Top Ten Tuesday: Reasons to Read a Book by Heather Demetrios

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and Bookish where we get a new topic for a top 10 list.

This weeks topic asks us to talk about a topic, book, author, genre etc. that we love. Admittedly I forgot all about this weeks topic so this is some last minute writing but I thought I’d talk about the reasons I love Heather Demetrios’ books. By now everyone basically knows how much I gush and talk about I’ll Meet You There and so why not dedicate an entire post in shedding some insight into why I love her books so much.

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I’ll Meet You There (Review)

1. PTSD: This is one of the key themes in I’ll Meet You There as we explore the effects of war on wounded soldiers as they adjust to life back home. You can see the extensive research that has gone in to this issue and it also touches Demetrios’ personal experiences of being part of a military family. 

2. Poverty: What I appreciate the most about the themes that are explored in this book is the fact that the character’s predicaments aren’t shoved down our throats every second. Instead we have a realistic portrayal of a family and a community that struggles financially. 

3. Josh Mitchell: He is one of my all time favourite book boyfriends. He’s far from perfect and throughout this book we see him try to balance the three identities that define him. I just love how supportive he is of Skylar and the two of them just seem to balance each other out. 

Something Real (Review)

4. “Celebrity” Lifestyle: This book looks at the darker side of “fame”, especially with regard to the life of a child that is thrust into the limelight without being given the choice. Identity is a key theme in both of these books and I feel like Chloe really has no idea who she is. Her whole life has been centered around this image that her families “reality” show created for her and now that the camera’s are back in her life, she has to try and keep a hold of that glimpse of normality she carved out for herself.

Both

5. Complex Protagonists: Both Skylar and Chloe face a slew of issues and conflicts. What I love about both these women is their resilience. Yes, they take some hits both mentally and emotionally but at the end of the day it all becomes part of their own journey as they develop into the people they want and chose to be.

6. Romance: I mentioned Josh earlier on but I also have to give a lot of love to Patrick Sheldon. Both these guys become a rock to our protagonists. The progression of both relationships felt very natural and genuine. Josh has his fair share of demons to face in I’ll Meet You There and Patrick himself faces the challenge of adjusting to being in the spotlight. However, at the end of the day they will always be on hand to support their girls no matter what.

7. Friendship: Naturally both protagonists have their inner circle of friends and the dynamic between them is just as interesting. These friendships are all heading to some sort of crossroad. Between graduation, the return of the camera’s and many other factors, these friendship face some challenges and adjustments and I loved exploring the way these changes affect the dynamic between these characters.

8. Realistically Raw: I have no shame in admitting that I’ll Meet You There had me in tears. Both books provoked strong emotional reactions from me and that comes down to the fact that there is no sugar coating. What you see is what you get and nothing feels forced which only heightens the emotions in the books. They will make you laugh, cry, angry, frustrated and everything in between.

9. Family Dynamics: Family is key in these books and both Skylar and Chloe have an interesting dynamic with their family members. There is a stronger emphasis on Chloe’s family due to the nature of their lifestyle and how big it is but the relationship between Skylar and her mother play and equally important part in Skylar’s journey.

10. Addictive Writing: Heather Demetrios’ writing is absolutely stunning and addictive. You are hooked from the get go. The combination of the writing, the character dynamics, themes and relationships explored in these books make for one unforgettable journey.

BONUS

For you fantasy lovers, Heather also has a fantasy series known as the Dark Caravan Cycle. I’ve not read these books yet but if they’re anything like her contemporary work then I’m sure I’ll love it.

19 thoughts on “Top Ten Tuesday: Reasons to Read a Book by Heather Demetrios”

    1. I can definitely vouch for that A+ contemporary material. There’s a reason I’ve not picked up her fantasy series yet because I’ve been a bit wary of them but hey I’m all for giving it a shot and if it does fall flat I can always go back and re-read I’ll Meet You There haha.

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  2. HAHA, funniest thing. I have all of these books on my TBR, and I had no idea that they were all by the same author. How lame is that? I’ve heard nothing but amazing things about I’ll Meet You There, and I’m all the more drawn to it since it discusses PTSD. Not enough YA books explore this important phenomenon. Great post. You got me to put her books near the top of my TBR!

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    1. haha that’s hilarious but the farthest thing from lame. I’ve made the same mistake plenty of times. PTSD is such a prominent issue in society, especially among wounded soldier and veterans and I just love the research and care that went into exploring this issue within the book. There’s a fine balance between under-exaggerating or over-exaggerating the affects to the point that it feels forced but Demetrios does is so well and it feels so raw and realistic you can’t help but feel for this guy. I’m glad I have succeeding in bumping the book up the list. My plan has worked haha.

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  3. Yaaas, great list! I’ve only read I’ll Meet You There and I really liked it, so I’ll be checking out all the others now. Something Real sounds so interesting — IMYT has convinced me to check out her contemporaries at least! 🙂

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    1. I am so glad you enjoyed I’ll Meet You There. 😀 I put off reading Something Real because I don’t particularly gravitate towards books that deal with the whole being famous trope but this book definitely highlight the reality of being thrust into the spotlight. It’s definitely worth a shot and I hope you enjoy it. 😀

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    1. I cannot recommend her books enough. They’re just so well written and the characters have so many layers to them. I hope you enjoy the books if you get round to reading them. 😀

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  5. YES, YES, YES! I absolutely love Heather Demetrios’ books and I am so glad to hear you do too. Her books are always so realistic and complex. Thanks for sharing and, as always, fabulous post! ❤

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    1. *HIGH FIVES* You literally cannot go wrong with a Heather Demetrios book. In fact I have this uncontrollable urge to re-read I’ll Meet You There again. I just can’t stay away haha.

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    1. You will love Patrick. He’s such a sweetheart.
      Josh will always be my number 1. I’d slow dance in the rain with him to my favourite Eagles song any day. 😉

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