A review by fortheloveoffictionalworlds
Prodigal by Rektok Ross

4.0

The review was first up on For The Love of Fictional Worlds :)

I received a digital copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I got in touch with the author, Ms. Ross on IG (yes I love that platform. It is now more than half of my social life :P) and she couldn't be anymore sweeter. When we were discussing the idea of me reading and reviewing her book, she was more worried about the fact that if the book would be a good fit form. Now as an individual human (highly debated! I still I am an alien) with some sort of working brain, actually understood where she is actually coming from. Not every book is for everyone. And why read something that is not up your valley. And that's exactly why I wanted to read this one. What's the point of being a bookworm if you didn't read something unusual? ;)

“It's just not that easy answer you want wrapped up in a pretty, little bow. Nothing real ever is, but that doesn't mean it's hopeless.”

Lexi Quinn is told by her parents that they are moving to Texas to start her senior year at a private school. Now this is a total life change for her, because finally she has the coveted position on the school newspaper. And leaving all that behind to start anew, to her, is basically destroying her life. But she has no choice. Her mother is suffering from Cancer and they need to move for a better treatment facility.

“People lie to themselves all the time. If they lie to themselves, how can you expect them not to lie to you?”

Lexi is my kind of heroine. She is down to earth, sweet, street smart, and loyal. She is also stubborn and ambitious. Reading the story in her POV, made me understand her a whole lot better and frankly, for the first time I was actually liked the first POV and that says a lot.

"You're really comparing hard science to religion?" "They both require faith until proven truthful"

Now Ash Preston is an enigma. He has the bad boy reputation of loving and leaving them behind. Now, the only way Lexi can get into the school newspaper is by interviewing Ash, who of course is as available as fictional characters are to us. He is a complex boy, with so many layers that even at the end, I had a feeling that even then we hadn't uncovered all of the layers.

"A God that's not safe because we can't control him or what he does to us, but good because he loves us no matter what?"

When Ms. Ross contacted me, she told me that most the foundation is in faith and in God for the plot. Now, I am more of believer in Karma. I do not believe that there is a higher entity that we are beholden to. I have seen many use God as an excuse for things that are inexcusable. So, while I was hesitant to actually read this book, I still worried that my own opinions would end up influencing my opinions.

But I was pleasantly surprised. Though there was focus given to faith and religion, it wasn't in the face or even preachy. What it was, was simple questions that got even me thinking, that made me question my beliefs and opinions.
And that is where this book is a success for me.

"Sometimes things get broken and stay that way, no matter how much you want to fix them"

Now, coming back to the story. I liked the writing style and the plot itself. The writing was perfectly in sync with the plot and the characters themselves. Best part though was the fact, that Ms. Ross never ended with a happily ever after. And that is quite commendable, because this is a YA Contemporary Romance and the characters will always be too young to have a Happily Ever After.

Now to the part I did not like. Lexi's mother suffers from Cancer, and this should have been more of an emotional blow to her than was portrayed, especially considering that she is more close to her mother than her father. Lexi even came of as selfish and too self - absorbed sometimes with a mother who is suffering from cancer.

While Lexi and Ash were actually perfect for each other, this relationship was again marred by the lack of communication (when will be these characters learn? :P). Especially considering the fact that when Lexi needed Ash, he wasn't there for her. Now that is just bad bad bad decision all around.

Even with these drawbacks, this is a beautiful debut by Ms. Ross. And for her, there is no where to go but up! <3