In Control By Crystal Serowka

NOTE: In Control is a companion novel. This book is not a continuation from In the Air.

I wasn’t a typical teenager.
I’d been through more rough patches than a weed eater.
I didn’t grow up behind a white picket fence.
I didn’t go to Sunday school.
My body was no temple, though it was worshiped by many.
Girls kept their boyfriends away from me for good reason.
I was desired.
Wanted.
Admired.
While my friends were following the rules, I was breaking them.
I’m careless.
Reckless.
Uncontrollable.
I don’t apologize for who I am.
I embrace it.
But all things must come to an end.
He was my new beginning.

*Contains scenes of a graphic nature including abuse and sexual abuse.*

"They had no idea that whatever name they called me, whatever they wrote on my locker, it wasn't ever going to bother me. I had been shattered a long time ago, and the shards of my former self were so sharp, nothing else could ever harm me"

In Control is a wonderful book about first love and being broken by them and how to put yourself back together. You guys should know by now I love first love and I love reading about broken people so this had two of my favorite things in it to begin with. Kingsley is a foster child who moves home to home until she finds one that keeps her, for the check of course. My heart broke for what she went through as I can imagine that it is not that uncommon that these things happen regularly in our foster care system. I loved that she was strong and survived through the betrayal and hurt and didn't dwell on it. She may not have dealt with it properly, but she did deal with it! She had no happiness in her life until she met Porter. She had 171 days of his love. *tears*

"This is what being my age should feel like, Porter made me see that being a kid meant being stress-free. It meant getting excited over the simple things in life and not having to worry about anything."

The book goes from future to past throughout and at first it bothered me. It only bothered me because I really, really wanted to know what happened between her and Porter. So we go back and forth between her past, Porter, and her possible future, Wren.

"The kind of love he was showing me couldn't exist because I'd deemed myself unlovable."

We get to see her feelings and possibly her first relationship since Porter broke her develop, and also hear about what Porter did in the past. There are a couple of WTF moments that I enjoyed. The writing style kept me very interested and there were even a couple of lol moments. There were however also a few inconsistencies that stood out to me. Certain things stand out to me in books and details are one of them. 99 out of a 100 people probably would never even notice them, but of course, I did. Overall, I really really enjoyed this book and will more than likely read the companion novel, In The Air. From what I can tell they are both totally stand alone novels.

"I love you." Three words. Eight letters. One single tear escaping as the concrete slowly chipped away."