, yet he earned my sympathies. He is just a messed up boy with good heart, seeking true love but going about it the wrong way. I so cannot wait to see what exactly is in store for Dusty and Bliss in the sequel - Delinquents!
"Love turns blind eye. And it's unpredictable."
I have to admit, that this is the first book in which I didn’t root for main couple to stay together, yet I loved this book to the pieces. Why? Answer is truly simple. The writing. It was lyrical, poetical and beautiful. It was perfect and flawless, I cannot praise it enough. Kudos to authors for creating this epic story. If you are not against reading raw, depressive and realistic story, definitely go for this one, I recommend it from bottom of my heart!
"She’s the friend my sister needed, the daughter my mom wanted, a child my dad doesn’t feel guilty about, and the fucking reason my heart beats." - Dusty
*ARC provided by author as an exchange for honest review*
MORE REVIEWS ON MY BLOG Reading Is My Breathing
July 15, 2014
★★★★★ 5 Stars!
"Because I love you, no one else will touch me."
First things first: I absolutely loved this book!! ♥♥
The Elizabeths have managed to blow me away with their captivating, lyrical and heart wrenching tale that I already know will stay with me for a very long time. Ever since I've heard about the fanfic Dusty, I've been intrigued by Bliss and Dusty's story, but the large amount of pages always made me put off reading it. So, to say that I was happy there was going to be a trilogy about this story, would be putting it mildly. And now, after having read the first part, I can finally see what all the fuss was about.
"I feel kind of safe when I'm with him. I know he'd protect me with his life, from anyone and anything, but he can't and he doesn't protect me from himself."
I will not go in to much detail about the plot of this story, because that would ruin the reading experience of those who have yet to read the book. What I will say though is that this book is not for the faint of heart. If you're expecting a lovey dovey romance novel, this is not it. If, however, you're expecting a real, raw, emotional, gritty and painfully beautiful story about love, friendship, lies, addiction and deceit that will leave you reeling once you've finished reading it, then I would HIGHLY recommend giving Innocents a try.
All in all, Innocents was an incredible, unputdownable and unforgettable tale that kept me hooked from the very first page until the very last one. The main characters are both very complex and not always likable (especially Dusty) but they are both disarmingly flawed and endearing in their own way. What will stay with me most about this novel, though, is the writing style. I can't compliment the authors enough for what they've accomplished in this series so far, and I'm already anxiously awaiting book two!
"You haven't seen crazy, baby."
**ARC provided by the authors in exchange for an honest review**
July 14, 2014
IT'S LIVE->http://amzn.to/1wj8KhX
"Jar of Hearts" the song by Christina Perri inspired this series. Knowing that I decided to enhance my reading experience by listening to it while reading the book ➜http://bit.ly/1mh23eE.
The story has a captivating poetic flow that makes it hard to put it down. A well written story makes me feel twitterpated. I was so WOWed by the writing that it has taken me a couple days to finally pen my review. My copy looks like a bag of Skittles because of all the highlighting I did while reading it.
I'm going to avoid discussing the plot of this book to not spoil anything for first time readers. I did not read Dusty, the fanfiction, but I wish I had because now I'm on pins & needles wondering how this series is going to end.
The collaboration by The Elizabeths to create this series has me in awe. The writing is a lyrical ballad of love, friendship, secrets, lies, addictions, and realism.
On a side note, I love that the song that inspired this series is by the same artist, Christina Perri, who has a song used in Twilight ➜http://bit.ly/1ln9vkj. I can't help but think of Twilight whenever I hear that song. And now when I hear "Jar of Hearts" I will think of the Dusty series.
SERIES:
Continuing story. To find out when Delinquents will be released click here.
Release date: July 14, 2014
***Thank you for the complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.***
100th book of 2014
"Jar of Hearts" the song by Christina Perri inspired this series. Knowing that I decided to enhance my reading experience by listening to it while reading the book ➜http://bit.ly/1mh23eE.
The story has a captivating poetic flow that makes it hard to put it down. A well written story makes me feel twitterpated. I was so WOWed by the writing that it has taken me a couple days to finally pen my review. My copy looks like a bag of Skittles because of all the highlighting I did while reading it.
I'm going to avoid discussing the plot of this book to not spoil anything for first time readers. I did not read Dusty, the fanfiction, but I wish I had because now I'm on pins & needles wondering how this series is going to end.
The collaboration by The Elizabeths to create this series has me in awe. The writing is a lyrical ballad of love, friendship, secrets, lies, addictions, and realism.
On a side note, I love that the song that inspired this series is by the same artist, Christina Perri, who has a song used in Twilight ➜http://bit.ly/1ln9vkj. I can't help but think of Twilight whenever I hear that song. And now when I hear "Jar of Hearts" I will think of the Dusty series.
SERIES:
Continuing story. To find out when Delinquents will be released click here.
Release date: July 14, 2014
***Thank you for the complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.***
100th book of 2014
December 8, 2015
“The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure.”
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.
.
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Dusty music: Sleeping Sickness- City & Coulour ☾ Forever- Papa Roach ☾ Blue Jeans- Lana Del Rey ☾ Love The Way You Lie- Eminem ft. Rihanna
A book about love . Love that is fucked-up, jealous, unpredictable. Love that turns a blind eye. It's a tightness in your chest and an extra beat of your heart. It's completeness. Because love is a lot of things, but above all, love is what we make it. And we'll make this never ending.
___________________________________________
STORY :
____________________________________________
The girl with an innocent heart knows all about bad choices, but has yet to make them for herself. Searching for freedom, she finds it in the delinquent down the hall.
The troublemaker with summer-sky blue eyes knows he should stay away, but can’t resist the blissful wonder who makes his house a home.
She’s a hopeless romantic. He’s just hopeless.
She’s his reason, but he might not catch her when she falls.
She loves him. He loves her crazy.
This is what happens when a love made of secrets is kept with rules instead of promises.
Dusty is raw and real. It has your heart melting and breaking. It makes you cry with the pain and unfairness of it all. All it does is make you feel. It leaves you with a battle of the mind and heart.
The writing is spectacular. It's almost like this whole book is a song. Something that flows so beautifully and makes you experience so much. These aren't just words on paper.
“Do you feel that? Do you feel how fast it beats?”
I do.
“You make my heart flutter, princess.”
I feel it.
___________________________________________
CHARACTERS :
____________________________________________
It's this, our secret. We're the drug.
Dusty and Bliss' character, and therefore relationship, is a very complicated thing. They're both so passionate . . . letting it consume them both. They're imperfect and ignorant, young and naive. Bliss and Dusty are so co-dependent, so consumed with each other .
They have, what in time could be, a great love. Something that transcends past pains and heartbreaks. Something that's beautiful. Not beautiful and ugly. Not something that when it's good, it's great but when it's bad, it's fucking shit.
They both made shitty choice and frustrated me to the point of baldness in the forceable future. That's how much hair gripping was going on. You're really rooting for them, despite everything you're desperate for things to work out. And that's what was most frustrating.
___________________________________________
OVERALL :
____________________________________________
A highly recommended read! If you're wondering if you should read the fanfic . . . I'd say yes. It's not necessary but it gives you the intense feels that comes with reading these characters grown for a 1,000+ pages.
This is not for the faint of heart. If you're looking for a light, uplifting read then turn back now.
If you're looking for an all-consuming, put-in-a-coma-because-feels-are-too-intense read then this is for you!
Love for him doesn't listen to logic, practicality, or consequence. It's a lot like him in that way, our love. It wants what it wants, when it wants it. And when in wants, it needs.
Thanks for an amazing BR: M. ~ B&B ☾ Erin ☾ Olga ☾ Mistress ☾ Stacey ☾ Mollie♡JAMMF ☾ Kim B ☾ Colleen
May 30, 2017
"I know he loves me. I never doubt his love. I doubt his intentions and respect. I distrust his motives and allegiance. Love? I smother in dictating love. He’s loves traitor." – Bliss
I don’t know if this happens to others, but when I read something that I find so captivatingly amazing, I have a hard time writing a review. I will sit in front of a blank word document, and just stare, and daydream, and think about all the things I loved about the book but can’t seem to put into words. Needless to say, that’s happened with Dusty Innocents. But I’ll to try to justify my love for this story now. Let us count the ways…
I loved it for the unusual poetic, lyrical way it was written. I loved it for the raw and gritty emotions it pulled right out of me, I loved how it just got better and better with each page. The writing was perfect and flawless, and I cannot praise it enough.
I love how it is a story that will give you butterflies and stomach aches and make you feel every kind of emotion. It’s a story that will grab your heart, lift it, and then crush it with no remorse.
It’s not your average happily ever after tale; it’s wrong and hurtful and painful, but beautiful in its destructiveness.
"She’s the friend my sister needed, the daughter my mom wanted, a child my dad doesn’t feel guilty about, and the fucking reason my heart beats." - Dusty
But what I absolutely loved most? How even though I felt like I should have hated Dusty, actually I KNOW I should have hated Dusty, I just couldn’t. His actions would certainly justify that hate, but these authors created such an intriguing character, you just can’t help but be fascinated with him.
Each character was so unique, so memorable, I was drawn into their world with no thoughts of ages or right and wrong or morality, but was just swept up in their love.
It’s most definitely a difficult read that is heavy on angst, but I cannot stress enough how amazingly unique and gut-wrenchingly beautiful it was. Everyone should experience the writing from these two. This is a story I will never forget and will forever be burrowed in my mind and heart.
Book 1 |http://amzn.to/2rjm6Tq
Book 2 | http://amzn.to/2qxB9ph
(BOTH FREE!)
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January 27, 2016
TITLE: Innocents
SERIES: (Dusty, #1)
AUTHOR: Mary Elizabeth
GENRE: Contemporary Romance
RELEASE DATE: July 14th 2014
MY RATING: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
I loved this the very first time I picked this up and yet again I fell for this book hard, it's flawless, unusual poetic writing style pulls you in..
A love so blinding and all consuming, a heart melting love story at it's very best.
A lighthearted beautifully written and at times highly frustrating read, that once I picked up I struggled to put down.
When you turn eighteen everything will be different
Love. Fucking love. Love feels like tingles and sun rays, it's a tightness in my chest an extra beat of my heart.
Love is completeness - sappiness. Better than the best chocolate ever.
Love gives me tickle chills and super high high, high smiles. It keeps me from sleeping. It makes it hard to breathe, blink, care.
Love is indescribable, cumbersome, silly-selfish, consuming, life changing, goose bump giving.
I could never leave you, it's a rule, you were made to love me, he says quietly, it's why you were born.
