The Scars We Choose (Book Two) - A. Lee Hughes

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Author: A. Lee Hughes

Genre: Coming-of-Age, Young Adult
Series: Scars We Choose, #2
Rating: 2 stars.

Too disappointed to write a full-length review.
- This continues from The Scars We Choose, Book One. You cannot read this series out of order.
- Now that I've read the second part, I can reaffirm the idea that this story didn't require two books. It would have been much more impactful had it been narrated in a single volume.
- The main (and probably, only) reason for me to pick this up despite the issues in the first book was to know why Julian and Scarlett had separated and weren’t in touch since more than two decades. That doesn't come out well at all. The reason is over and done with within a couple of paragraphs where it was supposed to be the main crux of this story.
- Julian was among the memorable characters of Book One. With him absent for most of the narration, half the spark of the book has gone.
- Magical realism has a stronger role in this story. Works to a certain extent but doesn’t really proceed fluidly from the plot.
- Way too many coincidences to be convincing.
- On the positive side, it was easy to race through the writing. I completed it within just 3-4 hours focusing on the elements I wanted to read and skipping the rest. I didn’t want anything except Scarlett’s and Julian’s story. I did skim through the rest and there were hardly any surprises. While reading the first book itself, I had already guessed most of the supposed twists.

As I was generous in my rating of the first volume, I'll balance it this time with a sterner rating, because this was disappointing in every sense except for the poetic writing.

The book is available on KU.

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