Donnie Darko Girl

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review for the blog tour. You can find my stop at Donnie Darko Girl. 

A BOAT MADE OF BONE has the kind of synopsis that sounds too compelling to miss. The plot was original and unique for me with likable characters, and the mystery of why and how Kate has met Will through her dreams kept me turning the pages and involved in the story. 

Kate begins having dreams about a man named Will, and in the dreams, they're passionately and madly in love. The more she gets to know him, the more she begins to think about him in her waking hours - to the point where she'd rather be dreaming with him than living her life. She acts like two very different people - when awake she is insecure and overly sensitive yet while dreaming she's confident and happy. I know what it's like to feel insecure, so I don't want to judge her for that. I just wish she could have felt the way she did in her dreams. 

Kate's dreams kept me riveted and were beautiful and mysterious; however, when she was awake, a lot happens that doesn't seem to be too important to the story. Some parts could have been cut without taking away from the story. At the same time, I think those parts were meant to keep the truth behind Kate and Will's dilemma mysterious. It's just that some of those scenes were slightly uninteresting to me. 

Audra is an awesome best friend and roommate. She's supportive of Kate and cares about her, not to mention she has a great sense of humor. Not always the best advice giver though! :) Halfway through the book, a character named Jill seems to come out of nowhere. When she made her appearance, I looked back through the previous chapters thinking I must have missed her introduction. I didn't realize Kate and Audra had another roommate. I was confused with her sudden appearance. I still think I must have missed something. 

Ty's character fell flat for me while Will was complicated yet dreamy (no pun intended, lol). I didn't like it when Ty invites Kate to go rock climbing with him, making it sound like a date, only for her to arrive with him to a large group of his friends, none of whom she has met before. Awkward! I thought that was kind of a douchebag move. And he took forever to even kiss her. She begins wondering if he's even interested in her, and I did, too. I didn't find him interesting and thought Kate could do better. Looks only get you so far, lol. 

Will on the other hand made ME as happy as he did Kate! I looked forward to his scenes as much as Kate looked forward to her dreams. I worried he was using her for nefarious reasons, but he seemed so genuine and real I didn't think too much of it. Kate was understanding and loving towards him no matter what he admitted to her, and they communicated well with a level of trust that are building blocks to a successful relationship. 

Despite a couple of the issues I have with A BOAT MADE OF BONE, I'm looking forward to the next installment in the series. I wonder what Grotepas has in mind next! :D