Book Review: The Reckless Oath We Made by Bryn Greenwood

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THE RECKLESS OATH WE MADE
Author: Bryn Greenwood
Reading Level: New Adult
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Released: August 20, 2019

Zee is nobody's fairy tale princess. Almost six-foot, with a redhead's temper and a shattered hip, she has a long list of worries: never-ending bills, her beautiful, gullible sister, her five-year-old nephew, her housebound mother, and her drug-dealing boss.

Zee may not be a princess, but Gentry is an actual knight, complete with sword, armor, and a code of honor. Two years ago the voices he hears called him to be Zee's champion. Both shy and autistic, he's barely spoken to her since, but he has kept watch, ready to come to her aid.

When an abduction tears Zee's family apart, she turns to the last person she ever imagined--Gentry--and sets in motion a chain of events that will not only change both of their lives, but bind them to one another forever.

A provocative love story between a tough Kansas woman on a crooked path to redemption and the unlikeliest of champions, from the New York Times bestselling author of All the Ugly and Wonderful Things.

The Reckless Oath WE Made is another book that I had to take several days before I could write a review.  I am completely in love with the way Bryn Greenwood tells a story.  So freaking raw and cut open completely that you feel like you are not just a reader but a fly on the wall watching everything unfold.

The characters of this book were so well written.  So many situations were brought up: Hoarding, which, I think this may be the first time I have read a book that included this topic; Autism; prison; and drugs, just to name a few.

I really loved this book so much.  Bryn Greenwood constantly pushes boundaries and gets me out of my reading comfort zone.  I could  not put it down and I was enthralled every single second.  I'm rating this book 4.5 trees and would definitely recommend it!

Book Review: All the Ugly and Wonderful Things by Bryn Greenwood

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ALL THE UGLY AND WONDERFUL THINGS
Author:Bryn Greenwood
Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Coming of Age | Dark
Released: August 9, 2016
Review Source: Thomas Dunne Books

As the daughter of a meth dealer, Wavy knows not to trust people, not even her own parents. Struggling to raise her little brother, eight-year-old Wavy is the only responsible "adult" around. She finds peace in the starry Midwestern night sky above the fields behind her house. One night everything changes when she witnesses one of her father's thugs, Kellen, a tattooed ex-con with a heart of gold, wreck his motorcycle. What follows is a powerful and shocking love story between two unlikely people that asks tough questions, reminding us of all the ugly and wonderful things that life has to offer.

Where do I even start with this one!?  I absolutely loved this book.  This book has a whole lot of ugly as the title suggests but there is beauty in overcoming the horrible things life sometimes throws at you.

The mother in me truly struggled to read certain parts of this book. Hearing the realness of what kids go through in a drug influenced atmosphere was so incredibly heartbreaking. I wanted to put myself in this insane world and hug Wavy and Donal and take them away from the horrible lives they had to endure for so long.

The story begins in the spring of '75 in a small town in the Midwest.  It's written in multiple point of views, which I normal freakin HATE but it works in this book.  Wavy, a six year old little girl, and her brother Donal, a baby, are dealt an extremely shitty hand. They live with a certifiably crazy, drug addicted mother, Val and occasionally Liam, their meth making/dealing father would come around.  Val's neglect forces Wavy to look after herself and her baby brother.  Two years later, after being moved around from different family member's homes, Wavy is back with her mother.  Standing in a field, she notices a man she had never seen before, on a motorcycle, coming down the road. He notices her too, causing him to crash his bike.  Both of their lives changed that day.  The book covers more than a decade of the lives and experiences of the characters.

I don't want to say anything more about the story line because I feel it would give the story away.  I had such mixed emotions reading this book. I think the writing was so raw and brilliant. It was unlike anything I have ever read before.  I had a love/hate relationship with Wavy's aunt, Brenda. The mother in me sides with every choice she makes, the 14 year old girl in me feels so sorry for Wavy.  While I felt closure at the end, I was left with a lot of questions.  I hope the author writes another book on Donal's life so I can see more from his point of view.

This book won't be for everyone so I have to put that out there. There are some topics some may struggle to read because at times it was hard for me but it was such an ugly, wonderful book. The title could not be more accurate.  I recommend everyone at least give this amazing story a chance. It's a life changing book that I'll never forget.