Cage of Stars {Book Review}

I had planned to save this review for next month's book review linkup, as I'm not normally one to waste a blog post on one book. I personally skip over these kind of posts because I find them dull. But after so many of you expressed interested per yesterday's post, I only thought it was only fair to share my thoughts before you take the plunge and read the book.

On our trip to Colorado I flew threw the two books I had on my Kindle and all of a sudden I had nothing to read. My library account wasn't working either so I kind of put myself into a tizzy trying to figure out what I was going to do with my down time when Le Husband remembered seeing a thrift store in Breckenridge. We walked there one night and I randomly picked up this book and another book to keep myself occupied throughout the rest of our travels. Originally I was drawn to the cover and then I read the back and was instantly hooked.

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"12-year-old Veronica Swan's idyllic life in a close-knit Mormon community is shattered when her two younger sisters are brutally murdered. Although her parents find the strength to forgive the deranged killer, Scott Early, Veronica cannot do the same. Years later, she sets out alone to avenge her sisters' deaths, dropping her identity and severing ties in the process. As she closes in on Early, Veronica will discover the true meaning of sin and compassion, before she makes a decision that will change her and her family's lives forever." [picture and summary via goodreadsdotcom]

Oh my word, this book was tough but delightful. I don't know if being the eldest of three sisters played a part in my attachment but I am recommending this book to EVERYONE. Yes, there is a religious overtone, but it isn't in your face, it's just who the Swan family is and it guides how they cope. And my do they have a ditch to get out of after the sudden deaths. Even though I KNEW what was going to happen, I still teared up reading about the deaths and the funeral. Maybe it has to do with the fact that I'm the Veronica of my family [although the ages are different], so my thoughts and heart immediately put me in her shoes and I honestly don't know how Veronica functioned the way she did. But, I do understand her plight in not wanting to forgive Early. I 100% back her feelings and thoughts regarding want to make him pay and not letting him off the hook. Remember that whole grudge holder thing, yeah, pretty sure this would be a grudge for life  [heck it took me forever to get over drama with a girl I barely knew two years]. 

You can't help but feel for Veronica as she tries to navigate her life without her sisters. She struggles figuring out how to live and what to do and how to help her parents. There is a lot of grief and my heart ached for each character affected as they walked through the haze in a different manner. I particularly enjoyed the fact that Veronica tried to keep a normal life and that in time her family started to learn how to actually live with the heartache.

Mitchard does a fantastic job of presenting grief and of tying it to a religious background. Her writing is very succinct and she doesn't just wax on which I appreciated. She keeps the story moving and builds incredibly to the moment of no return. I have to say I was a bit surprised with the turn Veronica takes, yet I was able to guess where her story would end up anyway. Her new life is an interesting twist and I was on the edge of me seat each chapter WAITING for that all important moment. 

I almost took away a star because I felt the story had a great build but then just quickly tied up all the loose ends. After reading an interview with Mitchard in the back of the book, I gave the star back because she explained what she hoped to accomplish with the succinct style. One of the few five of five star books I've come across. This book with make you think, make you cry and make you smile so go check it out and prepare to have all the feels < 3!

Linking up with *kristin*& *annie*