Toxic by Rachel Van Dyken
"The next time she opened her eyes, they were empty. The girl I loved was gone."
Title: Toxic (Ruin #2)
Author: Rachel Van Dyken
Published Date: March 4th 2014
Rating: 4.5/5 Stars
Summary: Gabe Hyde is on borrowed time. He's been
hiding his identity for over four years-hidden from the world that used
to adore him--obsess over him--driven to the edge of insanity by one
poor choice. But that one choice, altered the course of his life
forever. Pretending isn't all it's cracked up to be, especially when
pretending means hiding your real self from the people that care about
you the most. But if anyone ever discovered the truth it wouldn't just
be his life at risk--but hers. Saylor doesn't hate men. Just Gabe.
Only Gabe. He's a reckless, happy-go-lucky, silver spoon fed pain in
her ass. Everything about him makes her more and more confused.
Unfortunately they both donate time at the same Group Home. If she
wasn't afraid of flunking, she'd be long gone. She hates that she's
attracted to him almost as much as he hates that he's attracted to
her--and she can tell, especially since their first encounter ended up
making her knees so weak she couldn't form coherent sentences for weeks
afterwards. But the closer she gets to him, the more confused she
becomes. He isn't who he says he is, and he's hiding something big.
What happen when two worlds collide? Two worlds that never should have
met in the first place? Some secrets are too big to be hidden
forever--the only question? Will his destroy everyone he loves? Or
finally bring about the redemption he's been craving for the past four
years? Everyone has a secret...What's yours?
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Review:
"Just because we aren't crying on the outside doesn't mean we aren't completely wrecked on the inside."
Let it be know that every Rachel Van Dyken book is gold. I jumped right into this book without reading the synopsis, but knowing that it was Gabe's story. And I'm glad I did that. I went into this book not knowing a thing other than what I knew from the Ruin. (Oh, this book CAN be read as a stand alone! Though I do encourage that you read Ruin, it's just as good.) And I came out of it loving it like no one's business.
"And what started as hate blossomed into full out love."
The writing is something to get used to, but once you get a hang of it it's like the story is like no other. It going against all its restraints to be told. Toxic holds everything that a good/great book has: family like friends, adorable characters with their own story waiting to be told, pain that draws the reader in and doesn't let go, and through the pain there is still humor. This book has it all.
"My biggest fear,is not the ending of this life, but going through it without you by my side."
Gabe is that bad boy you are told to stay away from. And from the outside, that's exactly how he portrays himself, but take a closer look, you'd know he's a momma bear, has a good side as well as a bad one that comes out in certain situations. It was impossible not to love Gabe. He was an enigma waiting to be solved, and you couldn't help but feel what he was feeling and fall in love with him through the process.
"Loving you will always be easy because when I look into your eyes I know you see the real me, so be my love, be my rain, be my clouds, be my pain."
Saylor had no reason to be involved in Gabe's journey. She could have left all his problems and focused on hers. But she didn't. And that is probably my favorite thing about her. She stayed because she CARED, and I'm sure because Gabe was gorgeous, but the main reason was because she cared for a stranger/friend. And that the best motivation out there.
"Tell me your story. Not when it's your last option- but when it's your first."
This book was something. It was an adventure and it was torture. I knew something was going to happen, because, I mean come on, if you've read Ruin you know somethings going to happen, but I didn't expect to be crying at page FIFTY and feeling every desperate emotion in this book.
"Amazing. How one minute can define the rest of your life."
I don't know what to tell y'all other than to read this book and talk to me, because I need someone to talk to about this.
"If she wasn't in my world, my heart would stop."
Waiting eagerly for Shame
-Vangie
Romans 11:36
P.S. This book took me out of my book slump. I would start a book and not even 5 pages in I would close it and try to start another. Something about this book was different, and once I started it I could put it down. Thank God, I found this gem. Oh, and I can stare at this cover all day.
