Reviewing: Endless Love (book)

Endless Love

by: Scott Spencer

A Little Taste of What It's About!

One of the most celebrated novels of its time, Endless Love remains perhaps the most powerful novel ever written about young love. Riveting, compulsively readable, and ferociously sexual, Endless Love tells the story of David Axelrod and his overwhelming love for Jade Butterfield. 
David's and Jade's lives are consumed with each other; their rapport, their desire, their sexuality take them further than they understand. And when Jade's father suddenly banishes David from the house, he fantasizes the forgiveness his rescue of the family will bring and he sets a "perfectly safe" fire to their house. What unfolds is a nightmare, a dark world in which David's love is a crime and a disease, a world of anonymous phone calls, crazy letters, and new fears — and the inevitable and punishing pursuit of the one thing that remains most real to him: his endless love for Jade and her family.

My Personal Take On The Book...

This book.  Oh this book... In this book I had certain expectations given. It has been a very popular upcoming remake movie to be premiered this Valentine's Day. I saw the trailer and I immediately began research to find out if it was a movie based on book. I was excited to find that it was indeed a book. I was prepared for a summer first love romance novel like the trailer led me to believe. It was not at all what I expected. I feel like a rug has been pulled from beneath me in the utter shock of what I spent my entire night reading. I kept thinking, "Surely this can't be it. When's the happy love part?". It never came. IT NEVER CAME. Instead of a first love romance, I got a depressing, devastating, dark, sometimes wordy boring, at times disgusting roller coaster of crazy book. 
    I initially rated the book a two because I was so disappointed in having my high expectations burned as the house did in the very beginning, but now that I've calmed a bit. I realize I have to rate this book a three, because of the emotions it's brought out. I will never read it again. I won't refer it to anyone. I will warn every friend that doesn't have the crazy trait that I do that makes me have to read the book before the movie to prepare them as much as I can for what they are walking into. The emotions were a crazy mix between The Silver Linings Playbook and Revolutionary Road for me. I was so excited for Revolutionary Road to come out in theaters because it was the first movie since Leo and Kate starred together since Titanic. I rented the book and BAM! A depressing hopeless dark read. I never could bring myself to watch the movie after I read that book and honestly I don't know if I can stomach watching Endless love after reading this book. It's not only about David and his hopeless, stalking, depressive, obsessive, dark, mission in his life that keeps me away. I mean some parts, especially one in particular. (If you read the book, you know which I'm thinking about..) It was disgusting and extremely hard to read. I can't and don't want to imagine them putting that on screen. This book was strange. The characters...all of them were STRANGE. Yet through out all the madness I found at times it was hard to put down and got interesting. I'm thankful for those parts, because it helped me get through the book, but damn. David has been driven away by his own family. He falls in a crazy love with Jade. He becomes obsessed with not only her, but her family. He finally found his place where he belonged, then lost it all and his mind. This book wasn't about their love story. It was about their end. Not just Jade and David's end, but the entire family's. I cannot stress how dark this read is. How crazy messed up the families are, and the fact that if you are going in hopeful for a happy ending with rainbows and unicorns. You simply are not going to get it. The adrenaline from reading this book is still pumping through my veins. I'm still shaking my head. I would understand anyone who rated the book on each level of 1-5, because at some point in my thought process of writing this review I experienced each. I think of it like in good shows or movies when an actor plays a bad guy. You just hate him. That shows a good actor. He played his part correctly. He took over your emotions. This is how I feel about the author. Scott Spencer took over my emotions and completely blew my mind. I've never had this feeling before. Usually after I read a book that I know is going to be a movie. I have too high expectations demanding it to be play by play from the book. This time is different. I'm hoping it is nothing like the book. Give me their love story that I was tricked into thinking I was getting. That is if I find the courage to watch it after reading this. I'm going on a light read hiatus. I was so not ready for that read.

****This is my first review on my blog. I'm really not 100% sure of what I'm doing, but I know I'll make mistakes and learn along the way. My reviews are my opinions. I don't expect everyone to agree with my reviews. They are my personal opinion. If a book is horrible. I'm going to say it. Just as I would if a book is excellent. I feel it's important as readers and movie watchers that we review the things we see and read. It's not just important to authors and directors etc. It's important to the fellow viewers.  I need to stress meaningful quotes coming from books I read, need to be there. I want it to speak to my soul. I want to stop reading to write it down where I keep the ones that left a place in my heart. A book could be a horrible read in my opinion, but if I got a quote that communicated with me on a level like I'm talking about the book was worth the read. I appreciate authors that speak to the reader. That leave their prints long after their book has been read.  Just as I appreciate mea ningful songs or quotes from movies. I plan to do both on my blog. Thanks for the listen.****