Love is the little girl with the yellow Popsicle. Love is watching the fireworks in her eyes. Love is strawberry blond.
Two best friends and one troublesome big brother, when darkness and lightness collide in secret
I try to convince myself behind shut eyes that he doesn't continuously choose drugs over me.
She’s the friend my sister needs, the daughter my mom wants, a child my dad doesn’t feel guilty about, and the reason my heart beats. Leighlee Bliss is the pièce de résistance. She’s our saving grace. She’s my pulse and my nervousness and my … everything.
July 17, 2014
3.5 Stars
Our love is not perfect. We are fucked-up and bleeding, but neither one of us is powerful enough to walk away from it like we should.
Dusty and Bliss start as friends and a secret love grows. This book is full of angst, heartache, lies, truths, addiction, friendship and love. Dusty is living dangerously and Bliss is his safe haven.
Alone, we’re us: an innocent secret made of bad habits spread across his bed.
The ages of these characters really bothered me. For the majority of the book, Bliss is 12-13 years old and Dusty is 14-15, it was just too much for me. I get that it happens, but all the drug use made me uncomfortable. These kids are constantly partying.
While Dusty is partying it up, indulging in drugs and sex, living fast and hard - Bliss is waiting in the wings, taking anything he is willing to give her.
I know that sex doesn’t equal love or respect . I know this prudent, adoring side of Dusty that no one else even thinks he’s capable of, and I know as well that there’s nothing I can do to stop him from being him.
This is not a sweet romance. It's raw, complicated and extremely frustrating. A lot of people really loved this one, I am on the fence. I think if they were a little older, I would've liked it more.
Now for a little ranting...
I wish the POV changes would have been introduced. It would make things flow a lot better.
Everyone has 2-3 different names? Dusty/Thomas/Trouble, Bliss/Leighlee/Leigh/Princess/Strawberry blonde, Rebecka/Becka/B, Smitty/Hal...etc. It gets confusing. I get having nicknames, but just pick something and stick to it, at least for the most part. For example in one paragraph two different names will be used for the same person.(Maybe it's just me, but it annoyed the hell out of me. It took forever for me to realize that Smitty and Hal were the same person.)
Overall, I was strangely hooked to this story, even though there were a lot of things that didn’t work for me...
Love may be a battlefield, but we’re not doing any wrong. We’re kids in a crowd on the top of the world: high, wild, and innocent.
100th read of 2014
Our love is not perfect. We are fucked-up and bleeding, but neither one of us is powerful enough to walk away from it like we should.
Dusty and Bliss start as friends and a secret love grows. This book is full of angst, heartache, lies, truths, addiction, friendship and love. Dusty is living dangerously and Bliss is his safe haven.
Alone, we’re us: an innocent secret made of bad habits spread across his bed.
The ages of these characters really bothered me. For the majority of the book, Bliss is 12-13 years old and Dusty is 14-15, it was just too much for me. I get that it happens, but all the drug use made me uncomfortable. These kids are constantly partying.
While Dusty is partying it up, indulging in drugs and sex, living fast and hard - Bliss is waiting in the wings, taking anything he is willing to give her.
I know that sex doesn’t equal love or respect . I know this prudent, adoring side of Dusty that no one else even thinks he’s capable of, and I know as well that there’s nothing I can do to stop him from being him.
This is not a sweet romance. It's raw, complicated and extremely frustrating. A lot of people really loved this one, I am on the fence. I think if they were a little older, I would've liked it more.
Now for a little ranting...
I wish the POV changes would have been introduced. It would make things flow a lot better.
Everyone has 2-3 different names? Dusty/Thomas/Trouble, Bliss/Leighlee/Leigh/Princess/Strawberry blonde, Rebecka/Becka/B, Smitty/Hal...etc. It gets confusing. I get having nicknames, but just pick something and stick to it, at least for the most part. For example in one paragraph two different names will be used for the same person.(Maybe it's just me, but it annoyed the hell out of me. It took forever for me to realize that Smitty and Hal were the same person.)
Overall, I was strangely hooked to this story, even though there were a lot of things that didn’t work for me...
Love may be a battlefield, but we’re not doing any wrong. We’re kids in a crowd on the top of the world: high, wild, and innocent.
100th read of 2014
July 15, 2014
3.5 Stars
”She’s my softer side, and I’m her motherfucking monster.”
[image error]
I’ve waited patiently for this book to arrive because all of my friends loved the fan fiction version. I was so excited to read something truly epic, but sadly this wasn’t very epic for me.
This is the story of Leighlee falling for her best friend Becka’s older brother, Thomas. By older you would think more than a year ahead in school. He acts and talks well beyond the ages given in the book. Although a reader gets that his thinking goes with the reality that she is in fact innocent. Thomas and Leighlee have a secret relationship while Thomas sleeps with a majority of the school and appears to have a girl friend named Valarie.
”If he’s in love with me, why does he need her? I’m here. I’m love. What is she?”
”You have my heart. There’s nothing else.”
The secret nights in his bed, the notes found in her locker, his hypocritical treatment of any other guys talking to her had me struggling to like him and/or care. She loves him and he loves her while the allure of nights out with his friends pulls him away and the innocence of Leighlee pulls him home.
”Don’t you get it, baby?”
“What’s there to get?” she asks.
“That I love you.”
“Well you have a shitty way of showing it.” I smirk.
“That doesn’t make it any less true.”
Leighlee struggles internally with the reality that there is great truth in rumors of Thomas’ nightly escapades but she believes their love in stronger than anything she has heard but she isn’t blinded by her love.
”What kind of person does it make me if I accept words I know are lies? Because I know they are. He’s absolutely honest with me about everything but loyalty.”
Toward the end of this book, Thomas wants to be her public boyfriend and seems to be trying to be the guy he feels she deserves.
”Be my girlfriend,” he whispers.”
The story does indeed end with a cliffhanger...
"I love you more than she does, cocaine whispers."
By the end of the story I just wasn’t that invested in their love and wished that they both made so many different decisions along the way.
Issues...
I had a very difficult time with the characters' ages in this book. They are so very young and by the end of this book they are only 15 and 16 years old. The story takes them from elementary school and has them sexually active, drug use, promiscuous behavior and two sets of parents one that is supposed to be strict (but let’s her sleep over her BFF’s house constantly and for days on end) and the other lets drugs, drinking, smoking under their roof. The dialogue was too old for characters from early on in the story.
The editing could have been a bit better although the writing is strong. I’m not a writer, but I did notice errors or mistakes (wrong name used for a character in a scene) and lines were flat out odd ( "I love your blood," he says. I love your veins and your ventricles." ~ WTH??) Chapter 11 is Thomas’ pov which isn’t titled and I had to read paragraph a few times to figure the switch. I did however like have Thomas’ pov it gave insight that he does actually love her even though he sleeps with the whole school.
The names were utterly confusing! Dusty is Thomas, his mother is Tommy. Out of nowhere the authors have both Leigh and Thomas referring to the other in their thoughts as ‘Love’? Becka’s BF is Hal or Smitty but after a few it’s both names.
I am currently indecisive about reading on in the series.
The writing is very good and there is a lot to highlight but in many ways this story completely missed the mark while on the other hand I can see why many, many friends love it.
”She’s my softer side, and I’m her motherfucking monster.”
[image error]
I’ve waited patiently for this book to arrive because all of my friends loved the fan fiction version. I was so excited to read something truly epic, but sadly this wasn’t very epic for me.
This is the story of Leighlee falling for her best friend Becka’s older brother, Thomas. By older you would think more than a year ahead in school. He acts and talks well beyond the ages given in the book. Although a reader gets that his thinking goes with the reality that she is in fact innocent. Thomas and Leighlee have a secret relationship while Thomas sleeps with a majority of the school and appears to have a girl friend named Valarie.
”If he’s in love with me, why does he need her? I’m here. I’m love. What is she?”
”You have my heart. There’s nothing else.”
The secret nights in his bed, the notes found in her locker, his hypocritical treatment of any other guys talking to her had me struggling to like him and/or care. She loves him and he loves her while the allure of nights out with his friends pulls him away and the innocence of Leighlee pulls him home.
”Don’t you get it, baby?”
“What’s there to get?” she asks.
“That I love you.”
“Well you have a shitty way of showing it.” I smirk.
“That doesn’t make it any less true.”
Leighlee struggles internally with the reality that there is great truth in rumors of Thomas’ nightly escapades but she believes their love in stronger than anything she has heard but she isn’t blinded by her love.
”What kind of person does it make me if I accept words I know are lies? Because I know they are. He’s absolutely honest with me about everything but loyalty.”
Toward the end of this book, Thomas wants to be her public boyfriend and seems to be trying to be the guy he feels she deserves.
”Be my girlfriend,” he whispers.”
The story does indeed end with a cliffhanger...
"I love you more than she does, cocaine whispers."
By the end of the story I just wasn’t that invested in their love and wished that they both made so many different decisions along the way.
Issues...
I had a very difficult time with the characters' ages in this book. They are so very young and by the end of this book they are only 15 and 16 years old. The story takes them from elementary school and has them sexually active, drug use, promiscuous behavior and two sets of parents one that is supposed to be strict (but let’s her sleep over her BFF’s house constantly and for days on end) and the other lets drugs, drinking, smoking under their roof. The dialogue was too old for characters from early on in the story.
The editing could have been a bit better although the writing is strong. I’m not a writer, but I did notice errors or mistakes (wrong name used for a character in a scene) and lines were flat out odd ( "I love your blood," he says. I love your veins and your ventricles." ~ WTH??) Chapter 11 is Thomas’ pov which isn’t titled and I had to read paragraph a few times to figure the switch. I did however like have Thomas’ pov it gave insight that he does actually love her even though he sleeps with the whole school.
The names were utterly confusing! Dusty is Thomas, his mother is Tommy. Out of nowhere the authors have both Leigh and Thomas referring to the other in their thoughts as ‘Love’? Becka’s BF is Hal or Smitty but after a few it’s both names.
I am currently indecisive about reading on in the series.
The writing is very good and there is a lot to highlight but in many ways this story completely missed the mark while on the other hand I can see why many, many friends love it.
June 15, 2016
3 stars
“Don’t you get it, baby?”
“What’s there to get?” she asks.
“That I love you.”
“Well, you have a shitty way of showing it.
I smirk. “That doesn’t make it any less true.”
Whelp. That was quite the story. Dusty Innocents is a book that has been sitting on my kindle for ages. I decided it was finally time to give this book a shot. I had no clue what to expect from it other than drugs and a frustrating male lead. And I got a huge amount of both.
