Book Review – Jezebel by K. Larsen

Jezebel
<— PHENOMENAL!!!!! Simply phenomenal in every way. The story telling was brilliant in it’s delivery AND absolutely *gasp-worthy*!!!!!  I’m not exaggerating.You guys that told me to read this, because it was amazing and that crazy ending would have my jaw on the floor? OMG you have never been more right!!! Boy do y’all know what I love, ’cause it totally did to me, what NO other book have ever done before. You’ll see what I mean once you reach the end.

The novella (only read AFTER Jezebel)

Amy: I had stuff figured out pretty quick and was right about it, but then… *squeals and bites pillow* And don’t forget the novella. Maybe not ALL of my questions were answered, but enough were to leave me satisfied.

Jean: You guys…. Jezebel…so good! It sucked me right in from the start. My mind is spinning with predictions….. This book is like a story within a story. Is there a connection? I don’t know yet…..

Shawna: After Maryse posted about this book and all the hype, I one clicked Jezebel and went in blind. WOW! I just read it from front to back cover and I am left with…WOW! This is a must read. Did not see that twist coming at all and really enjoyed the characters. I am onto the Novella right now and I can’t wait!

Cheryl: I finished Jezebel and was right about what I thought, BUT I did not see that ending!!!! WTF is right. Oh I have so many unanswered questions. I am starting the novella now.

Grey: Ah, Maryse… I feel the need to mention my 2am WTF profanity laden post earlier this week haha, don’t say I didn’t warn you. Jezebel is AMAZING!!

Jean: Grey! Your reaction was priceless! WTF-itis from Jezebel!!! Lol! It was a slow start for me too Grey, but so worth it in the end!

Marit: And Jezebel!!!!!!! Holy macaroni!At first I got angry..But now I’m like what a brilliant twist;) A different 5 star read:)

Amy: RIGHT?!? I went from “yeah, I know what’s going on” to “okay, that was pretty predictable” to “wait…oh sh!t, that’s messed up!” to “WTF!!!!!!” And I really liked how the POV’s in the novella were presented as well…oh man, the emotion in that one which didn’t have the chance to be explored in Jezebel. I love reliving books like this through you guys!!! 

Jean: I am so happy you picked Jezebel Maryse! I flew through that book too….didn’t even realize it was that long! The novella is a MUST read!

Anne: Just finished the novella and wow! Seriously this story is just so amazing! I thought I knew what was going to happen but boy I didn’t saw that coming! What a disturbing, extraordinary book! You all need to read Jezebel guys! Amy you described exactly my feelings while reading it! I am still speechless! Its not easy to find a book that plays with your mind like that! What a great read!

JenF: I just finished Jezebel today. Fantastic read. Finished Lying in Wait: A Companion Novella to Jezebel, too.

Ela: The whole story totally makes sense when looking back….that twist was NOT ANTICIPATED AT ALL!

Grey: Oh dear Lord, after last night’s Jezebel incident, I need something to take away my book hangover. Eenie, meenie…miney…Shay Savage 

Maryse: *snort* Grey’s so funny! Actually… our whole crew is! I love you guys!!

Check out my “video reactions” to Jezebel!! LOL!!

And see… I didn’t find it “slow” in the beginning. It was more like… tranquil but so well narrated. Maybe because I was enjoying the profound and wisdomful (<— tee hee!!) “Jezebel”?

“… just because something has a hidden meaning, doesn’t guarantee it will be a good one.”

But you guys!!! It told me two different stories at the same time, and allowed me to experience two completely different sets of emotions, simultaneously. It got to the point that when we’d switch “timelines” I was so excited for both of them… but eventually, I especially wanted “Celeste’s” story. I was hooked. Captivated, occasionally devastated yet always titillated! And then? *thud* NO. WAY!!!!!!!

Amy: I loved that whole story-within-a-story thing that Jezebel has. And you’re going to want the novella to read right after. Just trust me and Cheryl on that one. 

WOW!!!!!! This author leads us through every SINGLE emotion you can have while reading any single genre of book. And the whole way through, you’re asking yourself… what is it that I’m reading exactly? Is this a love story, women’s fiction, coming of age… new adult? Is this a sweet “chick lit” where the wise old lady and the young feisty angry girl bond, and life lessons are learned by both and at the end our hearts are full and our minds are at peace?

“…what defines a person is how well they rise after falling down.”

Is this a tragic tear jerker? Is this a psych thriller? *gasp* Will I cry? OMG. My friends. IT IS ALL OF THE ABOVE!!!! My perfect read!

“If you don’t pay attention, you’ll miss things. Important things.”

Annabelle cocked her head to the side and wondered what the woman was yammering on about.

“Make sure you listen carefully, and try not to jump to conclusions until I’m finished telling you everything.”

And I’m going to tell y’all now, if you haven’t read it, YOU MUST!!!!! If you like a thrill, if you love a deep, profound story of life (the good and the bad, the fair and the unfair), love and heartache and maybe love again, here it is!!! If you love a story about two very different people becoming the best of friends (with silly-sweet moments, life lessons, emotional growth, and heartbreaking events), you have it here!!! If you like a story where you know something is happening but you don’t know what… or why, and you’ve got all sorts of ideas brewing… but it could be ANYTHING? You have it here!!! If you love a story that seems so obvious, but is TOTALLY NOT… you have it here. If you like to be stunned off of your butt, like… jaw-dropping OMG WHOA!!!! THIS!!!

But best of all… if you love a 5-star read, and you like the kind of books I do? YOU HAVE IT HERE!!! Go in blindly… stop reading this review, and one-click this one ASAP. AND NO!!!! Don’t simply “hoard” it, into you ebook library, or put it on your TBR list. DO YOURSELF A FAVOR. Read this NOW. If you’re in a book-funk, this will get you out of it. If you’re looking for the next… at times… “soothing” and emotionally fulfilling YET simultaneously pumping your adrenaline (a la potential “psych-thriller”)… then THIS ONE!! ‘Kay? Are we clear now?

