Welcome to the blog tour for Ava: A Hart Twins Novel by Charyse Allan! This twisting and turning YA novel is one you won't want to miss. Keep on reading to see an excerpt as well as my thoughts about this book. You can also follow the tour for even more fun.
Ava: A Hart Twins Novel
by Charyse Allan
Genre: YA Romance/Suspense
Release Date: January 29th 2019
Summary:
Ava has everything planned, as usual. Finish senior year at the top of her class, perform her best dance routine at the dance concert, and have the greatest prom ever. But her best friend, Cade, has other ideas. He convinces Ava to abandon her rigid schedule and enjoy her last year of high school. After letting her hair down for one amazing night and exchanging a steamy kiss with Cade, she's ready to explore this carefree side of herself, until someone plays a cruel joke on her.
Humiliated and hurt, Ava retreats into her carefully constructed box, hoping everything will go back to normal. But it doesn't. What she thought was a prank has turned out to be so much more, and she doesn't even know the half of it. Determined to handle the situation herself, Ava hides her true feelings from her friends and her new love interest, but is quickly pushed past her breaking point.
The survival of a sickening betrayal, a broken heart, and a perilous attack mean very little when lost in a game you don’t even know you’re playing.
Read an excerpt:
Prologue
Before this moment—on the verge of nothingness, at the hands of someone I should have suspected—I had it all figured out… at least, for the most part. There was a perfect-sized box for everything in my life. The details fit nicely in their own little containers, and I could sort them and stack them as I pleased, so long as no one messed with my system.
Chaos wasn’t even an option—it wasn’t tolerated.
With his hands wrapped around my throat—his sweat dripping on my face, my nails digging into his knuckles—he told me why, he told me who was to blame, but it made no sense. Until the darkness came and choked me with guilt, with regret, with self-loathing.
I thought there would be nothing when I finally passed out, but her face was there, tears running down her cheeks, smack in the middle of the black. She told me I should have been there, should have paid closer attention, should have helped her, even when she pushed everyone away.
She wasn’t to blame. No. The rest of us were. But I was too focused on the chaos my life had become, too busy trying to shove everything back in its box, while ignoring those who mattered most.
If I ever woke again, would she be there? Would she be okay? Was there still time to help her?
There had to be.
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**My thoughts**
I need book 2!
First I have to say that reading this seriously made me not miss high school in any way, shape, or form. I hate the catty, petty drama that goes on. And it definitely seems to be more intense these days. (Yes, I know this is just a book, but still. It's a whole new world out there.)
I love Ava. She is strong, determined, and knows what she wants. She doesn't take crap from anyone, which is going to serve her well in life. But she also has a soft and vulnerable side. Usually she uses that for good, but it can get her into trouble, as it pretty much does in this book. She is one of those Type A personalities who likes to be in control of a lot, and somehow seems to manage being involved in dozens of activities while also maintaining an excellent GPA to get her into her chosen college.
And then there is Mia. She is Ava's identical twin sister, who comes off as being a really nasty person that you don't want to have anything to do with. She is clearly having severe problems of some kind, altering her appearance, going out and getting drunk, withdrawing from her friends and family. Red flags are flying all over the place. And considering some recent events with teenagers in my own life, I just want to shake both of her parents for not paying close enough attention or pushing a little harder to find out what is going on. I am also sad that Ava and Mia, who are identical twins, just don't seem to have that strong connection you would expect them to have. But there is a good reason why. It starts in this book and is why I need to read the second book.
Cade is one of Ava's best friends. He is also an ex from two years ago, and the two of them clearly still have feelings for each other. He has a bit of a checkered past from when he previously lived in Seattle with his mom. I cannot stand his temper. I don't like it when guys fly off the handle so easily and personally would remain extremely cautious, if not holding such a guy at arm's length if I saw him demonstrate his anger so rapidly. His saving graces are that he is never physical with Ava or any other female. He is also aware that he has anger issues and wants to do something about them. I also realize that he is under a lot of pressure with school and craziness with his parents, etc.
Kai is Ava and Mia's older brother who is across the world in the service. He also seems to get angry quite easily, but is fiercely protective of his younger siblings. He definitely seems to be closer to Ava than Mia. But because this story is told from Ava's point of view (alternating with Cade), we really cannot know the extent of his relationship with the other twin. I do like seeing a tight family that loves each other, though I feel like the parents are somewhat burying their heads in the sand.When they're aware of something, they are also like alpha dogs hunting down the enemy and trying to make things right. I just want them to act a little sooner. Then again, I have the advantage of omniscience.
Ava and Cade have some amazing friends in their lives. And then there are the nasty, manipulative people who hate them. And then weird things start to happen to Ava. Because she is so determined and strong-willed, it is easy for her to piss off people. And she certainly manages to do so with a few people. So those people are retaliating and it is pretty scary. They are not sure who is behind the attacks and vandalism, but I pretty much had it figured out from the get-go.
I have to jump on my educator soap box for a moment and implore teens who are reading this to PLEASE find a trusted adult should you ever find yourself or a friend in any of these situations. These teens don't want to tell anyone what is going on, because they don't want to upset any adults or make matters worse. But that's what we are here for.
I actually really enjoyed this book. There's enough suspense and roller coaster action to keep you engaged. I actually read it all in one evening. And like I keep saying, I really need to read the next book, which is from Mia's point of view, to find out what is really going on with her.
I received a complimentary copy in exchange for my honest review.
About Charyse Allan
Charyse Allan grew up in Arizona dancing and riding horses. She is an avid reader, but didn’t become one until high school. This is also when she realized her passion for writing, however it wasn’t until a couple years into her marriage that she tried her hand at writing a novel.
When she isn’t writing or reading, she can be found in Northern Arizona, tending her garden with her husband and best friend, while their two kids and two crazy dogs run around the yard. Charyse is also a big fan of Holy yoga, juicing and being a vegetarian—she misses bacon like nobody’s business.
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