Innocents is the story of a young girl named Bliss, spanning from elementary school aged to early high school years. She has been in love with her best friends brother for as long as she can remember and he loves her back. But Thomas is surrounded by drugs and bad influences and he himself succumbs to both. The two also have their families who would not be okay with them being together.
“We’re attached in ways I can’t comprehend. While everyone else expects me to fuck up … she just loves me. And I’m reckless enough to let her.
She’s my softer side, and I’m her motherfucking monster.”
I have to say, this was a very compelling book with interesting characters. While reading I found myself really needing to know what would happen with Thomas and Bliss. What I didn’t care for was the writing style, it felt like I was trudging through mud to get to my destination, in fact this book took me three times as long as it normally does to read a book. I didn’t like the constant switching of names for nicknames or describing words. Plus, I felt the plot was very weak as it never really went anywhere. I know there’s a second book, but I didn’t really get the point of this book.
I felt this book also portrayed how bad parenting can ruin a child for life. If I ever become a parent I pray I will never be like the ones in this book, letting their children get away with what they did, and even encouraging it. Our actions affect others and it’s important to remember the impact we can leave on a person.
As I said before it’s very compelling and unique which is why it still merits a 3 star rating from me, despite my issues I did enjoy reading this book for the most part. There’s just a lot going on that made it a difficult book to read. I definitely want to see where this goes and I am going to read the next book asap. Hopefully it clears up some things.
“Because love is a lot of things, but above all, love is what we make it. And we’ll make this never ending.”
“Don’t you get it, baby?”
“What’s there to get?” she asks.
“That I love you.”
“Well, you have a shitty way of showing it.
I smirk. “That doesn’t make it any less true.”
Whelp. That was quite the story. Dusty Innocents is a book that has been sitting on my kindle for ages. I decided it was finally time to give this book a shot. I had no clue what to expect from it other than drugs and a frustrating male lead. And I got a huge amount of both.
Innocents is the story of a young girl named Bliss, spanning from elementary school aged to early high school years. She has been in love with her best friends brother for as long as she can remember and he loves her back. But Thomas is surrounded by drugs and bad influences and he himself succumbs to both. The two also have their families who would not be okay with them being together.
“We’re attached in ways I can’t comprehend. While everyone else expects me to fuck up … she just loves me. And I’m reckless enough to let her.
She’s my softer side, and I’m her motherfucking monster.”
I have to say, this was a very compelling book with interesting characters. While reading I found myself really needing to know what would happen with Thomas and Bliss. What I didn’t care for was the writing style, it felt like I was trudging through mud to get to my destination, in fact this book took me three times as long as it normally does to read a book. I didn’t like the constant switching of names for nicknames or describing words. Plus, I felt the plot was very weak as it never really went anywhere. I know there’s a second book, but I didn’t really get the point of this book.
I felt this book also portrayed how bad parenting can ruin a child for life. If I ever become a parent I pray I will never be like the ones in this book, letting their children get away with what they did, and even encouraging it. Our actions affect others and it’s important to remember the impact we can leave on a person.
As I said before it’s very compelling and unique which is why it still merits a 3 star rating from me, despite my issues I did enjoy reading this book for the most part. There’s just a lot going on that made it a difficult book to read. I definitely want to see where this goes and I am going to read the next book asap. Hopefully it clears up some things.
“Because love is a lot of things, but above all, love is what we make it. And we’ll make this never ending.”
May 22, 2017
Where does one start when writing a review for one of the most unbelievably amazing stories ever written? I will try to tell you what this book means to me, but no words typed or spoken will be able to express how deeply this book has touched my heart.
This story was first written as fanfiction. Oh my, this brilliant story as fanfiction is the most wonderful kind of messed up goodness you could experience. I have been a diehard, completely obsessed fan of Dusty and Bliss since I read the first words of the fanfic. People don't write stories like this one, they just don't.
There are not enough stars for this remarkable book. I am in complete awe. You cannot compare Dusty Innocents with other books that are out there today. This is the kind of book that changes you. It buries down deep within you and no matter how you try to move on, you simply can't. Dusty has become a part of me that will always be there. 
Words are just not adequate enough to express how much this story moved me. The lyrical writing and poetic nature of Dusty Innocents is pure magic. The words sing to you. The combination of the authors' lyrical and descriptive ability is absolute genius. Dusty Innocents is seriously one of the best books ever written! It encompasses everything one could ever want in a book! 
If you are like me and love angst, then this book is definitely for you. Mary Elizabeth has a way with soul-crushing angst. I'm a sucker for drama and she gives me that, in spades. Mary, is an amazing author who has a way of painting a deep, beautiful, and heart-wrenching story so that it plays like a movie in your mind's eye. 
Sarah Elizabeth, who co-authors Dusty is matchlessly poetic. Her words sing to me; they speak down deep inside me. She is a true artist who paints her brilliance with words. Sarah is an absolute sweetheart who loves LOVE and it shows in all she says. 
I will read EVERY SINGLE THING these two ever put out there. They are two of the best authors I have ever had the privilege of reading their words. Together, they have created a MASTERPIECE! 
Dusty Innocents is completely EPIC! No one should pass up this story. It will stick with you when most of the other books out there you read, will be a mixed up, cookie-cutter, forgotten memory. 
While reading Dusty Innocents, I went through so many emotions so many times, I honestly didn't think my heart would make it at certain points. This book is filled with gut-wrenching, addictive, all-consuming love. Love that knows no bounds and would go through anything and anyone in it's way. To me, Dusty is a story about addiction and what being addicted can do to you and the ones you love, whether it is drug addiction or an obsessive-love addiction. This book is tragic and compelling, truly heart-wrenching. 
Everyone should read, feel, dwell, live, breathe this book. I will never be the same after reading love's tale. How could I possibly go back to reading cookie-cutter books after this epicness? I plead with you, for your own sake, EXPERIENCE THIS BOOK!
"Love feels like tingles and sunrays. It's a tightness in my chest and an extra beat of my heart. Love is completeness-sappiness. Better than the best chocolate ever. Love gives me tickle-chills and super high, high, high smiles. It keeps me from sleeping. It makes it hard to breathe, blink, care. Love is indescribable, cumbersome, silly-selfish, consuming, life-changing, goose bump-giving, knowing-all-the-words-to-the-song exciting, I-can't-think-straight-without-him overwhelming, sigh-swooning, laugh-out-loud-for-no-reason anxious. It's fun and always near. It's a rule-causing, jealousy-inducing, leg-kicking, dream-giving, wonderful, filling, shake-trembling, wonder-where-you-are-always obsessive, necessary, requiring, joyful flow. Our love is secret-keeping, late-night sneaking, gift-giving, cream-soda loving, vanilla, trouble, and princess-pie-dusty incomparable. His love is locked around my bones. His love is forever-never-leaving. Thomas' love for me is simple. It's for us and no one else."
"I'm princess pie and he's nothing but trouble."
"The longer we laugh and shush, and tickle and tangle, the more positive I am that Thomas already has part of me. Like I have part of him. It's bigger than my bellybutton-it's underneath my skin. It's limitless. I don't have a word for it. It's his. It already was."
""Do you feel that? Do you feel how fast it beats?" I do. "You make my heart flutter, princess." I feel it."
"You were made to love me, Leigh," he says quietly, as if his touch leaves any room inside me for doubt. "It's why you were born."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONvk7... Everything Changes by Staind
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8v_4O... Jar of Hearts by Christina Perri
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frDUZ... Same Mistakes by The Echo-Friendly
I've never been more excited about a book in my life, than I am with Dusty Innocents! This book is beyond epic! I live and breathe Dusty.
You can follow my Dusty Innocents board on Pinterest here... http://www.pinterest.com/mistmandy/du...
"We don't pull wings off butterflies. I swear."
March 21, 2016
"She is my softer side and I am her motherfucking monster."
Innocents was the best book I've read this year so far! Innocents was a slow-built. It crept up on me, took a hold of my neck and started to squeeze tighter and tighter while the story progressed.
Innocents was a raw and emotional read. Underneath the drugs, alcohol and youth was a beautiful love story that made your heart full with its intensity.
I'd heard so many positive things about the fan fiction.
I knew it was 1000+ pages so I didn't look forward to read such a long story. When the story got split I knew I had to read it.
I simply expected a toxic love like Edward's and Bella's in Twilight.
I expected that the authors wanted to show us how it really works out when you are obsessed with someone and what the consequences of that love might be.
What I didn't expect was that writing style, the very human characters, the bond of Dusty and Bliss and the rawness of the story.
I've read a lot of reviews that don't find it believable that such young teenagers are doing drugs and are sexually active.
But it happens.
This story shows the dark side of being a teenager in this society.
The sides that parents ignore that exists.
It portrays beautifully the minds of teenagers and their bumpy journeys of becoming adults.
"Love is supposed to be effortless. Love is supposed to be loyal. But love is love's traitor."
The writing style was excellent!!
This book read like poetry, like a song. It flowed so beautifully!
It made you feel everything.
That made me ultimately fall in love with this story.
"I push myself to go faster, but he reaches both hands out and picks me up by my waist. For a few seconds, I'm flying. My pulse soars and I laugh freely into the night air. Thomas grips me onto my sides, spinning me while he laughs too and the sound it deep and rich and full in my ear."
I know the love of Dusty and Bliss was a toxic, obsessive one. The kind of love that breaks you and rips your heart out. The kind of love that you admire from far, not wanting that craziness in your proximity. What I didn't expect was that I also fell head over heals in love with Dusty and the love of Dusty and Bliss.
How could I not when their love filled my heart and made it hard to breathe?
Their love was imperfect, troubled and crazy, but it was theirs and it was there. It was always there and everything just fell on its place when they were together.
In the beginning I was a bit disappointed that they were so young and that the story began as them being little children. Now I get it.
The friendship and love are really slow-built, so you feel every progress in your body.
The innocent, little children growing up in this world together. How could I not feel?
When their relationship got crazier and obsessive it was already too late to be repulsed or not wanting them together.
I loved Dusty and Bliss and I still believed in them. I wanted them to make this work so badly.
But this wasn't a story to make me feel good.
My throat got tighter, my neck got squeezed harder and my heart was beating frantically in my chest.
"Our love is not perfect. We are fucked-up and bleeding, but neither one of us is powerful enough to walk away from it like we should."
The authors NEVER tried to sugarcoat the story. It was the way it was and these people were painfully human and made mistakes, like the rest of us. Towards the ending my heart was starting to break, because I wanted that fairytale ending for Dusty and Bliss.
But sometimes, life happens, and reality is different than what we really desire.
"His grip might bruise us and his teeth might mark us, but his heart would never. His heart is the best heart."
