Making Bad Choices
BY: RITA STRADLING
[Recommended for 16 + this is a mature YA or New Adult book] Culter Fuller came back into my life on the day my mother died, as if losing my mother wasn't bad enough. We hated each other since childhood. Well, I hated him, and I thought it was mutual. He had a very different story. When I moved to my dad's house to finish my last semester of high school, we went from bitter enemies to. . . something else. He was suddenly everywhere, occupying my space, determined to pull me into his life, filling me with thoughts I knew were wrong. I knew that soon we would cross a line that should never be crossed. I knew crossing that line could have very serious consequences; because Culter Fuller wasn't just any irresistible boy, Culter Fuller was my stepbrother. But, I was always very bad at making the right choices.
I liked this book as it quickly pulled me in because it was different from other YA books I’ve read. It’s more towards the older end of the spectrum due to the MA overtones. It was fun reading this, lots of drama, definitely a guilty pleasure to help take your mind off irritating current events. You won’t walk away having been taught some great life lesson but you will enjoy the entertainment and excitement that comes from forbidden love.
Rita Stradling writes well and does a good job bringing out the emotional spectrum of her characters as she wrings your heart out with sadness then has you smiling at the humor and love. She really got a handle on family dynamics and as a mother with a daughter I loved how she set up the relationship between Cassie and her mom in the little bit that we saw.
These characters aren’t overly complex with deep motivations but they don’t need to be to make you want to invest your time in them. You’ll become captivated by the characters; particularly the relationship between Cassie and Cutler which is like a slow, sensual burn before it explodes into a beautiful warm flame.
It’s definitely one of the better written novels in the YA genre that focus more on mature romantic interludes. If you’re into the teen angst of “I love you but shouldn’t” then you’ll be into this one. I found myself unable to put it down and was completely captivated by Cassie’s struggles because Stradling writes her characters so realistically; makes you remember the messiness of your teen years and grateful you survived them.
Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to review this book.
*synopsis and pic from amazon.com