Heather Demetrios

So I was going to dedicate this blog post to the book I've just finished called I'll Meet You There, but then I realized that to dedicate it to only one of her novels when I have yet to discuss any of them would be a crime.  Therefore, this one goes to the author herself.

Heather Demetrios is amazing.

I found this author separately on all three occasions.  I saw this book about jinni, and I thought, "YES I haven't had a good one of these in so long."  Then, I ran into this contemporary  novel about a forced participant on a reality show, and I thought, "This looks important and special and I really need to read it."  Finally, I found a story about a girl wanting nothing more than to get out of her life and a wounded veteran who was forced back into his, and I thought, "This is going to be special and impact my life."

I'm happy to say I was right on all three accounts.

It wasn't until I was eagerly awaiting the release of I'll Meet You There that I discovered all of these books were written by the same author.  When I did, I realized I'd found something special.  So out of my love for this new author, I am going to include all three book reviews at once:

Exquisite Captive

This book is about a jinni forced into a genie-like slave trade when her people are conquered in her home world of Arjinna.  She's the slave of Malek, a non-aging man who has gotten around the three wishes rule by forcing her to grant them to others so he can gain more power.  It turns out Nalia (that's the main character) is the only surviving Ghan Aisouri, which is the highest caste of jinni in their society.  She's been in hiding, forced into the slave trade, and she wants nothing more than to get home to Arjinna and find her brother.  Enter Raif, the "enigmatic leader of Arjinna's revolution."  He promises to save her and bring her home in exchange for her help.  He, of course, wants a change in the caste system so that his people are no longer slaves, and he is prepared to give his life for his people.  Overall, I really enjoyed this book.  I'm a major fan of these books with exotic magic and fantasy worlds, and Demetrios created a beautifully flawed cast of characters that are sure to evolve. Raif is awesome, but I also really enjoy the evil inside Malek and the reasoning for everything he does.  Nalia, though not always understanding of the castes, is a growing character who has room to evolve into something amazing. This is the first book in the Dark Caravan Cycle Trilogy, and the next one is due out in 2015.


Something Real

Chloe was formerly known under the trademark "Bonnie Baker" in her family's show Baker's Dozen, and she's the reason the show was cancelled in the first place (we learn throughout the novel that she tried to kill herself when she was fourteen).  Now, she's finally starting to adjust to normal life and let down her guard, but her mom decides to start the show up again.  Throughout the drama of being filmed constantly, Chloe tries to deal with life issues the best way she can, determined not to reach that point again.  With the help of her lovable (and seemingly only other sane one) brother Benton, Chloe finds a way to embrace life outside of the show and finally show her family what she's been trying to tell them for years.  This book really hit me, because family relationships are at the forefront.  Her mother is horrible at understanding her, her father ditched them for Florida, and her step-dad is obsessed with his fifteen minutes of fame.  They don't seem to care what boundaries they push, and it hurt me inside every time Chloe tried to tell them what was wrong and they wouldn't listen.  This book really hits at the issue of what's truly important in your life, and Demetrios addresses it candidly, without softening the blow by giving us the perfectly happy ending where the parents suddenly understand.  It's realistic fiction at its finest.

And finally...

I'll Meet You There

I finished this book early this morning, so it's still fresh in my mind.  It's about Skylar, a girl who lives in a trailer-trash town and is getting ready to leave for college in San Francisco.  She wants nothing more than to escape the life she's been forced into, and she's this close.  Then her mom loses her job and starts drinking again, and Sky feels like she can't leave.  Interlaced through her main storyline are chapters from Josh, a wounded Marine who lost a leg in Afghanistan and is forced to come back home to Creek View, who is writing his emotions to "You," later revealed to be his best friend Nick, who died in the same accident that took his leg.  This book is more than their love story.  It's a story about redemption and growth, knowing when to let go and knowing what to hold on to when you do.  Sky and Josh are both in bad places, but Sky helps Josh begin to push through what happened to him toward his future, and Josh helps Sky develop away from her mother's problems and grow as her own person.  I don't know why this book affected me so much, but the realistic way Demetrios portrayed the Marines (she did a lot of research, and both of her parents were involved in the Marines as well) helped make this book mean something.  To me, it left an odd feeling in my chest, like I'm being pushed and pulled toward some feeling that I haven't quite reached yet.  It made me want to say "Thank you" to every soldier I met, even if they were uncomfortable about it.  My favorite line in the whole novel was actually in the acknowledgements page: "Love is medicine and dreams are oxygen."  It means life gets better, as long as you find something to reach for from where you stand at the bottom of the pit.


So Heather Demetrios is awesome.  Read her books, if they sound interesting.  Read them even if they don't.  They touch on serious questions, and they may have some mature subject matter, but they will leave you with a feeling that something has changed within you.  And as all book addicts know, that feeling means the book was worth it.