Early Review: Arise by Tara Hudson
Arise by Tara Hudson
Hereafter #2
Amelia—still caught
between life and death—must fight for every moment of her relationship
with the human boy Joshua. They can hardly even kiss without Amelia
accidentally dematerializing. Looking for answers, they go to visit some
of Joshua’s Seer relatives in New Orleans. But even in a city so
famously steeped in the supernatural, Amelia ends up with more questions
than answers…and becomes increasingly convinced that she and Joshua can
never have a future together.Wandering through the French Quarter,
Amelia meets other in-between ghosts, and begins to seriously consider
joining them. And then she meets Gabrielle. Somehow, against impossible
odds, Gaby has found a way to live a sort of half-life...a half-life for
which Amelia would pay any price. Torn between two worlds, Amelia must
choose carefully, before the evil spirits of the netherworld choose for
her.
Relationships for the living are hard enough, when one of the two is a ghost, things seem doomed from the start. Amelia afterlife has gotten much better since she met Joshua and battled back the demons who would have claimed her. But their relationship isn't easy as they can't ever get physically close without risking Amelia's dematerialization. As they seek out help they find some answers, but those only lead to more issues, making Amelia start to really question their longevity, and Joshua all the more desperate to hold on to her.
The relationship between Ameila and Joshua really comes to a head in Arise, both in a good and bad way. There are so many insecurities on both sides, and yet their love is so powerful, almost to the point where neither one knows how to handle it. For Amelia, the realization that Joshua will never have a full life while he is with her really hits hard, especially as he continues to give up so much for her. She starts to drift away from him even as it kills her in order to protect him. Of course this makes Joshua desperate to hold onto her and makes him do something a little rash that will have irreparable consequences for both of them. My heart went out to the both of them, but honestly, I think a lot of their problems would have been solved, or a least greatly lessened by just a little more communication.
When I first read the description for some reason I read "Gabrielle" as the male version "Gabriel" which made me think a dreaded love triangle was coming. Of course that went out the window once I realized Gaby was a girl, or ghost for that matter. Her character really added something to this trilogy, filling the vacuum of the confidant Amelia so greatly needed. She's quirky and a whole lot of fun. Trust me, Gaby couldn't have come around at a better time in Amelia's "life" as she needed the support more than ever in Arise. Granted, I'm still not all that sure about the half-life status Gaby has and what that means for Amelia, but that's really a separate issue entirely, on that I won't talk about in avoidance of spoilers.
I had enjoyed Hereafter, but Arise just takes things a step further, in fact it was a serious game changer that really shook things up. I was really impressed at how everything flowed, and just how realistic Amelia's emotions were this time around. I felt like I was completely in her head and felt everything right along with her. The ending while not a cliffhanger, definitely left me wanting more and I cannot wait to get my hands on the final installment. After everything that went on in Arise, I'm honestly not sure if we are one step closer or further from the happy ever after I crave for Amelia and Joshua. Either way, I'm sure it will be one exhilarating ride to get there.
(Received a copy from the publisher)
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