There is so much that I could say about this book that I almost don’t know where to start. But let’s start with this: The world that Adrienne Young managed to weave together within the pages of this book is so immersive and action-packed that it completely stole me away. Chapter after chapter, I was sucked further into the characters and the world building, and I couldn’t put it down! I didn’t want to put it down. I effortlessly devoured this story in just a few hours.
I’d heard raving reviews of this book from the start and I’m pleased to say that it 100% lived up to the hype. Every single scene kept you on your toes, holding your breath (sometimes literally 😉), waiting to see what happens next. And the emotions that Fable felt bled off the pages. They were raw. They were honest. And they instantly hooked me.
Also, can we just talk about all the insanely vivid imagery for a sec? Reading this book felt like watching a tense action movie. It was written in such a way that you could see it all playing out in your mind! I know we say books are like movies of the mind anyway, but holy crap, this book was something else. It came so naturally and so clearly to mind and I LOVED that.
Now, where are all my broody-dark-and-mysterious-men lovers at? Because let me just tell you: YOU NEED THIS BOOK. West is about to be your next book boyfriend, and for good reason. The chemistry between Fable and West was so electric that it jumped right off the pages. It was written between the lines, in the words that weren’t said, and the glances that were pointedly avoided. I want to say it was enemies to lovers, but I’m not sure it really was? What I do know is that it was one hell of a slow-burn. AND IT WAS WORTH IT.
And, okay, I’m a huge fan of the found-family trope, and I love it when characters band together because they’re all that each other has. And this book delivered on that. I adored the way the characters came together in their own crew that doubled as a family. And I love that they all held some level of depth. Each of the characters was there for a reason and they had a story to tell too.
This was the first book I read from Adrienne Young and I already know I’m going to be reading a ton more. Her writing style is so unique and so enthralling—her world building so incredibly atmospheric—and I want more of it. I’m counting down the days until I’ll have Namesake in my hands, because after that ending, I know I’m going to be devouring the second book just as quickly as I did the first.
Just a side note: I will say that the sailing vocabulary does initially throw you off a little bit, but you can either google the words, OR, you can do what I did, which was to pretend you know what they’re talking about 😂 (sooner or later, you kind of grasp what they’re talking about)
But TRUST ME, don’t let the vocab deter you! This story is WORTH IT!
One True Daydreamer 