Book received from Around The World Tours
Publisher: Grove Creek Publishing (August 15, 2009)
Paperback: 296 pages
I met someone who changed everything. Matthias. My autistic sister's guardian angel. Honest. Inspiring. Funny. Hot. And immortal. That was the problem. What could I do? I did what any other girl would do-I fell in love with him.
Zoë's sister darts in front of cars. Her brother's a pothead. Her parents are so overwhelmed; they don't see Zoë lost in her broken life. Zoë escapes the only way she knows how: partying. Matthias, a guardian sent from Heaven, watches over Zoë's autistic sister. After Zoë is convinced he's legit, angel and lost girl come together in a love that changes destiny. But Heaven on Earth can't last forever. (Source)
Review
HEAVENLY, by Jennifer Laurens, is a story about addiction and a love that can conquer it. Laurens created a family that was held together by a very thin thread. Zoe's sister, Abria, was autistic and a constant threat to herself, her brother, Luke, was a druggie, and Zoe battled her inner demons with heavy partying. All of these elements weighed down on this family, but Zoe's discovery of Matthias, Abria's guardian, changed their lives.
This story was a brutally honest portrayal of a family in shambles. I really appreciated the straight-forwardness of the more unhealthy situations that Zoe and Luke got themselves into. And I liked how Laurens did not sugar-coat the way that Zoe felt about Abria and her condition. This book was so real that it brought strong emotions out of me while reading. I felt sadness and hate while Zoe partied and put herself in harm's way. And the next moment I felt exhilarated by the connection between Zoe and Matthias. I enjoyed the way that Laurens captivated me throughout the book.
I think the overall theme this book encompassed was addiction. Zoe started off with an addiction to boys and alcohol, but eventually became addicted to Matthias. The very thought of him made her euphoric and she wanted to be a better person for him. At her turning point, she had to deal with her parents addiction to Abria and neglect of everything else. She also had to cope with Luke's addiction to drugs and her best friend's addiction to her boyfriend, or boys in general. This change in Zoe created better situations for the family and opened her eyes to a new world around her.
The relationship between Zoe and Matthias was an epic love story. Matthias' revealing himself to Zoe started a chain of events that changed Zoe for the good, but at what cost? I will not ruin the ending but I was completely caught off guard, in a good way. There were some questions left unanswered that I hope to see answered in the sequel, Penitence.
Check out the trailers for Heavenly & Penitence HERE and feel free to comment!
For excerpts and more trailers for both books click HERE
Check out Jennifer Laurens' website for more information about her and her books HERE
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