Review: Fighting Silence by Aly Martinez (On the Ropes #1)
"There is nothing in this world that was ever more mine than you."
Whoa. Talk about one intense series starter and introduction to a bestselling author's writing. Aly Martinez is an author who has long been highly recommended by one of my favorite book buddies around, Mara De Guzman of Mara's Bookshelf, and while I have to yet read her Wrecked and Ruined series, which was as equally well praised by Mara as the On the Ropes series and I have the box set sitting pretty on my Kindle app, I'm glad I finally came to my senses and bought the first two books in On the Ropes right before I started reading the advanced reading copy for the third and final book. I may be a teeny tiny bit late to the party, but when it comes to books as good as Fighting Silence, discovering the emotionally inspiring story it tells and the characters who bring it to life, it's simply better late than never.
Fighting Silence is the story of two best friends who met when they were both thirteen. Till Page and Eliza Reynolds both had parents who were too busy doing their own thing to be bothered to take care of their children, and over time, Till and Eliza found solace and comfort in their friendship and their time together in an abandoned apartment. That friendship soon led to deeper feelings that neither one was really prepared for as teenagers. Add to that Till's unofficially becoming the sole guardian to his younger brothers, Flint and Quarry, as well as juggling his time at the On the Ropes gym and his two jobs, and it was easy to understand why he never believed that whatever fantasies and dreams he had of a life with Eliza could ever turn into reality. As much as he loved Eliza--his Doodle--too much was holding him back.
I don't think I have enough words to describe how much Till and Eliza pulled me into their story and refused to let me go. He was both brother and parent to his brothers and loved them and Eliza more than he did himself, making him willing to sacrifice his personal needs to put them first. Eliza, too, went above and beyond, showing that she didn't just love Till but loved both his brothers as well, considering the four of them a family unit. Their story wasn't an easy one, especially because it seemed as if every time things would go their way, something else was crop up. But what you take away from it is the strong sense of family and love that these characters had for one another. This wasn't just Till and Eliza's story, but was a story about the Page brothers and the young woman who loved them. Five-plus stars for Fighting Silence. ♥
Date Read: 05 February 2016
Learn more about Aly Martinez.
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