Review: Surviving: High School by Bronsen Hawkins

Surviving: High School
by Bronsen Hawkins
Published August 11th 2012
My Rating: ♥♥

Breslin Eliot has alot of memories that he would love to keep in his past. The main ones being why he was returning to Clearveil, and why he left to begin with. But Avalon, his best friend since ever, won't make his return any easy on him. Daisy, the girl next door, wants to get to know the boy she never paid attention to. While Conner and Dexter just want a third musketeer. Being invisible in high school isn't as easy as it seem. And in Clearveil, every ones true intentions show eventually.

Breslin returns to Clearveil, a town he knew very well before he lost his father in a fatal car accident. That was when his mother packed up everything and he and his brother left town. When trouble found Breslin once again, they returned to Clearveil. Breslin was very anti-social growing up, and while that hasn’t changed, he’s attempting to take on the role of an extrovert. Students at his new school show an eerie interest toward him. It seems like people from every social class in the student body hierarchy are volleying for his attention. But something’s not right. There’s nothing extra ordinary about Breslin. Even he knows that.

“…the thing you have to understand about Clearveil is that every-bodies true colors show eventually. Some faster than others. And that nothing, no matter how well kept, remains hidden for long."

Breslin was an enigma for me. He was cynical yet I sympathized with him. He still has nightmares about the crash that killed his father. He used to be very involved in extra-curriculum activities his freshman year. Now in his junior year, and a year behind, he’s lost. This story was told in third person. The supporting cast supplied the most entertainment such as the relationship drama and woos of chasing a crush. However, I didn’t buy Daisy’s interest. I still think she has a motive. In the end a lot of motives were revealed, yet at the same time there were a lot more questions evoked.

Uniqueness:
♥ Every chapter begin with lyrics from a song.
♥ Fresh "NEW" Indie voice in YA literature.

My Doubts:
♥ It really bugged me that Breslin’s mother was referred to as Mrs. Eliot.
♥ The pace of the story sort of dragged.

Favorite line: “Friendly Competition or World War Pink.”

Positive message: “Everyone has a past, who says it has to affect our future.”

(((Thanks to the author for entrusting me with an honest review.)))