| Title | : | 738 Days (738 Days, #1) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0765380412 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780765380418 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 432 |
| Publication | : | First published June 7, 2016 |
Now, years later, Amanda is struggling to live normally. Her friends have gone on to college, while she battles PTSD. She’s not getting any better, and she fears that if something doesn’t change soon she never will.
Six years ago, Chase Henry defied astronomical odds, won a coveted role on a new TV show, and was elevated to super-stardom. With it, came drugs, alcohol, arrests, and crazy spending sprees. Now he's sober and a Hollywood pariah, washed up at twenty-four.
To revamp his image, Chase’s publicist comes up with a plan: surprise Amanda Grace with the chance to meet her hero, followed by a visit to the set of Chase’s new movie. The meeting is a disaster, but out of mutual desperation, Amanda and Chase strike a deal. What starts as a simple arrangement, though, rapidly becomes more complicated when they realize they need each other in more ways than one. But when the past resurfaces in a new threat, will they stand together or fall apart?
738 Days (738 Days, #1) Reviews
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My 500th review everyone:
4.5 stars
Stacey Kade, my queen, never disappoints. This is a very unique and thrilling story about overcoming your fears, redemption and an unexpected love. If you've read the premise of this book, you already know that it deals with some quite difficult subjects - abduction, PTSD. I have connected with Amanda immediately, and NEVER, throughout this book, even though she's been through some awful things and is still coping with them, have I thought of her as weak. For me, she was an incredible character and I enjoyed seeing her get her freedom back, in every sense of that word, step by step. Chase, on the other hand, seems like the King of Bad Decisions. That doesn't mean that I didn't connect with him as well. Humans make mistakes all the time, so Chase, in my opinion, was very relatable and easy to like. The chemistry between these two was phenomenal. The fact that they kind of share a history together because of the horrible part of Amanda's life made their whole relationship even more interesting to follow. The writing was amazing, as per usual. I mean, it's Stacey we're talking about here. The flow of the story was extremely enjoyable and perfect for the type of characters Stacey decided to write about.
Overall, I absolutely think this is another excellent book by Stacey Kade & I hope she'll write more contemporary books in the future.
You can read this review on
BookishFever. -
I've been *dying* to read this ever since I saw the deal announcement on Twitter. First of all, I love me some Stacey Kade. Secondly, how unique is this premise??? A kidnapped girl is held captive for years, and her only source of comfort is a familiar poster of a celebrity boy hanging on the wall. After her escape, she meets the boy and agrees to a promotional trip...of sorts. (I don't want to give too much away). Anyhoo, when I received an early copy, I was bouncing in my seat!
Gah! It was sooo good!
I loved Amanda and Chase. They were both strong, compelling characters who made me root for them from the very beginning. I also enjoyed how well developed the secondary characters were. Everyone had a reason for behaving the way they did, even the antagonists. But my favorite part of the story was Amanda's emotional journey with Chase. She had a lot to overcome, and he was so patient in helping her get there. Without spoiling anything, I'll tell you the scenes between them are intimate, sweet, and SCORCHING hot. (In case you were unaware, this is not YA.)
I can't wait for you guys to read this! I hope you love it as much as I did! :) -
Snarky comment: Is 739 days really that long when you fall in love after two?
738 Days was an anticipated book for me. I had hunted online for it but for some reason it was not available in Australia, which meant I had to buy it and then wait. Now, if you know me I hate waiting. I can't stand it. I'm not patient at all and would rather cry than wait. However, I did it for this book. Sure, it didn't really feel worth it when the book hit about 50% but I did enjoy this book which was great after my last read.
738 Days tells the story of Amanda who had been kidnapped by her bus driver for a total of 738 days. She was kept in a pink room, chained to a wall and raped for the course of two years. As a coping mechanism she developed an imaginary friend based off of a poster of a famous actor of the time, Chase Henry. He is what helps her through this time of her life, someone that gives her hope. However, she doesn't expect to meet him. She knows the real Chase isn't like the one she created, he's much different. As in someone who has made many mistakes. Chase is a recovering alcoholic who is unable to land a single acting role. No one wants to hire him and his unpredictable ass. His publicist has the great idea of exploiting Amanda and the fact she had stated "Chase saved me" in an interview. However, Chase isn't really keen on exploiting her but Amanda agrees. Of course, feelings arise and drama happens all in such a short period of time that it's completely unrealistic.
That was my biggest problem with this book - just how unrealistic it was. The whole story basically takes place over four days. Our protagonists are in love by day two. The drama soon follows to the extent that I skimmed it - it wasn't that interesting honestly. Despite this whole quick romance and story the story dragged. Maybe it was the fact it was only a few days but I found myself growing tiresome with both Amanda and Chase. Mia being the only sane character who featured.
Due to the fast pace character development happened at an alarming rate that it was unrealistic. Suddenly Amanda can handle being touched. Boom, suddenly Amanda can guess that Chase is an alcoholic despite not knowing much about life past 16. Oh, Chase isn't a bad guy anymore? Boom, we don't see it happen.
I didn't like the fact that both of these destructive and broken people, in their own ways, obviously wouldn't have healed without the other. I honestly just want a female protagonist who doesn't need a boy to tell her she's beautiful and to "help" her move forward - it's infuriating.
Elise, the publicist, was infuriating. There was honestly no point to her character apart from the fact she was crazy, mainly over the fact Chase ended their sleeping arrangement. She was ridiculous and petty to the point that if she had been taken out of the story everything would have continued to make sense completely.
However, before the drama and the two day love I was completely into this book. The emotions were raw as we get the perspective of Chase and Amanda. I honestly preferred Amanda as it was interesting to see her family dynamic and how she viewed the world after seeing the worst of the worst. I loved the absolute beautiful way that Amanda reacted to situations - which may make me sadistic. I liked the way the author included the fact that Amanda got triggered by certain things instead of simply moving on from the kidnapping and rape.
