Stronger by Lexie Ray

STRONGER (Runaway)
Synopsis: 

My name is Jasmine and I have HIV.

I was 14 years old the first time my mother’s boyfriend hit me and at the age of 18, I was forced to be a prostitute. Cast away by the same people I thought were family, I was ready to take my own life. Until I met Nate. He didn't run away when I said I was sick. But I wonder why a handsome, funny, Mr. Right like him would love someone like me?

My name is Nate and I have a secret.

I met Jasmine at a crossroads in my life. She was beautiful, desperate, and inspired me in ways I didn't know were possible. She makes me better in everything and I want to help her get better, too. But I have a secret, one she doesn't have to know - until the time is right.

Review:

I really wanted to like Stronger. It is the kind of story I enjoy reading. This story though was too simple. Very few, if any, people could go through what Jasmine does and just instantly be okay. It just didn't make any sense to me.

So Jasmine has a horrible past when the story opens. Her mom is kind of a mess, but she manages. That is until she meets and moves them in with her horrible abusive boyfriend (and then turns into a major alcoholic). Things could still have been okay if something hadn't have happened to her mom. Not great, but not as horrible as it was. So then she manages to escape and run away, has someone take her in, they seem nice at first, then turn on her, she runs away again, rinse and repeat.

Then she meets Nate and it is like almost instantly she is fine. She does walk around all quiet and scared for a day or two, then he is still nice to her so yey! Everything is perfect. Sure. She can be raped and beaten and abused for a long time and just be fine all of a sudden. It just seemed like she trusted everyone until they turned against her, which really why would she? Why would she trust and live with this guy after all that she had been through? Why? To just be like yey! I am in love now everything is perfect! Well I doubt many, if any, people would be able to just forget their horrible past like that. How can you just put everything aside and be fine and happy without professional help. I mean she had a lot of horrible things happen to her. Most people wouldn't be anywhere near okay after experiencing what she did.

I just don't think it would be so easy to trust people. I was enjoying the beginning of the story, reading how she was surviving all of the things that kept happening to her, but the ending was just too unbelievable. It is not like suddenly someone is really nice to you, so you are in love and everything works out just fine. Sure it does. It was way too simple. I didn't believe it would be that easy for her to move on.

Plus why doesn't she offer to help the girl at the brothel if she wants it? She was friendly with her, and did write her, so why not say hey if you ever need anything let me know? Or at least include her contact info. It is just like she is all well you work in the brothel and don't seem to hate it so you must love it and never want anything else! Good for you! You will never want to get out of that situation ever as it is just the best! I mean I wanted out, but no way anyone else ever would. I was really annoyed by that. It is like after everything you have experienced why would you not reach out and offer help to the one other person who was nice to you? The one person who seemed to care about you, and you her? It just bugged me.

Overall not the best book. The ending was way to simple and everything just magically was better. Yey love fixing everything bad that has ever happened!

Rating: 2/5