Never Let You Fall
Author:
Michele Miller
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Xander has been tasked with watching Skye from afar for the past two years, in order to keep her safe from the demons that hunt her. An easy job - until a pair of red glowing eyes reveal themselves to Skye, and Xander, in a moment of weakness, is forced to break his cover to protect her. Never good at trusting people, Skye is inexplicably drawn to Xander and the immediate bond she feels for him. However, Xander is filled with secrets and ties to her past that threaten to thrust Skye into a world she could never imagine existed…
As she begins to unravel the truth about who Xander is and the details surrounding her family, she discovers that she might just be the key to saving everything... And, most importantly, she finds that there has always been someone by her side who would never let her fall…
Brought
to you by TeamNerd reviewer Bridget Strahin
Never Let You Fall was a very interesting read. Skye is just
looking for a way to get through life and forget about her horrid past. A past
that includes the strange death of a foster family and the inability to remember
anything before the age of 7, and she'll do whatever-or drink whatever-to do
the trick. She's troubled and flawed, self destructive, definitely not your
typical heroine. Enter Xander (with an
X). As a Guardian, he's been tasked with watching over and protecting Skye. For
years Xander has been watching from a far, never letting himself get too close
or noticed by Skye. Until the night he can't stand to sit idle and watch Skye
destroy herself any longer. Then, if
Skye thought she had problems before well, now she has problems. Like:
world-resting-on-your-shoulders-because-of-some-prophecy type of problems. Skye
is tossed head first into a world that is rightfully hers with no knowledge of
who to trust and what to believe.
The number one thing that I liked about this book was the
plot. Miller's talent is evident in this debut novel. There are so many twists, turns, and layers
that at some points I had to take a minute and absorb what was being told.
Miller created a world full of magical intrigue, evil, and a big time power
struggle. The ideas behind all the big and small details are fresh and
interesting. That being said, even though I was hooked by the concept, I was a
little disappointed by the execution. I could understand why Skye was so
"messed up". I get it. But it was her thoughts and actions that had
me wanting to throttle her. Now, in the beginning of the book, Skye wakes up
without a shirt and in a strange bed. Totally awkward. But does she freak out
and hit the road once she is able to think a coherent thought? No, she lies
back in the bed and cries because her life is so terrible and goes into a
couple pages of 'info dumping'. I almost put the book down right there. I knew
Skye and I wouldn't be getting along, but, like I said earlier, I really liked
the concept and I was hoping that mixed with Xander's POV that I would be able
to make it through this book. Well, I made it. It was hard, but I did it. As the
book goes on, I wish I could say that Skye improves, but this is an honest
review. She is scatter brained, annoying, gullible. I'm almost tempted to toss her into
the Bella Swan box and walk away. If this book was told in her POV alone,
there's no way I would have made it to chapter 2.
For me, Xander carried this book all the way to the finish
line. He was brave and loyal. He loved Skye even though she was a hot mess and
saw her potential even when no one else could. He offers the type of love that
everyone hopes for. I've always liked
the idea of forbidden love (forbidden because his class and hers aren't
supposed to mix) but I've always hated the insta-love that to me, has always felt like
the easy way out. Skye's and Xander's love story is a mix of both and it is the
fact that Xander has always known Skye and has been keeping her safe from afar, and that from the very beginning you feel so bad for him that you'll do anything to see him happy,
that made this insta-love tolerable.
Overall, I think with a little work on the main character
and a really good read through to fix some grammar and editing mistakes, I
think this book has major potential and if you're looking for a nice refresher
from the over played Young Adult genre, then I would recommend Never Let You Fall
to you. Yes, the main female is irritating but the plot and other characters
will have you hooked. Oh, and beware of
the ending, it’s a doozy.
About
the Author: Personal tidbits: I'm a married mom of three.
Grew up in Maine and Alabama (Roll Tide) but moved to the Carolina blue skies
in 2002 (NC) and love it here!
I'm a fool for good dialogues and great lyrics!
I love music and love to dance around my house, especially with my little dancer Belle whose seven.
My surfer boy, Gabe, is 8 and keeps me into all the coolest Legos. The teen of the house, Gray (14), gives me my grey hair (which I conveniently cover up)! He is also an avid reader - proud mom moment!! Oh, and I'm married to my high school sweetie. He is my biggest cheerleader and I love him so.
I love football, chocolate and hiking in the mountains! I also love social media and can be found daily perusing Twitter or Facebook.
I'm a fool for good dialogues and great lyrics!
I love music and love to dance around my house, especially with my little dancer Belle whose seven.
My surfer boy, Gabe, is 8 and keeps me into all the coolest Legos. The teen of the house, Gray (14), gives me my grey hair (which I conveniently cover up)! He is also an avid reader - proud mom moment!! Oh, and I'm married to my high school sweetie. He is my biggest cheerleader and I love him so.
I love football, chocolate and hiking in the mountains! I also love social media and can be found daily perusing Twitter or Facebook.
Where
to find the Author:
Read an
Excerpt!
"First, can you check the glove box and see what’s in there?" Xander asked, interrupting my thoughts.
I actually jumped back a little when I
popped the glovebox open, which caused Xander to snicker at me.
"What did you think was going to jump out at you?"
"These days I have no idea," I retorted, as I pulled out
the single envelope that lay in the glove box. It was sealed and thin,
and couldn’t have held more than a sheet of paper, as light as it felt.
"Looking for this?" I
questioned, and I held it up for him to see.
"Yeah, I think so." His
voice wavered and I found myself studying his profile; trying to get an idea
for what was going on in his head.
"Open it up."
"Really?" I asked, with
trepidation dripping in my voice. "You're actually going to let me
in?"
His hand ran through his hair - I loved that
- and he sighed. "Skye, I've kept you out of the loop for as long as
I have so that I could keep you safe, not because I wanted to. We’re in
this together now."
My heart leapt. He was right…we
were in this, whatever it was, together. I tore open the envelope and
pulled out a single sheet of paper with a name and number. That was
it? I flipped it over. Nothing.
"This is it. The name ‘Selene’
and a number," I said softly.
I guess I’d expected something more
profound.
"That's it," confirmed
Xander. "After we jump on the interstate we can pick up a phone, and
then we’ll call her."
"Okay. Who is she?"
Xander cleared his throat before he
spoke, but kept his eyes on the road.
"I don't know, actually."
"You don't know?
Do you even know where we’re going?"
"Nope."
The urge to jerk the door open and throw
myself out of the moving vehicle was overwhelming.
"Time to tell me the plan,
Xander. I need to know now."
"I know. I told you I would
fill you in, but I just wanted to be sure the number was in the glove
box. You know at the diner, when you questioned how I was supposed to
keep you safe for the rest of your life?"
I nodded in acknowledgment and he
continued on. "It upset me, because I realized that you didn’t ‘get
the picture’ yet..."
"What picture?"
"The one where you will never be
safe Skye. Not here. Hell - maybe not even in Tyalbrook."
A million curses and questions hurtled
over each other in a rush to make their way out of my mouth, but all I actually
said was, "Why?"
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