Review: Under My Skin by Laura Diamond

Under My Skin by Laura Diamond

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Rating: PG-13

Genre: Contemporary

Score: 3.5 stars

Page Count: 234

Stand Alone

Publisher: Swoon Romance

Published: April 12, 2016

Bookish Brit Adam Gibson is one wonky heartbeat away from a fatal arrhythmia. But staying alive requires Adam to become keenly focused on both his pulse and the many different daily medications he must take in exactly the right dosages. Adam's torn between wanting to live and knowing that someone else must die in order for him to do so. He needs a new heart.

The pressure is getting to him. Adam stops talking to his friends back home, refuses to meet kids at his new school, and shuts his parents out entirely. His days are spent wondering if can cope with having a dead man's heart beating inside his chest, or if he should surrender to the thoughts of suicide swirling around in his head.

And then a donor is found…

Outspoken artist Darby Fox rarely lets anything stand in her way of achieving her goals . Whether it’s painting, ignoring her homework (dyslexia makes a mess out of words anyway), kissing a hot boy she doesn't even know, or taking the head cheerleader down a peg , no one has ever accused Darby of being a shy. She also happens to be the twin sister to a perfect brother with good looks, good grades, manners, and the approval of their parents - something Darby has never had.

Darby's always had bad timing . She picks the worst time to argue with her brother Daniel. In a car with bald tires, on an icy road in the freezing cold, the unthinkable happens. In a split-second, everything changes forever. 

Review:

PROS:

1. I received an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I am such a sucker for books that have to do with mental health and sicknesses, it's an interesting topic for me personally and I love finding these kinds of stories that deal with subjects I've yet to run into when it comes to medical conditions, this book dealing with a character in need of a heart transplant. I think these kinds of stories are very inspiring and even give an insight as to how some people actually deal with such illnesses. So, I was very excited when I got the opportunity to read and review this book for you guys! Let's get started:

2. I really liked the main characters for a number of reasons. I thought Adam was a very deep character since he was aware and felt guilty of the fact that someone would have to die in order for him to get a second chance at living. He didn't find it fair and struggled with the idea of his life continuing on if he were to get a heart transplant while someone would have to lose their own life and be mourned. He dealt with depression and fought against the hopes of his parents since he didn't believe that everything would be sunshine and rainbows in the end. His parents kept trying to get Adam to think positively about everything but Adam was resilient, reminding them of the hard realities.

Darby was a troubled teenage girl who felt like she lived in the shadow of her successful twin brother with the good grades and bright future. Her brother only ever looked out for Darby and tried his hardest to keep her out of trouble while she acted out her frustrations through her partying and ignoring her homework and responsibilities. When Darby gets in an accident, she feels more than guilty about having been the reason her brother didn't make it out alive and questions whether or not she should've died instead. She struggles with the guilt as well as how to move on with her life while mourning her brother and trying to reconcile with her parents in the process. 

3. I think the plot of this book was steadily paced and didn't move too fast or too slow. I liked that as a reader, you get a glimpse into both characters lives and their thoughts as they learn to deal with their depression, grief, and self-blame. They both go through therapy and eventually their paths cross, some chapter happening at the exact same time just through the other's perspective. It was a nice way to follow both characters through their everyday lives in the hospital and at home as they form ways of dealing with their emotions and struggle to heal both physically and emotionally.

4. Overall, I enjoyed this book. I would recommend it to anyone who likes contemporaries or stories about healing, grief, regrets,  and learning to live again. It was a quick read and I think it'd be a nice one to read over the summer or even in the cooler seasons.

CONS:

1. While I did enjoy this book, I found myself literally rolling my eyes at the insta-love that happens between Adam and Darby. I liked that they seemed to understand each other from their first meeting but the romance was just too rushed and a little too dramatic for my personal taste. It honestly got a little annoying but if you don't mind insta-love, then I still suggest this book!

2. I also found that Adam's parents and their therapist were very frustrating characters. It seemed that the therapist was a little bit of a pill pusher and Adam's parents relied heavily on keeping him medicated, thinking that would 'heal' him and get him through the depression he was fighting. I found it made me frustrated to read the events unfolding between these characters and I didn't enjoy it. But then again, I guess it did add some drama to the story, I just wish it wasn't so nerve-racking to get through.

I hope you guys enjoyed this review! Do you like reading books about mental health or medical conditions? I'm always taking recommendations! Read on, bookworms! See you in the next chapter!