When I first read the blurb for this book, a part of me honestly thought it would be just like most other books that feature "damaged" characters. On the other hand, there was something about the blurb and the warning that made me think twice and say, hey, maybe there's something special about this story. I might just give this a try...
Boy, am I glad I did. :)
Release Date: April 24, 2014
The Resurrection of Aubrey Miller
by L.B. Simmons
5 stars
THE RESURRECTION OF AUBREY MILLER
is very satisfying in all levels. I loved the romance. I loved that even though it isn't the most central subject in this story, it nevertheless plays a huge part in the resolution of the main conflict. I love that it never bored me, which tends to happen to me with stories that span a number of years. It is a very personal tale, and coupled with the lovely writing by L.B. Simmons, it is also pretty emotional. Not in the tear-your-heart-out sense, but I just felt the despair and hopelessness that Aubrey went through in many parts of the book.
is very satisfying in all levels. I loved the romance. I loved that even though it isn't the most central subject in this story, it nevertheless plays a huge part in the resolution of the main conflict. I love that it never bored me, which tends to happen to me with stories that span a number of years. It is a very personal tale, and coupled with the lovely writing by L.B. Simmons, it is also pretty emotional. Not in the tear-your-heart-out sense, but I just felt the despair and hopelessness that Aubrey went through in many parts of the book.
As the title suggests though, this is a story of a resurrection. Aubrey is a young woman who experienced a lot of trauma in her childhood. L.B. Simmons did not overly dramatize those events, but the simple narration was even more effective for me. She kind of desensitized herself though. She doesn't want to remember the events of the past, but she remains very aware of them. She winds up creating an entirely new persona and embraces the idea that she is bad luck, like a raven that seems to be always present wherever death is. Worse, she considers herself to be the cause of death.
All love and light is extinguished. Grief, anger, and fear solidify into the cold blackness forming within me, its inky tendrils growing and spreading, smothering everything alive within me until Aubrey Miller no longer exists.
It saddened me that for one so young, she already had such a grim outlook of her life. In spite of that, she's still very blessed that she had Linda, her foster mother, who pushed her to be open to college and the possibilities of finding friends and making happy memories.
There she meets her roommate Quinn, a cheerful, beautiful girl obsessed with pink (it's really funny reading Aubrey's first impressions of her, seeing that she preferred all things black); and Kaeleb. This guy is a special one for Aubrey… who by then goes by the name Raven… and is completely different from who she was and how she looked like as a young kid.
I love their friendship and how Quinn and especially Kaeleb slowly brought Aubrey out again. Raven is a mask covered in piercings, colored hair, contact lenses, pale skin and kohl. It's a very, very different mask from what she truly looks like. I like how she started this way though because her "resurrection" became even more pronounced. I cheered for her as she removed these parts of her mask one by one!
As long as you continue to travel through life in this darkness, you will never know how beautiful your light truly shines when you let yourself love and be loved. Trust me when I say, it's a breathtaking sight to see. You burn as bright as the sun.
THE RESURRECTION OF AUBREY MILLER
isn't entirely sad though. In fact it has lots of funny scenes and dialogue! The three of them together is a riot, goodness. I chuckled a lot at their banter. Aubrey, Quinn and Kaeleb have different characteristics, but they still mesh together very well.
isn't entirely sad though. In fact it has lots of funny scenes and dialogue! The three of them together is a riot, goodness. I chuckled a lot at their banter. Aubrey, Quinn and Kaeleb have different characteristics, but they still mesh together very well. (after a series of F-bombs) And with that one obscenity-filled statement, we stride out of the dorm room together, forging unlikely friendships--some old, some new--that would forever change the course of our lives.
The two are the best friends Aubrey could have at that point in her life. Quinn was able to make her try out things she never would have thought doing, while Kaeleb was instrumental for her to find peace with her past and look forward to her future. I like that they also had a brief falling out because it's very realistic given the time span of the book. Through these two, L.B. Simmons was also able to tackle other issues that are very common to young people today. I like that they were given time in the spotlight, but they did not steal it entirely from Aubrey.
What else do I love about this book? I love the way Kaeleb calls Aubrey "Sunshine"… the "trust classes"... the way Quinn is cheerful and at the same time very vulnerable… that swear jar… everything about Linda… I love how the author introduced the romance in the story. It started subtly, then when all cards were laid on the table, it progressed naturally. ❤ It didn't feel rushed. The balance between fun and heavy was just right. The pacing of the story was perfect, too. The author didn't spend too much time on the sad parts, nor the fun parts. The transitions from happy to sad and vice versa flowed smoothly and nothing felt out of place.
The plot of a "damaged woman finding herself again" is already pretty cliché, to be honest, but L.B. Simmons was able to make a refreshing presentation of it. For instance, I love that she shows us the differences between how Aubrey thinks and how Raven thinks. One of my favorite scenes was when Aubrey started painting her face again and resurrected Raven. It was a very significant and symbolic scene. I loved reading what went through her mind at that time.
This is truly a wonderfully written book, and I finished it with a deep sense of happiness that made it all the more excellent. It's the kind of book that makes you want to cheer at the end! Congrats to L.B. Simmons for writing such a beautiful, touching and inspiring story!
A story of discovering not only myself, but the meaning of true friendship and unconditional love.
Take a look at the teasers here ➜ http://bit.ly/1iH8AhH
Synopsis:
Death.
For some, it’s simply one of life’s certainties, nothing more. For others, it’s merely a fleeting thought, one often overshadowed by the reckless delusion that they have been blessed with the gift of immortality.
For Aubrey Miller, death is the definition of her very existence. Overcome with the guilt resulting from the loss of her beloved family, she alters her appearance from the once beautiful, blonde-haired, blue-eyed little girl to that of one shrouded in complete darkness, enveloping herself in her own unbreakable fortress of solitude as a form of protection for others.
As she enters her first year of college, her goal is simple: Earn a degree with the least amount of social interaction as possible. What she never anticipates is the formation of very unlikely relationships with two people who will change her life in ways she never believed possible: Quinn Matthews, the boisterous former pageant queen, and Kaeleb McMadden, a childhood friend from her past who never really let her go.
Over the years, as their connections intertwine and grow, a seemingly indestructible bond is formed between the three…
But when death painfully reemerges, Aubrey is lost once again, burying herself deeper than ever before inside the familiar fortification of her fears.
Will the refuge of friendship, the solidarity of life-long bonds, and the power of unconditional love be enough to do the impossible?
Will they be enough to finally bring about…
The Resurrection of Aubrey Miller?
****Standalone NA Contemporary Romance with HEA***
****WARNING - Due to the graphic nature of some scenes, this book is not recommended for those who are particularly sensitive to the death of a child and/or suicide and is intended for mature audiences only. Contains adult language and themes.****
L.B. Simmons is a graduate of Texas A&M University and holds a degree in Biomedical Science. She has been a practicing Chemist for the last 11 years. She lives with her husband and three daughters in Texas and writes every chance she gets.
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