3 Angsty Stars
[My Summary + Review]
Victoria isn’t your typical freshman in college. She has severe panic attacks, to the point where it makes her physically sick. She meets Jared at the grocery store where she works and helps him find some items. Later she meets him again and when things get too steamy, Victoria panics and leaves Jared. Each time Victoria and Jared crosses paths, Victoria is confused by his hot and cold personality, which isn’t easy to deal with since her panic attacks aren’t subsiding anytime soon.
Victoria isn’t your typical freshman in college. She has severe panic attacks, to the point where it makes her physically sick. She meets Jared at the grocery store where she works and helps him find some items. Later she meets him again and when things get too steamy, Victoria panics and leaves Jared. Each time Victoria and Jared crosses paths, Victoria is confused by his hot and cold personality, which isn’t easy to deal with since her panic attacks aren’t subsiding anytime soon.
In the beginning you get the feeling something isn’t right with Victoria. I usually do not like flashbacks, however, I don’t often have reads that have flash-forwards, so I was kind of interested with that. With that said, it all kind of worked. Victoria has a lot of flaws and isn’t always a likable Heroine, but it kind of just makes her real.
I love to read about damaged characters, it just seems so much more relatable. I remember going to college parties, drinking, and making a fool of myself in front of a guy to get attention, we have all done it, it just that we don’t admit it. I commend Victoria Sawyer for creating a complex yet raw and emotional character. It’s interesting to see Victoria, get “set-off” over normal things. It’s all new to me and it was fascinating to watch how much her anxiety takes so much control.
[Jared]
Oh Jared. I’m pretty much up and down with him. I thought Jared and Victoria had the perfect met cute! I mean, she helped him find “difficult” items at the store, that’s freaking adorable. Jared is what I like to call a “reaction” kind of guy. He reacts to Victoria’s behavior. I.GET.IT. We as the reader know what’s going on in Victoria’s head, but all Jared sees is a girl who he is interested in, but kind of acts crazy (I’ll explain this below).
[The Relationship]
The relationship between Jared and Victoria gets steamy real quick and then we get tension and not your small, mild kind, Angst was an explosion of tension. The banter between Jared and Victoria is really gritty too (this is no fairy-tale story).
I want to f&ck you, okay? I’ve wanted to since day one and I can’t pretend anymore that I don’t. But … you… piss me the f&ck off… I want to f&ck you, but I won’t
Every time Victoria goes into a difficult situation she’s on the verge of a panic attack and she copes by drinking or acting kind of irrational, like giving lap dances and using drugs. She’s replacing her anxious feelings with a physical stimulate, which isn’t healthy, but it’s how she copes.
[Overall]
I thought the ending was a bit wrapped up too neatly and the excessive party scenes were a bit much for me. However, I enjoyed the poems Victoria expressed because it really made me feel like I got to know her better. I also liked the dialogue between Jared and Victoria because at times it was kind of explosive, but really good!
Overall, Angst is very descriptive and well… angsty, so if those are the kind of reads you enjoy, then this is perfect for you.
An ARC was provided in exchange for an honest review
[Summary]
There are two things I want out of my freshman year of college: to hook up with confusing hottie Jared and to chug some beer as soon as possible.
Getting wasted is like purely medicinal freedom. I murder my secret and constant soul sucking fear and tense nervous body beneath 17 glorious shots of pseudo-sanity. And destroying self-conscious crazy me reveals a sexy confident stranger who likes to try wild new things.
There are two things I want out of my freshman year of college: to hook up with confusing hottie Jared and to chug some beer as soon as possible.
Getting wasted is like purely medicinal freedom. I murder my secret and constant soul sucking fear and tense nervous body beneath 17 glorious shots of pseudo-sanity. And destroying self-conscious crazy me reveals a sexy confident stranger who likes to try wild new things.
Getting wasted is like purely medicinal freedom. I murder my secret and constant soul sucking fear and tense nervous body beneath 17 glorious shots of pseudo-sanity. And destroying self-conscious crazy me reveals a sexy confident stranger who likes to try wild new things.
Then there’s the Jared complication, the guy with the Halloween costume that features his ripped and naked chest. It’s an attraction I can’t deny. Too bad I can’t understand what he wants because half the time we’re making out on the dance floor and the other half we’re screaming at each other about whether or not I’m a party slut.
And as the year party-crashes to an end, my drunk-scapades and severe panic attacks want me to pay up, big time. What little sanity I started out with is clinging by a thin thread and when that thread snaps, I’m lying on the cold basement floor of my parents’ house, a loaded hand gun kissing my hot tear streaked forehead.
And as the year party-crashes to an end, my drunk-scapades and severe panic attacks want me to pay up, big time. What little sanity I started out with is clinging by a thin thread and when that thread snaps, I’m lying on the cold basement floor of my parents’ house, a loaded hand gun kissing my hot tear streaked forehead.
As I’m craving the freedom and soothing blackness of death, he calls and I open up like a fire hose of self-hating hot mess. After we hang up, I make a choice.
***Recommended for ages 17+ for adult themes and frequent use of harsh language.
[About the Author]
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"Passionate about writing, graphic design, creativity. Fueled by the light and dark. Beauty, color, euphoria, artistic frenzy, depression, panic, anxiety."
What you see on the outside is not what you get on the inside. On the outside, Victoria Sawyer is polished, confident, put together, but on the inside things are a bit different. She's creative, thoughts whirling, anxious, alternately depressed and happy or self-critical and confident, energetic, charismatic, cranky and panicked.
She has suffered from panic attacks, anxiety and depression since the age of 10 and has been writing for just about as long. Her love of writing started as journal entries as therapy and eventually morphed into a melding of fact and fiction. Sometimes writing drives her to drink or drinking drives her to write or sometimes it's depression, anger, mental illness or love.
Angst is a story she has always wanted to tell, a fiction retelling of her own struggles as a college freshman. Her goal is to be completely honest about mental illness and life's struggles and to reduce the stigma of mental disorders. She hopes to follow up with a second book featuring Victoria in the future.
What you see on the outside is not what you get on the inside. On the outside, Victoria Sawyer is polished, confident, put together, but on the inside things are a bit different. She's creative, thoughts whirling, anxious, alternately depressed and happy or self-critical and confident, energetic, charismatic, cranky and panicked.
She has suffered from panic attacks, anxiety and depression since the age of 10 and has been writing for just about as long. Her love of writing started as journal entries as therapy and eventually morphed into a melding of fact and fiction. Sometimes writing drives her to drink or drinking drives her to write or sometimes it's depression, anger, mental illness or love.
Angst is a story she has always wanted to tell, a fiction retelling of her own struggles as a college freshman. Her goal is to be completely honest about mental illness and life's struggles and to reduce the stigma of mental disorders. She hopes to follow up with a second book featuring Victoria in the future.
For more Wicked Victoria, visit her blog: http://www.angstanxietypanic.wordpress.com
Can be purchased - > Amazon
The description you wrote reminded me of Silver Linings Playbook a little, with explosive dialogue and poor coping mechanisms. Great movie :) Sounds like a interesting book, and not for the faint hearted.
ReplyDeleteYeah, it's kind of like Silver Linings Playbook. It's very intense. Thanks for the comment!
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