The Sound of Light - DNF Review

The Sound of Light

By: Claire Wallis

Published: July 17, 2017 by Claire Wallis

320 pages

Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Suspense

( Goodreads | Amazon | Kobo )

*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate link. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--My littlest girl has always been a bit peculiar. It was nothing I could ever put a finger on, but I always knew there was something inside her that made her a different kind of special. A deeper kind.

K'acy's got a light around her, one that'll just about knock you over, especially if you don't see her coming. She's got music in her soul, too. Deep, resonating music that echoes and hums, just like the notes that come from the bass guitar she's had attached to her hip since the day she turned thirteen years old.

She's got a hell of a secret, yes, but she does what she's got to do to make it one worth having. She takes care of people. She changes their stories. I spent my life telling both of my girls that you always gotta do what's right, even when it hurts, and it makes me proud to know she was listening.

I saw the way she looked at that boy on the day they met, and I knew right then that things were going to change. Two different people from two different worlds is nothing but a recipe for heartbreak, and when the lies pile higher and higher, it can change a person into something they're not.

It took me dying all those years ago to finally figure out just exactly how special my K'acy really is, and even though I'm not with her anymore, I don't want that boy and his family to change her. I want her to keep doing what's right, even when it hurts.

Because that's who she is inside. That's her deeper kind of special.

**This stand-alone novel from Claire Wallis is intended for readers age 17 and up.**

DNF @ 44% - Warning...I might get a little "preachy" on this one.

I really loved Claire Wallis's PUSH series. And so when she contacted me about reading and reviewing The Sound of Light I jumped at the chance even though the description was a bit vague for my normal tastes. Well Holly got a chance to pick it up and start reading The Sound of Light before I did so I asked her how she was enjoying it and her response was that it was a little slow and she wasn't hooked into it yet. And then a week or so passed and I noticed that she'd not marked it as finished on Goodreads yet so I asked her again about it and she said she was still struggling to connect to the romance and some other issues. So I was a bit discouraged and put off picking up The Sound of Light for even longer than I intended. The main reason is that I just don't have the time to read that I would like and so when I hear the word "slow" associated with a book I really have to evaluate whether it is worth me looking into or not. I finally picked it up. And yeah I found myself struggling as well.

The very first issue I had (which Holly had also warned me about) was the swapping narrators. This isn't always an issue for me. Typically if there are only two narrators who follow the same story in the same chronology then I'm fine. But that's not the case here. K'acy is the main narrator, but occasionally there are chapters from her dad's POV as well as chapters written from the POV of different deceased characters who used to live at the nursing home where K'acy works. I really find that books that jump around chronologically aren't my favorite so this was the first thing that bothered me about The Sound of Light.

Also, I found myself battling my feelings for K'acy in general as character. She plays bass guitar--which I don't care much for except for how it fits within the whole of a great band--for a funk band--which I don't have any connection to as I don't listen to this type of music. I could appreciate the uniqueness that these two facts bring to her character, but it made no connection with me on a personal level. K'acy also comes from a split family. Her mother left when she was young for a "preacher" of what sounds very much like a cult. Because K'acy's mother was religious, K'acy seems to have taken a negative view toward God. Her attitude was much like "how could God allow His children to suffer and die." Or something to that extent. So I couldn't connect to her in this way either considering my Christian background. I'll discuss this more in detail later. K'acy also subscribes to the philosophy that all people "deserve the best life." Despite their actions and how they've lived their lives apparently. And this is yet another philosophy that I personally can't agree with. Again...I'll discuss this in more detail in a bit. And then there's one final kicker that's a huge spoiler that I'll discuss in a hidden paragraph that K'acy also believes in that I couldn't support.

