Scarred Book Review

Scarred is the second book to the Never After series by Emily McIntire, but it does not have to be read in order. Each book is inspired by a fairytale, this one being inspired by The Lion King.

This novel follows two main characters, Sara Beatreaux and Tristan Faasa, who seek revenge but who also find a surprisingly strong attraction to each other.

I think there is a tie between Tristan and Sara for who my favorite character is. Sara is my favorite because she sticks up for herself and doesn't take anyone's crap throughout the novel. She is a very strong woman, willing to do the worst for herself and the people she loves. Tristan is my favorite because he is loyal beyond words, he makes a promise and he keeps it regardless of the consequences. His loyalty and her strength make for an amazing attraction between the two characters.

For the time period this story took place, the characters felt very real to me. It was a time period where women were treated as if they couldn't handle anything, as if they were only around to be on the arm of a man, and Emily made Michael's character treat women to that degree amazingly. The same thing goes for individuals who were physically and mentally not okay, making them seem as if they weren't enough for society. Being pushed to the side and made to suffer because of how they look and act.

Each page of Scarred kept me on my toes and wanting to see how things would turn out for everyone. Especially with all the twists that showed up throughout, things I never saw coming that pulled me into the story even more than I already was.

I think my favorite part of the book was one of the first few scenes of Tristan and Sara in the garden at night. This was my favorite because of the feelings throughout the scene that were involved. Going along with this, I believe that all the scenes involving feelings and emotions were written well by the author. Which says a lot because there were plenty of emotions within every scene, but Emily never wavered and never made it seem like she couldn't figure out what to write within a scene.

Scarred didn't make me laugh or cry, it just had me completely invested from beginning to end. I could not put the book down until I was finished with it. I think what really resonated with me and made me so invested, aside from the characters themselves, was the descriptions that Emily wrote. When it came to the descriptions, they were written amazingly and it's something I wish I could do within my own writing. Her descriptions weren't basic, she went into really nice detail with each scene that required it.

If I had to change anything about this novel it would be to change everyone's agenda. Everyone had basically the same agenda, just not the same reasoning for it. With everyone having the same agenda, it was too repetitive for me and would've balanced out if someone had a slightly different one.

Overall, aside from the minor dislike, the emotions showcased were real and I was still hooked in every paged. I found the level of insane in this novel oddly enjoyable and not too much for me. With that being said, I would recommend this novel to a mature audience, and anyone who can handle the violence that is throughout Scarred. Please take note of trigger warnings for the book, the author makes a note to check her website for a detailed trigger list and I highly suggest readers look at it before going through with the novel!