Blog Tour: The Unloved by Jennifer Snyder- Review

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Title:  The Unloved 

Author: Jennifer Snyder
Publisher: CreatespacePublishing Date:  July 12th 2012

Pages: 263
Genre:  Mature YA Realist Fiction

Series: Stand Alone
Source: Kindle version provided by YA Bound 

  

Sometimes the love our heart needs to heal can be found in the familiar eyes of a childhood friend...

Julie Porter learned the hard way that trust is something which must be earned and not something to be given out lightly, those who say they love you are those who hold the power to hurt you most, and best friends can help you survive anything—until they move away.

Nick Owen knows a thing or two about a hard life. At a young age Nick learned how to take a hit and to make lemonade out of the lemons life tossed his way. Returning home after nearly two years of being away, all Nick cares about now is protecting his mom from the abusive hands of his father and catching up with his best friend—the girl who lived across the street, the girl he can’t seem to stop thinking about.

Finally reunited after two years apart, Nick and Julie are about to learn that age does nothing to protect you from life’s trials and tribulations, heartache and loss, but maybe together they’ll find a way to survive.

(Mature Young Adult, contains violence, language, and sexual situations.)

I had this book on my TBR since the tour last summer when the book was released. I am glad I finally had the chance to read it. Its a sweet romance between childhood friends who once lost each other, but now found their way back. It was a book full of hurting, healing, and hope. I enjoyed the book and closed the last page with warm fuzzies and a smile. 

Julie and Nick are broken. Julie lives with a drugged up stripper mother, who brings home different creeps almost every night. The creeps are pervs and Julie has to run from them constantly. Nick has an alcholic, abusive father who also beats his mother. BROKEN. As children they would hide together, distract each other, and depend on each other. After a pretty bad beating from his dad, Nick's mother sends Nick away to live somewhere safe. Two years later, he comes home. Julie and Nick drifted apart, but they find their way back to each other and once again help each other survive the horrible life they been given. 

It was a really good book. I loved the brokeness of the main characters, the way they dealt with their lives, they way they loved even after being so broken. I felt the characters were pretty honest for the home lives they had. 

Julie is the more messed up out of the two... She suffered the most. Nick did get a reprieve when he was able to leave his home, however he still has scars. Julie had really one good person in her life, Nick, when he moved it was down hill. She does have a couple of really good friends, but she doesn't share her pain with them. I really believe they would have been there for her and helped her out as much as possible if she just would of let them in. Julie had a lot of shame, fear, anger, and so much more. I hated her mother, I hated her life. Julie seemed beyond repair for most of the book. 

Nick was more of a fighter to Julie's survivor. He tried not to let his life effect him as a person. Julie really never had anyone love her, Nick had his mother. Granted she has made some very poor decisions... lets send Nick away, but keep the drunken butt-head that beats me... kind of decisions, but she loved Nick. When he moved back home, it was easy to see how much she loved Nick. She was a sweet hearted woman  that worked hard to keep her family going. I think having her made Nick want to fight for his life. 

The romance was sweet, it seemed sort of fast because the book is short, but months pass and Julie and Nick already had a strong connection. It took so much for Nick to help Julie open up and let someone love her that I wanted to cheer loudly when it happened. 

The writing was good, the pacing was great, I just wish that the book would have been a bit longer. I felt the emotions and heartache from Julie's and Nick's life, and loved the ending, but I feel I would have been more connected to them if their story would have been just a bit longer. 

There are some pretty horrible scenes in the book, just a warning. Violence is a big part of Nick and Julie's story. I do appreciate the scenes, they bring understand and feeling to the story, and I really appreciate the author including them, but keeping them short and as few as possible. 

I love a good story about about love healing and love giving hope and  I love a good ending. It was a pretty good read and I would love to see more from the author. 

Jennifer Snyder lives in North Carolina were she spends most of her time writing new adult and young adult fiction, reading, and struggling to stay on top of housework. She is a tea lover with an obsession for Post-it notes and smooth writing pens. Jennifer lives with her husband and two children, who endure listening to songs that spur inspiration on repeat and tolerate her love for all paranormal, teenage-targeted TV shows.

Find out more about Jennifer Snyder's next release on her BLOG