K'acy's struggle with God is not a unique one. Many people wonder how God could allow His creation to suffer. Yet what people don't understand is that this world wasn't created as it is. This world was perfect. God gave us free choice because of His love for us. But that free choice allows us to choose against Him. And that's how and where sin entered into the picture. Because God allows us to choose what isn't good for us bad things happen. And we chose and continue to choose against Him time and time again. And yet we want to shake our fists and blame Him for dealing with the consequences of our own choices. Sure there are things that happen in life that we didn't necessarily choose--like a loved one getting cancer or a car accident--but ultimately all the bad boils down to is our path away from God. God even loved us to the point of sending His own Son to die for us so that He could redeem us back to Himself. So He could buy us back from our sin. But we still reject Him. We still blame Him. We still want to accuse Him of being unloving. So I really struggled with K'acy's attitude toward God. Especially because when it boils down to it, God didn't make K'acy's mom leave her family. He didn't "tell" her to do it. Yet that's really what she's mad at Him about.

In a similar vein, K'acy keeps talking about how her dad taught her that everyone "deserves the best life." And I'm sorry but that's bull. There's nothing I've done in my life that could possibly earn me a free pass from all the bad things. There's nothing that I've done that could earn me a pass from death or suffering. I sure haven't been so good that I earned it. I've messed up. I've lied. I've cheated. I've stolen. I've not been what I should be. I don't deserve any good thing. What is good that I have is a blessing and a gift from God because of His great love for me and because of His grace and mercy. One of the deceased patients that narrates basically explains how he raped his secretary to show her that he was dominant over her--that women were less than. And yet he discusses how K'acy was there for him in the end and how she treated him like she cared. And who knows...maybe K'acy's "gift" doesn't allow her to see a person's past or what that person truly is deep inside, but I found myself completely annoyed that K'acy could offer him grace, compassion, and forgiveness that she can't extend to God--despite God not really needing those things from her. God hasn't wronged any of us. Yet this man was a rapist. And she can find it in herself to give him what she cannot give God? I don't buy it. And at the very least, her thought process is flawed.

SPOILER (highlight to view): The deal breaker for me was that I was starting to piece together some clues about K'acy and what exactly she was using her "gift" for. And so I texted Holly and asked if K'acy was killing the people she sees are going to die. Normally I don't ask questions like this. And normally Holly wouldn't answer so she asked "are you sure you want to know?" And I was like "yes, I really want to know." And she replied that yes essentially K'acy is killing the patients that ask her for help. And I'm sorry, but I can't agree with assisted suicide. I just can't. And so I asked myself if I wanted to continue to read a book where the character obviously fully believed in her philosophy, and the answer was a resounding NO. I don't care to read a character continue to try to justify this. I realize that this might not be such a black and white topic for some, but I have a firm stance on this subject. End spoiler.

All of these factors but especially the one in the spoiler left me with the undeniable decision to put down The Sound of Light. The narration and chronology jumps. The bass guitar for a funk band. The contempt toward God yet utter blind forgiveness for flawed man. The spoiler I can't support. It just told me that this isn't the book for me. And IF I had continued reading and not much changed, I'd be looking at a 1 or 2 Star rating at best. I truly hate that I felt this way because I've enjoyed Claire Wallis's writing in the past, and even the writing itself was at times beautiful in The Sound of Light, but I just don't have the time or the inclination to continue to read something that I'm not enjoying anymore. Have you read The Sound of Light? What did you think? Let me know!

Cover Reveal - The Sound of Light by Claire Wallis

The Sound of Light

By: Claire Wallis

Expected Publication: July 17, 2017

320 pages

Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Suspense

( Goodreads | Amazon | Kobo )

*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate link. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--My littlest girl has always been a bit peculiar. It was nothing I could ever put a finger on, but I always knew there was something inside her that made her a different kind of special. A deeper kind.

K'acy's got a light around her, one that'll just about knock you over, especially if you don't see her coming. She's got music in her soul, too. Deep, resonating music that echoes and hums, just like the notes that come from the bass guitar she's had attached to her hip since the day she turned thirteen years old.

