Title: Chasing Nikki (Chasing Nikki #1)
Author: Lacey Weatherford
Published: February 29th 2012
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Chase Walker used to be a good kid—charming, athletic, and with a bright future ahead, but that was before travesty struck his life, sinking him into deep despair. Caught up in a world of drugs and alcohol, he doesn’t notice time slipping away until he’s arrested for underage drinking one night.
Fed up with watching her son destroy his life, Chase’s mom relocates him to live in a small ranching community with his ex-military grandfather. Chase is far from happy about the situation until he meets, Nikki, the cute cheerleader who won’t give football players like him the time of day.
Chase enjoys a good challenge though and sets out to claim Nikki for his own. He soon discovers she’s more than a pretty face—she’s a balm to his troubled spirit also. But when tragedy strikes Nikki’s life too, suddenly Chase finds himself put to the ultimate test. Can he trust Nikki, and all that she’s taught him? Will it be enough?
Chasing Nikki is a beautiful story about a girl and a boy. Let me shorten the book for you, if I may: boy falls in love and chases after the girl while she stands on her ground, puts the boy through a test, which the boy does pass. Then the girl gives him a chance and they live happily ever after. Wait, rewind that last part!!! They do live happily ever after, don’t they?
“It’s just a date. One date. If you like it we’ll have more, if you don’t, we won’t. I just want you to give me a chance before you decide I’m not worth it.”
I feel like I can't tell you anything other than I really enjoyed this book. Even though at the very, very beginning
Chase wasn't someone I liked, he grew on me immediately and I absolutely fell
in love with his character. He has an addiction and he doesn't admit to it. He
knows he has a problem, but saying it out loud kind of makes it more real, you
know? He grieves the loss of his father who has just recently passed away and
Chase doesn't want to deal with the pain that’s left him hollow. He's spiraling
down in this endless circle and his downfall is stopped by one girl. Enter: Nikki.
Nikki was great! She is a cheerleader and I know that you have to judge
people by their own behavior and personal traits, but you can’t help but be
judgmental since cheerleaders are usually portrayed as not the brightest, but
definitely some the meanest teens in high school. Nikki is anything but that
and I love a girl who stands by her decisions and doesn't let sweet words
shatter her defences, which she's worked so hard to build up, as soon as they
come out from a cute boy's mouth. Nikki is definitely something different for
Chase and he works hard to meet her approval. Somehow during this he finds
himself on a crossroad: a man he wants to be and the man who he thinks he is.
Chase tries to do everything in his power to make this girl happy. He does.
They're absolutely perfect for each other. I loved them. I fell in love with
them. They'd make a great couple in real life, that’s for sure. So,
everything's all sunshine and rainbows until one night changes it all. It's the
worst thing that could possibly happen and it puts everything to a test.
Everything! Their lives come crashing down and it shows you that it’s moments
like this when you discover things about yourself, things you couldn't possibly
find out otherwise. It's completely devastating and I tell you what, I cried through
the whole final third of the book. I liked how it ended, although I was
furious. I was completely irritated, sad, miserable and I wanted to.. Ugh.. I
just wanted to strangle this book so bad.
“So stop looking at the past and all the things you can’t change. They’re done and over with. Now is the time for you to look to the future, grasp it by the hand, and decide where you want to go. I told you once before, and I’ll say it again—this is your life, Chase. Only you can decide what it’s going to be like. Don’t let outside forces dictate it for you.”
But then.. When I thought about it afterwards, I found it beautiful. No matter how
devastated I felt, no matter how things were left for these two, it was
beautiful. Pff.. Even now I'm getting teary-eyed. I read this book a few months ago and writing this review and thinking
back at it still gets me emotional. It was that good. So, without further ado, I
can tell you that I wholeheartedly recommend this book. It was as beautiful and
bright as it was devastating and horrible. The only reason I want to give this book
a 4.5 not a 5 star rating is the diary scene towards the end which I felt could
have been done differently (if you get that far, you’ll know what I mean), but because it was such a minor thing, I'm still giving it 5 stars since it was one heck of an emotional rollercoaster. I want that next book so bad, my heart bleeds and I need it fixed. Please, dear December, come faster!
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Reading
order:
- Chasing Nikki
- Finding Chase
Okay Siiri, you're freaking me out about this ending! I'm all "this book sounds amazing, I love this couple already" and then you talk about how their world comes crashing down and the whole last third made you cry and now I'm terrified. I completely understand seeing the beauty in an ending that makes you so upset, but I have to be in the right mood for something like that. I need to shore up my courage before I tackle this one. And maybe wait until you read book too and can tell me how everything ends up for them!
ReplyDeleteJenny, you'll need lots of tissues while reading this book *hands you a package full of them*, but it's totally worth it. It made me think a lot and I'm glad I read this book. It was really, really good and L. Weatherford is an amazing author! I just need that second book so bad.
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