I also loved how the family element was included. It would be hard for your family to bring you back in after you'd suffered so much and been gone for so long. It would be difficult and it was such raw emotions - the mum overcompensating, the guilt of the elder sister and the dad, and the annoyance of the youngest sister. It was incredibly well done. I just didn't know why the romance and character development could have been done just as well.
Overall, this wasn't a bad book. I just had some problems with it personally. I would recommend this if you want a darker but fluffy read. However, the dark isn't very present more so the fluff. -
I had heard a lot of good things about this book and I've enjoyed some of Stacey's other books, so it was really just a matter of time before I got my hands on it.
Rape is a hard limit for me and I wasn't quite sure what I was getting into when it was mentioned within the first paragraph. I will admit to hesitating, but I'm so glad I read this.
I really liked Amanda and Chase. They both have horrible backgrounds and while they're entirely different situations, the stress and anxiety is the same. They're both genuinely good people and I loved seeing them learn to rely and lean on each other. Plus kissing.
Sure, some of the plot points were overdramatic and perhaps a bit clichéd, but at the root of this book, it's a story about two people finding their way back. And Stacey makes it a good one. -
A copy of this title was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This review can also be found at
The Starry-Eyed Revue.
I've never read any of Stacey Kade's books before, but I've definitely had some interest in reading them, to be sure. None more than 738 Days, though, which says a lot about the content. I usually shy away from new adult novels because they tend to get really cliche and trope-y. Damaged girl with tragic backstory. Hero with his own share of baggage. Coping issues. Miscommunication. Lies. Betrayal. The usual.
This story has all of that...and then some. Yet I found myself so invested in the lives of these characters who, for better or worse, have each been through harrowing ordeals that have left them completely changed people. But I suspect that stems from the fact that I didn't feel emotionally manipulated as I read. The characters felt genuine in their grief, in their heartbreak, and in their attempts to be the people they want to be.
The relationship that develops between Amanda and Chase evolves rather quickly and is nothing short of tumultuous, but it is beautiful nonetheless. And it's nearly impossible not to get caught up in their whirlwind romance. I don't want to say that they needed each other to complete the healing process, but they were definitely beneficial to each other and I like how that aspect played out without them becoming dependent upon one another.
738 Days was thoughtful and thought-provoking but also honest and completely brutal at times. More so with Amanda's story than Chase's because there are triggers that set her off and the flashbacks are not pretty. It was hard to read at times while also being nearly unputdownable.
And lovely and heart-breaking and just wow. I think I may have found my new favorite new adult novel. I am very interested in reading more NA from Stacey Kade...as well as checking out her YA backlist because now that I've gotten a taste of her writing, I'm pretty sure I'll want to devour the rest.
GIF it to me straight:
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Aahhhhhhh that was SO GOOD. It got a little predictable near the end, but man, I haven't gotten THIS invested in (and glued to) a contemporary since... idek when. It reminded me a little bit of I'll Meet You There -- not the plot or characters, but just the author's ability to suck me in, to make me believe in the characters and story, and to completely destroy my emotions every step of the way.
UGH. So good. Will attempt to post a real review sometime soon.
(Also, FYI: adult/new adult. Not YA.) -
Have you ever finished reading a book and wished you had read it sooner? I mean, I had this ARC, and I really wanted to read it, but it just didn’t make it to the top of my to read pile very fast which makes me sad, because once I finally picked it up and finished it, I wanted to start all over again at the first page.
Now I know that when you read the summary of this you’ll think it’s going to be a super heavy story… and don’t get me wrong, because it is, the basis of this story is heartbreaking, but it’s not overwhelmingly depressing if that makes sense. Amanda was abducted at the age of 15 and spent 738 days the captive of a horrible human being. She had one thing in the small room that kept her somewhat sane and reminding her that she had a home to go back to, and that was a poster of the teen heartthrob Chase Henry.
Amanda is now 20 and stuck… she’s not moving forward, she wants more from her life, but she can’t seem to get past her history, and her family is suffocating her. And then Chase Henry appears in her life.
Chase Henry went from a breakout star to a has been in just a few years… admittedly of his own doing. His family has disowned him, the people he thought were his friends ditched him after his legal troubles and he’s lucky if he can get his agent to call him back. A young director is willing to take a chance on him though, and he’s bound and determined to not screw it up. The only person still in his corner is his overeager publicist… and she’ll do whatever she has to in order to make it in the entertainment industry. Including setting up a surprise meeting between Amanda and Chase.
Despite their initial disaster of a meeting, Amanda decides this is the push she needs to move her life forward and it could be mutually beneficial to both her and Chase. So for the first time in years, she leaves the safety of her small town with someone she barely knows and heads to the set where Chase is filming, but what they don’t expect is the connection they find that exists between them, and also the unexpected trouble that suddenly makes its presence known.
Seriously, the backstories for these two characters are utterly heartbreaking, but I was immediately invested in both Amanda and Chase and both their lives before and after these horrible things happened. This is my first Stacey Kade book, but I’m definitely going to be getting her other books. Her writing just pulls you in and the characters will have you feeling every single hurt and triumph as you turn each page.
I have to tell you guys that I absolutely loved Amanda… I felt her pain and frustration in every single page! What happened to her is just one of the issues in her life now, her family … her parents and her two sisters, are just as stuck as she is. They don’t know how to make anything better and there is a lot of guilt floating around their house. I loved that Kade really didn’t shy away from the ugly things that happened to Amanda, that she made Amanda strong enough in some aspects to be able to face that part of it head on… she was blunt about what had happened but on some level I loved that she knew not acknowledging it wouldn’t help her in the long run.
Chase isn’t the perfect heartthrob everyone thought he was, and despite all the mistakes he may have made, I couldn’t help but be taken by his patience and kindness towards Amanda. I totally understood why he made some of the choices that he made in both his past and now.
And these two together… they will have you melting. I loved the moments of this book where Amanda and Chase are just getting to know each other and learn the stuff that isn’t in their biographies. The way they slowly open up to each other and share the things that others just don’t know. The way the trust slowly builds and the deeper intimate connection reveals itself – PERFECTION!
