Erica –
☆☆☆☆☆
Commentary on the cover (placed at the start of the review for a reason): While
it's an awesome cover (it caught my interests), it's more befitting an older
book in a different genre. I fear it will have readers one-clicking, then
feeling as if it's not-as-advertised, as it looks like a
musician/tattoo/biker/badass type read in the New Adult or Adult genres. I
realize this cover represents John (not our narrator), but it gives off a
sex-laden appeal, not representative of the content. Our narrator is a 17-year-old
girl, and it takes place in a high school, with the usual content represented
in a young adult novel. As example, no first kisses being had before the 58%
mark, with a handful after. Not that that is a bad thing, just that the cover
gives off a different vibe.
Kylie Scott is a new-to-me author. From word one, I was hooked. I couldn't put
it down – I was being bombarded with chatter around me, a loud TV, and two dogs
barking at each other, and I continued to read without any of those
distractions pulling me from the story. I took a break around the 50% mark to
go check out what else the author had penned and to go tell my fellow reviewers
how great the book was. Then I finished the book in the privacy of my own bedroom,
refusing to be interrupted.
Layers upon layers of emotion, this novel had one of the best developed
characterizations I've come across. Edie is our 17-year-old narrator – a chubby
teenage girl who loves to wear the color black, read books, and binge-watch TV.
Edie represents a large population of girls who are always designated as the
sidekick. Non-athletic, not a joiner, being chubby, going to an all-girls
private school, she's bullied. Not meek, she keeps her mouth shut in order not
to feed the bullies.
Yes, her insecurities infect a portion of her thought process, not in a
redundant way. But, for anyone who has ever been overweight/other insecurities,
you know it's at the forefront of your mind at all times, so this was also a
realistic portrayal of a larger girl. In high school, you can be a bit chubby,
and everyone treats you like you're morbidly obese, because most of the kids
haven't filled out into their adult shapes yet, still small like children while
you're shaped like a grown woman. In the real world, we all wish we were that
size again, the size we were bullied over – laughing. Edie represents us big
girls, and the author did an excellent job with the mindset.
Edie's grabbing some Oreos and Doritos from a convenience store, with her BFF
in the car in her jammies, refueling for another binge-watch session, and life
changes at an instant. Without going into detail, I will say the following
events were beyond realistic, transporting me into the book with Edie and her
fellow captives.
In the aftermath, Kylie Scott creates a gut-wrenching read filled with
realistic human emotions. Instead of ignoring how the event would change who
the characters are at their very cores, using it as a vehicle to drive straight
into romance, it's fully fleshed out realism that isn't romanticized.
It's hammered home how Edie and John's lives will never be the same – this will
forever be riding shotgun with them through life. Survivor’s guilt. Panic
attacks. Nightmares. Wondering if there was something they should have done
differently. Woulda/shoulda/coulda of the wrong place at the right time. The
blame game.
Edie changes, sees everything through a different lens, and this filtered into
every aspect of her life. Instead of focusing on the romance, the author
spotlights her characters' evolution, which draws the two survivors together.
Nothing forced. Nothing instantaneous. Edie and John grow together, their
personalities complementing one another in the perfect balance. A slow-burn
romance, where true friendship is built and felt by the reader, with the angsty
feel of a teenager's first venture into love.
I highly recommend to more mature young adults and older readers too. While it
does have sexual situations and romance, they are not the focus of the novel
itself – while on the page, it's quick and to the point. However, if you're a
fan of the author's other works, expecting an angst-filled New Adult read, with
sex and tension and lust and hot bad guys, don't judge a book by its cover.
This truly is a young adult read, with young adult issues/mentality/maturity,
set in a high school, with curfews and meddlesome mothers. It's a raw, dark,
and gritty read, realistic, but not in the way the cover suggests.
Young Adult age-range: parental discretion advised – mature young adults+, due
to realistic violent situations, drug-use, and age-appropriate sexual
situations. I could have handled this book at age 12-14, but another peer may
have had to wait until 16+. With the novel's content, it's dependent on the emotional
maturity of the reader.
Shannan –
☆☆☆☆☆
I was sucked in from the first chapter and couldn't put it down until I
finished. I am not a huge Young Adult reader but I love throwing one in every
once and a while, especially after a heavier, darker read. I thought
Trust
would be a perfect light read. I was so invested and had such a hangover. It
may not have been the light choice I was hoping for, but it blew anything else
out of the water. Edie was different and made for such an interesting
character.
Trust is heart-pounding suspense. I loved every aspect of this read. Ms.
Scott is such a word wizard that she can come out swinging in any genre she
chooses and knock it out of the park.
