Review ~ Only For You by Tista Ray.

Title: Only For You.
Author: Tista Ray.
Genre: Young Adult.
Release Date: February 18, 2014.

Purchase: Amazon UK ; Amazon ; CreateSpace - everyone who buys Only For You will receive a bundle of other writings from Tista for free.

It is said that people’s lives are tales of two great journeys - the pursuit of happiness and the search for true love.

Edward seems to have achieved one of these ultimate goals by falling in love with Daisy.

But in his quest for true love, will he be willing to let go of his one special friend, and perhaps, sacrifice his chance for happiness?

If there’s a choice between love and friendship, will Edward sacrifice one for the other? Will he be able to live with his choice and never ask himself what if he chose the other?

Review:

Only For You was written in three parts, two fiction, one song lyrics, telling the story of Edward, torn between his girlfriend and best friend. Tista Ray showcases her talents by combining the two formats into a well-balanced story.

The fiction in Only For You was written in first person, from Edward’s perspective, and the lyrics at the end were written from Ady’s point of view. I thought first-person suited this plot perfectly because it really helped me understand Edward and his feelings towards both Daisy and Ady. Plus, it’s not that often a Young Adult book is told from a male point of view.

However, whilst the combination of fiction and lyrics made the story stand out a little, I would have preferred to have seen Ady’s songs split up parts of Edward’s perspective, because I found Edward really unlikeable and at times, frustrating to read. He was judgmental and full of himself and I’m sure I was meant to like him more as the story went on but I just didn’t.

The pacing of Only For You was fast, but at times it felt like it was just getting more and more unrealistic. Although I liked how we’re thrown right into the story and Edward’s conflicted feelings, the plot felt a little too rushed. Things which could have been considered major plot twists in other books were just used and forgotten about as quickly as they were introduced.

Despite this, the author wrote a really entertaining story. At times it was sweet, funny, dramatic and all the good things you’d hope to see in a Young Adult book. The twists towards the end of Only For You made it refreshingly different to other books in this genre and the Ray’s combination of music and fiction suggests to me her future is bright.

Rating:

*I beta-read Only For You but received a final copy in exchange for my honest opinion.