Emerald City

Emerald City by Alicia K. Leppert

Publisher:  Sweetwater Books - Cedar Fort

Publication Date: April 10, 2012

ISBN: 1599558645

Genre:  New adult, romance

Author Website: http://www.aliciakleppert.com/

Here's a brief description of the book:

One city of 600,000 people.

One broken girl.

One mysterious boy.

One fateful night,

Two worlds collide. 

Seattle, Washington. The sprawling, industrious city set in a blanket of pine. I have never known a day that wasn’t spent inside this concrete jungle. It’s my home, and for that I love it. But it’s also the setting for the tragedy called my life, and so I loathe it.


I live alone in a cold, empty studio apartment. The tiny square room closely resembles a cell. That’s my life: solitary confinement.


Here, in this desolate place that perfectly reflects my soul, my story begins.

My thoughts:


What a heart-tugging story - a page-turner from the beginning!  Alicia Leppert is a magnificent writer.  The craft she put into this story is one far better than I have found in a while.  The story is not at all what I had expected, but so much better.


This story is one of a young woman, Olivia, going through depression and then evolving into herself, finding friendship and the possibility of romance.


The story opens to Olivia in such a bleak situation, that it leads her to such a state that she swallows a hand full of pills.  The emotion expressed was so intense,  it sent chills through me.  When she comes around, she finds out that a "neighbor" named Jude has rescued her.


Jude is such a mystery, but Olivia finds herself drawn to him, regardless of what little she knows of him.  The more she is with him, the better she feels about herself.  Is this a relationship she can trust?  Can she afford to let go?  Will the secret Jude carries impact the relationship?  You will have to read the book yourself to find the answer to these questions.


This is one of the best novels I have ever picked up, not just in 2012, but all time.  It ended in a way that really makes me wonder if Leppert will continue the story in the future.  Either way, it is a worth-while read!



Websites of Interest:


Author Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/alicialeppert
Author Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Emerald-City/173223922777769
Author GoodReads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12582784-emerald-city
Publisher Blog http://www.cedarfortbooks.com/
Publisher Facebook https://www.facebook.com/cedarfortbooks
Publisher Twitter http://twitter.com/#!/cedarfortbooks
Publisher GoodReads http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/4202252-cedar-fort

10 things about Alicia


1. I started writing because I loved the idea of having control over how the story played out, and not being at the mercy of another author’s choices.


2. I have two sisters and two brothers and I dream of being like the siblings on Parenthood. (Although I guess I’d be the odd man out.)


3. I started and abandoned at least ten stories before coming up with the idea for Emerald City.


4. I laugh like a big ol’ truck driver. I get lots of stares at funny movies.


5. When people hear I’m from Washington state, they automatically assume lush, green forests. I laugh and tell them I live on the other side, the brown side with all the tumbleweeds.


6. I got engaged to a man I’d never met. He had no idea what I looked like. We had chatted online for one week. Three months later we got married. 11 years later we’re still going strong!


7. I am addicted to gum. It’s in my mouth unless I’m eating or sleeping.


8. I’m also addicted to sleeping. There’s not much I’d rather do than take a nap.


9. I have a beautiful 10 year old daughter, and the cutest little 8 year old boy ever.


10. I’m 32, and I still feel 20.

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