Blog Tour Stop: Review ~ Inescapable by Amy Bartol

My name is Evie Claremont and this was to be the making of me--my freshman year of college. I had been hoping that once I had arrived on Crestwood's campus, the nightmare that I've been having would go away. It hasn't.

I may be an inexperienced seventeen-year-old, but I'm grounded...sane. Since meeting sophomore Reed Wellington, however, nothing makes any sense. Whenever he is near, I feel an attraction to him--a magnetic kind of force pulling me towards him. I know what you're thinking...that sounds fairly awesome. Yeah, it would--if he liked me, but Reed acts as if I'm the worst thing that's ever happened to Crestwood...or him. But, get this, for some reason every time I turn around he's there, barging into my life.

What is the secret he is keeping from me? I'm hoping that it is anything but what I expect: that he is not exactly normal...and neither am I. So maybe Crestwood won't be the making of me, but it could be the breaking of me. I have been left to wonder if the dark future my dream is foretelling is...inescapable.

Don't stress, I tell myself while taking a deep breath. This will be the making of you. Everything will be fine. 

 Oh, Evie. If you only you knew how right you were. The story opens up with Evie moving in to her new dorm at Crestwood, away from everything and everyone she knows ~ her parental Uncle Jim in particular. She's a little anxious, and it's no wonder with the nightmares that keep her up at night. Will this be a fresh start? Will this next chapter in her life put the dark dreams behind her?

Meeting Reed Wellington kind of puts a damper on those hopes. He's a bit controlling, definitely pushy, and there's something about Evie that gets his panties in a twist to the point that he wants her gone ~ as in leaving school and throwing away her scholarship. What on earth did she ever do to Mr. Perfect to make him treat her like some kind of plague?

What's up with hotness? I wonder. He looks like someone definitely broke his crayons.

Evie's pretty stubborn though, and her charisma allows her to make friends easily. Even, eventually, when it comes to Reed. I love Evie. She's smart, witty, strong, hilarious, and she always wants to do the right thing. She's not perfect and she gets confused with the battle between her mind and heart, but her intentions tend to lean on the side of good. She knows there's something different about her, and after spending time with Reed, she begins to suspect that he might have some answers.

If she wants to experience what it would be like to pull some teeth, that is. Reed is a vague creature, unwilling to simply hand over everything Evie wants to know. Most of what he does tell her comes without much explanation. Vague at best. Which is probably the only problem that I had with the novel. Evie just falls into the little information that Reed tells her, believing him without any real objections or skepticism. I don't know about you, but I would be freaking out if I knew I was in imminent and fatal danger, and I would be demanding to know what the heck it was about me that would cause such a situation to arise. Evie just kinda goes with the flow; worrying, fearing, but never really asking why or how this has begun to happen to her.

On the other hand, maybe she never really wanted to know. She says herself that she was in denial, and maybe that's what it was all about ~ ignore it and maybe it'll go away. She's afraid, but even in her rocky relationship with Reed, she knows he'll keep her safe.

Evie and Reed's relationship is... interesting. It's like two magnets of opposing poles being drawn together. There attraction is sudden and consistent, like they have no control, even when they aren't together. Poor Russell, the enigmatic football player who befriends Evie from day one. He never stood a chance. Or did he? Time will tell. I know love triangles are overdone, for the most part, but I don't feel like this one follows the rules of the typical tug-of-war. It's different, and while I'm quite certain Evie knows what's in her heart, I'm really not sure what's going to happen.

"Red, I know ya don't know much about men, but seein' ya there like that, it just hits ya and ya start thankin' God that there is such beauty in the world and that yer lucky enough to have seen it." ~ Russell

Russell's my favorite by the way ~ southern boy charm mixed together with the biggest heart you've ever seen. Love him to pieces.

Another little side note: I love the way Amy Bartol wrote each character. They are all so distinct and believable in their personalities. The angels, who's lives have spanned for eternity, are obviously a little old fashioned in their dialogue and sense of humor. Buns and Brownie had their own little quirks when they speak and Russell... well, you could just hear the southern twang in your head as you read him. As a character-driven reader, I couldn't ask for more than the depth and dynamic attributes of these characters.

The story itself is freakin' awesome. So many different elements are brought together to create a very unique story that includes angels, reapers, demons, wars, hybrids, soul-mates, ghosts... It's incredible and just flows effortlessly. And the twists? Usually I can predict or at least have a suspicion of what might happen, but not in Inescapable. I didn't see that one coming.

All in all ~ Fabulous book that would highly recommend :) Four out of five stars!!!

****

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Happy Reading Everyone :)


~ Keely ~