She's got a hell of a secret, yes, but she does what she's got to do to make it one worth having. She takes care of people. She changes their stories. I spent my life telling both of my girls that you always gotta do what's right, even when it hurts, and it makes me proud to know she was listening.

I saw the way she looked at that boy on the day they met, and I knew right then that things were going to change. Two different people from two different worlds is nothing but a recipe for heartbreak, and when the lies pile higher and higher, it can change a person into something they're not.

It took me dying all those years ago to finally figure out just exactly how special my K'acy really is, and even though I'm not with her anymore, I don't want that boy and his family to change her. I want her to keep doing what's right, even when it hurts.

Because that's who she is inside. That's her deeper kind of special.

**This stand-alone novel from Claire Wallis is intended for readers age 17 and up.**

** Release Date: July 17th, 2017 ** THE SOUND OF LIGHT will be released in print format via Amazon and in digital format from Amazon, Nook, iBooks, and Kobo. The e-book should be available for pre-order on Amazon, Kobo, and iTunes today!!!

You can sign up for Claire Wallis's newsletter where you can receive bonus book teasers, stories, and information about her books. Also, check out her website: www.clairewallis.com.

Top Ten Authors (Books) To Read if You Like Colleen Hoover

Top 10 Tuesday is a post hosted by The Broke and the Bookish and this week's topic is Top Ten Authors (Books) to Read if You Like Colleen Hoover.

So Colleen Hoover is one of my favorite authors. So far all of her books have been extremely romantic, but also carry some element of surprise and often deep sadness. The characters usually have some pretty big hurtles to overcome, and the writing really sucks me in. So that was my criteria for this top ten list: 1) romance, 2) surprise twist or deep sadness (bonus if the two are combined), 3) something to overcome, and 4) writing and characters that hook me quickly.

1. Katja Millay (The Sea of Tranquility)
2. Katie McGarry (specifically the Pushing the Limits series)
3. Claire Wallis (the Push series)
4. Rebecca Donovan
5. Rebecca Shea (specifically Unbreakable)
6. KA Tucker (specifically Ten Tiny Breaths)
7. Tammara Webber (specifically Easy)
8. Jamie McGuire (specifically The Maddox Brothers series)
9. Anne Eliot (specifically Almost)

Are there any books you'd recommend to me because I love Colleen Hoover? What do you think? Let me know!

Top Ten New to Me Authors I Read in 2014

Top 10 Tuesday is a post hosted by The Broke and the Bookish and this week's topic is Top Ten New to Me Authors I Read in 2015.

1. CJ Duggan - The Summer series
2. Jay Clark - Finding Mr. Brightside
3. E. Lockhart - We Were Liars
4. Claire Wallis - The PUSH series
5. Tahereh Mafi - The Shatter Me series
6. Barry Lyga - The Jasper Dent series
7. Jen Frederick - The Woodland series & The Kerr Chronicles
8. Kelly Oram - The V is for Virgin series
9. Jojo Moyes - One Plus One
10. Mary E Pearson - The Remnant Chronicles series
11. Jenny Han - To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before
12. Rebecca Donovan - The Breathing series

Have you read any of these authors? What do you think? Who were your favorite new-to-you authors that you read this year? Let me know!

Pull - Review

Pull (Push, # 2)

By: Claire Wallis

Expected Publication: November 6th 2014

240 pages

Genre: New Adult, Contemporary, Suspense, Mystery

Source: Author (Thank you!!)

( Goodreads | Amazon $2.99 )

*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate link. Affiliate links support giveaway for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Description--***PULL is the continuation of Claire Wallis' sharp and shocking debut novel, PUSH. It is the second book in the series and is not intended to be a standalone.***

"It is impossible for someone like me—someone with a sin-list capable of wrapping itself around the world—to find redemption. To be repaired."

David Calgaro has secrets, and the only woman he's ever loved is about to pay the ultimate price to protect them. He's spent a lifetime searching for purpose and control. And the only place he's managed to find them is in a single, perfect moment; a moment in which he has absolute control over someone else's life.

