Light in the Shadows - A. Meredith Walters
*Review by
Jackie Joyce
Synopsis: How do you keep going when you feel like your life is over? Maggie never thought she’d see Clay again. So, she attempts to put her life back together after her heart has been shattered to pieces. Moving on and moving forward, just as Clay wanted her to.
Clay never stopped thinking of Maggie. Even after ripping their lives apart and leaving her behind to get the help he so desperately needed. He is healing...slowly. But his heart still belongs to the girl who tried to save him.
When a sudden tragedy brings Maggie and Clay face to face again, nothing is the same. Yet some things never change. Can the darkness that threatened to consume them be transformed into something else and finally give them what they always wanted? And can two people who fought so hard to be together, finally find their happiness? Or will their demons and fear drive them apart for good?
The thing about love, is even when it destroys you, it has a way of mending what is broken. And in the shadows, you can still see the light.
When I read Find You in the Dark, I was an emotional wreck. Maggie and Clay dug up some painful memories of high school and what it was like to be in love with someone in the unhealthiest of ways. The raw emotion and the insane passion these two share was just as addicting for me to read about as it was for them in the book. Light in the Shadows was an amazing follow up book.
I love that with Maggie and Clay, A. Meredith Walters doesn't fall into the stereotypes of some popular books out today that describe what is clearly an unhealthy relationship, but romanticize it to make it ok. It's SO not ok. And as much as your heart aches at how much these two love each other, it is obvious that they are spiraling. Instead of dancing around these issues, this book takes them head on. It is so refreshing to read a book that points out when you are losing your independence, your friends, and the respect and trust of your family, you are probably involved in something you shouldn't be.
I have also never read about someone in mental health treatment, and I think Clay really stands out as a hero in Light in the Shadows for getting help. I LOVE that as a reader, I got to experience his therapy with him. It didn't shut the door or give a brief summary about the meeting. The conversations made so much sense, and even someone who doesn't suffer from the extremeties of Clay's emotions could probably learn a thing or two about dealing with life's issues.
My favorite part about this book, though, was that I literally could not decide whether or not I wanted Maggie and Clay to be together. That might sound crazy, but Walters does such an incredible job at describing how toxic they can be to each other. In most other books I read, I know what characters are supposed to be together, and I just read patiently until it happens and it all works out happily ever after. In this book, I started getting scared. I love these two together, but I honestly started wondering whether or not they would end up together (in a healthy way or not), or if I even wanted them to...for their own sakes.
Again, my heart is still recovering from this book. I wanted to hug both Maggie and Clay the whole time I was reading it. The first book takes you right of the edge of the cliff with them, and this one pulls you back up. I would recommend this book to everyone who likes reading about real issues, and real, passionate, messy-but-amazing relationships. You won't be able to put it down.
Light in the Shadows - A. Meredith Walters
*Review by
Jackie Joyce
Synopsis: How do you keep going when you feel like your life is over? Maggie never thought she’d see Clay again. So, she attempts to put her life back together after her heart has been shattered to pieces. Moving on and moving forward, just as Clay wanted her to.
Clay never stopped thinking of Maggie. Even after ripping their lives apart and leaving her behind to get the help he so desperately needed. He is healing...slowly. But his heart still belongs to the girl who tried to save him.
When a sudden tragedy brings Maggie and Clay face to face again, nothing is the same. Yet some things never change. Can the darkness that threatened to consume them be transformed into something else and finally give them what they always wanted? And can two people who fought so hard to be together, finally find their happiness? Or will their demons and fear drive them apart for good?
The thing about love, is even when it destroys you, it has a way of mending what is broken. And in the shadows, you can still see the light.
When I read Find You in the Dark, I was an emotional wreck. Maggie and Clay dug up some painful memories of high school and what it was like to be in love with someone in the unhealthiest of ways. The raw emotion and the insane passion these two share was just as addicting for me to read about as it was for them in the book. Light in the Shadows was an amazing follow up book.
I love that with Maggie and Clay, A. Meredith Walters doesn't fall into the stereotypes of some popular books out today that describe what is clearly an unhealthy relationship, but romanticize it to make it ok. It's SO not ok. And as much as your heart aches at how much these two love each other, it is obvious that they are spiraling. Instead of dancing around these issues, this book takes them head on. It is so refreshing to read a book that points out when you are losing your independence, your friends, and the respect and trust of your family, you are probably involved in something you shouldn't be.
I have also never read about someone in mental health treatment, and I think Clay really stands out as a hero in Light in the Shadows for getting help. I LOVE that as a reader, I got to experience his therapy with him. It didn't shut the door or give a brief summary about the meeting. The conversations made so much sense, and even someone who doesn't suffer from the extremeties of Clay's emotions could probably learn a thing or two about dealing with life's issues.
My favorite part about this book, though, was that I literally could not decide whether or not I wanted Maggie and Clay to be together. That might sound crazy, but Walters does such an incredible job at describing how toxic they can be to each other. In most other books I read, I know what characters are supposed to be together, and I just read patiently until it happens and it all works out happily ever after. In this book, I started getting scared. I love these two together, but I honestly started wondering whether or not they would end up together (in a healthy way or not), or if I even wanted them to...for their own sakes.
Again, my heart is still recovering from this book. I wanted to hug both Maggie and Clay the whole time I was reading it. The first book takes you right of the edge of the cliff with them, and this one pulls you back up. I would recommend this book to everyone who likes reading about real issues, and real, passionate, messy-but-amazing relationships. You won't be able to put it down.
