Author:  Robyn Schneider
Expected publication: June 4th 2013
Publisher: Katherine Tegen
Categories: Contemporary, Realistic Fiction
 

I received an eARC from Katherine Tegen via Edelweiss. Thank you.

Y’all know about the story of someone who has it all. The person who is on top of his game and it took just a single event to take everything he has. And now he’s sort of lost and undergoing some transition…sometimes life altering ones? If your answer is yes, then you have a vaguely idea what Severed Heads, Broken Hearts by Robyn Schneider is all about.

This is about Ezra Faulkner who lost it all after a tragedy that ended his athletic career. He has future in playing tennis but a car accident that broken his knee disabled him from playing tennis. His so called friend ignored him like he didn’t exist. That his ex-girlfriend lodged herself to one of his former best friend. Everything is wrong. And rubbing more salt to his wound he’s now sitting in a different table with people he didn’t think he’ll associate himself during his golden days. But then he met Cassidy Thorpe. Cassidy is different. She is smart, funny but behind that façade she’s hiding something…dark.

That is Ezra’s story in a nutshell. I liked how it tried to explore this type of story where people realized that sometimes we thought we are living blissfully because we have it all. But then we realized that something is missing in our life. And what we thought was disaster but it turned out that it was only a triggering event that will put us on the right place. In Ezra’s life that even though the titles, fame and his status were taken from him because of that accident, it actually open a lot opportunities to sort his life out. It put him on the place where he truly belongs. He finally realized is not all about the title. He has found true friends who doesn’t care what his status in school. He reacquainted with his former buddy. Who really appreciates him for just him.

This book was unexpected for me, it’s not that I’m not a huge pro on contemporary (I mean half of the books I read these days are contemporaries) but something different about this book. Different like Cassidy is to Ezra. It’s oddly refreshing but at the same left me impassive because I didn’t feel anything for Ezra. Added to the mix is Cassidy and my not having some fondness towards her character. Sometimes acted like the know-it-all-person. And this type hugely annoyed me. I know she has the brains to back it up but sometimes her remarks were not I truly appreciate as humor. And then there were times that she acting strange that bothered me in not so positive way. And because of that I wasn’t so keen with the romance going on with Ezra and Cassidy. Not even the ‘smart’ flirting amused me. Well, maybe that is just me.

But the book is more Ezra which I’m completely grateful for. Cassidy has served her purpose to Ezra’s life and after everything that has happened I had tolerated her ‘til the end. So all in all, I compared this book to a roller-coaster ride. Ezra had undergone a lot of phases so he could grow.  He finally found his place in the sun. But it took him from his highest to his lowest to get there. He needed to face life on its ugliest so he could determine what he really needs to be. And who he wants to be with.