‘Kay! LOL!!!! 5 stars, go in blind, stop reading this review, and start reading this book.

Now… for this that just MUST know more… what’s this one about? Well, I’m gonna keep it short and sweet… to just give you an idea.

“Jezebel. She’s . . . I don’t know, Dad. She’s amazing. She’s telling me this story . . . it’s a love story, kinda, well it’s turning into more of a horror story now but she’s got me on the edge of my seat…”

YES!!!!!! This says SO much!!!

Okay.. so like this girl (Annabelle), who is 18 years old and is caught drinking and driving. Part of her punishment is community service at a care facility for seniors. Her parents are distant, she’s lived the last few years of her life in emotional limbo as her whole family continues to struggle with the loss of her brother. Essentially, when he died, they all did. The feeling of family was…. gone and she’s a mess. They all are.

I am still here. Sitting at the table with them, eating Mom’s terrible food. I am still right in front of them, except without you none of us exist. I hate you for it.

And in the care facility she meets a 50-something year old lady named Jezebel. Jezebel and Annabelle become fast friends, and while at first Annabelle will drive you crazy with her snotty attitude and rude character, you will absolutely ADORE Jezebel. Wise lady (not even “old”, but she’ll explain why she’s there), and just loaded in wisdom… and PATIENCE for Annabelle. She teaches her SO much. By giving Annabelle life-experience advice for Anabelle’s own personal struggles, but also via a life/love story. That of her friend, Celeste, who lived in Paris back in the 80′s and 90′s (see… not so historical now are we…? *snort* ) and fell head-over-heels in love with a Parisian man… And while Celeste leads what appears to be a “charmed life” she has her own issues to content with.

“What makes anyone deserve anything dear?”

Annabelle shrugged. “I guess nothing.”

Jezebel caught her gaze and held it firmly.

“Who’s to say that we don’t get what we deserve?”

“No one. It just seems like . . . like Celeste should have more luck. She’s this super nice person who never did anything wrong.”

Jezebel turned her head and stared out the window wearing a lost expression. “What if the greater plan for her life was just because she hadn’t done anything wrong . . . yet?”

 That gave me shivers!!

And slowly but surely Annabelle develops… wonderfully. And so does Celeste.

Oh don’t roll your eyes!! I know some of you hard-core adrenaline lovers are rolling your eyes right now thinking “BORING!!”

MichelleS: I started Jezebel! I’m only at 10%. My problem is, I’m overanalyzing everything because of all the WTFs and OMGs about this book. I just need to stop & enjoy it, you know?

Tessa: See, that right there is why Jezebel sounds boring to me. “but the averageness of the majority of the story” Sorry Amy! I hate to quote you like that, but so many people say that. It’s average until the end.

Nooooooooo!!!! I can assure you it is anything but. I found it enriching and fascinating from the start. The writing, the “world-building” (is that what we call it?). She was laying down the characters, and their plights. But not once did I think to stop. I knew. And it just grew and grew and grew (and so did my anticipation and my adrenaline) until it exploded ALL OVER THE PLACE!!!

OMG… perfection. Sweet, tranquil, perfectly paced, emotionally enriching AND emotionally charged but WAIT!!! Again I can see you thrill-seekers/dark-read lovers, about to shut me down, thinking it’s going to be too sappy or “profound”. Don’t!!!! There is a WHOLE STORY there. I promise. Just sayin‘ 

MichelleS: What was THAT? I just finished Jezebel and the novella afterwards. I need a cookie. I need a unicorn and some baby animal pictures from Facebook, and maybe Joanie loves Chachi, or Love Boat. I’ve been scarred. Someone check…. I am SURELY SCARRED from this mind fuc#ery!!! Lord help me. That was intense. I have no words that are adequate to describe how I feel. I absolutely did NOT see that coming. At the end there I was still plotting out all kinds of twists that took me away from THIS storyline…. but it just kept careening towards this…. this…. this…. just read it. You’ll see….

Tee hee!!!! *squeals in devilish glee* 

You’re reading it, right? PINKY SWEAR! ‘Kay?

Michelle: Haha that was perfect Maryse! Ok I bought Jezebel with all the previous comments but you sold me on reading it asap! Who are the hold-outs with me?

*nods* ‘Kay.

READ IT!!!!!!!

“Alright then. Remember kid, the devil is in the details…”

Oh and even when you think you’ve got it… you’re don’t. Tee hee!!!

Cheryl: I was so happy and patting myself on the back for figuring it out that when I read the “twist’ I was like what, whaat, WTF!! You are so blind-sided and that to me enriched the story and threw it at me from a whole different way of looking at it. The companion novella helped to clear up some of my lingering questions too.

5 stars. <— YES. OH YES. No doubt about it for me…  it may have had a slight ‘bumpy” start in the first chapter or so, but believe me… this one finds it’s rhythm quickly and I read an almost 500 page book in, essentially… just a day. THAT is how good it was!

P.S. Anyone curious about Grey’s profanity-laden comment? LOL! I just found it!!!!

Grey: Um holy f**king sh*t?!?!? Can I say that in here. Feel free to censor me if you need to, my apologies, it is 1am, ive been awake for 22 hrs and Im henpeck typing on my tablet, which I straight up hate to type on, because… Jezebel Whoa, super slow to start for me, but then it was like a runaway train! Oh. My. God! Totally blew my mind…um yeah, who threw that peanut at me…cuz dayum!

Tagged as: 5 stars, contemporary romance, gasp-worthy, K. Larsen, psych-thriller