"Emerald City" by Alicia K. Leppert

Note: I received this book from Netgalley.

Speechless. That's how I feel after finishing this brilliant work of prose. I'd gladly give it six stars if I were allowed to because it stirred my soul on such a deep level, I can't even begin to describe it.

At first, I thought it'd turn out to be something like A city of angels, but it wasn't. The story was unique in its own way. And it was so well developed, that it had me clinging to every single word, like it was the air I needed to breathe. Honestly, I haven't read such an emotional book in a very long time. I'm sure Emerald City will stay with me for a while, just like I'm sure that I'll be re-reading it sometime soon.

I must say that I was intrigued from the very first page. It was written in such a masterful way, with a style that completely answered my plea for a book that would be worth my time. I am glad for spending every second buried in the pages of Emerald City, because it made me realize many things I hadn't actually thought about. Things like the fact that no matter how bad things look, we should never give up on life. Or that feeling mentally and emotionally low is much much worse than being physically low. But most of all, I realized on a much deeper level that it's love that makes us weak, and love that makes us strong. And ultimately, it's the only thing worth fighting for.

I loved the way every detail was described, and it's a first time where the narrative didn't bug me out of my mind. No, here the narrative was my silent companion that made me feel one with both Olivia and Jude, the two main characters. The descriptions of their states of mind, the importance of their decisions and the thoughts that lurked in their subconscious drew me in like a drug, making me crave for more.

Most of all though, nothing about the story or the characters sounded casual, or cliched, or even a little bit unrealistic. In truth, they all felt so real, that at times I felt like I was pulled into their world and held there with sailing ropes.

The characters:
*Olivia - she started out as a complete mess. She was nobody, she felt like a nobody and somehow she preferred it that way. Until someone noticed her and called her a name that bothered her to the bottom of her soul. That name seemed to be the drop that pushed her into a whirlpool of events she could hardly control. But with all that she went through, she was still incredibly brave in the most human, most feminine way. It felt like she might need superpowers to get back among the living, but all she had were her own strength... and the help of a friend. I honestly loved Olivia, because she was true to herself, and she was real and tangible. She wasn't s shallow character that acted out of need. No, she was a person, living and breathing and hurting. To me, she was real.

*Jude - oh, how my heart ached for him! I knew who he was a couple of chapters before Olivia figured it out herself. And I had a feeling what decisions he would end up making. But boy, was it hard to accept! I think I literally felt pain when I read those last few chapters, because Jude was an amazing person. Everything about his experiences felt so real, that I could feel it along with him. The pain, the struggle, the ultimate decision... and how he grew from there. It was simply amazing. And when he called Olivia 'Liv', it was like my heart melted along with hers. It was beyond beautiful.

*Hal - what would this story be without him? He was the special guy that seemed to hold lots of answers. He was secretive and mysterious and open to help however he could. He made me smile, especially because of his job (you wouldn't believe!), and he totally won me over with his friendly demeanor.

So, in the end all I can say is: Read this book, people!!!! It's worth your time and money!!!!

My rating for this amazing book is