I had the privilege of reviewing this book when it was first released back in February this year. It is without a doubt one of the most memorable books I've read this year, probably well into the next. It's about Brayelle and Elias, two people readers briefly meet in THE EDGE OF ALWAYS. The first time I encountered them, they seemed pretty so-so... thought they were ordinary young people, impulsive and irresponsible.
SONG OF THE FIREFLIES shows though that Bray and Elias are not your usual couple. They have so much conflict and angst to settle between themselves, the main one being Bray's bipolar disorder. This book showed me, by far, the most intimate look into what people with bipolar disorder go through. How they feel, what they think, and why they feel and think the way they do. Most importantly, the book showed how people suffering this disorder affect the lives of the people around them--especially those who love them no matter what.
SONG OF THE FIREFLIES explores the vulnerability of a person suffering from mental illness through an epic love story that shows just how incredible unconditional love can be! How it can truly save lives, make possible the impossible, and overcome all trials and sacrifices that had to be experienced along the way.
Although this was a slow read for me at the beginning, the second half just captured me and ripped out my emotions and scattered them all over the place. I got scared, felt very sad, nervous, then despaired. I got angry, disappointed, weepy, just... I was all over the place!
This is turning out to be a mini review now, LOL! To wrap things up, if you are looking for a memorable read, I highly recommend this book. If you are looking for a sweet romance, funny banter, titillating courtship and exciting flirtation between a fiesty heroine and a hot, alpha hero... you may not find them here. What you'll get though is a deeply emotional story, one that moved me personally and will be in my heart for a long, long time.
Read my 5-Star review for SONG OF THE FIREFLIES here ➜ http://bit.ly/1Bd7DVy
Release Date: February 4, 2014
Trade Paperback Release Date: September 2, 2014
Song of the Fireflies
by J.A. Redmerski
Book 3 of the Edge of Never Series
THE TRUTH WILL SET THEM FREE
Brayelle Bates has always been a force of nature. Even as a child, Bray's wild and carefree spirit intimidated everyone around her. The only person who's ever truly understood her is her best friend, Elias Kline. Though every fiber of her being wants to stay with Elias forever, Bray can't bear the thought of him discovering her agonizing history. She's done everything she can to keep him at arm's length, including moving away. But their undying bond was too strong a pull to deny, and Bray couldn't survive without him. Now she's back home with Elias, and things have never felt more right--until one night changes everything.
Elias vowed never to be separated from Bray again. So when she decides to flee in a desperate attempt to escape her fate, Elias knows he must go with her. As the two try to make the most of their circumstance, taking up with a reckless group of new friends, Elias soon realizes there's a darkness driving Bray he can't ignore. Now in order to save her, he'll have to convince Bray to accept the consequences of their reality--even if it means losing her.
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When I made my way back to the top, I found Bray wasn't sitting near the edge of the ridge where I had left her I moved farther out into the clearing with our blankets draped over one shoulder.
"Bray?" I said, looking around.
I brushed it off for a second, thinking she was probably just taking a piss behind a tree somewhere, and I set our blankets on the ground.
But then I got a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach.
I walked quickly toward the edge and looked over. My heart started to bang against my rib cage. I peered down as far as my sight could penetrate the darkness, but took a step back upon realizing that if she had fallen there was no way I'd be able to see from way up here.
She had to be somewhere around close by. She had to be.
"Bray?" I called out again. "Where the hell did you go?"
Still no answer.
Panic set in quickly. I stood there as still and as quiet as I could for several long seconds in case she was coming through the woods, but I heard nothing. I arranged both hands around my mouth and shouted, "BRAY!" and my voice echoed through the wide-open space. But still nothing. I felt sick to my stomach. She wouldn't have left like that way out here. And if she did, I would've seen her on the path coming down as I was making my way back up.
I ran toward the tree line, searching for any sign of her, for another path she might have taken. I refused to believe that she had fallen off the edge.
Just as I noticed another path through the woods that seemed to head south and I started to go toward it, I heard footfalls in the leaves. I didn't wait to see if it was her, I ran blindly straight into the woods. A skinny branch slapped me across the forehead on my way, but I didn't stop.
Bray and I nearly crashed into each other.
"Shit, baby! Where the hell did you go? Scared the hell out of me!" I started to pull her into a hug, but something about her was off and I stopped. She didn't respond or even raise her head to look at me.
"Are you all right?"
I took her hands into mine. Hers were shaking. Her whole body was shaking.
I cupped her face in my palms and raised her head so that she'd look at me. She was crying, and something in her eyes…I couldn't place it, but it haunted me. I wondered if she even knew I was standing right in front of her. Her hair was messy, with pieces of leaves stuck within a mass of strands. Dirt was smeared across her left cheek. She looked like she'd been in a fight.
I touched her split lip, where a thin line of blood glistened near the corner. "Bray, you're scaring me. What happened to you?" I shook her gently and then more aggressively when she still didn't respond. "What happened? Talk to me!"
Her lips trembled and more tears seeped from the corners of her eyes. And then as if a floodgate had been opened, she started screaming through her tears, "It was my fault! Elias! Oh my God!"
"What happened?" I roared, scared for her and for myself, my heart about to burst through my chest.
J. A. Redmerski, New York Times, USA Today andWall Street Journal bestselling author lives in North Little Rock, Arkansas with her three children, two cats and a Maltese. She is a lover of television and books that push boundaries and is a huge fan of AMC's The Walking Dead.
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