David is unredeemable, unfixable, unsalvageable. But Emma Searfoss has forced a tiny sliver of hope to penetrate his soul. Hope that, even though redemption is impossible, maybe life isn't. Maybe he isn't who he thought he was. Maybe he's meant to be more.

This is a new adult novel with mature content for readers 17 and up.

***Please don’t read further if you’ve not read PUSH by Claire Wallis.***

Pull is a book that I have been EAGERLY awaiting since April of this year. I read Push by Claire Wallis in April and was so happy with the experience. Push was so much more than I expected it to be when I read the description on NetGalley and decided to take a chance and request it. I’m so glad that I did. Those who’ve read Push know what a massive cliffhanger bridge-jumper Claire Wallis left us hanging with. Apparently there’s a whole class of readers that hate cliffhangers, but I’m not one of them. Cliffhangers just make me that much more anxious to continue with a series. And man, I would have been angry had Pull not been written. I still would have thought Push was a good book. So all of that just means I was anxious to get my hands on Pull and find out what happens next to Emma and David.

I wasn’t sure how Emma and David would move forward from that epic end to Push. How can a girl allow herself to be talked into jumping off a bridge, realizing that she’s not the first girl to be put in this exact same situation, continue a relationship with the guy who talked her right off the bridge? How in the world would they move forward? How would David redeem himself? But I really think Claire Wallis handled this brilliantly. Essentially, we get more information at the beginning of Pull that we didn’t have with the end of Push. I didn’t remember all the details of Push that I wish I did. A re-read before starting Pull might have been better for me, but I just couldn’t wait to find out what happens next.

Pull really comes down to just that….redemption, forgiveness, compassion. Is it possible for David to be redeemed? A guy who either talked or pushed multiple girls to their deaths. Is it possible for him to find forgiveness? Is it possible for him to be worth redemption? And if so…how? Obviously, there is no doubt that David has done some terrible things.

In Push periodically there would be a flashback narrated by one of the girls that David dated, but in Pull we get these events from David’s perspective. We also get some general flashbacks of David’s life since his mother’s suicide. I always kind of sigh when I get to these because jumps in chronology aren’t really my favorite, but Claire Wallis did me a solid in keeping these sections fairly short. I never felt like putting the book down because I knew I would read through those sections fairly quickly. In addition to the flashbacks, we also have a new narrator. Both Emma and David narrate in Pull, like Push, but Matt also narrates. I wasn’t sure in the beginning what that would mean for the story, but Matt offers a unique perspective of at least two crucial events.

I never had a problem connecting to David in Push. I paid particular attention to the wording Claire Wallis used in the flashbacks versus events in the present with Emma, and it was easy to see that things with Emma were different for David. But because Pull exposes David’s thoughts during the past, I found myself understanding him even more. Obviously, I don’t agree with his coping mechanisms. Bad crap happens to people daily, and you can’t go pushing people off bridges to make yourself feel better, but David was a more complex character than I think I even realized while reading Push.

Since I said Pull is a story about redemption and whether it’s possible or not even though Emma was such a large part of this story, Pull is about David. Really the whole series might be. I loved Emma though. She’s so confident in herself, in David, and in their relationship. It’s such a different place than I expected her to be in considering the ending of Push. I loved seeing her step up and take the control that David cherishes so much away from him.

I don’t want to spoil even the slightest bit of this experience for any reader. I highly recommend these two books. But 90% of what I want to talk about revolves around the ending of Pull. Claire Wallis has a thing for endings man. I’m not sure that readers everywhere will love how David and Emma’s story wraps up. But I personally feel like this was the best—and only—possible ending to David and Emma’s story.

I’d also be remiss if I didn’t draw attention to the warning in the description. Both Push and Pull have no lack of f-bombs as well as physical situations. I almost feel like Push had the more graphic scenes out of both books. So if Push didn’t bother your comfort level then you should be good to go on Pull as well.

