REVIEW: Toxic by Raquel Valldeperas.

Title: Toxic (Better Than You #1)

Author: Raquel Valldeperas.
ISBN: 9781482382945.
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.
Genre: New Adult.
Year: 2013.

I didn't mean to let everything get so bad.
I never had control over the variables in my life, and that was okay. That's just the way it was. But the drugs were supposed to be my constant, my escape, my refuge. They weren't supposed to pull me under and hold me down, bring me to the brink of death and keep me in that in-between state.

They weren't supposed to turn on me, just like everyone else.

My name is Logan May Reynolds, and this is my story.

Review:

The water will come and take me away. I’ll be forgotten. I’ll serve no purpose. That’s okay with me. I’m not worth remembering.

Poor Logan has lived a tragic life. She’s suffered from the effects of drugs, abuse and just an awful upbringing in general. So for someone like me, who typically spends her reading hours swooning at the boy-next-door sweeping the struggling girl off her feet, this book was either going to sink me into depression or blow my mind.

And let me tell you, I thought this book was brilliant!

Toxic starts by bringing us back to Logan’s early school life. It details the admittedly grim things she had to deal with and it drove me into despair seeing how she was treat by her mum and her mum’s fella. You can’t help but feel bad for the girl and how she's seen as Toxic.

“Mama, what does toxic mean?”

Just when I’m about to get up and go inside because I don’t think she’s gunna answer, she puts a hand on my arm and stops me. I turn and look at her because I’m surprised she’s touching me so softly. A puff of smoke blows into my face and I hold my breath while I meet her eyes. She’s actually looking at me and I don’t know how to feel about it.

“That’s the stuff you and me are made up of, Sugar Plum,” she says. Another puff of her cigarette but she blows it away from me this time. “We’re toxic, but only the best things are.”

Ever finish a book, close it, look at the cover and think; “Why was it called that?” Well, there’s no chance of that here. This is Raquel Valldeperas’ first book and I thought the way she made the title mean so much was incredible.  The book from start to finish was written so eloquently that even though Lo’s story was heart-breaking, I couldn’t help but love it. Should I have been thoroughly miserable at the life Logan was enduring? Probably. But Toxic was written so well that I couldn’t help but want to read more and see how things could worsen, just to enjoy more of Raquel’s realistic portrayal.

I do want to warn you that this book deals with some mature themes and is recommended for readers aged 17+. Logan’s boyfriend contributes a whole lot to these themes, and he had me screaming at the book! What a jerk.

However, with every jerk, there’s just a whole bag of cute. And I’ll admit, whilst I did think this book was going to lead me away from my swooning, things did become a little sweeter when Nathan arrived on the scene. His character was refreshing compared to the persona Logan, rightfully so, had, and this made him my favourite character.

“You’re better than this, Lo. Bad things happen all the time but it’s the way you use them that define you.”

Toxic threw my emotions everywhere, and for me, that’s what makes a great book. Although I did want a little longer of a story to see more things resolved, I’m confident I’ll get this in the second installment, and I can’t wait.

Rating:

 

*I received an e-copy of this book via a Goodreads group in exchange for my honest review.

Furthermore...

The second book in the Better Than You Series is called Tailspin, and is told from Nathan's perspective. It will be released next week on Friday the 13th of September (which is definitely a lucky day this time for me as I can't wait!).