This is the next book in my one-click freebies. T.H Snyder has been an author on my TBR list for a long time. I finally picked this Pierced Love and I was floored. This is her only young adult romance but it is a touching and very poignant one. My heartached and broke for Zar but there is always that fantastic bit of sunshine in books like this and in this one that ray was Loudon. For my full review keep reading after the book blurb.
Book Blurb:
Zar Evans is not your typical high school senior; in fact she is anything by normal. Dressing to the trendiest Goth fashion, Zar wears nothing but black from head to toe. Not that this warrants unwanted attention, but she is also top in her class and is looking at a full academic scholarship to Iowa State in the fall.
Loudon Clarke is an all star athlete. He plays three varsity sports and has the world in his hands. Except for one thing; Loudon is failing majority of his subjects. He is about to be suspended from the basketball team risking his athletic scholarship.
Zar and Loudon would normally never cross paths, until these two are brought together when Zar’s brother proposes to Loudon’s sister. With an upcoming wedding and a lot of planning Zar and Loudon are stuck with one another regardless of their differences.
Zar has hidden behind the pain she deals with on a daily basis for years. Loudon has never had to feel pain nor the ignorance of his peers. Can opposites really bring these two together or will they be pulled even further apart.
Only one thing is for sure, it is impossible to fight the connection of pierced love when one is willing to change for happiness.
Review:
Zar has dealt with the pain of being an outcast throughout her high school career. It’s finally her senior year and if she can just get through this then she doesn’t have to deal with this anymore. But, even though she is determined to power through she still feels that pain every day of the taunting and name calling. So to escape all of this she decides to drive an hour away to clear her head. After she is sufficiently relaxed she goes to a pizza shop. Being her typical self conscious self she notices the guys that come in but tries to keep her head down. That is until she locks eyes with one of them and feels an instant connection. Unfortunately, she soon leaves and doesn’t expect to see him again. That is until her brother gets engaged and she meets his fiancée’s family. Here she comes face to face again with the cute boy from the pizza shop, Loudon. Loudon felt the same instant connection and couldn’t get her out of his mind. When they meet again he realizes that he will do anything it takes to get to know this girl better. Zar doesn’t make this easy on Loudon and when her secrets come to light bad things happen. Can they get past her pain or will it rule them like it rules her?
This was truly a very poignant novel. Anyone who has been bullied will relate to the anxiety and panic that Zar feels on a daily basis. The torture that she goes through is graphically told and you really feel like you are right there next to her. But, when she meets Loudon and she feels hope for the first time you feel that too. This was just such a moving story that is filled with pain because even when Zar and Loudon are their happiest there is still that fear that taints their relationship. That fear that Loudon and her family will find out about what she is called and how she is treated. I think this book wasn’t just about the emotions though. The story and characters were well written and really gave an accurate portrayal of the family of a bullying victim and the changes that happen when people open up and seek help when things like this happen. Overall, this was one of the best reads I’ve gotten my hands on. I would recommend this to anyone who wants an emotionally poignant experience.