I’m so glad that Claire Wallis, the Push series, and David & Emma have come into my life. Pull easily gets 4 Stars from me. I can’t wait to read more from Claire Wallis in the future. Have you read Pull? What did you think? Let me know!

Cover Reveal - Pull by Claire Wallis

Pull (Push, # 2)

By: Claire Wallis

Expected Publication: November 6th 2014

Genre: New Adult, Contemporary, Suspense, Mystery

( Goodreads )

Description--***PULL is the continuation of Claire Wallis' sharp and shocking debut novel, PUSH. It is the second book in the series and is not intended to be a standalone.***

"It is impossible for someone like me—someone with a sin-list capable of wrapping itself around the world—to find redemption. To be repaired."

David Calgaro has secrets, and the only woman he's ever loved is about to pay the ultimate price to protect them. He's spent a lifetime searching for purpose and control. And the only place he's managed to find them is in a single, perfect moment; a moment in which he has absolute control over someone else's life.

David is unredeemable, unfixable, unsalvageable. But Emma Searfoss has forced a tiny sliver of hope to penetrate his soul. Hope that, even though redemption is impossible, maybe life isn't. Maybe he isn't who he thought he was. Maybe he's meant to be more.

This is a new adult novel with mature content for readers 17 and up.

PULL will be available in digital format via Amazon, Nook, and iBooks on November 6th. Pre-Orders can be placed on Amazon as of Monday, October 20th.

You can sign up for Claire Wallis's newsletter where you can receive bonus book teasers, stories, and information about both PUSH and PULL. Also, check out her website: www.clairewallis.com.

And for kicks, here are a couple of teasers:

I read Push back in April of this year of and thoroughly enjoyed it. You can read my review of Push here. This book was so much more than I expected it to be, and I absolutely cannot wait to pick this series back up and see how everything ends. When Claire Wallis contacted me about being a part of the cover reveal for Pull, I jumped on the chance immediately. I hope that you guys will check out Push. It ends in a huge cliffhanger, but since Pull will release in exactly 4 weeks, you won't have too long of a wait because trust me, you WILL NEED to read Pull as soon as possible.

Have any of you read Push? What did you think? Aren't you dying to read Pull too? Let me know!

Push - Review

Push

By: Claire Wallis

Expected Publication: May 1st 2014 by Harlequin MIRA

400 pages

Genre: New Adult, Contemporary

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!!)

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--I feel like I am wrapped in a cyclone. Everything is whirling around me, drawing the air out of my lungs and filling me with the best kind of turmoil. Every time his tongue slides against mine, a prickle in my gut tells me how right we are together. How much I need David. How much I need us.

I hope the cyclone never stops.

Emma Searfoss has spent a lifetime trying to escape her abusive stepfather. It's why she moved far away from home. It's why she's kept no ties with her remaining family. And it's why she's got a major rage problem. When her neighbor shows up to fix the kitchen in her new apartment, his enigmatic charm calms the fire in her. David is cool and collected, and he makes Emma feel safe for the first time ever. But David has his own chilling past—his six previous girlfriends have all disappeared without a trace. Emma's walking a dangerous line, but David's pull is intoxicating. And impossible to resist…

This is a new adult romance with mature content for readers 17 and up.

So Husband and I have been watching Dexter on Netflix, right? And we literally just finished Season 4's finale about the same time that I was around the 70% mark for Push. Season 4 has an epic finale and despite wanting to return to Push to see how it all ends, I needed to see Episode 1 of Season 5 for some closure on Season 4's ending. Wow. Just wow. I say all of that to say that I saw some similarities betweenDexter and Push.

