Torn by K.A. RobinsonSeries: Torn #1
Published by: Atria Books on May 7, 2013
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Pages: 268
Source: NetGalley
Book Details
Rating: ★★
Chloe hasn't had the best life. With a mother who is gone more often than not, she has had to raise herself. After graduating high school, she leaves to start a new life away at West Virginia University with her best friends Amber and Logan, determined to leave her demons in the past.
On her first day, she meets a stranger who takes her breath away at first sight. Until she met Drake, no one had ever sparked her interest. Now this tattooed and pierced bad boy is all she can think about, no matter how hard she fights it.
Falling for Drake was never part of her plans, but when it happens, things seem to do anything but fall into place.
Dealing with a tragic past, Drake has never cared about anyone else but himself and his band. But when Chloe takes the empty seat next to him in class, things start to change. Instantly drawn to her, he begins to wonder if one girl can take a cold hearted womanizer and change every part of him?
Long hidden feelings are revealed and friendships tested to the brink.
Torn was really quick and easy for me to read. This was a huge contrast to the last few books I read, which took me DAYS. However, Torn wasn’t the book I was hoping it would be.
I expected the book to be all about Chloe and Drake. But actually, it’s all about Chloe, Drake, and Logan (yes, a love triangle). For 90% of the book, Chloe isn’t even dating Drake; she’s dating Logan. That’s what I didn’t like. How can I enjoy a book about this hot, bad boy musician if he’s not even dating the main character? And, as you’d expect after hearing about this love triangle, Torn has multiple instances of cheating in it. Another thing I didn’t like.
I actually started out really enjoying Torn. The first downhill moment for me was when someone tried to rape Chloe and she didn’t want to report him. Instead she cried, “No, don’t call the cops! Just take me home!” By not reporting this dude, you’re enabling him to try to rape other girls. Nice one, Chloe. Maybe the guy had done this before and that girl didn’t report him either, but if she had, then he wouldn’t have had the opportunity to try it on you.
From there, things only went downhill for me because Chloe started dating Logan instead of Drake. It was so obvious that she was REALLY into Drake and not that into Logan, but she started dating Logan more out of obligation or an attempt to get over Drake… in other words, she dated Logan for all the wrong reasons (not because she actually liked him romantically).
To be honest, I didn’t so much mind the bad boy stuff. I know a lot of people don’t like it when there’s a bad boy womanizer who magically changes his ways for one girl. Sometimes that bugs me too, but it didn’t bug me in Torn. The only thing I didn’t like was how Chloe was dating Logan the entire time and not Drake, when it was obvious that she wanted to be with Drake instead. Then, obviously, the cheating really annoyed me too.
I just think that Torn could have been so much better if the book focused more on Chloe and Drake building a relationship together, instead of Chloe immaturely hopping between two different guys because she can’t make the decision she actually wants to make.
You might like this book if…
- You like bad boys who change their ways for one girl
- You like Beautiful Disaster
- You like Taking Chances
You might NOT like this book if…
- You hate it when there’s a bad boy who falls in love with a girl for reasons he “can’t explain” and changes his ways
- You don’t like cheating in books
- You don’t like love triangles, especially those where the outcome is obvious
- You like to see the “nice guy” win
- You don’t like books where every guy in a 10 mile radius is obsessed with the main character
The Verdict
Meh, this doesn’t sound like a book that I would really enjoy. I am a little done with the love triangles, although some work out nicely. I do like the cover, especially the font. Thanks for the honest review!
I have had this one on my TBR for awhile now and I really wanted to read it. But the rape without telling thing is really turning me off to it. I completely agree with you, if the women before her had told she might not be in that situation 🙁
Is there any “good” reason she didn’t say anything?
I don’t mind love triangles or cheating, I don’t condone it in real life, but I don’t mind it in my books so that wouldn’t bother me. But it would annoy the heck outta me if she was with someone else for “no good reason” when obviously she wants to be with the “hero.” So I will still consider reading it but it will be lower on my TBR. Thanks for the review!
Something like this literally went through her head:
So to answer your question: no. No good reason at all! It felt very much like, “I’m tired and can’t be bothered.. it just seems like too much effort.”
ugh… I think I would have to just DNF the book after reading that part. I would never be able to like that heroine 🙁
Not very “heroic” of her…
I really did not like this book. I hated the characters a lot which usually is a book killer for me. I thought Drake was cocky, arrogant & abrasive which Chloe lapped right up. I wish more attention was paid to the friendships in the book.
I definitely fall into the “You might not like this book if” section and the whole not reporting the rape would turn me off of this book if nothing else had. Not cool.
Yeah I can definitely see where you didn’t like this one and I’d feel the same way. Rape is such a serious issue and the fact that Chloe didn’t even bother reporting her perpetrator basically sends a message that rape is okay and that you actually CAN get away with it. Ugh it’s so annoying! I’ll definitely be skipping out on this one, but fantastic review, Ashley! <33