For nine years, they drift through life, unable to forget the one who holds the strings to their hearts. In an attempt to escape the pain of her past, Melanie finds herself trapped in a loveless marriage, while Daniel loses himself in a career that means nothing without Melanie by his side.Now, when their lives intersect, neither can deny the connection they felt so long ago. But will the power that drew them together be enough to heal the wounds from their past, and do they have the courage to overcome the insecurities and fears that threaten to keep them apart? Pulled is a story of attraction and separation, of destiny and duty, of a love so strong it refuses to give up even when all others have.
*May Contain Spoilers*
A.L. Jackson explores the strength of soul mates in her novel, Pulled. Revolving around two people who meet and fall in love as teenagers, Jackson tests the amount of tragedy Melanie and Daniel can fight through and survive.
Through present tense and flashbacks, readers get a three-dimensional view of Melanie and Daniel. The present tense depicts them as hollow shells of their former selves. While the past draws the readers in to the love - and heartbreak - they shared.
I enjoyed Melanie's character but had a hard time understanding why she would purposefully put herself into an abusive situation (mentally/physically). I understand that heartbreak does damage deep within a person, but after going through multiple tragedies, why make it worse?
Daniel follows suit, but he's a stronger character. He demonstrates this by going on with his life, even if he is still in love with Melanie. Though I did have a big problem with the way he treated Vanessa. Without giving too much away, it doesn't matter what she did - she didn't deserve to be treated like that. The way Daniel reacted to Vanessa reminded me of Melanie's husband... not good. I'd like to know more about Vanessa's back-story so that I can understand more of this sub-plot.
The plot that Jackson created was amazing! I loved the soul-mate idea and Jackson did a wonderful job at demonstrating their connection. A few of the twists in the novel - I have to admit, I didn't see coming. And was pleasantly surprised at each one. Though I felt a few parts were a little over-the-top, or severely close to it. But this didn't stop my nerves jumping constantly throughout the last fifty pages!
Overall, Pulled was a great novel with a love story unlike any other I've read. It was heartwarming, charming, frightening, and magnetic. It's a story that will stay with the reader.
rating: 4/5 cups