I will say that there is a bit of a mystery here, as something from one of their pasts resurfaces and while some of that was a bit predictable, I didn’t even care that it was because I was so engrossed in the story for that to cause any kind of issue for me.
738 Days is filled with sweet and sexy moments, a complicated and emotional journey for two characters who you won’t be able to let go even as you turn the last page.
If this isn’t on your to read list yet, you need to get it there immediately and read it asap!
Thank you to TOR books for the early copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.
REREAD VIA AUDIO
Love the narration and really enjoyed the story again! If you haven't read this one yet, I highly recommend! -
“We are not our mistakes, our tragedies. We’re more than that.”
Amanda Grace was abducted and held for 738 days. The terror and torture she lived through cannot possibly be described. But she escaped. She survived! One light in the darkness was a poster of Hollywood hottie, Chase Henry. His face and smirk-smile reminded her of home, which gave her the hope and drive to keep fighting. Now two years later Amanda is still battling the scars and Chase’s career is in a nosedive. Chase is barely holding on to asecond,third, fourth chance. A small film shooting near Amanda’s hometown is Chase’s last chance at a comeback after a string of bad choices and mistakes. Both Chase and Amanda are trying so hard to find peace in their lives again. Can they find peace together? But they come from two totally different worlds—don’t they? How can they possibly find common ground? Chase and Amanda’s story may surprise you.
I’m going to get this BIG BUT out of the way now because I don’t want to end this review on a negative or even focus on it much more than this paragraph. The ending—I mean the last 30 pages—was packed with reveals and drama and action. There was too much going on all at once. The rest of the book holds a slow, beautiful pace that mainly involves just Amanda and Chase getting to know each other. They moved from the set to their rooms and back again for most of the book. They talked and listened and opened up. And then BOOM! The packed-to-the-gills ending hit full force stealing a lot of the power and emotion for me. One particular reveal had me in tears! That’s where my heart wanted to stay. But on we went to the next big event and the next and the next. By the end I was rolling my eyes at the Lifetime movie style scenes and action. *blows out a breath* Now….
On to my LOVE of this book. Chemistry is the magic word and ingredient here. Man-o-man do these two have it! Heat sparks between Chase and Amanda at first sight in the form of awkwardness and tension that slowly turns to grins, smiles, honesty and more right before our eyes. It was beautiful to watch. Amanda’s battle with fear and Chase’s insecurities clicked together in a way that brought out strength and healing—it dug something special out of both of them. They pushed and inspired each other. Their broken pieces fit together somehow. Fit so beautifully. A bubble of intimacy and sharing formed from the very first night together. They shared looks, space, food, clothes, and secrets. Small grins turned flirtious. Flashes of skin turned into fantasies and need. Kisses, licks, and nibbles to dream about! Their chemistry flipped from sweet to sexy in a breath, but even those words fail to capture the full emotional impact. It was more than that for me. Their time together felt right. It felt meant to be. I felt it down deep. I loved every moment Amanda and Chase shared together.
But this book held even MORE. A big part of overcoming a trauma or mistake is learning to trust ourselves again. Learning to trust our judgement and stability again. With help and courage and time, we can survive just about anything. At least I like to hope so anyway. Chase and Amanda recognized the fighter in each other. I loved that! I loved that they saw each other’s bravery and toughness. They saw the strength that helped them survive. Now they’re trying to push past their painful histories. Trying to make people see them for more than their images or headlines. Maybe together they can get there. But I have to say, my favorite part of this book was that they worked on getting stronger individually too. Don’t get me wrong—loved the togetherness! Oh, how I LOVED the oola-la togetherness. :D But in the end, I hope both Chase and Amanda gained the inspiration and confidence to battle anything in this world—together and separately.
I loved Chase and Amada’s story.
Highly recommended. -
Was lucky enough to read this book early and OMG peeps. It's a MUST READ. I adored every page and was sad when I finished. Can't say it enough - this book is amazing!
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Books with sensitive subject themes such as rape have a very high chance of going wrong, either coming off as insensitive or having survivors make miraculous recoveries that are both unrealistic & dangerous (basically I mean by erasing their PTSD). This is not the case in 738 DAYS. Focusing primarily on the aftermath process, Amanda has been abducted for 2 years & is rescued after her captor is shot dead. 2 years later, she is now 20 years old & still trying to find a way to heal. Her family plays a large part in this, mostly her mother who suffocates Amanda with an overbearing presence & the ruler of all her decisions. Though with the given situation, you can't really be angry at her misguided good intentions.
Amanda wants to live her life & trust her decisions. The only thing that kept her going during her war days was a Chase Henry poster, a celebrity who has gone down the wrong path a few times. The real Chase enters Amanda's life at a time where she is trying to make a big change in her life, after being discouraged by the small changes that aren't making any difference. She decides to spend time with Chase, going to his film set & such as a deal with her taking photos for his comeback. But mostly she leaves with him because she doesn't want to be afraid anymore & desires to know what it is like to live on her own terms.
Eventually Amanda & Chase begin an intimate relationship of sorts & readers are taken into the internal dialogue of Amanda's struggle as she is reminded of what her captor did to her. Amanda's PTSD remains a constant throughout, but never overwhelms or makes it seem like she is incapable of having any other feelings. I really appreciated that, as well as Amanda finally learning how to speak up for herself & not wanting to have Chase save her, but rather save herself. Chase has flaws of his own, including dealing with trying to remain sober. The relationship between them is remarkable; the sensual parts were fantastic, asking questions like "Is this okay?" & "Tell me what you'd like." This is very important for survivors & I am so glad it was written like this instead of Amanda tossing aside all of her feelings just for the sake of romance.
