Review: As She Fades by Abbi Glines

As She Fades by Abbi Glines

Release Date: April 3, 2018 

Publisher:  Feiwel & Friends

Genre: YA, Contemporary 

Source: ARC provided by publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
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From the #1 New York Times- and USA Today-bestselling author of the Rosemary Beach and The Vincent Boys series, Abbi Glines delivers another smoldering, compulsively readable YA romance with As She Fades.

On the night of her high school graduation, Vale McKinley and her boyfriend Crawford are in a terrible car accident that leaves Crawford in a coma. They were supposed to spend the summer planning for college, for a bright future full of possibility. Together. Instead, Vale spends long days in the hospital, hoping Crawford will awaken.

Slate Allen, a college friend of Vale’s brother, has been visiting his dying uncle at the same hospital. When he and Vale meet, she can’t deny the flutter of an illicit attraction. She tries to ignore her feelings, but she's not immune to Slate's charm. Slowly, they form a cautious friendship.

Then, Crawford wakes up . . . with no memory of Vale or their relationship. Heartbroken, Vale opts to leave for college and move on with her life. Except now, she’s in Slate’s territory, and their story is about to take a very strange turn.

Glines’ millions of fans will adore As She Fades, a novel as romantic as it is full of twists and unexpected turns.

Review:

Abbi Glines is one of my guilty pleasure authors. Her books are fun, fast paced, and incredibly romantic, and I devour them as quickly as I would a box of my favorite chocolates. Her Rosemary Beach series is actually one of the only series I've read from start-to-finish. Therefore, when my wish for As She Fades, Abbi's latest YA, was granted on Netgalley, I was beyond excited. It was the best pre-Valentine's gift ever, and despite the April release date I dove right in.

The verdict? I'm torn. On one side, I did enjoy As She Fades. It was sweet as well as romantic, and I enjoyed following the characters on their journey. On the other side, however, it wasn't nearly as attention grabbing or well done as Abbi's Sea Breeze or Rosemary Beach series. The romance wasn't nearly as swoony and the hero wasn't as drool-worthy as past ones.

I liked Vale. She's a quiet, go-with-the-flow kind of girl. She's sweet, passionate, and caring, especially when it comes to taking care of Crawford. Not many people would sit by a loved one's bedside day after day with no progress, but Val never wavers. I felt that showed how selfless she was; however, at the same time, I could understand why her parents and brothers weren't the happiest about it. Yes, she should be able to grieve and visit, but she shouldn't put her life on hold, especially when she was given a second chance. Over the course of the book, I hoped she would give in to her family's wishes. I also enjoyed seeing Vale's bounds with her brothers. They added an extra layer to the book. 

Now for the two love interests: Crawford and Slate. 

I'll admit it: I never liked Crawford all that much. There was something about him that just didn't sit right for me from the get-go. From Vale's memories he seemed very controlling as well as selfish, and some parts of me couldn't quite understand why Vale would be so willing to give up her life to be by his side. I think in some ways their relationship was based more on convenience and routine than on deep love and commitment. Plus it was easy to see how that romance was going to end as soon as Slate entered the picture. Both of which affected my overall feelings toward the book and its plot. Don't get me wrong, I give Vale props for helping and being there but how could I be 100% behind her choices and decisions when the big "love" wasn't all that likable or even believable? 

Slate, on the other hand, I did like. He's the typical Glines hero - a bad boy on the path to redemption. He's had a questionable past, especially when it comes to his girls. However, he also has a surprisingly soft side. His relationship with his uncle warmed my heart and broke it all at the same time, and I liked how he was with Vale - so willing to be there for her but also not being scared to voice his opinions, no matter how unpopular they may be. My only problem here? I could never truly feel the spark between him and Vale. Yes, I liked them together, but their romance never came to life. I wanted more of a Rush & Blair feel here. 

The plot in As She Fades builds slowly. The first chunk mainly focuses on Vale's visits to the hospital, and in some respects that got old fast. I wanted more action. The middle part brought more action and adventure. I enjoyed the college setting as well as seeing Vale thrive in a new setting. Then came the twist. I won't go too deep into it, because I don't want to spoil anything. I will say, though, that I could see it coming so when it finally did I wasn't all that surprised. Additionally, I felt like it once again altered the pace. Suddenly, things slowed down, and what bothered me the most was all that development and growth that occurs was seemingly gone. It made me wonder what the point was. 

Last but not least: the writing. There was so much telling rather than showing, and it drove me slightly crazy at times. Some of the scenes, especially at the beginning were tough to get through. It was very I did this, then I did that, and then I felt that. 

Overall, As She Fades is a solid three star read. As a long-term fan of Glines, I'm glad I gave it a try. There are some redeeming qualities. However, for readers who haven't read anything by Glines before, I would suggest reading The Vincent Boys, Rosemary Beach or Sea Breeze series instead.  I feel that they're stronger books. 

3 stars!!