Without giving too much away we know from the description that David's previous six girlfriends have all gone missing. That's a pretty huge coincidence. When I initially read the book description my first thought was "well there has to be something going on that we don't know about that would explain this." But as Sherlock Holmes says, "There is nothing more deceptive than an obvious fact." So when I started Push and the prologues (both Emma and David's) were set at a specific event in the future, I was discouraged. Emma's prologue didn't set her up to be a character that I was excited to be reading about. From the prologue she seemed too passive. And David's prologue...well I'll just say that it left me feeling like I was reading about a train wreck--slow and steady, but headed toward an unavoidable, deadly conclusion. And one that I wouldn't be excited reading about. Initially, I felt like the prologues set me up to dislike this book and these characters.

Yet, I still felt like I must be missing some pieces to the puzzle. "There's something I'm missing," I kept repeating. It felt like Claire Wallis was giving me too much information and thus I began to question the information I was given. You know that feeling where all the evidence points in one direction and you have to wonder if the obvious conclusion is just well...too obvious.

Another Dexter-like quality was Emma herself. She reminded me a lot of Deb, Dexter's sister. She's all harsh edges and foul language. Emma had a rough childhood. Her father died when she was young, and her mother pretty much married a loser who made it his life's mission to make Emma's life miserable. Now living on her own and working, Emma's trying to move on from her past. She has issues, but I connected with her. She tries so hard to never be vulnerable, but David comes in and worms his way under her protective shell.

David shows up claiming to be the apartment complex's handyman to fix her kitchen. And well he keeps coming back. He somehow manages to get inside her apartment multiple times without Emma actually opening the door for him. He's got an air of mystery around him. And because of the prologues, I was constantly wondering how truthful he was being with Emma even though he seemed genuine.

Claire Wallis periodically includes a chapter from each of David's previous girlfriends as well as flashbacks to Emma's past. These parts were initially frustrating for me because they took me away from the present, and Emma and David's building relationship. Yet these chapters proved to be so valuable and shaped the way I thought about the characters, the current events, and the inevitable conclusion. The more I read and the deeper I delved into these chapters, the more I recognized patterns of similarities as well as contrasts between David's past girlfriends and Emma.

Overall I was impressed with Claire Wallis's decisions. She did a good job weaving hints into this book. She repeated descriptions in a way that wasn't annoying as they can sometimes be but instead as a clue. She foreshadowed nicely. And she does a great job of tying all of the pieces together from start to finish. I highly advise paying close attention to the wording when you're reading this one. Also, remember how I mentioned that the prologues initially had me dreading what was to come? The further I read into Push the more I realized that the prologues were perfect because they offered a reference point for all of the information to come which added an air of mystery to this story when I initially thought they were too revealing. Bravo, Ms. Wallis!

I will say that while certain scenes weren't too graphic, you definitely don't wonder what's going on. That and Emma's (I keep wanting to call her Deb, you guys! Dexter!!! *shakes fist at the TV*) crude mouth were borderline for me. Not quite too much, but I could have done with just a little less at the same time. But that's a personal preference.

Favorite quotes:

Either he can play his little game and say something that is going to send me over the edge, or he can say something that pulls me back from the brink.

But now...now, he is taunting me, bringing me close and then pulling back.

"...he did look more like a man with food poisoning than a man in love..."

The idea of David ironing is an absurd turn-on.

"They let the bottom drop out. Or maybe they even caused it. But I am not them."

And, of course, my favorite quotes are spoilers, so I'll keep them to myself. Also, be aware that this book does appear to be the first in a series. I'm not sure how many books are intended, but I'm assuming at least one more since "to be continued" was at the very end--there better be at least a second book. I need more.

Push gets 4.5 Stars. I debated on just giving it 4 Stars, but this book has stuck with me. This is as close to a book-hangover I've had in a while. Maybe it has something to do with that traumatic Dexter season finale coming at the same time as this book. Don't be too judgemental with the prologues. They might seem to give too much away, but they're necessary and just right the way that they are. Please check out Push if you haven't.

Have you read Push? What did you think? Let me know!