Review : Ruined by Jus Accardo

Summary (from Goodreads)

Title : Ruined (The Eternal Balance #1)
Author : Jus Accardo
Publication Date : December 30th 2013
Publisher : Entangled Embrace
Goodreads - Amazon - Barnes & Noble

Hell is looking for a way to break loose…

Jax lost the genetic lottery. Descended from Cain, the world's first murderer, he's plagued by a curse that demands violence in exchange for his happiness. He left everything behind, including the girl he loved, but thriving on the pain of others is lonely… And it's killing him.

After a series of heartbreaking losses, Samantha put rubber to pavement and headed for college as fast as her clunker could carry her. But she can't outrun her problems. When an attack at school drives her back home, she's thrown into the path of a past—and a guy—she's been trying to forget.

Sam strains Jax's control over his darkness, but running isn't an option this time. Someone—or, something—followed her home from school: a ruthless monster with a twisted plan centuries in the making. Forced together to survive, and fighting an attraction that could destroy them both, Jax and Sam must stop a killer bent on revenge.

Personal Thoughts

Jus Accardo has proved over and over again that despite many YA paranormal novels having the same elements, she can come up with fantastic original ideas. She has grown to become one of my favorite authors and when I heard that she was writing a NA paranormal romance novel, I was thrilled because this is one genre that this lovely lady can bring something completely new to. Once again, she showed what a talented author she is and I just can't express how much I adore her writing.

Jax was a frustrating and intriguing character at the same time. He was battling with a lot of issues, especially since he was a descendent of Cain. He had a demon inside him who forces him to behave in ways he wouldn't normally be. Jax considered himself a monster for most of the book, which led him to push away people. His refusal to open up to anyone made me want to pull my own hair, but it's easy to understand where he was coming from especially since half of the book was told in his POV. In addition, Jax could also be very cocky and rather arrogant, but he did have a good heart and wanted nothing more than to protect his loved ones. Despite him considering himself as a monster, Jax was a truly good guy behind every face of his. Samantha, Jax's long time neighbor and love interest, was another great main character. I loved the strength that she possessed and I liked that she refused to be pushed around by Jax. She knew what she wanted and wasn't afraid to lay it all in front of Jax. She was also very supportive of him once his secret was revealed and refused to see him as the monster as he claimed to be. The supporting characters were also interesting and I had a blast getting to know them.

One thing that I've always admired about Jus Accardo like I mentioned in the beginning is her originality when it comes to her stories. She's always coming up with unique ideas that she backs up with solid world-building and Ruined was no exception. I loved getting to know the background and history of the demons and how they came about to be. I don't know much about the Cain/Abel story, but I didn't have any issue following the plot. Speaking of the plot, the only issue that I honestly had with it was the pacing. The book started off a little slow for me, but things did pick up eventually and by the end I was completely into the story. Not only was it interesting, but it also blew me away with its twists and revelations that I did not see coming. The romance, although not the center of attention of Ruined, was well-written. Jax and Sam had plenty of chemistry together as typical of Jus Accardo's romances, and I loved watching them interact with each other and getting over their issues by working together. This is part of a series and I can honestly say that I'm looking forward to reading more about Jax and Sam.

As with all Jus Accardo books, Ruined was a fantastic and highly addictive read that I recommend to NA lovers who are looking for something new and completely refreshing in the genre.

Rating

Cover : 3/5
Plot : 4/5
Characters : 4/5
Writing : 4/5


Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Embrace for the e-ARC of Ruined.

 

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