Of course there's the jealous ex-publicist, pyscho stalker & more Hollywood culture in this, but it's very well-done. I did feel the ending was a bit rushed at the end which is why I didn't give this the full 5*. I also would have liked to see more between Amanda & her sister Mia, but overall this was wonderful. I wouldn't object to a sequel with these characters or hesitate to read another one of Kade's books. Highly recommended. -
The premise of 738 Days was interesting and was what made me pick up the book. Though, the quick nature of the romantic relationship and the dramatics in the latter part of the book was problematic. I felt like the author did a wonderful job in the beginning at accurately depicting a woman trying to overcome her traumatic past. Amanda's reactions to certain situations felt real and in no way felt like the author was trying to use her mental illness as a plot device, which I enjoyed.
The other thing that I really appreciated was the overarching theme of family and healing. The subplot in this book was how Amanda's abduction affected not just her, but her entire family—her mom, dad, and two sisters. For so long, Amanda had been so focused on her recovery—as so she should—that she didn't fully realize the toll it had taken on those closest to her. I really liked that the author shed light on this and the way she did it with her younger sister. It added depth and layers to the story.
But being as this is a romance, rather than a straight-up contemporary, my issues with that part of the story far outweigh the things I felt were done well. The beginning of this book had this addictive quality that keep me reading. But the plot started to go downhill and many elements started to feel cheap and shallow.
It seems lately that many of my complaints with romance novels is that the couple's relationship lacked depth or any development at all. Here, the author had laid the groundwork for a good romance—Amanda and Chase had good chemistry. I felt immediately endeared to Chase because he was just so freaking sweet and sensitive to Amanda's issues. I really liked him, and I'll admit that I was swooning a little. But the pacing of the romance made it nearly impossible for me to fully believe in it. From the time they meet until they have sex and say I love you is five days. As I've said before, I am fully aware that this happens in real life and I'm not saying it's not possible. But I didn't buy it here.
This book is 432 pages, which is quite long for a new adult contemporary romance. I think it would be easy for readers to get distracted by the length and forget that this couple has only known each other for a handful of days. But it was something that I couldn't quite overlook, especially considering Amanda's mental state in the beginning of the book (which was only about 10 days prior to the ending of the book).
Amanda went from locking herself in her bedroom closing, having full-blown panic attacks and flashback episodes in the beginning of the book to being able to face large crowds of people and paparazzi in a matter of a couple of days with little effect on her. That just didn't ring true to me, no matter the amount of pure will and self-determination.
If you really love movie star romances, you may want to give this a try. The writing is solid in parts and the romance is sweet. But you may struggle with the pacing, like I did.
* I received an advance copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
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★★
UPCOMING BOOK RELEASES★★
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A beautifully written story about finding the strength to keep going after life throws you some really hard hits. And being able to trust and find love in an unlikely place. Really enjoyed this one, it pulled me in right from the start and I didn't want it to end. Definitely recommend this one to everyone!!
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What is trauma in the face of true instalove? It doesn't stand a chance!
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Not a review. Just a quick note that 738 DAYS is on sale for $2.99 on Kindle, as of today (11/19/17). I don’t know how long it will last, but it’s on for now! ❤️
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B015MP... -
I have this habit of putting a book on my tbr-list and actually picking it up months, even years later. But after I’ve read
Laura’s beautiful review I knew I needed 738 Days right that moment. I started it right away with a certainty that I would love it, and I was right.
This book starts with a heart-wrenching prologue. Amanda has been kidnaped and is hold captive in a basement chained to the wall. Yet another visit from her abuser is approaching and he may finally kill her this time. During this time of pain, fear and desperation the only constant that kept her same was a wall poster of Chase Henry, a teenage celebrity whose voice she heard in her head.
Miraculously she escaped this nightmare and the story begins two years later with Amanda still trying to adjust to her “normal” life. She has not only visible scars, like the one on her wrist from where she’d been chained, but also invisible emotional scars. Despite years of therapy she feels like she is failing on all sides.
Chase (not a poster, but a very much real Chase) is dealing with career problems. He is not the golden celebrity boy with all doors open before him as he was two years ago. His abuse of alcohol and destructive behavior almost ended his career. He’s given the last chance to get on track, and he desperately needs a miracle to improve his bad image. Amanda seems like a perfect candidate. A girl who survived the worst with his virtual help. A miracle indeed.
He approaches Amanda and proposes to visit his film setting. So these two began their charade; mistrustful of each other and each pursuing their own goals.
I should say that despite serious topic 738 Days is not a dark story; it’s full of hope and light. At core it is a deep and touching love story. No, no, it’s not “a broken girl met a celebrity guy who healed her” kind of story. Stacey Kade explores consequences of such traumatic experience in very sensitive and tactful way. It was Amanda who set pace to her relationship with Chase. Where was one particular scene that grabbed me:
“But you don’t get to say no for me,” she says, pushing off the couch to stand up, fire in her gaze. “Do you understand that, Chase? I’m my own person. I have enough people telling me what I can’t do, what I should and shouldn’t want, whether it’s too fast or long overdue. Pick any reason you want, but not that one. It’s mine.”
And the romance was sexy, so very sexy. It was one of the most beautiful and full of chemistry romances I’ve ever read. And it’s coming from a person who read a lot of books in this genre.
The romance between Chase and Amanda was slow burn with realistic pace. Not once I felt like the author just used Amanda’s past as a plot device (which unfortunately I can say about many NA books).
What struck me were Amanda’s guilt and trust issues.
She bites her lip. “I still have trouble trusting people. Actually, it’s more like trusting my judgment of people, you know?”
What can be worse than not be able to trust your own judgment?
But this story doesn’t focus only on romance. I also want to mention Amanda’s family. Her parents and two sisters are affected by what happened to Amanda. All of them have their share of guilt and regrets. It was fascinating to observe their family dynamic.
Up upon 70 % I was sure it would be 5 Stars read, but then the author thrown into the mix a crazy fan and this unnecessary angst ruined the perfect story. I think the book didn’t need this additional subplot. It added some thrills, but significantly lessen powerful message. Thus I give this story 4 Stars.
