Being young is all about the experiences: the first time you skip school, the first time you fall in love…the first time someone holds a gun to your head.
After being held hostage during a robbery at the local convenience store, seventeen-year-old Edie finds her attitude about life shattered. Unwilling to put up with the snobbery and bullying at her private school, she enrolls at the local public high school, crossing paths with John. The boy who risked his life to save hers.
While Edie’s beginning to run wild, however, John’s just starting to settle down. After years of partying and dealing drugs with his older brother, he’s going straight—getting to class on time, and thinking about the future.
An unlikely bond grows between the two as John keeps Edie out of trouble and helps her broaden her horizons. But when he helps her out with another first—losing her virginity—their friendship gets complicated.
Meanwhile, Edie and John are pulled back into the dangerous world they narrowly escaped. They were lucky to survive the first time, but this time they have more to lose—each other.
I am not an avid reader of the Young Adult genre, but this book kept calling my name. To be honest, it had nothing to do with the author as my experience with her was limited, having only read one book written by her. The synopsis was the driving force behind my decision to read Trust by Kylie Scott.
This story differs from anything I have read before. Its unique storyline sucked me in and if it were not for my busy work schedule, I would have finished it sooner than I did. It tells the story of two high school students who were brought together because of a tragic event which would forever change their lives. Trust is a coming of age story that embraces the themes of friendship, love, drug addiction and fat shaming.
The title aptly fits the story as this was what Edie was forced to do when she found herself in the middle of a hostage situation involving a crazed drug addict. Placing her trust in a complete stranger was the last thing on her mind when she went to purchase snacks in the middle of the night dressed in nothing but her PJs and flip-flops. Her fear at that moment was palpable. She had no idea if she would get out alive. However, in the midst of all the chaos, she discovered she was not alone. There was a guy, a teenager like herself, who went above and beyond to secure her safety. The two found themselves bound to each other through shared memories of a night they would both prefer to forget.
The highlight of the story for me was the unlikely friendship that developed between John and Edie. They never expected to see each other again after that fateful night. However, Edie’s decision to change schools led to their paths crossing once again. Theirs was a friendship borne out of tragedy, but it would provide them with the healing they both needed. Despite the challenges faced, their friendship developed to the point where lines became blurred and so not only do they have to deal with painful memories, they have to figure out if their feelings for each other were real.
I admired Edie for her strength of character. She refused to be labelled a victim. Her body was on the plump side and she faced constant shaming as a result, but she did not allow the hateful remarks define her. She accepted herself the way she was, and no intention of changing to please others. In spite of this, there were moments when her insecurities would rear its head, especially around John. Not only is she a fighter, she is caring and funny.
I loved how John was with Edie. His need to protect her extended beyond that fateful night. John has his share of struggles, however, he always finds time for Edie whenever she needed him. They were protective of each other and they had each other’s back at all times. I loved that John saw beyond her plumpness and accepted all of her.
The secondary characters played their part in making this story shine. They provided enough laughter to balance out the pain, fears and angst.
I did have a few issues with the story, but it did not take away from my enjoyment.
I thought the situation with John and his brother could have been handled better. The whole scenario was rushed and lacking in details.
The story was told primarily from Edie’s POV. It would have been great to be privy to John’s inner thoughts and feelings. My knowledge of his struggles and feelings were gained from Edie’s perspective. I believe that having the story from John’s POV would have made the story that more realistic, especially as it relates to their romance. Edie’s feelings for John were obvious based on her inner dialogue, but it was difficult discerning how John’s true feelings.
I expected more information in regards to Edie’s feelings after the traumatic incident. I understood why she had trouble sleeping, but the other aspects did not ring true for someone who stared death in the face.
Recommendation/Conclusion
In spite of the issues, Trust is an enjoyable read and fans of the YA genre and Kylie Scott will fall in love with this book.
Kylie is a New York Times and USA Today best-selling author.
She was voted Australian Romance Writer of the year, 2013 & 2014, by the Australian Romance Writer’s Association and her books have been translated into eleven different languages.
She is a long time fan of romance, rock music, and B-grade horror films. Based in Queensland, Australia with her two children and husband, she reads, writes and never dithers around on the internet.
