June 17, 2015

Review: RYAN REVISITED by Sam Davis

Title: RYAN REVISITED

Author: Sam Davis

Source: eARC from author for review



goodreads...

When you don’t have any idea who you are, how do you decide who you want to be?

Who is Ryan Ester? The Southern-belle-in-training her estranged father wants her to be? The laid-back Montana girl she became after her parents’ divorce? Or someone she has to discover on her own?

When Ryan’s only shot at going to college is on her father’s dime, Ryan leaves Bluffs, Montana to return to the antebellum South she once called home. As if the move wasn’t hard enough, Ryan’s first love, who recently left her a broken-hearted mess, has a scholarship to none other than Ryan’s destination, the University of the South.

Ryan Ester may not know who she is, but she sure as heck knows who she doesn’t want to become. As she tries to navigate scandal, heartache, and the unbearable pressure to look and act perfect every waking second, she resents being pushed by everyone who wants to decide for her. For the sake of her own sanity and the hearts of those she cares most about, she will have to find a way to forge her own path.

RYAN REVISITED is the story of a young woman’s search for identity. For serenity. For the perfect landing spot for her aching heart.

Author’s Note: RYAN REVISITED is also suitable for Mature YA readers as it does not contain graphic sexual situations.


My take...

Ryan had always been pulled between the Ryan she wanted to be-carefree and happy, loved and important- and the one she felt like she had to be. Crowd-pleasing and similar, complaint and likable.
But I could still see the girl Ryan really was, and she was amazing.
***

Ever watched one of those movies and thought, "Hey that was just a really good movie"? Nothing really jumped out at you to make it spectacular or flashy. Just really good all the way down into your bones and one you felt you could watch over and over just because of how it was and how it made you feel. I am probably blabbering nonsense at you. But that is how I felt about this book. It was just a good read that I would gladly reread one day.

Don't get me wrong, it is not an altogether feel good read. Ryan goes through a lot of grief as she is rushing and trying to make herself fit in to the Greek life she thinks will bring her closer to her father. Its like "square peg meet round hole" nearly the whole time. Of course there are the good parts. Like when she meets some amazing friends. But there are the rough ones, too. Those you will just have to read for yourself.

I didn't really connect with Ryan and would find myself wanting to smack her for the decisions she was making. But I understood where she was coming from. I knew a lot of those decisions were coming from a place deep within. A place to feel accepted by her dad. She was just going about it the wrong way and losing friends and love in the meantime.

RYAN REVISITED is a really good debut for Davis and cannot wait to see what else this author has in store for the future. I definitely recommend if you are looking for a clean, New Adult read. 4 Stars!

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