Book Review…NORTH

North by Danielle James

Addiction is a cruel thief.
It stole my mother away on my birthday

After she died, I was forced to leave my toxic situation.
I thought life couldn’t get any worse.
I wanted to let the anger, guilt, and resentment swallow me until I was in the belly of depression.

But he refused to let me drown.

I was only supposed to live with him for one year.
After that I was free to go.
But I never expected to fall so hard.
I couldn’t stop myself if my last breath depended on it.

Loving him was everything.
It was wrong.
It was forbidden.
It was sick.

It was beautiful.

4 Stars

This book was a roller coaster of emotions for me.  I had rock bottom lows and then sweeping highs.

North is a 17yo girl – GIRL. But she is more like a parent to her junkie mom. So maybe she’s a 17yo grown up. When her mom finally OD’s, North has nowhere to go, but to her dad’s. The man who abandoned her and her mother a year ago. It’s not optimal. It really wasn’t a choice either. She’s under 18, she has to live with him. FINE. But she’s not happy about it. They learn each other, learn that North feels like she has to fix everything, to save everyone, no matter what cost to herself. She learns to trust Kane. She realizes that he always wanted her. Needed her. And now she is his, mind, body, and soul.

With the death of his ex-wife, Kane now has his step-daughter to raise. She’s just like he remembers, all firey and freckles. Only she’s too thin because her mom used all North’s money for drugs. If only he’d taken her with him. If only she’d have come with him. The get into a grove of how things will work between them. No matter how badly he wants North in his life, he’s trying hard not to slip. When North’s friend from home comes over, hackles are raised and accusations are made. Kane could lose everything, even North if things don’t get taken care of.

Honestly, I was all over the place with this book. I felt terrible for North having to raise her mom, then dealing with the drug abuse. When Kane comes, I was not expecting all that, so I went back and reread the blurb. The blurb is vague for a reason, a reason you need to find out. This is a coming of age book. With forbidden love and a taboo topic.