Heavenly [Kindle Edition]

I am in love with this book. There is no other way to say it. Heavenly by Jennifer Laurens has been on my radar for quite a while now and whilst I'd owned the book for some time, I do have a very large TBR pile and had not read it yet. I seem to be saying this a lot lately! Anyway, I picked it up and started reading one night and absolutely loved the story.

Heavenly is told through the eyes of 17-year-old Zoe who lives at home with her parents, younger brother and little sister Abria who is autistic and as such she demands a lot of care and attention from her parents. This leaves Zoe and her brother Luke feeling rather neglected. Their parents are so tired and weighed down with responsibility that they are completely oblivious to Zoe's escapism into alcohol and partying and Luke's drug dependency. One day, Zoe meets her autistic little sister's guardian angel Matthias and their relationship changes everything. But how long can heaven on earth last?

I like to read late at night and Heavenly kept me up for a few nights until 3am (it's a good job I was on holiday from work is all I can say). I purposefully didn't rush my way through Heavenly though as I wanted to savour every delicious moment of reading it and prolong my enjoyment of the book for as long as possible. I was hooked into the story immediately and I really enjoyed the way Zoe's character developed as the story unfolded. I also liked how her parents were portrayed in the book. They weren't cast as the bad parents or parents that didn't care about their children. They were genuinely struggling to hold the family together. The family was somewhat dysfunctional yes but they were painted in a sympathetic light because of their struggles with Abria. There was never ANY doubt that they loved their children and I liked that.

One character I was not particularly fond of was Britt who is Zoe's best friend. She is shallow and selfish which soon becomes obvious to the reader. I didn't really believe in their friendship and thought that they were using each other for company, which I think is what Jennifer was aiming to portray. On the opposite side of the coin was Chase who strikes up an unlikely friendship with Zoe over a common bond. I liked the fact that Zoe had someone who actually was a loyal friend to confide in.

One of my favourite characters was Luke, surprisingly enough. I thought that Jennifer portrayed his drug dependency in such a humane and sympathetic light that rather than judge him, I couldn't help but feel sorry for him and want to help him.

And Matthias, what can I say about dear, sweet Matthias. Three words methinks...I. WANT. ONE. Not only is he a fantastic guardian angel but he also has the ability to influence people through emotions (but in a good way). Think Jasper from Twilight. This might sound odd but I felt a sense of calmness reading Heavenly as though Matthias were real and influencing me through Zoe.

I think what I love most about Heavenly, besides the story, is the voice. Zoe has a mature voice, it isn't childish or superficial. I thought Heavenly was an excellent example of a YA crossover novel that appeals to both teenagers and adults alike. I can't wait to give it to my older sister to read and I've lined it up as a surprise birthday present for another friend who I just know is going to love it.

I can't tell you how much I loved this book and I was extremely lucky recently to have been sent the sequel Penitence. I'm sure it will come as no surprise to you to know that I started reading Penitence pretty much immediately after finishing Heavenly and again, read it within a matter of days. And yes, I was up until 3am each time!

In conclusion, I would HIGHLY recommend this book and it has become one of my personal favourites. The ending will leave you desperate for more!! I'd never read anything by Jennifer Laurens before and I now find myself a huge fan of her writing and can't wait to read and review her other books.

Zoe is 18 years old and her family life has fallen apart since her 5 year old sister Abria was diagnosed with autism. Abria is unable to talk and has no idea of danger - she loves to run and takes off with no notice, she loves to climb and she is facinated with windows. Keeping her out of harms way is a full time job for the whole family. Zoe's parents spend so much time dealing with Abria that Zoe & her brother Luke feel left out. Zoe deals with this by partying, drinking and hooking up with random guys for attention. Luke on the other hand has started smoking weed.

Zoe has confilicting emotions about Abria, she hates the way all their lives have changed because of her but she also loves her & wants to protect her. Jennifer Laurens' gives us a fascinating insight into life with a family member who has autism. You can tell she has first hand experience of this (she is a mother of 6, with 1 child who has autism) from the way she writes.

Zoe also worries about Luke and his addiction to drugs. She doesn't know how to deal with these issues and feels she has no one to talk to about them so she uses alcohol to anesthetise her pain. When she meets Matthias she is suspicious at first but finds he has a soothing influence on both Abria and herself.

I've been really struggling with my review for this book. On one hand I really liked the the idea of the story and found it interesting to learn more about autism. Heavenly is well written and it is easy to relate to Zoe's feelings about both Abria and Luke. I quite liked Matthias although at times he drove me crazy by answering most of Zoe's questions with "what does your heart tell you" - I felt like if I read that sentence one more time I could scream.

When Zoe was in danger I found myself on the edge of my seat wanting to know what was going to happen and was disappointed to find how she escaped was completely glossed over. There were a few interesting twists though, particularly at the end of the book - I really didn't see that coming.

At the back of the book there is a preview of a sequel to Heavenly but I can't find any more information on that so I'm not sure when it will be being published. I thought the ending to Heavenly wrapped up well so it will be interesting to see what happens next

Overall I found the book was easy to read but it didn't have me gripped as much as I expected it would. I don't think it will be one I will be reading again but I'm glad I did read it. I think perhaps it would have been better to get this one from the library though.

Before I begin my review I must reiterate that reading experiences and subsequent reviews are subjective and can therefore be affected by circumstances beyond your control, such as an I-swear-to-God-she-is-insane friend who is maybe psychotic enough to spoil the ending for you - which by the way could have been a really unexpected one had it not been for said friend blurting it out as if it wasn't even important.

Having said all that, this review will therefore depend much on said issue - and must be therefore approached as such. I feel I have been deprived of enjoying this book a whole lot by knowing beforehand how it ends. Despite the little fiasco however, I feel I have gathered a lot from reading Heavenly.

The book focuses more on themes other than that of romance. Zoe's turns to alcohol to counter the stress brought about by the stress of being in a fragile household where taking care of her autistic sister, Abria, takes its toll on the family. Apart from Zoe's alcohol problem, her brother Luke also turns to drugs. The focus on these family issues - especially the bonds of siblings - really touched me. It gave me an insight into the difficulties of such household without letting me lose hope in any of the characters. I think a special trait this book possesses is the fact that although the actions of Zoe and Luke were both questionable, they were not entirely blameless. It was very difficult for me to blame both of them as the book showcases the severity of their problems.

I related well to Zoe - really, really well. Simple elements such as her use of personal expressions define her as an easily identifiable character. I was drawn to the way she handled her difficulties - sort of like walking in a tight rope - neither right nor wrong, only human. I felt her concern for her brother and the love she reserves for Abria in her every motivation and it was wonderful reading about a family that though struggles, struggles together. I immensely enjoyed Abria - Jennifer zoomed in on the difficulties of relating to her without neglecting every part of her that makes her so special. The fact that Heavenly focuses more on love more than hate is very admirable.

The romance I could have enjoyed a little more. Thoughout I felt distance to Matthias and I could have enjoyed a little more interaction between the Zoe and him. However, I felt the emotions they shared was palpable in both actions and words. The ending was especially beautiful - I even regretted knowing it, for I enjoyed it hugely and could have done so more if I had not known it beforehand. Matthias was a very angelic character, to say the least. Sometimes unpredictable but always so genuinely handsome.

Generally I think what makes Heavenly a good book is not the forbidden romance - it's its backdrop of a family struggle revolving around autism and vices and a heroine that arises from these difficulties.

I'm waiting for Penitence!