Wednesday, May 26, 2021

Review: Wild Open Faces by Jennifer G. Edelson

Title: Wild Open Faces
Series: Book 2 - Wild and Ruin Trilogy
Author: Jennifer G. Edelson
Publisher: Bad Apple Books
Genre: Young Adult Mystery, Mythology
ISBN: 9781733514019
Source: Book Sirens
Release Date: December 20, 2020
Rating: 3/5.5 - Okay

Blurb provided by Book Sirens:

Surfaces are deceiving...

Surfaces are deceiving. After falling for Ezra and discovering a gateway to the Otherworld, it’s a truism Ruby knows to take to heart. But La Luna finally feels like home, and with graduation just weeks away and a cushy internship on a nearby archeological dig in her pocket, it’s easy to downplay the strange new events taking place in the Glorieta Pass. Even when Angel’s deadbeat father reappears after twenty years, stirring up questions about Angel, the ruin, and Ruby’s mother.

Uncertainty is bad enough, but when Ruby starts having inexplicable visions, and the archeological dig unearths mysterious artifacts connected to both a fabled Aztec city and the Pecos Pueblo, Ruby faces more than an uncertain future—she’s forced to accept the role of True of Heart. Will Ezra and her friends stand by her as she confronts the Otherworld? Love is enigmatic, especially in the heart of New Mexico, but the Otherworld may be the biggest mystery of them all.

Review:

Edelson picked up in this book right where she left off in the first book in the trilogy, Between Wild & Ruin.  Ruby and Ezra's relationship is still pretty new, and they are still trying to learn to trust each other over the issues from the previous book.  They know they love each other deeply, but there is a lot of issues they need to work out.  It causes them to bicker quite a lot through this installment, not unlike any real relationship.  

Ruby is still trying to come to terms with the fact that she is True of Heart, which she still doesn't seem to understand.  It's all really too much for her and I think it makes her even more vulnerable than it did early on in her story.  I thought I would start to like her more now that she was happy with Ezra, but she seemed incredibly self-centered and selfish in this installment.  I actually disliked her even more because of this.  

Ezra on the other hand, I ended up liking even more.  His character grew so much from the previous installment.  He was loving, loyal, and incredibly brave.  He even seemed to be coming out of his shell towards the other characters in the book, which warmed my heart.  I liked seeing him happy, and wanted things to work out for him in the end.

I felt sad for Angel by the end of installment number one, but this installment things really started to fall into place for him.  Although there were still some feelings for Ruby, and some unanswered questions that seem to haunt him,  Angel found the grit to push through and try to move on and be happy.  I was rooting for him non-stop.

What I really love about this series is how much history and mythology that is filled into the pages.  I think more than anything this is why I keep coming back to these books.  I just have to know more about what happens to Ruby and her friends.  The way this one left quite literally had me shouting 'What!'  I'll be on the lookout for the final installment in this trilogy.  I hope it can finally give us readers the closure we need after this bumpy ride we've been on!

I received an advanced reading copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

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