*****5 Stars*****
I'm not sure where to start with this review because there are so many angles to approach from in reviewing this book; the even more than expected style of writing from the author, it's complex subject matter and characters and the overall message it delivers. This is a YA story, maturely delivered that deals with the matter of sexuality and gender labelling at the core of the story, for me I think this is a book that should be read to really understand the issues faced by those that those struggling to find their identity and label. It is loosely connected with Black Iris in that certain characters crossover into this book, but it doesn't have to be read to understand Cam Girl.
I loved the character of Vada and I loved that with a character that is an artist that Leah was able to add to her already colourful way with words and loved the artists notes to certain scenes in the story. Vada is a complex character with a multitude of issues, her heritage, her overbearing mother, her refusal to accept her sexuality, her need to please her family, her refusal to let anyone get close, she is a difficult character to connect to but for me her story resonates so much.
We meet Vada and her best friend Ellis in the midst of car crash during which Vada is seriously injured threatening her passion for painting and any future as an artist. So we watch as Vada slips deep into a spiral of depression during which she pushes those she loves away both intentionally and unintentionally. In the midst of her depression and as she is on the verge of losing everything Vada encounters a couple that offer her the opportunity to escape her life. It was difficult to read through the low points for Vada and it really made for intense reading.
And so Vada embarks on a career as a Cam Girl, the scenes while sometimes difficult to read gave a good objective view of what being a cam girl is like and that the lifestyle can sometimes be cathartic and empowering for the girls. As she settles into her life as a cam girl her past and the many questions surrounding the car crash that altered her life are a constant reminder of what she has left behind until her past catches up with her. Vada finally begins to face up to the many issues in her life but it seems that things begin to get more complicated as she tries to find the answer she needs to move on, but it seems Vada has as many answers already that she just needs to finally acknowledge. But will Vada finally stop running from the issues in her life and accept herself as she is?
I loved this book and I found it quite emotional reading at times and was left quite awe struck by the story as a whole.
Reviewed by Vikki Ryan
Vada Bergen is broke, the black sheep of her family, and moving a thousand miles away from home for grad school, but she’s got the two things she loves most: her art and her best friend—and sometimes more—Ellis Carraway. Ellis and Vada have a friendship so consuming it’s hard to tell where one girl ends and the other begins. It’s intense. It’s a little codependent. And nothing can tear them apart.
Until an accident on an icy winter road changes everything.
Vada is left deeply scarred, both emotionally and physically. Her once-promising art career is cut short. And Ellis pulls away, unwilling to talk about that night. Everything Vada loved is gone.
She’s got nothing left to lose.
So when she meets some smooth-talking entrepreneurs who offer to set her up as a cam girl, she can’t say no. All Vada has to do is spend a couple hours each night stripping on webcam, and the “tips” come pouring in.
It’s just a kinky escape from reality until a client gets serious. “Blue” is mysterious, alluring, and more interested in Vada’s life than her body. Online, they chat intimately. Blue helps her heal. And he pays well, but he wants her all to himself. No more cam shows. It’s an easy decision: she’s starting to fall for him. But the steamier it gets, the more she craves the real man behind the keyboard. So Vada pops the question:
Can we meet IRL?
Blue agrees, on one condition. A condition that brings back a ghost from her past. Now Vada must confront the devastating secrets she's been running from—those of others, and those she's been keeping from herself...
Until an accident on an icy winter road changes everything.
Vada is left deeply scarred, both emotionally and physically. Her once-promising art career is cut short. And Ellis pulls away, unwilling to talk about that night. Everything Vada loved is gone.
She’s got nothing left to lose.
So when she meets some smooth-talking entrepreneurs who offer to set her up as a cam girl, she can’t say no. All Vada has to do is spend a couple hours each night stripping on webcam, and the “tips” come pouring in.
It’s just a kinky escape from reality until a client gets serious. “Blue” is mysterious, alluring, and more interested in Vada’s life than her body. Online, they chat intimately. Blue helps her heal. And he pays well, but he wants her all to himself. No more cam shows. It’s an easy decision: she’s starting to fall for him. But the steamier it gets, the more she craves the real man behind the keyboard. So Vada pops the question:
Can we meet IRL?
Blue agrees, on one condition. A condition that brings back a ghost from her past. Now Vada must confront the devastating secrets she's been running from—those of others, and those she's been keeping from herself...
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1SlOXuR
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/20roDER
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