Review of Crash by Nicole Williams

Published: July 18, 2012
Publisher: Nicole Williams
ASIN:B008N0LUE4


Lucy lived her life surrounded by a loving family, wealth and promise, until the day her brother was murdered. From that day on, her happy world began to unravel. Her father lost his job, his mind slipping from reality, her mother turned to work and directed her anger at every person who crossed her path, and Lucy searched for creatures she could fix, making the last five years something of a pitiful nightmare. The only thing Lucy has left is her dancing and the dream of being accepted into the prestigious Julliard.

Then she meets Jude Ryder. Tall, athletic with a killer smile and endless charm, Lucy recognizes right away that he is everything she should be avoiding. He's a heart breaker, a smooth talker and has a rap sheet longer than her arm, but she finds that, although her gut is telling her to steer clear, her heart is jogging to keep up.

Wow, but this book was a real page turner. It kept me up way past my bedtime and when it was clear that sleep was imperative, I took the needed break, then was right back at it this morning. I simply couldn't out it down. Simple writing, but highly engaging and compelling. Miss Williams has created fantastic characters with strong personalities and a lot of depth. Jude was that dark and tortured boy with an equally dark and tortured past. His default was anger, to the point of self-destruction that was cringe worthy at times and a little frightening, forcing me to ask, what would I do in Lucy's situation? Even when I thought, enough is enough, this boy is too damaged to pursue without risking personal harm, I still couldn't walk away any more than Lucy could. He's exactly the type of character that gives you just enough of his softer side to know there is one and that he is redeemable if he would just let someone in, and that, along with a host of other reasons, makes him swoon worthy in my book. I have only read a few books with characters that moved me like Jude did, and if I had to compare one that he gave a good run for his money, it would be Patch from Hush, Hush.

Lucy, for all the crap she's been through, was remarkably balanced. Although she intended to step lightly with Jude, as any teenager would do, she always ended up stomping and stumbling through all her well intentioned safeguards. She was relatable and likeable and that is an important quality, especially in a first person novel.

I am thrilled to have had the pleasure of reading this and know that the characters will be with me for a while. Overlooking small editing issues, I feel this is a well deserved 5 stars, and I would recommend it anyone who likes a Ya novel (recommended for 18+ due to some strong language) with plenty of romance, heartache, and deception.

Crash is Available on Amazon Kindle here.