I’m a little bit hesitant to recommend this book. On one hand it was a deep touching and sexy romance with interesting family dynamic. On the other hand last 30 % were very angsty and hard to swallow.
I live for romance in my books. I can look past even serious issues if the author delivers great romance. So for me 738 Days was worth reading, actually I may even reread it in the future.
You can find my reviews:
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Protagonisten
Amanda ist zwar gebrochen und verletzt, aber sie ist unglaublich mutig und lässt sich nicht so einfach unterkriegen. Sie möchte mehr als alles andere wieder ein normales, angstfreies Leben führen. Ich weiß nicht, wie man sie nicht mögen könnte, da sie wirklich ein gutes, liebenswertes Mädchen ist. Sie ist zwar frei von ihrem Gefängnis, aber nicht frei von ihren Ängsten und der Paranoia, dass jederzeit etwas Schlimmes passieren könnte. Sie kämpft gegen ihre Vergangenheit und hofft, dass Chase' Nähe ihr irgendwie dabei helfen kann. Sie traut sich kaum, ihre Komfortzone zu verlassen - in der sie sich eigentlich auch nicht ganz sicher fühlt -, doch als Chase mit seinem Angebot auftaucht, springt sie ins kalte Wasser und stellt sich all ihren Ängsten. Sie weiß, dass sie so nicht weitermachen kann und geht mutig auf Konfrontationskurs.
Sie sieht zwar ein, dass Chase nicht derjenige ist, der während ihrer Gefangenschaft zu ihrer imaginären Unterstützung wurde, sondern eine ganz andere Person mit Höhen und Tiefen. Dass er menschlich ist, gibt auch ihr Kraft und lässt sie ihm vertrauen.
Ihre Beziehung zu ihrer Familie ist manchmal schwierig, da ihre Familienmitglieder auch zwei Jahre später nicht genau wissen, wie sie mit der zurückgekehrten Tochter umgehen sollten. Das führt auch zu einem gewissen Unwohlsein und verursacht zusätzliche Schuldgefühle, was in ihrer Situation nicht wirklich hilfreich ist.
Chase hat in den letzten Jahren schon einige Fehler gemacht, aber er ist auf dem Weg der Besserung. Er ist schon seit fast einem Jahr trocken, auch wenn er noch oft unter seiner Vergangenheit leidet. Seine Karriere ist auf der Kippe und er ist bereit, eine Menge zu tun, um wieder Erfolg zu haben. Seine Presseagentin Elise redet ihm ein, dass er diese ganzen Tricks nötig hat und allein kaum etwas wert ist. Sie möchten nun die Verbindung, die einmal zwischen dem "Wunderkind" Amanda Grace und dem Schauspieler Chase hergestellt wurde, nutzen, um ihn wieder ins Rampenlicht zu rücken. Chase fühlt sich nicht ganz wohl bei der Sache, aber er lässt sich dann doch überreden und lässt Elises Intrigen über sich ergehen. Ist er dann mit Schuld an den Konsequenzen? Ich finde schon! Chase ist unsicher und lässt sich leicht beeinflussen, darum kann ich ihm vieles gar nicht zum Vorwurf machen, vor allem, da er ansonsten wirklich bemüht ist, sich zu bessern und es Amanda auch angenehm zu machen. Sie zu verletzen ist das Letzte, was er würde tun wollen.
Handlung und Schreibstil
Es gab zwei wundervolle Protagonisten, die mich mit ihren Stärken und Schwächen verzaubern konnten und einander Kraft gaben, nicht aufzugeben. Das wäre eigentlich auch genau das gewesen, was ich erwartet hätte - aber dann kam noch viel mehr dazu! Durch die Intrigen, die für Publicity sorgen, wurde es ziemlich spannend und ich flog geradezu durch die Seiten. Es gab rührende Überraschungen, bittere Rückfälle und auch zuckersüße Fortschritte. Die Liebesgeschichte hat sich zwar schnell entwickelt, war aber doch authentisch!
Fazit
Mir hat "From Scratch - Alles neu mit dir" wirklich gut gefallen! Die Charaktere fand ich großartig, ihre Geschichten überzeugend und das Buch war nicht nur bewegend sondern auch ziemlich spannend! Eine eindeutige Empfehlung! -
738 Days, for the most part, is a stereotypical new adult novel: girl and boy with broken pasts save each other from their own demons. It also has one of those impossible romances: celebrity actor falls in love with a commoner. And yet, even with these clichèd tropes, I ended up enjoying this book. At 432 pages, it’s also a bit heftier than your average romance novels. But you’ll never notice the pages flipping by because you’re so ensconced in Amanda Grace’s and Chase Henry’s plights.
The beginning of the novel was a little tough to get through. We see Amanda Grace in captivity, beaten and bloody, and talking to an imaginary Chase Henry in her head. He was the voice she clung to in her months of torture. He was the one that told her to hold on and had kept her fighting through darkness and hopelessness. They’d never met. He was an actor in a show that her sister loved. But he was the face that kept her going in that dark basement where her captor had kept her. Years after she was freed, she’s in a different prison that she’s created for herself: anxiety and fear. At twenty years old, she has no life to speak of. Her family life is in shambles and some days, she can’t even bear the thought of leaving her house. So when Chase Henry shows up at her place of employment, her reaction was severe and instantaneous. She ran away.
Chase Henry’s career has taken a nose dive over the years after a few bad decisions. Given the chance to save what’s left of it, he’ll grab at any opportunity that comes his way. Even if it would mean playing a small part in an indie film and taking advantage of his hero status to a girl whom he indirectly saved all those years ago. But upon meeting Amanda Grace, he saw himself for what he was: an opportunistic leech ready to put another person through what was the most traumatic memories of her life if only to garner a spotlight in the media once again.