Jordan –
☆☆☆☆
Trust was my first introduction to
the author Kylie Scott and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised how much I
ended up liking this book. As a reader in my twenties who enjoys reading Young Adult
books, it can sometimes be a challenge to find book that won't just make me
feel like I'm too old to be reading it, but
Trust
can easily be enjoyed by young and old readers. Edie, the main character, was
refreshing and easy to relate to. I loved seeing all the ways she grew over the
course of the story. I think older YA readers will have no trouble getting
sucked into
Trust, but younger
readers should be prepared for some mature themes, such as alcohol/drugs and
violence. Although the main character, Edie, is a 17-year-old high school
student, I felt like this book seemed to border a little between a YA read and
drifting a bit into the New Adult genre. Nevertheless, I enjoyed reading
Trust and I will be looking to see what
other gems Kylie Scott has hidden away!
4 STARS for
Trust
Veronica –
☆☆☆☆☆
Edie gets caught up in a violent convenience store robbery while doing a
midnight snack run. John, a high school student and local drug dealer, is also
in the store at the time of the robbery and tries to talk the robber down.
Following the incident, Edie changes schools and discovers John sitting in the
seat behind her in class. A friendship develops between John and Edie and we
see that while the near-death experience has scared John straight, it has done
the opposite to Edie. She realises that life can end in an instant and things
that once seemed scary or important, are less so now.
Trust is told entirely from Edie's
point of view, but it is John's story as much as it is hers. Their shared experience
leads to friendship as they help each other get through life after the trauma.
Trust is a gripping story. At no time
did my mind wander or did I get distracted. The story had my complete
attention, so much so that walking home from work I pulled out my e-reader
while waiting for traffic lights to change, just so I could read an extra
paragraph or two. I didn't want to put this book down, and would recommend it
to older teens and adults.
Trust is
brilliant and gets 5 stars from me.
Age recommendation: 16+
Kris –
☆☆☆☆☆
I've been a Kylie Scott fan for a bit now after devouring her Stage Dive series
and was happy to have a new book from her that wasn't part of another series.
But, I was sure not expecting
Trust
to be so darn amazing and yet remain young adult. I was blown away!!!
Starting at the Drop Stop convenience store for some pre-movie binge snacks, 17-year-old
Edie finds herself in the middle of a hold up and hostage situation by a crazed
meth head. After the clerk was shot and killed, only Edie, John, and his friend
are left to fight for their lives from drug crazed Chris, the robber. John and
Chris sort of know each other from certain drug circles and John tries to talk
Chris down and help Edie and Malcom get out alive. All hell breaks loose right
from the first few chapters and I was sucked into the story so hard I think I
might have hickeys. This was an amazing emotional journey dealing with life
changing events in a young adult's early maturity.
After being bullied and overweight in her old private girls’ school, Edie
refuses to be this person any longer. Changing schools and trying to put the
attack that ended two young lives but spared hers behind her, Edie is on the
cusp of realizing what's real and what's really important. Having a gun shoved
in your mouth will do that to a girl. Forging a bond with John, the boy who
saved her life that fateful night, is the only thing that's keeping Edie sorta
sane. They are the only people who know how it felt to be there and go through
that experience.
John has a tainted past, he was a low-key pot dealer and not the best student
in school. Just drifting through life. But after the attack at the store, he's
decided his life is worth way more than he's been giving it. Trying to change
and become worthy of the life he was spared, John finds himself facing bad
press and old grudges that die hard by teachers and parents. Trying to prove
himself to them and stay out of trouble is harder than it seems. Edie is the
only solace in his new life, someone he can talk with about what happened and
how it's left him unable to sleep.
Edie and John were one of the best romances I've read in a while and we're
still talking young adult here! John is experienced, Edie is not. John is
gorgeous and Edie is just another chunky girl in the mix of so many others. But
she and John have a bond that no one can break. The relationship has the
classic stalls and starts, miscues, and missed opportunities, but it's done so
perfectly (along with several sneaky parallel plot issues happening in the book
Edie happens to be reading!!) I was groaning in agony, shaking my head in
sympathy, but all with my nose pressed to my Kindle.
One of the best slow-burn relationships I've read in a while. Lots of spark for
Young Adult, but not too much detail on the steamy scenes. I'd still say a more
mature YA audience recommended due to the violence and a little due to the
sexual contact.
There is amazing poignant emotion being played out by these two characters. I
FELT for them! I cheered for Edie
finding her spine against the mean girls at school, I was angered by the
teacher's dismissal of John's hard work, I empathized with Edie's poor mom
trying to keep it together after what her child went through. These young
adults lived through a horrific, life changing event and came out alive, they
are forever changed and this is the story of how they live through it. This
book pulled it all out of me and left me longing for more. Hats off to Kylie
Scott here, this book is a 10!
Book 1
