Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Dreaming of Antigone by Robin Bridges





Every star has its own path… 

“I can’t ever be the blazing star that Iris was. I’m still just a cold, dark satellite orbiting a star that went super nova.”

Andria’s twin sister, Iris, had adoring friends, a cool boyfriend, a wicked car, and a shelf full of soccer trophies. She had everything, in fact—including a drug problem. Six months after Iris’s death, Andria is trying to keep her grades, her friends, and her family from falling apart. But stargazing and books aren’t enough to ward off her guilt that she—the freak with the scary illness and all-black wardrobe—is still here when Iris isn’t. And then there’s Alex Hammond. The boy Andria blames for Iris’s death. The boy she’s unwittingly started swapping lines of poetry and secrets with, even as she tries to keep hating him.

Heartwrenching, smart, and bold, Dreaming of Antigone is a story about the jagged pieces that lie beneath the surface of the most seemingly perfect life…and how they can fit together to make something wholly unexpected.
 








I am the type of reader who doesn't typically reach for contemporary books with hard hitting issues. When I read a contemporary, I usually want it to be cute with sunshine and rainbows. I decided to step out of my comfort zone and read this book. I am glad I decided to do that, because I think it is important to try new things. However, I do have some mixed feelings towards this book.

I will say this book had some really sad moments. Some of my friends have gone through issues that were addressed in this book, and that caused to cry a lot while reading about those issues. I think a lot of people would be uncomfortable reading about some of the issues brought up in this book. There was sexual abuse, child abuse, suicide, and drug abuse. It was a lot for me to handle.  However, I do think they are important issues that need to be talked about.




I felt like some of these hard issues weren't addressed properly in this book. They were kind of just thrown in there, and I think they should have fleshed out and discussed more. Andria's reaction to some of this issues seemed a little odd, because sometimes it felt like she had no emotions towards the issue? It was a little strange. 

I think the author did a great job of weaving poetry and mythology into the plot of this story. It was so interesting to learn about the mythology behind Antigone and how it related to the novel. The author picked some beautiful lines of poetry that tied in really well with the issues that the characters were facing. 

I need to discuss Andria's "friends", Natalie and Trista. They were the worst friends ever. They constantly tried to turn Andria into her sister, and that drove me insane! Natalie and Trista would try to peer pressure Andria into doing things that she didn't want to do. THEY WERE SO INSENSITIVE TO THE SITUATION AND ANDRIA'S FEELINGS. Trista would make cruel jokes that made me angry and even uncomfortable. 




I just was expecting more from Natalie and Trista. I wanted dimensional characters who were there to support Andria, and they were the exact opposite. 

I was really looking forward to the romance in this story. I wanted to see Andria and Alex hate each other at first, then become friends, and finally fall in love. I also wanted them to grief together. This book had some of those things, but not as much as I was hoping. Andria and Alex had some sweet and tender moments together, but their relationship was underwhelming as a whole. I felt like their relationship needed more development. I couldn't really buy the romantic connection because I thought their relationship was too sudden. To be honest, the romance ended up feeling unnecessary.

I think part of my issue with the romance between Alex and Andria was that Alex was the last person to date Iris before she died. That made me feel uncomfortable. It felt strange to have Andria fall in love with her twin sister's ex. 




However, as I did mention, Alex and Andria did have some cute moments together. It was really sweet to see them bond over poetry! 

Even though I have listed things that bothered me, I still enjoyed this book. This book held my attention the entire time. There were plot twists that kept me glued to the pages. There was such an addictive quality to this book. Even though there were times when I was upset or annoyed, I could not put the book down. I also liked the main character, Andria. I thought she was a great narrator. She was flawed, but I felt like that made her more relatable. I also really liked Alex as an individual. He would be a character I would like to learn more about, because I think there is a lot more to him to be revealed. 

There were a lot of storylines that weren't tied up at the end of this book. I hope the author will write a sequel so these storylines can be addressed. I would like to know what happens next!

3 / 5 Fangs

*This ebook was given to me in exchange for a honest review. * 



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