The characters:
Dusty:
Dusty was one of the most complex characters I've ever read about. In one way he was your typical teenager, but in others he was old for his age. He was pained and troubled. He did drugs, smoked all the time and slept with every girl except the one he loved.
He came over as hopeless, but I felt sympathy for him and wanted to heal his pain. His love for Bliss was like a living, breathing thing. It was there since day one. His desperation, his intensity and realness made me love him crazy!
He made mistakes, he was an addict, but he has a way of crawling under your skin and consuming you.
I love Dusty so much! I wish I could hug him and take his pain away.
"In one quick shift, I cover this girl's mouth with my hand and dig my teeth into her chest. Wanting to break through skin and bone and mark the small muscle I cherish more than my own, I bite until I feel thin skin surrender. I drag and deepen my teeth, making her bruise and open, and I press my tongue to the coppery taste of life. "I love you," I whisper, kissing softly over my mark, talking right to her heart." - My favorite scene!
Bliss:
I loved Bliss. She was so innocent and kind. She was the light in Dusty's darkness. I didn't find her a weak character. Her compassion was big and her love for Dusty blinded her.
She did things I didn't agree with, but she stayed who she was.
I wasn't even annoyed with her and that says something, because adult, female leads annoy me all the time.
side characters:
What I really loved about this story was that all the characters were human and you didn't have an evil bad person with no redeeming qualities. All the characters were complex, flawed and imperfect humans.
"In this moment, I feel like if he wanted to, he could eat me alive and love would swallow me whole."
Overall, this book was an emotionally, angsty read that kept me on an edge. I loved the characters, despite their flaws. The writing style was poetic and so easily flowing that it kept you hooked.
This story was raw, gritty, intense and real.
I can't wait for the next book!
Innocents was the best book I've read this year so far! Innocents was a slow-built. It crept up on me, took a hold of my neck and started to squeeze tighter and tighter while the story progressed.
Innocents was a raw and emotional read. Underneath the drugs, alcohol and youth was a beautiful love story that made your heart full with its intensity.
I'd heard so many positive things about the fan fiction.
I knew it was 1000+ pages so I didn't look forward to read such a long story. When the story got split I knew I had to read it.
I simply expected a toxic love like Edward's and Bella's in Twilight.
I expected that the authors wanted to show us how it really works out when you are obsessed with someone and what the consequences of that love might be.
What I didn't expect was that writing style, the very human characters, the bond of Dusty and Bliss and the rawness of the story.
I've read a lot of reviews that don't find it believable that such young teenagers are doing drugs and are sexually active.
But it happens.
This story shows the dark side of being a teenager in this society.
The sides that parents ignore that exists.
It portrays beautifully the minds of teenagers and their bumpy journeys of becoming adults.
"Love is supposed to be effortless. Love is supposed to be loyal. But love is love's traitor."
The writing style was excellent!!
This book read like poetry, like a song. It flowed so beautifully!
It made you feel everything.
That made me ultimately fall in love with this story.
"I push myself to go faster, but he reaches both hands out and picks me up by my waist. For a few seconds, I'm flying. My pulse soars and I laugh freely into the night air. Thomas grips me onto my sides, spinning me while he laughs too and the sound it deep and rich and full in my ear."
I know the love of Dusty and Bliss was a toxic, obsessive one. The kind of love that breaks you and rips your heart out. The kind of love that you admire from far, not wanting that craziness in your proximity. What I didn't expect was that I also fell head over heals in love with Dusty and the love of Dusty and Bliss.
How could I not when their love filled my heart and made it hard to breathe?
Their love was imperfect, troubled and crazy, but it was theirs and it was there. It was always there and everything just fell on its place when they were together.
In the beginning I was a bit disappointed that they were so young and that the story began as them being little children. Now I get it.
The friendship and love are really slow-built, so you feel every progress in your body.
The innocent, little children growing up in this world together. How could I not feel?
When their relationship got crazier and obsessive it was already too late to be repulsed or not wanting them together.
I loved Dusty and Bliss and I still believed in them. I wanted them to make this work so badly.
But this wasn't a story to make me feel good.
My throat got tighter, my neck got squeezed harder and my heart was beating frantically in my chest.
"Our love is not perfect. We are fucked-up and bleeding, but neither one of us is powerful enough to walk away from it like we should."
The authors NEVER tried to sugarcoat the story. It was the way it was and these people were painfully human and made mistakes, like the rest of us. Towards the ending my heart was starting to break, because I wanted that fairytale ending for Dusty and Bliss.
But sometimes, life happens, and reality is different than what we really desire.
"His grip might bruise us and his teeth might mark us, but his heart would never. His heart is the best heart."
The characters:
Dusty:
Dusty was one of the most complex characters I've ever read about. In one way he was your typical teenager, but in others he was old for his age. He was pained and troubled. He did drugs, smoked all the time and slept with every girl except the one he loved.
He came over as hopeless, but I felt sympathy for him and wanted to heal his pain. His love for Bliss was like a living, breathing thing. It was there since day one. His desperation, his intensity and realness made me love him crazy!
He made mistakes, he was an addict, but he has a way of crawling under your skin and consuming you.
I love Dusty so much! I wish I could hug him and take his pain away.
"In one quick shift, I cover this girl's mouth with my hand and dig my teeth into her chest. Wanting to break through skin and bone and mark the small muscle I cherish more than my own, I bite until I feel thin skin surrender. I drag and deepen my teeth, making her bruise and open, and I press my tongue to the coppery taste of life. "I love you," I whisper, kissing softly over my mark, talking right to her heart." - My favorite scene!
Bliss:
I loved Bliss. She was so innocent and kind. She was the light in Dusty's darkness. I didn't find her a weak character. Her compassion was big and her love for Dusty blinded her.
She did things I didn't agree with, but she stayed who she was.
I wasn't even annoyed with her and that says something, because adult, female leads annoy me all the time.
side characters:
What I really loved about this story was that all the characters were human and you didn't have an evil bad person with no redeeming qualities. All the characters were complex, flawed and imperfect humans.
"In this moment, I feel like if he wanted to, he could eat me alive and love would swallow me whole."
Overall, this book was an emotionally, angsty read that kept me on an edge. I loved the characters, despite their flaws. The writing style was poetic and so easily flowing that it kept you hooked.
This story was raw, gritty, intense and real.
I can't wait for the next book!
January 26, 2015
5 frustrating the hell outta me stars
Have you ever read a book that you hated so much that you loved it becuase of it? Yes, that is one of those for me.
I must say I went completely blind to the story, I haven't read fanfiction, any reviews or even the blurb, so I had no idea what the book was about. After just few pages, when I saw that the main characters were 11 and 14, I thought, jeez, I'm too old for this shit, for reading books about children. But once I started reading, I was glued to it. When I finished, the story stayed in my head for 2 days. This book was frustrating, irritating and emotionally draining. And though I wanted to slam my iPad against the wall few times, I ended up loving the book because of all the things it made me feel.
I liked the writing style, it was different... I could say beautiful in its own way.
I liked the heroine Bliss, though very young, I don't think she was naive believing in everything Dusty fed her up with or forgiving him so easily. I think she was just a kid who got overwhelmed with first love and freedom that she finally felt outside her parents' house. And no matter what he did or said, she would always be there, waiting for him, because that's what her love meant.
And as much as I liked Bliss, I absolutely hated Dusty. I think he was lying, cheating, manipulating scumbag and junkie. He took her for granted, was ok with screwing around, never considered her feelings, was just egoistically using her as a "warm blanket" at the end of the day.
I can stomach almost everything (cheating, deception, broken heart...) as long as there's redemption in the end. And sadly, there was none here. What is more, I didn't believe in their epic love. I mean, I believed Bliss, but Dusty? well, not so much. I never saw honesty in his actions, he did what suited him the most, not even considering Bliss's feelings.
That being said, although I hated the main hero and hated the fucking story, I loved the book as a whole, thanks to all the emotional torture it put me through. That's what I love the best in reading - feelings, and not necessarily positive ones, and this book surely delivered them. Sometimes I come across such a book, that I'm not rating the plot or characters but the overall impression that it left, and since book hangover was strong the next days, that's 5 well deserved stars from me.
I will be anxiously waiting for the next part to see where the story goes, but I can't even fathom the groveling Dusty would have to do to redeem himself in my eyes.
August 1, 2014
1.5 to 2 stars!
It's always hard to review a book that's so loved by fans such as this book. So if this review hurts anyone's feelings, I apologize in advance.
Suffice it say, this is a kind of book that people will either love or hate. People hate it because of the angst but at the same time, people will love it because it brings out the feels in them.
Unfortunately, I'm never one to rate a book high because I got angry at the characters or the way the story or the plot went. In fact, most of the time, save for a few books, too many negative emotions would push me to rate the book lower. And this is exactly what happened in this book. Too many negative emotions and not a lot positive ones.
In a nutshell, my biggest problem with this book is the plot or the lack thereof. Basically, if you take away the drugs, the partying, Dusty's constant whoring and Bliss' martyrdom -- you have nothing.
Their love? Nah. I've read better coming of age books with a much better love story between its characters than Dusty and Bliss. Truthfully, I wasn't wowed by their love. In fact, I was appalled especially when I read stuff like this.
I know he loves me. I never doubt his love. I doubt his intentions and respect. I distrust his motives and allegiance.
She doesn’t have his hoodie or his respect. She doesn’t get all-night phone calls, or to fall asleep in his blankets with his arms and his heartbeat, and she doesn’t get to wake up with—
I don't know about you but that's some pretty fucked up definition of love. Not to mention very contradictory.
Of course, this is supposed to be acceptable since they are both so young especially Bliss. She's 11, 13 and then 15 in the book. Which brings us another one of my issue: Age. I'm not averse to reading a coming-of-age story but the way this was written with Bliss as the main narrator is a big problem for me. The fact that she's so young but she talks like a freaking 25 year old with some serious self-esteem issues is a little concerning to me.
It would have been better, I guess, if this was written in 3rd person but it wasn't. So it's weird to read about a 13 year old thinking about loving someone who's an absolute asshole to her as if that's the only thing that matters in her life.
I know he’s bad news. He keeps the details from me, but I’m not blind or deaf, and I’m not, not paying attention. I love Thomas, but I do so knowingly. I can feel the hold our love has on my entire life. This permanent and colossal feeling. Astronomical and boundless. Binding. And stupid. This is so, so stupid. It isn’t normal.
You got that right, Bliss.
My second biggest problem, and probably the reason why I had a hard time reading this book is the writing.