738 Days is a story about redemption and courage. And while Chase’s reasons for helping Amanda Grace was selfish in the beginning, he immediately saw that he was well on his way to repeating the same mistakes he did in the past. Courage comes in many forms. For Amanda Grace, it was being with Chase even if it brings about many memories of her time chained to the wall in the basement of her captor. It was putting herself back in the spotlight again and unearthing all the things she wished she could forget. In a way, it was also admitting her role in the demise of her crumbling family relationships. It hasn’t been easy for her, and no one could blame her. She was only 15 when she was abducted – hard to recover from that. -
I don't think I've read a story plot this deep or thought provoking as this one in a long, long time. My brain muscles are still un-cramping from all the thinking and flat out speed reading I've done in the last two days. This is just one of those stories that doesn't have a good place to stop, regroup, and circle your thoughts back around.
The entire premise may sound hokey to some but if it's executed right, it could be marvelous - this story is just that!
Starting with a dramatic, on-the-edge prologue, we meet Amanda Grace. It's two years of healing that is virtually going nowhere and only just further ripping her family apart. Amanda still seeks comfort in her closet. She rarely leaves the house except to go to work at a local grocery. Overall, Amanda's family is a mess and Amanda can do nothing to help.
Because this story is told in alternating POVs, we then meet Chase Henry. He, himself, is a mess. He's a recovering alcoholic, a liar, a has-been from a popular TV show with a short fuse temper. When his "psychotic" publicist thrusts a publicity stunt in his face that will get the tabloids talking and his agent calling him again, Chase reluctantly goes along with it.
You can see the train wreck in the distance but it's what happens on the way there that is suspenseful, thought-provoking, and a downright hopeful struggle for sanity and a future.
Ms. Kade wrote outstanding characters in both Amanda and Chase. You absolutely can't help rooting for and falling in love with Amanda. She's vulnerable but oh, so strong when it counts. Now that's fun to read! Chase, on the other hand, is the more complicated character between the two of them. Who would have thought? You don't exactly hate him, but you don't exactly like him, either. But he's the best thing to happen to Amanda in two years. Ahhhhhh! ∗pulls hair out∗ I'd love to know YOUR thoughts on Chase, if you read this book.
Well written, you won't want to put this story down. This is not a happy, happy, joy, joy young adult romance. This story has teeth... oh, the metaphors are just writing themselves in my head. Do I really need to write them out for you? :)
Review appears on
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Do you like insta-love?
How about insta-love creates an insta cure for PTSD?
Unless you do, 738 DAYS might not be for you.
Amanda Grace spends 738 DAYS held captive staring at a ripped poster of bad boy actor Chase Henry. Once discovered, she spends the next two years trying to heal from the trauma, under the overprotective eyes of her parents and sisters. For a publicity stunt, Chase meets Amanda and they decide to help each other overcome their pasts.
I’m a sucker for kidnapping stories. Stacey Kade’s 738 DAYS is a unique take with a celebrity and survivor falling in love. Kade portrayed Amanda’s PTSD symptoms and episodes accurately, but I never bought into her deciding to go off with a stranger for a few days after not being away from her family for two years. Feeling smothered might have led Amanda to go to a restaurant with Chase, but not a motel (separate rooms).
My biggest pet peeve was the therapist who didn’t understand HIPAA or confidentiality. Not only did the therapist violate Amanda’s privacy by talking to the parents, she talked to Amanda on speaker phone with the family present without telling Amanda.
I did like both Amanda and Chase and find them sympathetic. I even rooted for them as a couple. I also enjoyed Amanda’s relationships with her sisters.
Technically 738 DAYS isn’t a YA book, Amanda is twenty and Chase 24. There are some sex scenes which are very important to the story, because they show how a rape survivor, the a caring partner, can reclaim her sexual confidence and enjoy being with a loving partner.
I will read more of Kade’s books and probably reread 738 DAYS at some point.
ETA I also listened to the audiobook. -
***POSSIBLE SPOILERS PRESENT WITHIN REVIEW***
4.5 star rating
Wow! This one practically broke my heart. It was so hard to imagine the pain that this young woman was going through. At fifteen years old Amanda Grace is abducted as she walks to school. Not seen from in two years and presumed to be dead, her family is elated when police find her. Broken and abused beyond belief, it is hard for her to bounce back into society. Not only is it hard for Amanda, but it is as equally hard for her family to be around her. Her mother tries too hard, older sister Liza is hard-nosed and tough to be around, younger sister Mia blames her for coming back and changing their family, and her father is distant and wants nothing to do with her. Slowly as feelings are revealed, it really isn’t as seems with her family. They are just afraid of losing her again both mentally and physically now that they’ve just found her. And, some blame themselves for the horror that has happened to her. During Amanda’s imprisonment, the only thing that keeps her going is the picture on the wall of actor Chase Henry. It’s with his constant voice in her head that she has the will to survive. Unfortunately for Chase, his career has stalled because of bad decisions in his past. He now has the chance to regain that respect and start over if he comes up with a way to jump-start his career. And, his publicist Elise has just the idea. But, it’s not really an honest one. It’s manipulating and selfish as Chase sees it, but he’s willing to take that chance even if it involves abuse victim Amanda Grace. Chase and Amanda meet for the very first time and it’s a bust. Amanda still suffering violently from PTSD, has a total meltdown during their first encounter. Chase is not too sure that he can go through with this publicity stunt. He decides to call it off, but is still talked into it by Elise. It snowballs out of hell, and Chase now is in deep. And, gets deeper when he and Amanda take their relationship to a whole new level through only the five days that they’ve known each other. What will happen when Amanda finds out the truth? Will she ever be able to forgive Chase??
This was a pretty long book. Over four hundred pages. But, it moved rather quickly. I was so praying that Amanda would figure out how to deal with all the heartbreak and trauma that affected her. It was nothing but with sadness that Amanda tries so hard to leave her past behind and try to live without always having to look over her shoulder. Not being to withstand someone touching her along with unidentified noises just seemed to provoke trigger after trigger as they happen. She is so living in the past but wants to find the strength to not be the victim. In reality she was a survivor, she just couldn’t find that balance between victim and survivor on a daily basis. It was so hard to read about. Oftentimes my emotions took over. And, while Chase was the sweetest person ever, he just was lost and needed to be put on the right path with the right someone. So many people had used him in the past for his celebrity status. When it came down to it, he just wanted to be a good person.
