Book Review: Great And Precious Things by Rebecca Yarros
Great And Precious Things by Rebecca Yarros
Pages: 400
Publish date: February 25th 2020
Publisher:Entangled: Amara
ISBN: 9781640638167
Purchase: Book Depository – Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU – QBD
How do you define yourself when others have already decided who you are?
Six years ago, when Camden Daniels came back from war without his younger brother, no one in the small town of Alba, Colorado, would forgive him—especially his father. He left, swearing never to return.
But a desperate message from his father brings it all back. The betrayal. The pain. And the need to go home again. But home is where the one person he still loves is waiting. Willow. The one woman he can never have. Because there are secrets buried in Alba that are best left in the dark.
If only he could tell his heart to stay locked away when she whispers she’s always loved him, and always will…
Great and Precious Things is a heart-wrenching story about family, betrayal, and ultimately how far we’re willing to go on behalf of those who need us most.
Great And Precious Things:
I received an earc of Great And Precious Things by Rebecca Yarros via the publisher for review. This has in no way influenced my thoughts and feelings about the book.
Going into Great And Precious Things, I knew that I was going to be torn apart. Rebecca Yarros really knows how to hurt me. I’ve cried in nearly every one of her books. I’m not even joking here, she knows how to tear me into little pieces and leave me there. And I was right because Great And Precious Things really did tear me apart – but gosh was it beautiful.
Great And Precious Things by Rebecca Yarros follows Camden Daniels comes home from war. And he doesn’t get the heroes’ welcome. No, he comes back to a town that hates him to the core. That despises him and wants him gone. But he knows he has to push that aside because his family needs, even if his father hates and doesn’t want him there either. Because Camden killed his brother. The town knows it, his father knows it, and Camden knows it. There is only one person in the town that Camden is there for. But it’s also the one woman he could never have.
Camden was such an interesting protagonist. It’s not often that I read books with a male protagonist at the forefront. If they are a protagonist, it’s normally because they are the love interest. But Camden was front and center and that alone intrigued me. Yarros has a real good knack of writing characters that have fantastic arcs – and Camden was no different. The reader gets to see Camden go on a journey. A journey that is long and hard. Not only does it have to deal with the grief of losing his brother, but also the guilt that he was the one responsible.
Sometimes it was really hard being in Camden’s head. He is filled with guilt and with how everyone is treating him in town, that takes its toll. But I also loved seeing Camden’s soft side. The reader is really able to see that he feels everything and that really shapes Camden into the person that he is. And while at the start he let everyone in town walk all over him, as the novel goes we get to see Camden let the guilt go and stand up for himself.
Willow was such a nice female protagonist in Great And Precious Things. I loved that she didn’t take over the novel. She was able to stand her own. Like Camden, the town has really influenced the way that Willow presents herself. But, Willow has also been through a lot and she has to try and work her way out of those things. Willow was really easy to get along with. She felt very real while reading the novel, she had her faults. But that is what made her such an enjoyable character.
The relationship in Great And Precious Things had many ups and downs. But it was beautiful. Camden and Willow together, just fit for me. They worked. There weren’t any ifs and buts. They just did. One of the things that I loved most about the romance was that the ‘climax’ in the book wasn’t because of miscommunication or because of Camden or Willow. It’s not often you see that in a romance novel and it was great. I adored that Camden and Willow had so much history, it made for this rich romance that I got swept up in. Their connection was spot on.
Another thing that Rebecca Yarros does extremely well is exploring the notion of family, and things were no different in Great And Precious Things. While I normally prefer the representation of good family dynamics, sometimes there need to be representations of bad families. Both Camden and Willow have a lot of trouble with their families, but it was also nice to see them both try and work things out.
Another major focus of this book is the notion of Alzheimer’s. Camden’s dad has been suffering for a couple of years before he arrives back in town. It was really hard to read certain scenes in Great And Precious Things, because of the way that Camden’s father reacts. Most of the time he can’t stand the sight of Camden and that was really hard to read. Because the reader is able to see that Camden loves his father and wants what is best for him. Even if it’s breaking his own heart. I think that Rebecca Yarros was able to represent the ups and downs of Alzheimer’s throughout Great And Precious Things. And gosh did it hurt at parts.
Overall, Great And Precious Things by Rebecca Yarros is heartbreaking, beautiful and just so good. It explores the notion of guilt and grief, as well as a fresh start. Camden and Willow were perfect protagonists that each had their own story. Rebecca Yarros knows how to tear me apart and she did again. The romance in this one is so perfect, it’s a friend to lovers, to absolutely perfect. If you are looking for a romance that is haunting, but also beautiful, then this is for you.
Have you read Great And Precious Things by Rebecca Yarros? Are you planning on reading it? Have you read anything else by her? Let’s Chat!
