Review: "The Resurrection of Aubrey Miller" by L.B. Simmons

I have more than 20 reviews that I still need to get down on virtual paper but I simply had to put all of those on hold because of a book I read in one sitting today. The book had me from the prologue all the way to the last word in the epilogue. There were moments I found myself smiling as the lead character tried to continue living her life as the persona she created years ago but failing not-so-miserably, thanks to her roommate and to her re-discovered childhood best friend. Then there are those times where I actually cried when the lead character finally faced her deepest fears. The book that's gotten me to set aside my carefully structured (okay, not really all that structured) review writing schedule is The Resurrection of Aubrey Miller by L.B. Simmons and I feel that this is Ms. Simmons' best work to date! ^.^

"Death becomes me."

This was such a beautifully written story about Aubrey Miller, an 18-year-old college freshman who endured such devastating loss in her life at a very young age and believes she is the reason behind the deaths of those she loved. It is after one more death that she decides to become Raven Miller, a far cry from the blonde, blue-eyed girl that witnessed and endured so much pain and heartache.  Raven colors her hair, has piercings, and goes for the goth/emo look to keep people at a distance. This is how Aubrey chooses to live her life...until she meets Quinn Matthews, Raven's new roommate, lover of all things pink, and pageant queen with a golden heart, and Kaeleb McMadden, Aubrey's childhood best friend and someone Raven believes cannot connect her with the Aubrey he knew.  

There are just so many great things about this book. The story itself is multi-layered and tackled with in an honest manner.  There's no sugar-coating when it comes to the pain and devastation that Aubrey goes through. This is what makes it feel so real. Goodness, I had to grab a couple of tissues during several chapters because my emotions got the better of me. And when it comes to the times that Aubrey allowed her light to shine through? Yep, I couldn't help but picture in my head the physical, emotional, and mental transformation she must have gone through.  

"There you are."

The depth in the story is matched by the depth in the cast of characters. It goes without saying that Aubrey/Raven is a lead character that will be difficult to forget.  This girl didn't have some sort of angst just for the sake of drama. Nope. She went through things that you wouldn't wish on your worst enemy.  I found myself rooting for her, even when she felt she didn't deserve to have joy and love in her life, even when I wanted to take her by the shoulders and tell her that she was wrong to blame herself for everything that happened.  

And what do I say about Kaeleb? Le sigh. He was smart, funny, sweet, and had that "ninja charm" that worked to his advantage when need be. ^.^ He was Aubrey's anchor and see beyond Raven's "cat eyes" contacts, piercings, and goth make-up and refused to be kept at arm's length. In spite of everything standing in their way, he always, ALWAYS knew Aubrey was there, sometimes hiding, refusing to come out, but still reachable. The guy also has a way with words. He had me swooning at times and there was no way he wasn't going on my list of favorite book boyfriends. Hehe.

It doesn't end with Aubrey and Kaeleb. There's gorgeous Quinn, whose own back story is heartbreaking, and then there are the adults, Linda Walker, Aubrey's legal guardian and godmother, and Dr. Martin Palmer, Aubrey and Kaeleb's professor in their "Elements of Trust" class.  he love Linda has for Aubrey is beyond words and Doc was there to listen and give advice when Aubrey needed it.

"Shine bright. Shine always."

I can't help but gush about The Resurrection of Aubrey Miller. No, I'm not saying it's perfect because it did have a few editorial gaffes BUT, even with my editorial eye always taking note of boo-boos when reading, I was able to set them aside because they didn't really affect the story. Also, I'm sure there is no such thing as a "perfect" book.  There will always be people who will have a contradictory opinion to my own but to each his own, right? However, there is absolutely no hesitance on my part when it comes to recommending this book. No, wait. I take that back. I HIGHLY recommend that you read The Resurrection of Aubrey Miller if you haven't already. It is one of my favorite and top reads for 2014 and is on my must-buy paperbacks list (which says a LOT in terms of how much I love it...but you'd have to know me really well to understand how my weird mind works).

I read L.B. Simmons' Mending Hearts series, composed of two novels and one novella, and while I liked and enjoyed those three books, there's just something extra special about her latest work. But hey, make sure you check out the Mending Hearts once you're done with The Resurrection of Aubrey Miller.  ^.^

This absolutely amazing book gets a five-plus star rating from me. Seriously, your 2014 reading experience will NOT be complete if you don't get your hands on The Resurrection of Aubrey Miller by L.B. Simmons as soon as humanly possible. Really. Like now. Go. BUY IT!

Date read: 01 July 2014

Learn more about the talented L.B. Simmons here.

You can buy The Resurrection of Aubrey Miller and Ms. Simmons' other books on Amazon | Barnes & Noble.