Sigh. Too much internal monologue and not a lot of dialogue. A lot of telling, not much showing. I know plenty of people loved it but I just find it confusing. Adjectives are used as nouns, nouns are used as adjectives. It seems like this book is just a jumble of words repeated over and over again.
Is it poetic? Maybe. Confusing? Heck, yes!
It’s one thing to accept lies, but I’d be pitiful to believe them. And if love isn’t as confident as he pretends to be, he should feel worse for being a liar.
I think about the voicemails and the text messages he sent last night. I think about how crazy and sporadic they were, and how crazy and sporadic he is. I think about how passionate he is, and I’m crazy for loving him, but I’m passionate, too.
My heart pulsates in my teeth and in my temples.
“I love your blood,” he says. “I love your veins and your ventricles.” --> Err, I know this is a Twilight fanfic but seriously??
Those are just examples, but you get my drift. I know it's probably the author's writing style to use love and trouble among other things as a substitute for their names but it's still confusing because they're used interchangeably to identify Bliss and Dusty. And they pop up without warning. In one instance, love is love and suddenly in the next breath, love is Bliss or love is Dusty.
Don't even get me started with the slut-shaming.The girls who hang out with Thomas are called the sluts because duh that's what they are, right? One time Val was referred to as 'hot and heavy.' I was kind of hoping panting and moaning would also show up but she didn't. That slut!
And speaking of names...good God! There are so many nicknames used in this book you'll need an encyclopedia to sort them out or at the very least a glossary of terms. Bliss is Leighlee but she's sometimes referred to Lee, Leigh, L, Love and Bliss or sunny side. Dusty is actually Thomas or trouble. Thomas' mom is called Tommy. And Hal is also called Smitty. And Rebecka is also called Becka or B and so on and so forth. It's like a freaking name game.
It would have been okay if the author would use one at time but noooo!!She had to use two or even three nicknames in one short paragraph.
"It's Smitty," she says, like he's the answer to everything. "Hal cares about me more than himself. He'd do anything for me. Love's like that, you know?"
And this happens quite a lot especially with Bliss and Dusty. This book is a landmine of nicknames.
Final thoughts...
I have to say, this book is quite unique. I mean, it's definitely emotional but as I've said, the writing just didn't work for me. The story is very dark and somber but the fluffy writing made me feel disconnected to the story. Sometimes, it felt like I was reading nursery rhymes instead. :(
“Beautiful, beautiful, baby Bliss. Baby, baby Bliss.”
“Close your eyes, sleepy baby.”
“Never, never, never,” he whispers. “My girl—my princess girl,” he says, trickling his fingers down my rib bones. “Baby, baby, baby.”
"Love is a strawberry blonde, liar, tease-baby, princess-girl, torture."
Sorry but baby talk isn't romantic. It's annoying. And the word baby is used 82 times and in so many variations.
-baby pink
-baby blue
-baby soft
-Princess baby
-baby, baby
-baby steps
-baby sips
-baby fine
-baby girl...
And speaking of repetitive;
-Princess is used 42 times.
-Trouble (in all its variations), 38 times.
-Love, 100 times. --> Yes, this is a love story but come on!!
- I love you = 45 times.
- Heart = 100 times
-Whisper/whispers = 100 times
-girl/my girl/girlfriend = 100 times
-pink/pinkie/pinks=77 times
-warm/warmth=100+ times
-slut/sluts=40 times
And all of these are crammed into a 282-page book. Do the math!
Overall, it's just not for me.
It's always hard to review a book that's so loved by fans such as this book. So if this review hurts anyone's feelings, I apologize in advance.
Suffice it say, this is a kind of book that people will either love or hate. People hate it because of the angst but at the same time, people will love it because it brings out the feels in them.
Unfortunately, I'm never one to rate a book high because I got angry at the characters or the way the story or the plot went. In fact, most of the time, save for a few books, too many negative emotions would push me to rate the book lower. And this is exactly what happened in this book. Too many negative emotions and not a lot positive ones.
In a nutshell, my biggest problem with this book is the plot or the lack thereof. Basically, if you take away the drugs, the partying, Dusty's constant whoring and Bliss' martyrdom -- you have nothing.
Their love? Nah. I've read better coming of age books with a much better love story between its characters than Dusty and Bliss. Truthfully, I wasn't wowed by their love. In fact, I was appalled especially when I read stuff like this.
I know he loves me. I never doubt his love. I doubt his intentions and respect. I distrust his motives and allegiance.
She doesn’t have his hoodie or his respect. She doesn’t get all-night phone calls, or to fall asleep in his blankets with his arms and his heartbeat, and she doesn’t get to wake up with—
I don't know about you but that's some pretty fucked up definition of love. Not to mention very contradictory.
Of course, this is supposed to be acceptable since they are both so young especially Bliss. She's 11, 13 and then 15 in the book. Which brings us another one of my issue: Age. I'm not averse to reading a coming-of-age story but the way this was written with Bliss as the main narrator is a big problem for me. The fact that she's so young but she talks like a freaking 25 year old with some serious self-esteem issues is a little concerning to me.
It would have been better, I guess, if this was written in 3rd person but it wasn't. So it's weird to read about a 13 year old thinking about loving someone who's an absolute asshole to her as if that's the only thing that matters in her life.
I know he’s bad news. He keeps the details from me, but I’m not blind or deaf, and I’m not, not paying attention. I love Thomas, but I do so knowingly. I can feel the hold our love has on my entire life. This permanent and colossal feeling. Astronomical and boundless. Binding. And stupid. This is so, so stupid. It isn’t normal.
You got that right, Bliss.
My second biggest problem, and probably the reason why I had a hard time reading this book is the writing.
Sigh. Too much internal monologue and not a lot of dialogue. A lot of telling, not much showing. I know plenty of people loved it but I just find it confusing. Adjectives are used as nouns, nouns are used as adjectives. It seems like this book is just a jumble of words repeated over and over again.
Is it poetic? Maybe. Confusing? Heck, yes!
It’s one thing to accept lies, but I’d be pitiful to believe them. And if love isn’t as confident as he pretends to be, he should feel worse for being a liar.
I think about the voicemails and the text messages he sent last night. I think about how crazy and sporadic they were, and how crazy and sporadic he is. I think about how passionate he is, and I’m crazy for loving him, but I’m passionate, too.
My heart pulsates in my teeth and in my temples.
“I love your blood,” he says. “I love your veins and your ventricles.” --> Err, I know this is a Twilight fanfic but seriously??
Those are just examples, but you get my drift. I know it's probably the author's writing style to use love and trouble among other things as a substitute for their names but it's still confusing because they're used interchangeably to identify Bliss and Dusty. And they pop up without warning. In one instance, love is love and suddenly in the next breath, love is Bliss or love is Dusty.
Don't even get me started with the slut-shaming.The girls who hang out with Thomas are called the sluts because duh that's what they are, right? One time Val was referred to as 'hot and heavy.' I was kind of hoping panting and moaning would also show up but she didn't. That slut!
And speaking of names...good God! There are so many nicknames used in this book you'll need an encyclopedia to sort them out or at the very least a glossary of terms. Bliss is Leighlee but she's sometimes referred to Lee, Leigh, L, Love and Bliss or sunny side. Dusty is actually Thomas or trouble. Thomas' mom is called Tommy. And Hal is also called Smitty. And Rebecka is also called Becka or B and so on and so forth. It's like a freaking name game.
It would have been okay if the author would use one at time but noooo!!She had to use two or even three nicknames in one short paragraph.
"It's Smitty," she says, like he's the answer to everything. "Hal cares about me more than himself. He'd do anything for me. Love's like that, you know?"
And this happens quite a lot especially with Bliss and Dusty. This book is a landmine of nicknames.
Final thoughts...
I have to say, this book is quite unique. I mean, it's definitely emotional but as I've said, the writing just didn't work for me. The story is very dark and somber but the fluffy writing made me feel disconnected to the story. Sometimes, it felt like I was reading nursery rhymes instead. :(
“Beautiful, beautiful, baby Bliss. Baby, baby Bliss.”
“Close your eyes, sleepy baby.”
“Never, never, never,” he whispers. “My girl—my princess girl,” he says, trickling his fingers down my rib bones. “Baby, baby, baby.”
"Love is a strawberry blonde, liar, tease-baby, princess-girl, torture."
Sorry but baby talk isn't romantic. It's annoying. And the word baby is used 82 times and in so many variations.
-baby pink
-baby blue
-baby soft
-Princess baby
-baby, baby
-baby steps
-baby sips
-baby fine
-baby girl...
And speaking of repetitive;
-Princess is used 42 times.
-Trouble (in all its variations), 38 times.
-Love, 100 times. --> Yes, this is a love story but come on!!
- I love you = 45 times.
- Heart = 100 times
-Whisper/whispers = 100 times
-girl/my girl/girlfriend = 100 times
-pink/pinkie/pinks=77 times
-warm/warmth=100+ times
-slut/sluts=40 times
And all of these are crammed into a 282-page book. Do the math!
Overall, it's just not for me.
July 16, 2014
♥♥♥ 4.25 Heart Crushing Stars ♥♥♥
● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
'I know he loves me. I never doubt his love. I doubt his intentions and respect. I distrust his motives and allegiance.
Love?
I smother in dictating love.
He's loves traitor.
● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
So, after so many people telling me about how awesome the fanfic Dusty was, I could not wait to read this one. Well, I finished reading it, but now I am conflicted with how I feel about it all. In fact, I am just plainly confused.
I don't know how to review this, without spoiling it so I'm going to try to keep it short and simple, and try to reveal as little as possible.
This book, was not a 'sunshine, rainbow, and unicorns' kind of romance story. This was heartbreaking, frustrating, confusing, and just plainly messed up. We have to very young characters Bliss and Dusty, who become friends because Bliss is best friends with Dusty's sister. But, that soon grows into something so much more.
● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
'She's my softer side. And I'm her motherfucking monster.'
● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
It was tough for me to read this with all the events that take place, especially because of their young age. Bliss's age in this book goes from about 12 to 15, and Dusty is from 14 to 17. When I read about all the booze, drug, sex, and violence that goes on, I couldn't help but feel uncomfortable about it all. These authors sure didn't sugar coat it when it came to those scenes. It was all raw and unfortunately real to how some of today's youth behave.
I will say, that I loved the writing!! The authors messed up with my head and emotions. I felt so much pain and anger. I have never liked and hated a character at the same timed so much in my life, like I did with Dusty. They were both idiots, but they did truly love each other. The addiction and the lies hurt my heart so badly. It's very hard to explain it until you read it for yourself.
● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
'Our love is not perfect. We are fucked-up and bleeding, but neither one of us is powerful enough to walk away from it like we should.'
● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
Overall, it was a crazy emotionally confusing book. That's the best way I can put it, but it was really good. The writing was good. It was a unique story that I couldn't put down, no matter how much I hurt from reading it. I know that this is one of those books that I will be thinking about, long after I finished it. I may have not agreed with certain things that went on, but those were the things that made it feel more real to me. Both Bliss and Dusty had me liking and hating them. But not all was pure pain, there were those few sweet moments that made melt completely. The ending of this book made me so freaking sad. I can NOT wait to read the next. I hear it only gets better, so I'm really excited.
*WARNING: Contains alcohol and drug abuse.*
November 1, 2016
"Tell me a secret."
I love you."
Dusty, Innocents was the most anticipated release of this year for me, but it didn't quite live up to my sky high exepations. Opposite actually. You see, I read the online version of this, this Christmas, And only a few weeks later I found out it was getting published. I couldn't be more happy because I had LOVED it, beyond loved it . So much that I actually gave this five stars the moment it came up on goodreads. I had fallen in love with Dusty and Bliss and was convinced that I didn't need to change the rating when the book actually came out. But unfortunately, much of what I feared would happen to the published version happened. Gone was the magical feeling, it's heart and soul and I didn't really like the end result.
I don't want to discourage anyone to read this. It's still an great journey we get to experience. And so well written, almost poetic in parts. Some parts i really loved, and some parts not so much. Don't let the sweet-pretty cover fool you though. This book has it sweet adorable moments, but it's also filled with raw, gut wrenching angst. Dusty will crawl into your heart and stay there. No matter that he cheats, lies and treats Bliss like shit, he will take your breath away in the next moment and you can't hate him, but you want to. I guess this book is the very definition on obsessive love and not knowing when to let go.
Dusty and Bliss are extremely young when they meet, she's not even ten and he is the two years older brother to her best friend and already a "bad boy". Love blossoms between them but it has to be kept a secret. Their love is strong but they both make stupid decisions that hurt the other. Their love is too strong for them to handle, Their young age is not an issue for the reader however, you'll be to engrossed in the story to notice. When Innocents ends, they are in their late teens. This is NOT your typical romance. Innocents contains cheating, heavy drug use, lies and betrayel. It's not beautiful or pretty, nothing is suger coated here. It's realistic and raw, deep and honest. I also don't wanna dis alarm anyone from this book with my fairly poor ranking. I just have had the honor to read the original work and know how amazing that is. But make no mistake: Dusty and Bliss' love story is epic and have to be experienced.
The writing -heartbreakingly beautiful. The characters - well developed, realistic, endearing.
August 15, 2015
4.5 Poetic Stars
Wow, what a book! This is a tale of 2 young children who fall in love amongst chaos, drugs, booze, good friends and complicated family. We journey through the teenage years of Leighlee Bliss and Dusty, and I was surprised to find I enjoyed reading about a girl who is 13/14/15 fall in love and get her heart broken by the boy who she can't say no to.
Let me tell you about Dusty, he is 2 and a half years older than Bliss and although she is his calm, his love, he is also heavily addicted to drugs and booze. He chooses to do this because he doesn't believe he is good enough and grew up seeing his parents love destroy each other. I spent the first half of the book frustrated by his actions, and doubted his true intentions but we got the odd chapter from his POV which helped me understand his fucked up mind.
The writing was very poetic, I liked it and thought it flowed beautifully for the most part and I felt immersed in the story and I think I will remember this book for a long time. I need more, and am highly anticipating the final part to their crazy love story. The story ends on a bit of a cliffhanger.
Wow, what a book! This is a tale of 2 young children who fall in love amongst chaos, drugs, booze, good friends and complicated family. We journey through the teenage years of Leighlee Bliss and Dusty, and I was surprised to find I enjoyed reading about a girl who is 13/14/15 fall in love and get her heart broken by the boy who she can't say no to.
Let me tell you about Dusty, he is 2 and a half years older than Bliss and although she is his calm, his love, he is also heavily addicted to drugs and booze. He chooses to do this because he doesn't believe he is good enough and grew up seeing his parents love destroy each other. I spent the first half of the book frustrated by his actions, and doubted his true intentions but we got the odd chapter from his POV which helped me understand his fucked up mind.
The writing was very poetic, I liked it and thought it flowed beautifully for the most part and I felt immersed in the story and I think I will remember this book for a long time. I need more, and am highly anticipating the final part to their crazy love story. The story ends on a bit of a cliffhanger.
July 17, 2014
5 “Tell me a secret.”
“I love you.” STARS
...
This amazing written story is about 2 young people and their friends.
Its about LOVE
Consuming, addictive love, secret love...
Sometimes a book will come your way that totally consumes you.
Beautifully written..
I first read this version on Fanfiction and the story pulled out all my emotions.
The story of Dusty and Bliss is one of my favourite books ever.
Let me start first of all.... it is about young teenage love.
A love that is obsessive, possessive, raw, flawed, a secret love.
Its a story that I'm sure will frustrate you, it may make you feel uneasy at times, its addictive, wrong decisions... isn't that what adolescent love is about?..
Its about Dusty and Bliss's love.
When LeighLee pronounced LayLee alias Bliss arrives in a new town, she soon makes friends..
Bliss is a daughter of the local judge, “no dating LeighLee until your 17”.
Their rules suffocate Bliss sending her into the comfort and freedom of her best friend Becka’s family and closer to Thomas/Dusty Becka's slightly older brother.
Whilst Bliss parents are strict but caring, Dusty’s are more laidback and giving but even they are still unable to stop the rollercoaster of events that start to unfold.
Its easy to forget when we read this that Dusty and Bliss are 13/15 and 15/17 and not adults. They make poor choices as we all do as we grow. But it also tells us how painful first love can be. Its real life and thats what makes it so raw.
Love. Fucking love. Love feels like tingles and sunrays. It’s a tightness in my chest and an extra beat of my heart. Love is completeness— sappiness. Better than the best chocolate ever. Love gives me tickle-chills and super high, high, high smiles. It keeps me from sleeping. It makes it hard to breathe, blink, care. Love is indescribable, cumbersome, silly-selfish, consuming, life-changing, goose bump-giving, knowing-all-the-words-to-the-song exciting, I-can’t-think-straight-without-him overwhelming, sigh-swooning, laugh-out-loud-for-no-reason anxious. It’s fun and always near. It’s a rule-causing, jealousy -inducing, leg-kicking, dream-giving.
His love is forever-never-leaving. Thomas’ love for me is simple. It’s for us and no one else.
Because love is a lot of things, but above all, love is what we make it. And we’ll make this never ending.
Because love is never saying goodbye.
I still loved everything about this book. It may be shorter than the fanfiction version but the story is still the same.
Its a story that you may love or you may hate it.
I'm so glad Mary and Sarah have published it.
Now the wait starts for the final part...Am I ready for all those emotions again...
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
“I love you.” STARS
...
This amazing written story is about 2 young people and their friends.
Its about LOVE
Consuming, addictive love, secret love...
Sometimes a book will come your way that totally consumes you.
Beautifully written..
I first read this version on Fanfiction and the story pulled out all my emotions.
The story of Dusty and Bliss is one of my favourite books ever.
Let me start first of all.... it is about young teenage love.
A love that is obsessive, possessive, raw, flawed, a secret love.
Its a story that I'm sure will frustrate you, it may make you feel uneasy at times, its addictive, wrong decisions... isn't that what adolescent love is about?..
Its about Dusty and Bliss's love.
When LeighLee pronounced LayLee alias Bliss arrives in a new town, she soon makes friends..
Bliss is a daughter of the local judge, “no dating LeighLee until your 17”.
Their rules suffocate Bliss sending her into the comfort and freedom of her best friend Becka’s family and closer to Thomas/Dusty Becka's slightly older brother.
Whilst Bliss parents are strict but caring, Dusty’s are more laidback and giving but even they are still unable to stop the rollercoaster of events that start to unfold.
Its easy to forget when we read this that Dusty and Bliss are 13/15 and 15/17 and not adults. They make poor choices as we all do as we grow. But it also tells us how painful first love can be. Its real life and thats what makes it so raw.
Love. Fucking love. Love feels like tingles and sunrays. It’s a tightness in my chest and an extra beat of my heart. Love is completeness— sappiness. Better than the best chocolate ever. Love gives me tickle-chills and super high, high, high smiles. It keeps me from sleeping. It makes it hard to breathe, blink, care. Love is indescribable, cumbersome, silly-selfish, consuming, life-changing, goose bump-giving, knowing-all-the-words-to-the-song exciting, I-can’t-think-straight-without-him overwhelming, sigh-swooning, laugh-out-loud-for-no-reason anxious. It’s fun and always near. It’s a rule-causing, jealousy -inducing, leg-kicking, dream-giving.
His love is forever-never-leaving. Thomas’ love for me is simple. It’s for us and no one else.
Because love is a lot of things, but above all, love is what we make it. And we’ll make this never ending.
Because love is never saying goodbye.
I still loved everything about this book. It may be shorter than the fanfiction version but the story is still the same.
Its a story that you may love or you may hate it.
I'm so glad Mary and Sarah have published it.
Now the wait starts for the final part...Am I ready for all those emotions again...
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Read
July 18, 2014J&G:DNF at 44%
Normally we wouldn't explain ourselves in such detail when we are unable to finish a book, but we felt we needed to do so in this case as we know so many readers loved this one; also we have had a lot of requests for our reasons why.
First off, DNF' ing this book wasn't a decision we made lightly. After all, this was one of our most anticipated reads for 2014. The day this landed on our Kindles we were beside ourselves and couldn't wait to get stuck in.
Now, friends who’d read the original version of this story told us Dusty and Bliss were young when their story begins. Admittedly we didn't know how young because those who know us know we hate finding out any details about a book in advance. We love to be surprised. So it did come as a surprise to discover that when the story commences Dusty and Bliss were 11 and 13 respectively. We didn't realise they were that young, but as we're both fans of stories that follow a relationship from childhood to adulthood we prepared to become emotionally invested with these characters. The fact of their ages on their own is not a reason for why this was a DNF.
Unfortunately, we found the actions, speech, behaviour and thought process of the very young Dusty and Bliss to be out of sync with their ages. We know that children mature a lot quicker these days but we are both parents and have a lot of socialisation with children around the ages stated throughout this book and it just felt uncomfortable and we couldn't relate to their actions at all. To explain further; one of us carries out volunteer work with children in this age range which made this extremely uncomfortable reading as it has no resemblance to reality from experience.
