The Story of Us

The Story of Us is far from being an easy read. I was not even halfway through when I had already gone from sadness to anger to happiness a few times and in different orders. Without any kind of exaggeration I despised both Zed's and Capsian's families (to varying degrees). They were so awful. Zed and Caspian both deserved so much better.

A bit of a warning if you haven't seen it already, there are some really difficult scenes to read regarding abuse. While I read those I kept wanting something to happen, something to set things right. This book gave me so much anxiety! Every time I saw a glimmer of hope, it was taken and stomped on. There was nothing I wanted more than everyone to let Zed and Caspian be.

The book stretched over a very long period of time, ten summers to be more precise, and I am glad I could go on this journey with Zed and Caspian. These two are so different, they come from two very different—yet similar—worlds and they want the same things: to be loved, to be praised for once, to love each other. They are both working so hard, they are trying so hard and it's crushing when no one sees it.

This is my first Barbara Elsborg novel, but I don't think it will be the last. I loved the writing, I always like angst when I read something, and this book had been just so good. I instantly feel for Zed and Caspian, I can't even think of them separately, they are so right for each other.

Started out as the dramatic story of one teenage boy neglected by his family and another physically abused by his father. I thought I was in for a typical [a:Suki Fleet 7919609 Suki Fleet https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1393916444p2/7919609.jpg] or [a:Garrett Leigh 5893561 Garrett Leigh https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1514037053p2/5893561.jpg] angst fest, but then the book went completely batsh*t crazy off the rails at about 25% We're talking terrorism, incarceration, espionage, vehicular homicide and then some. Once I stopped expecting anything vaguely resembling real life I got completely sucked into the story of the two MCs. In fact I actually worried about them when I had to put the book down. They were so adorable together and although one of them suffered slightly from the “I'll push you away for your own good” syndrome, he was usually able to get some sense knocked into him. Featured two fairy godfathers who deserve their own story, and hilarious sex scenes that use the type of snarky humor that felt completely appropriate for two cheeky adolescents/young adults who love each other madly but couple their expressions of affection with crude or offbeat remarks. Because guys. Needed to take a break and read something light and fluffy afterwards, but totally worth it.