BOOK REVIEW: INFINITY + ONE by Amy Harmon

Title: INFINITY + ONE

Author: Amy Harmon (Website | Twitter)

Publication Date: June 8, 2014

SYNOPSIS

When two unlikely allies become two unwitting outlaws, will two unforgettable lovers defy unbeatable odds?

Bonnie Rae Shelby is a superstar. She’s rich. She’s beautiful. She’s impossibly famous. And Bonnie Rae Shelby wants to die. 

Finn Clyde is a nobody. He’s broken. He’s brilliant. He’s impossibly cynical. And all he wants is a chance at life.

One girl. One boy. An act of compassion. A bizarre set of circumstances. And a choice – turn your head and walk away, or reach out your hand and risk it all? 

With that choice, the clock starts ticking on a man with a past and a girl who can’t face the future, counting down the seconds in an adventure riddled with heartbreak and humor, misunderstanding and revelation. With the world against them, two very different people take a journey that will not only change their lives, but may cost them their lives as well.

Infinity + One is a tale of shooting stars and fame and fortune, of gilded cages and iron bars, of finding a friend behind a stranger’s face, and discovering love in the oddest of places. 

Add INFINITY + ONE on your TBR list in Goodreads using this link.

This is actually the first book from Amy Harmon that I’ve read so I really don’t know what to expect towards her writing and how she deals with her characters. But some bloggers and friends of mine who’ve read a couple of books coming from her (esp. Making Faces) were giving me the heads up to give this one a try. So, I think it was two weeks before the release of Infinity + One that I came across it and added it up on my TBR list. I even featured it on the blog for my Waiting on Wednesday feature. That’s how excited I was on to reading this book.

In Infinity + One we meet two characters who by faith (or whatever we call it that), met and embark on a journey together. We have Bonnie Rae Shelby who’s a superstar and has everything in life. But would love to run away from it just to find herself and have shot in making her own choices in life. Then we have Finn Clyde, who went through a lot in his past and all he wants now is to have a chance at life. And be able to fully live it.

Was it just me or the story’s pacing was really slow? Me thinks it was the story, though. Honestly, there were moments where I would like to put the book down already and just pick it up in another hour to be able to finish it. Even the vibe of the story at first was eerily calm but you know it by instinct that there’s something big that’s bound to happen in next chapters. The calm before the storm.

But when little by little they started opening up with each other, oh that’s the part where my attention picks back up. Finn Clyde definitely got my attention with that past he had. Poor baby. I felt and cared a lot towards his character. He broke my heart many times and I just wanna give him a hug. Through the course of the book, you’ll be able to see huge developments towards Finn’s character. We’re in luck because this book was told from dual POVs and it definitely helped a lot in distinguishing those developments.

Talking about dual POVs, just wow. I’m sure that writing a book with a POV like Finn’s was quite a task. Finn’s mind is a very intelligent and intricate one. His mind scared me a bit because of how real it feels. So I really commend the author with everything she presented because it really gave me the complete feel of someone who’s very intelligent and how you deal with a person like them.

Honestly, I love Finn and Bonnie not so much. For me, his character totally saved this book. Why? Oh Bonnie. I understand her drive to be able to get off from the chains of her grandma but there were instances where her decisions were quite faulty. I pity Finn’s character in some parts of the book because of constantly being dragged into Bonnie’s mess. I know, I know. You’ll probably say to me regarding Finn’s character that “that’s when and how you show care and love to another person blah blah blah”. But it wouldn’t hurt for Bonnie to reciprocate the care and love Finn is showing her, right? You’ll know what I mean when you’ve read the book already.

I know that this book is inspired or parallel to Bonnie and Clyde (the original Bonnie and Clyde), but the constant reference to them kind of rubbed off on me and I wasn’t feeling great about it. Even their names reflect the reference towards them. I know that the author intended to do that to be able to closely parallel it to them but I just wasn’t feeling it. It gave me a clichéd feel instead. I love her spin with this couple’s story and I appreciate her being able to create a good book about a modern-day Bonnie and Clyde.

Uhmmm I actually have this issue with some events that leads to the ending of this book. It felt rushed and that it was just decided to include those clichéd scenes. It wasn’t even believable knowing the prior thoughts and sentiments of their characters. So yeah. BUT the ending of the book, I love it. The message of that particular scene towards the readers was so strong that it ended up giving me chills and made me weep like a baby. I think it was a great way to fully end the story of Bonnie and Finn. 

“I believe in Bonnie and Clyde.”

This book showcases two lives who were completely different from each other but melded into one because of their common goals of being able to find his/her self, find one’s place here on Earth and just to be able to face the constant struggle of having a better life. It’s a moving and emotional journey, injected with romance, humor and various life-lessons. Plus, Amy Harmon writes a beautiful narrative. Her words will really get you and your emotions.

All in all, it was a good read and I would definitely read other books coming from Amy Harmon. Especially Making Faces because a loooot of my friends are urging me to read it already! What’s the fuss about it? I shall know the answer by tomorrow. TBR list shake up happening right now …

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars