Review: Blazed by Jason Myers

Blazed

By: Jason Myers

Pub. Date: June 17, 2014

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Pages: 320

Source: Edelweiss

Jamie uncovers life-changing secrets from his past when he’s sent to live with a father he’s never met in this gritty novel from the author of Exit Here. and Run the Game.

Jamie is invincible when he is high. His anger, his isolation, his mom’s manic mood swings—nothing can shatter his glass castle. But one brutal night upends everything, leaving his mom broken and Jamie betrayed.

Sent to live with a father he’s never met, Jamie is determined to hate the man he blames for his mother’s ruin. And he blocks out the pain with drugs, fierce music, and sweet, sweet Dominique. Except the more time Jamie spends at his dad’s, the more his mother’s scathing stories start to unravel. Who is he supposed to believe? And how much will he have to sacrifice to uncover the truth?

 I received this galley in exchange for an honest review. 

What started out as an engrossing and interesting read, ended up being boring and dull. When I first started reading it, I loved Jamie. He’s practically a genius who would do anything for his mom. The love he had and the things he did for her, especially after what she had put him through growing up was admirable. When his mother tries to kill herself, he is sent to live with the father that not only hurt his mother, but wanted nothing to do with his son. Jamie soon starts to learn that not everything his mother told him was true, which leaves Jamie is a very vulnerable place.

Jamie 100% reminded me of Holden Caulfield, which I loved. It’s interesting to see what Holden would say and do in today’s time, and that’s exactly how I felt he would act. Despite being a wonderful son, maybe sometimes to good, Jamie is really a jerk. I would have liked to see him grow as a character and have more redeeming qualities. Because he was such a jerk, I had a hard time connecting with him. But I did feel really bad for him. Most of the time I forgot that Jamie was only 14. He seemed so much older to me.

Towards the second half of the book, I started to feel bored. I felt like I was reading the same story and nothing exciting was happening. Jamie bought new records, Jamie listened to his new music, Jamie recorded a video for his tumbler, Jamie did drugs, Jamie was a jerk. That was the gist of the book. I think I would have been happier if the book was a little shorter.

I liked the concept of Blazed, I think I was hoping for a little bit more though. Overall, I did like the story and will read other books from this author!