We’ve heard comments on how this is fiction ‘get over it’. Absolutely, we’re the first in line to admit that some of our favourite books are far removed from reality; however, there has to be that connection to believe as you are reading. Dealing with children who think and act as if they are late teens was awkward and caused a complete disconnect to the characters and their situation.
When we did let down our guard and got swept away with the beautiful, somewhat lyrical writing of these authors, we would once again be reminded of their young ages and be brought crashing back to earth and the doubt would once again set in. Let us stress the writing was stunning; almost poetic at times in its beauty. It just didn’t work for us.
Remember; what works for one reader doesn’t necessarily work for another; that is the beauty of life and reading. We have to reiterate that the writing was beautiful and although we won't be continuing with this particular series, we certainly look forward to what these authors have to offer in the future.
Normally we wouldn't explain ourselves in such detail when we are unable to finish a book, but we felt we needed to do so in this case as we know so many readers loved this one; also we have had a lot of requests for our reasons why.
First off, DNF' ing this book wasn't a decision we made lightly. After all, this was one of our most anticipated reads for 2014. The day this landed on our Kindles we were beside ourselves and couldn't wait to get stuck in.
Now, friends who’d read the original version of this story told us Dusty and Bliss were young when their story begins. Admittedly we didn't know how young because those who know us know we hate finding out any details about a book in advance. We love to be surprised. So it did come as a surprise to discover that when the story commences Dusty and Bliss were 11 and 13 respectively. We didn't realise they were that young, but as we're both fans of stories that follow a relationship from childhood to adulthood we prepared to become emotionally invested with these characters. The fact of their ages on their own is not a reason for why this was a DNF.
Unfortunately, we found the actions, speech, behaviour and thought process of the very young Dusty and Bliss to be out of sync with their ages. We know that children mature a lot quicker these days but we are both parents and have a lot of socialisation with children around the ages stated throughout this book and it just felt uncomfortable and we couldn't relate to their actions at all. To explain further; one of us carries out volunteer work with children in this age range which made this extremely uncomfortable reading as it has no resemblance to reality from experience.
We’ve heard comments on how this is fiction ‘get over it’. Absolutely, we’re the first in line to admit that some of our favourite books are far removed from reality; however, there has to be that connection to believe as you are reading. Dealing with children who think and act as if they are late teens was awkward and caused a complete disconnect to the characters and their situation.
When we did let down our guard and got swept away with the beautiful, somewhat lyrical writing of these authors, we would once again be reminded of their young ages and be brought crashing back to earth and the doubt would once again set in. Let us stress the writing was stunning; almost poetic at times in its beauty. It just didn’t work for us.
Remember; what works for one reader doesn’t necessarily work for another; that is the beauty of life and reading. We have to reiterate that the writing was beautiful and although we won't be continuing with this particular series, we certainly look forward to what these authors have to offer in the future.
August 26, 2014
Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
This one might get a bit ranty.
After reading Fangirl last year, I found myself fascinated by the world of FanFiction and began searching Goodreads to find a “good” FanFic in order to see what all the fuss was about. I realize there are plenty of fics which have morphed into bestsellers (although for the life of me, I can’t understand why ), but I wanted an honest-to-goodness written fromobsession love, can’t get enough of these people so I’ll do it myself, with a good “what if” scenario to mix things up from the inspiration. You know, kind of like how my good friend Tina Belcher rocks it.
Long story short, I ended up stumbling upon Dusty and decided to give it a go. At over 1,200 pages, this was obviously a labor of love and I was digging the premise (i.e., what if, rather than being a sparkly bloodsucker – Edward’s darkness came from drug addiction), but it’s not like I’m one of those “TwiMoms” or anything. Okay, full disclosure, I totally went to see “Twilight” at an over-21 movie theater and got hammered on “blood bags,” but that just makes me a girl who likes to get her drink on, not a fangirl.
Anyway, I muddled through Dusty and thought it had potential should it ever come under an editor’s red pen. When I saw that Innocents had been created, I figured what the hell and clicked the old one-click. What did I find?
So. Much. Teen. Angst. And guess what? This mother*^%$r hasn’t been edited AT ALL. Rather than cutting any of the hundreds of unnecessary pages, Innocents is just the first4,572,619 282 pages of Dusty.
It’s pretty horrible . . . and (for me, at least) not horrible in the ways others have stated. I didn’t mind reading aboutEdwardThomas/Dusty’s downward spiral into drugs or the progression of Bella Leighlee and Thomas’ relationship into a sexual one. The problem I had was the writing – for the love of god the writing is sooooooo bad.
First, we have the excessive nicknames for our female MC:
“Princess kid”
“Sunny side”
“Pretty girl”
“Princess Blissy-bliss”
“Princess baby”
“Strawberry-blonde”
“My cherished”
Did you barf yet? My apologies.
Second, we have the obligatory references to how everything/everyone smells:
“Chocolate chip cookie and playtime scented”
“Cotton candy, corn dogs, and just-cut grass”
“Unlawful” (I bet Old Spice is ALL OVER this one)
“Baseball sweat and dirty play clothes”
“Smoke and lily flowers”
“Sweet grass, trouble, and vanilla”
“Pure, unreserved mischief" – be careful about enjoying this one too much
“The scent of teenage boys: sweat and clay-dirt, cut grass and leafy green.”
Uhhhhh, I have a teenage boy – he's even a baseball player, but he sure as shit don��t smell like that. It’s more like:
“Marshmallows, summertime, and cake, dark rain and wet grass”
“Vanilla and pot and nighttime and meadows and smoke and Thomas”
Finally, there are these giant, rambling paragraphs about “love” (I flagged a shitton of these, but I’ll only post one – don’t say I never did you any favors):
“Love is indescribable, cumbersome, silly-selfish, consuming, life-changing, goose bump-giving, knowing-all-the-words-to-the-song exciting. I-can’t-think-straight-without-him-overwhelming, sigh-swooning, laugh-out-loud-for-no-reason anxious. It’s a rule-causing, jealousy-inducing, leg-kicking, dream-giving, wonderful, filling, shake-trembling, wonder-where-you-are-always obsessive, necessary, requiring, joyful flow.”
Hold your horses, it’s not over over yet, kids.
“Our love is secret-keeping, late-night sneaking, gift-giving, cream-soda loving, vanilla, trouble, and princess-pie-duty incomparable.”
Needless to say, Innocents did not make me feel all “lemon-sunshine and dizzy dazzly.” Oh, and if you’re looking for a big payoff in the “losing of the V-Card arena” – you’re going to be disappointed.
VERY DISAPPOINTED
This one might get a bit ranty.
After reading Fangirl last year, I found myself fascinated by the world of FanFiction and began searching Goodreads to find a “good” FanFic in order to see what all the fuss was about. I realize there are plenty of fics which have morphed into bestsellers (although for the life of me, I can’t understand why ), but I wanted an honest-to-goodness written from
Long story short, I ended up stumbling upon Dusty and decided to give it a go. At over 1,200 pages, this was obviously a labor of love and I was digging the premise (i.e., what if, rather than being a sparkly bloodsucker – Edward’s darkness came from drug addiction), but it’s not like I’m one of those “TwiMoms” or anything. Okay, full disclosure, I totally went to see “Twilight” at an over-21 movie theater and got hammered on “blood bags,” but that just makes me a girl who likes to get her drink on, not a fangirl.
Anyway, I muddled through Dusty and thought it had potential should it ever come under an editor’s red pen. When I saw that Innocents had been created, I figured what the hell and clicked the old one-click. What did I find?
So. Much. Teen. Angst. And guess what? This mother*^%$r hasn’t been edited AT ALL. Rather than cutting any of the hundreds of unnecessary pages, Innocents is just the first
It’s pretty horrible . . . and (for me, at least) not horrible in the ways others have stated. I didn’t mind reading about
First, we have the excessive nicknames for our female MC:
“Princess kid”
“Sunny side”
“Pretty girl”
“Princess Blissy-bliss”
“Princess baby”
“Strawberry-blonde”
“My cherished”
Did you barf yet? My apologies.
Second, we have the obligatory references to how everything/everyone smells:
“Chocolate chip cookie and playtime scented”
“Cotton candy, corn dogs, and just-cut grass”
“Unlawful” (I bet Old Spice is ALL OVER this one)
“Baseball sweat and dirty play clothes”
“Smoke and lily flowers”
“Sweet grass, trouble, and vanilla”
“Pure, unreserved mischief" – be careful about enjoying this one too much
“The scent of teenage boys: sweat and clay-dirt, cut grass and leafy green.”
Uhhhhh, I have a teenage boy – he's even a baseball player, but he sure as shit don��t smell like that. It’s more like:
“Marshmallows, summertime, and cake, dark rain and wet grass”
“Vanilla and pot and nighttime and meadows and smoke and Thomas”
Finally, there are these giant, rambling paragraphs about “love” (I flagged a shitton of these, but I’ll only post one – don’t say I never did you any favors):
“Love is indescribable, cumbersome, silly-selfish, consuming, life-changing, goose bump-giving, knowing-all-the-words-to-the-song exciting. I-can’t-think-straight-without-him-overwhelming, sigh-swooning, laugh-out-loud-for-no-reason anxious. It’s a rule-causing, jealousy-inducing, leg-kicking, dream-giving, wonderful, filling, shake-trembling, wonder-where-you-are-always obsessive, necessary, requiring, joyful flow.”
Hold your horses, it’s not over over yet, kids.
“Our love is secret-keeping, late-night sneaking, gift-giving, cream-soda loving, vanilla, trouble, and princess-pie-duty incomparable.”
Needless to say, Innocents did not make me feel all “lemon-sunshine and dizzy dazzly.” Oh, and if you’re looking for a big payoff in the “losing of the V-Card arena” – you’re going to be disappointed.
VERY DISAPPOINTED
July 17, 2014
I am sitting here speechless right now, as I have just finished this book and I truly don't know whether I loved or hated it! I want to start by saying that this book is one I would not consider a romance novel. Yet, there is a story about two young people who are in love; but it is what I would call an extremely dysfunctional kind of love. This was a story that I choose to call "Epic" because I won't ever forget it, and quite frankly it has been on my mind for the past three days that I have been reading it. This is why I choose to rate it 4.5 stars. I feel it deserves a rating that high, because it had me feeling every emotion that I have and I literally lived and breathed Dusty and Bliss's tale. The reason I took off a half star is because there were some editing issues, and it was enough that I felt it could have been combed over a bit better. Editing aside though, this was my first experience with these authors and I was impressed with their writing skills. There were so many quotes that I highlighted, and it has been awhile since I have been so absorbed into a story as much as I had with this one. In my opinion, it takes major talent from an author to be able to capture the readers attention (good or bad)and have them talking about their written words for days!