The only problem that I had with the book was the fact that they got intimate after only a few days of knowing each other. And, with such severe PTSD that Amanda suffered from, I found that a little hard to believe. The only thing that is viable is the fact that maybe she was just so fed up with being the victim and was ready to stand on her own two feet and be the strong one for once without always needing someone’s protection. That made sense to me after awhile. So, with that being said, I was totally engrossed in Amanda and Chase’s story. It was hopeful and liberating. Showing a most vulnerable side to each character. The relationship was not without sweetness and intimacy. It made sense in a romantic way when experiencing love for the first time. They seemed to lean on each other, which I think was necessary for both their recoveries. Such a promising story with such courage for survival. Looking forward to reading another book by this most talented author!
“Life is too short to hold yourself back. From love, from happiness, from the fear of falling when you could have the joy of jumping.” ~ Amanda (Chap. 29) -
This review and many more can be found on my blog:
Feed Your Fiction Addiction
This is one of those books where it's hard to know what to expect. On the one hand, it tackles an incredibly serious and tough subject - the emotional (and physical) scars left from an abduction and abuse. But then, it also incorporates a romance trope that we typically find in much lighter fare - the burnt-out celebrity who needs to freshen up his image by helping out a fan. Somehow Kade managed to blend these two disparate topics perfectly - which I'd say is some feat!
What Fed My Addiction:
The pain of a very broken past.
The book starts out at the very end of Amanda's horrible ordeal. She's been held for over two years, mentally and physically (including sexually) abused. When an opportunity to escape presents itself, Amanda isn't sure she can do it - isn't sure she can face the fear of failing and what that would mean for her. But (with the help of an imaginary movie star who she's conjured from a poster) she screws up her courage and takes a chance. Unfortunately, her ordeal is far from over because, two years later, she hasn't healed (at least not emotionally). Amanda is a shell of a person - constantly scared and sometimes unable to face the world at all. This book dealt so realistically with the repercussions of Amanda's imprisonment, and I couldn't help but feel her acute pain and empathize with the panic that threatened to overtake her at any moment. That also kept me rooting for her to overcome her psychological barriers as the book went on!
Chase.
Chase could easily have been a cardboard cut-out, but he wasn't at all. Since this book was written from both Amanda's and Chase's perspectives, we got to see early on why Chase felt so desperate to save his career - how he truly felt about the craft of acting and how he couldn't lose that in his life. Yet, we also saw his faults (including addiction) and insecurities and how those were reflected in his choices. Chase truly didn't believe in his own worth - even as he was fighting to prove it to others.
The romance.
Despite all of Chase's dreams and aspirations (and the machinations of his publicist), once Chase truly realized what was at stake for Amanda, his focus was on her completely. Likewise, even though Amanda was hoping to make steps toward recovery through her visit with Chase, she also saw relatively quickly how people underestimated him and she found herself actually becoming protective of him. I loved watching these two find each other's strengths and help each other to nurture them. This was in no way a one way street - though Amanda was the one who went into this arrangement feeling like she needed to heal, Chase and Amanda actually ended up growing and healing together. The romance was sweet and wonderful (and sometimes awkward and painful - but in all the best ways!).
What Left Me Wanting More:
Slight predictability.
Sure, some things played out pretty much the way you'd expect them to based on the trope that was used. But the complexities of these characters emotions and experiences distracted me from that so completely that I honestly didn't care.
Quick timeline.
The whole book only took place over a few days, and I found myself wishing sometimes that it had been stretched out just a bit. Every once in a while something jarring would happen where I'd think, "Oh yeah, that was just yesterday!" The quick timeline could have made the book feel like instalove if you thought about it too hard, but since the romance was developed throughout the whole book that feeling was (mostly) avoided.
This book turned out to be so much more emotionally impactful than I expected it to be. What is it with books that want to tear my heart out and stomp on it lately? (I love this, by the way.) This amazing story of resilience is one I will not soon forget. I highly recommend it! I give the book 4.5/5 stars!
***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher via BEA16 in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.*** -
Initial Impressions 7/7/16: 3.75 - 4 stars
Well that ending was quite a way to wrap the book up!
To be perfectly fair to this book, I don't think I was int he mood for a serious romance when I picked it up. I thought it was going to be more thriller, less contemporary but that was my own lack of investigation. It was a good read but I just was a little eye-rolly at some of the romantic moments for totally no reason (they really weren't that cheesy).
I really liked a lot of things about the book, especially Amanda's personal growth and how she really worked to own her life again. The romance was cute and very well done. I mostly just didn't really get into the book like I wanted to and the pressure of literally like all my other friends rating it 5 stars was quite a lot of pressure!
Review as originally posted
HERE on The Book Addict's Guide 7/13/16: I was in need of a new audiobook when I started 738 DAYS and it seemed the most appealing choice out of my current selection! I had heard a lot of good things about it and although I wasn’t feeling any of my options, this one seemed to be my best bet for my mood at the time. I hadn’t realized it was so realistic/contemporary (I thought it was going to be more thriller/action — ah, the curse of going in mostly blind) but I did enjoy the book! Since I wasn’t in the mood for a serious contemporary novel, I ended up getting a little eye-rolly at some of the mushy parts (it was my own fault!) but 738 DAYS was a really well put together novel.
I thought the characters were quite realistic. I liked the array of emotions from Amanda. I could easily see how the trauma of her past still affected her — and likely would affect her for a long time or even the rest of her life — and yet she was determined not to to get stuck from it and have that trauma hold her life back. I loved her strength and determination. It was nice to see that gusto and not have her be too gung-ho or the type that constantly refuses someone’s help just so she can do something herself. There was a great balance of growth and seeing that moving past this wasn’t easy. I also really liked Chase and that we met him in his days of redemption. I think it’s easier to like a character when the bad stuff is in their past versus watching them go through the periods of self-destruction. It’s easier to distance yourself from that negative side and it was really nice to see Chase already in the process of that change to be a better person. He and Amanda really just clicked together and I liked how easy that relationship felt. I’ll admit that since I was thinking it was a bit more thriller (oops) that I wasn’t really excited about the romance at first (I know, I know, that’s what the whole book was ABOUT) but the great thing is that it totally grew on me. To swing me from not thrilled to totally loving it says a lot!
I’d say this is more of a New Adult title (given age range and sexual content I wouldn’t say it’s YA) and if you’re hesitant about reading New Adult given some of the more cheesy titles that have previously given it a bad name, this is a great place to start! It’ll definitely be one of my New Adult recommendations for people looking to try some.
AUDIOBOOK IMPRESSIONS | 738 DAYS had dual narrators for the two main characters. Andrew Eiden voiced Chase and Shannon McManus voiced Amanda. I didn’t really like Shannon’s voice much but it wasn’t enough that I actively disliked it (which has happened in the past and I’ve turned an audiobook off). Her voice is high and clear, very feminine, but it has kind of that Valley Girl intonation that bothered me a little bit. I did like Andrew Eiden’s voice but I still wasn’t overly in love with his narration. I’d say a solid 3.75 – 4 stars for the narration on this one. -
This was my first foray into New Adult and I loved every minute of it! The relationship between Chase and Amanda takes place over the course of only a few days and honestly, you sort of forget that! I got so swept up in the story and the emotions. The author treats Amanda's backstory with immense gentleness and thoughtfulness, and while reading, you just know that both of these characters need each other to complete their separate journeys of healing.
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Good book. At times, the plot was captivating. At other times, it was quite the opposite. The author does know how to write great characters. They were likable, realistic, and well thought out. Good story of loss, love and second chances.
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So, so amazing! Ahhhhhh!
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This was great! And I usually avoid NA like the plague. I loved Amanda and Chase's story so much.
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More of a 4.5 for me because I did have a small issue here and there, but solid book overall! Review to come!
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For more review follow my blog shades of paper
I have to say that I went with pretty high expectations into this book, I don’t know why. If you’ve been here for a while, you’ll probably know already that I have a soft spot when it comes to books about movies or music making, and this story sounded so interesting, so I finally decided to pick it up, and though I enjoyed some parts of the novel, I ended up a bit disappointed with this book.
The thing about this book that I had a lot of issues with is that there was a certain plot devise that I’m not going to say because spoilers, that cause a lot of drama between the two characters, and I hate seeing that trope in a book. It immediately makes me disconnect with the whole plot and characters, because I think that that particular trope could have been perfectly solved if the character had addressed that and talked about it, which, you might already know by my rating, this wasn’t.
I enjoyed the evolution of their relationship, and I think they had nice dynamics and chemistry, but I felt that the family was so conveniently left out during more than the first half of the story, which was so weird since they were a very important figure in our main character’s life.
I also think that the book was a bit too long and there were some parts where nothing was actually happening, and I was a bit bored, despite it being a very fast paced story. So overall, even though I had my issues with the tropes and the characters, it had some redeemable qualities that made me give it 3 stars instead of a lower rating. -
738 DAYS was not the YA contemporary I thought it was going to be. I thought we were going to see the aftermath of something I've only seen done in darker crime novels ('that' being a young girl surviving an abduction and extended captivity, wherein she experiences the worst of things) and how she's learning to cope two years later, mixed in with all the tender swoony moments of meeting and being around the actor who, indirectly, helped her survive the ordeal. Instead this is not YA at all and is instead NA. Meaning things are a little more adult than I thought they would be.
Now this doesn't mean we get all these gory details of her 738 days chained in a basement. But nor does Kade, or Amanda, tiptoe around the realities. This is a girl with trauma, with PTSD, a rape victim, a survivor. But instead of going through what happened, Kade instead touches on some simpler but almost more gruesome factors : like reconstructive surgery, dental work, the strangeness of having one arm stronger than the other from hauling around the weight of a manacle and chain for two years. It's both a relief to not cycle through the events of rape and the beatings and more chilling for the insight into more.. mundane, even practical, details.
The problem is that two years later, Amanda's not doing so well. She's stuck, she can't move forward, and that's where the actor, now struggling to put his career back together after almost bottoming out from alcohol and poor choices, steps in with a plan concocted by his publicist to connect the two of them and try to breathe life back into Chase's career. Which is basically when the lies, secrets and plotting begins, even as Chase feels conflicted, tries to redeem the connection after a shady beginning, and break away from the reasons why he's spending time with Amanda, even as his guilt festers when things become more genuine instead of manufactured or fake.
What stops this story from being an solid and, as I initially though, automatic four, is that it was pretty clear, right from the beginning how certain events were going to play out. How the drama would unfold. And how, as much as I could easily have been swept away by the love story, it was just too.. quick.
I definitely loved how Kade had Amanda cycle through her fears and anxieties. The topic of consent, of making her own choices, and how discovering that after everything she had endured she was still able to desire, want, and be desired, was really powerful.
Ultimately this was a really strong story of survival and love, complete with all the dynamics of the family left behind, made more complicated by how to adjust when, completely unexpectedly despite one's hopes, a loved one finally comes home after enduring trauma. With some added Hollywood style actor-redemption, stalkers and trending twitter hashtags thrown in to offer an interesting comparison, and parallel, to the theme of being more than who you are thought to be; whether it's an actor with the DUI, trying to make a come back, or the Miracle Girl who survived the unthinkable, trying to live her life. -
DNF
Mini review:
I won this book through a blog giveaway from Tonyalee at Lilybloombooks. I was really excited to read this book! I have enjoyed the authors previous works. Unfortunately I did not enjoy it.
Ultimately it was too brutal for my liking. I should've realized that when I read the synopsis. But I didn't and I felt sick reading this.
I do still recommend it.