I don't want to go into major details about this story, because I do feel it is a story that should be experienced by the reader going in with minimal knowledge of what is going on.
Dusty and Bliss meet when they are basically quite young. Bliss is new to town and meets up with a girl named Rebecka, they become best of friends. Not only does Rebecka develop a bond with Bliss; but her family does too, this includes her brother Thomas..aka..Dusty. Bliss comes from a home where she is very supressed and her parents are strict. When she goes to the Castor household though, she is allowed to be free and happy! Basically, the Castors are the type of parents you wouldn't want your child hanging around lots. They have very little rules for their children, and on the whole they don't seem to spend a ton of time with their kids either.
With Bliss spending so much time there, Dusty and her begin the journey of their "secret relationship"..This relationship develops over time and it goes on for years..and they manage to keep it from not only just their parents; but Rebecka too.
Bliss gives Dusty the unconditional love that no one else seems to offer him. It is amazing how she can remain true to him and keep on loving him..even through all of the lies, betrayal, addiction, and all sorts of dysfunction. One of the harder things that I dealt with during this story was their age. They both really were quite young to be experiencing such a mature kind of relationship..
I also hate to say it, but to me Dusty is a totally jerk! Yes, there are times that he says some heart warming things to Bliss..but it is hard to overlook everything he does behind her back. I feel very strongly in the fact that he has a ton of crap to make up for in the second half of this story. If he doesn't get himself on the road to redemption and even recovery, then I will not be thinking he is sweet in anyway!
The ending of ths story is pretty much just cut off. I believe the second book comes out towards the end of October. I am looking forward to reading it; I just hope that things will start come together and be better for the couple. I will most definitely be eager to see how everything plays out!
All in all, this was an awesome read! It is not for everyone though; but if you do decide to take the plunge then stock up on lots of kleenex, and your Buddy if you can! There is a lot of hard stuff to swallow; but it is a journey that I am glad I took!
I don't want to go into major details about this story, because I do feel it is a story that should be experienced by the reader going in with minimal knowledge of what is going on.
Dusty and Bliss meet when they are basically quite young. Bliss is new to town and meets up with a girl named Rebecka, they become best of friends. Not only does Rebecka develop a bond with Bliss; but her family does too, this includes her brother Thomas..aka..Dusty. Bliss comes from a home where she is very supressed and her parents are strict. When she goes to the Castor household though, she is allowed to be free and happy! Basically, the Castors are the type of parents you wouldn't want your child hanging around lots. They have very little rules for their children, and on the whole they don't seem to spend a ton of time with their kids either.
With Bliss spending so much time there, Dusty and her begin the journey of their "secret relationship"..This relationship develops over time and it goes on for years..and they manage to keep it from not only just their parents; but Rebecka too.
Bliss gives Dusty the unconditional love that no one else seems to offer him. It is amazing how she can remain true to him and keep on loving him..even through all of the lies, betrayal, addiction, and all sorts of dysfunction. One of the harder things that I dealt with during this story was their age. They both really were quite young to be experiencing such a mature kind of relationship..
I also hate to say it, but to me Dusty is a totally jerk! Yes, there are times that he says some heart warming things to Bliss..but it is hard to overlook everything he does behind her back. I feel very strongly in the fact that he has a ton of crap to make up for in the second half of this story. If he doesn't get himself on the road to redemption and even recovery, then I will not be thinking he is sweet in anyway!
The ending of ths story is pretty much just cut off. I believe the second book comes out towards the end of October. I am looking forward to reading it; I just hope that things will start come together and be better for the couple. I will most definitely be eager to see how everything plays out!
All in all, this was an awesome read! It is not for everyone though; but if you do decide to take the plunge then stock up on lots of kleenex, and your Buddy if you can! There is a lot of hard stuff to swallow; but it is a journey that I am glad I took!
July 16, 2014
This was bad as a fan fiction and I'm sure it's not any better as published book. Manipulative writing and angst for angst's sake.
Do yourself a favor and avoid it.
ETA: Thanks to one of the authors for liking my review. Apparently her liking it is supposed to show me that she's laughing at me.
As I recall when this was posted as a fan fiction if anyone dared to leave a bad review the authors would publicly attack the person and abuse them.
So be careful what you write in your review or they'll set the attack dogs on you.
Do yourself a favor and avoid it.
ETA: Thanks to one of the authors for liking my review. Apparently her liking it is supposed to show me that she's laughing at me.
As I recall when this was posted as a fan fiction if anyone dared to leave a bad review the authors would publicly attack the person and abuse them.
So be careful what you write in your review or they'll set the attack dogs on you.
March 24, 2015
3 'Love fucking hurts' Stars
First things first I want to thank Mysza and the others that helped me find this book.
OK...I really don't know how I feel about this book. I'm really disturbed by it. They started drinking and stuff when they were like 12 years old.
Bliss stayed with Thomas even though every night he would be drunk in some party high off his ass. He would also sleep with different girls and she would still stay with him.
And the ending confusing as fuck. im still debating if I should read the second one. Anyway, gonna keep this review short. Don't feel like going more in depth. Overall....Don't know what to say really.
“Love.
Fucking love.
Love feels like tingles and sunrays.
It’s a tightness in my chest and an extra beat of my heart. Love is completeness—sappiness. Better than the best chocolate ever.”
First things first I want to thank Mysza and the others that helped me find this book.
OK...I really don't know how I feel about this book. I'm really disturbed by it. They started drinking and stuff when they were like 12 years old.
Bliss stayed with Thomas even though every night he would be drunk in some party high off his ass. He would also sleep with different girls and she would still stay with him.
And the ending confusing as fuck. im still debating if I should read the second one. Anyway, gonna keep this review short. Don't feel like going more in depth. Overall....Don't know what to say really.
“Love.
Fucking love.
Love feels like tingles and sunrays.
It’s a tightness in my chest and an extra beat of my heart. Love is completeness—sappiness. Better than the best chocolate ever.”
July 16, 2014
I've been waiting for the release of this book for what seems like forever...and to finally have it in my hands made my heart cry happy tears.
The prologue was absolute perfection, and I died a slow, painful death reliving it all over again.
I read the fanfic of Dusty, and of course, I loved it. Honestly, it is my favorite book ever written. I've said it over and over again, but "Dusty the Fanfic" is complete and total epicness.
Innocents was one hell of a rollercoaster ride.
My stomach turned...
My heart cried...
My chest burned...
I just could not handle the love, the heartbreak, the tears, and just the complete mess that is Bliss and Dusty.
And yet...
I absolutely LOVED reading them again.
I hate to love Dusty, but at the same time, I love to hate Dusty.
It's completely fucked.
I don't even know how to explain how I felt reading this book...
...happy, sad, mad, tired, frustrated, hate, in love, murdererish, heartbroken, completely fucked up...
When you really think about it Dusty is a complete, selfish fucking asshole, but I could never find it in my heart to actually completely hate him. If I'm being honest, I'm completely in love with him.
And Bliss...
I love sweet, little Bliss.
Her innocence was adorable...and I loved that she didn't know everything...that she was just sweet...sweet like a little girl should be.
I loved that she was secretly rebellious and gave her heart to the delinquent down the hall.
I loved that a pink silky bra was her beloved.
I loved how her best friend was the complete opposite of her...dirty and messy to her clean and pretty.
Some would have a problem with the age of the characters and the bad habits and the sex...but these are the days where young girls and boys know these things...do these things...and no matter how much we wish they didn't...shit like this happens. It's real life.
Innocents gives us real. No sappy bullshit that a teenage boy would never do in his life. We get a fucked up boy "corrupting" an innocent girl...We get real life bullshit that makes us want to pull our hair out...break things...and just fucking yell at the mess of it all.
The only issue I had with this book was we didn't get more...more of everything...I needed more. My heart will be ready to be cracked wide open for Delinquents.
Want to read
March 1, 2015
FREE on Smaswords & 99 cents on Amazon US today (3/1/2015)
Book 2 is FREE on Amazon!
BLURB:
The girl with an innocent heart knows all about bad choices, but has yet to make them for herself. Searching for freedom, she finds it in the delinquent down the hall.
The troublemaker with summer-sky blue eyes knows he should stay away, but can’t resist the blissful wonder who makes his house a home.
She’s a hopeless romantic. He’s just hopeless.
She’s his reason, but he might not catch her when she falls.
She loves him. He loves her crazy.
This is what happens when a love made of secrets is kept with rules instead of promises.
FREE on Smaswords:
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October 14, 2014
** 5++ "That's my belly button" STARS **
"She's my softer side...and I'm her motherfucking monster."
I AM WRECKED.
There are those books that just linger, you know?
You finish them but even after weeks, they still sometimes pop into your mind out of nowhere and make your heart break.
This is one of those books.
I CAN FEEL IT.
I know he loves me.
I never doubt his love.
I doubt his intentions and respect.
I distrust his motives and allegiance.
Love?
I smother in dictating love.
He's loves traitor."
My emotions were all over the place the whole time.
One minute I was so sorry for Bliss... One minute I was so mad at her for putting up with all this shit!
One minute I hated Dusty for all the screwing around, for getting high constantly, for always being selfish... One minute my heart just broke for him.
One minute I hated what was going on between these two very young people. One minute it felt so sweet and right...
I still have no idea how I feel about anything.
I just know that I am, in fact, completely blown away by it all.
The drug use issue is and will always be a very sensitive one for me.
It's because I have witnessed first hand through one of my best friends what drugs can do to a soul, how it can change that person completely and how incredibly hard it is to put it behind you.
The struggle and inner battle Dusty had to constantly go through, between giving into the urges of the drug or steering clear of them for her love, Bliss...
I GET THAT.
Maybe that's one of the reasons for me to be destroyed this much by this book.
My eyes still well up with tears when I think of Dusty, Bliss and their powerful and captivating story.
/////////////
It's almost been 3 months since I've read this book and it still occupies my dreams sometimes. It's inexplicable. The way I'm almost obsessed with it, I mean.
I hope to God this story ends well. Otherwise, I'm guessing I'll be shattered.
MY REVIEW FOR "Delinquents (Dusty, #2)"
December 14, 2018
I am going to need lots of liquor to finish the duet ... this book was angst on crack for real LOL
I was hoping there was more like ugly cry feels but there was more frustration than anything. I did liked the couple and i understood their struggles but i still wanted to smack them both hahaha.
I was hoping there was more like ugly cry feels but there was more frustration than anything. I did liked the couple and i understood their struggles but i still wanted to smack them both hahaha.
November 7, 2023
I cannot wait to have a tangible copy of this in my hands! Hopefully I'll get lucky and it will be signed ;-)
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