Audio Review: Inescapable by Amy A. Bartol

Inescapable by Amy A. Bartol
Narrator: Emily Woo Zeller
Series: The Premonition #1
Published by Tantor Audio on 2013-06-20
Length: 13hr and 30min
Reviewing Audiobook from Audible
Rating:
Reading Challenges: 2019 Audiobook Challenge, Beat the Backlist 2019

Soon-to-be college freshman Evie Claremont had hoped that once she'd arrived on Crestwood's campus, the nightmare that she'd been having would go away. It hasn't. She may be an inexperienced 17-year-old, but she's grounded... sane. She looks for rational explanations to even the strangest circumstances. Since meeting sophomore Reed Wellington, however, nothing makes any sense. Whenever he's near, she feels an attraction to him - a magnetic kind of force pulling her toward him.

Unfortunately, Reed acts as if Evie's the worst thing that has ever happened to Crestwood...or him. But for some reason every time she turns around he's there, barging into her life. What is the secret that he's keeping from her? Evie's hoping that it's anything but what she suspects: That he's not exactly normal...and neither is she. So, maybe Crestwood won't be the making of her, but it could be the breaking of her. Evie's now left to wonder if the dark future her dream is foretelling is...inescapable.

Sometimes reviews are really hard to write. This is one of those times. I really wanted to like Inescapable by Amy A. Bartol, but I just didn’t. This is one of those times where the saying “It’s me, not you” comes into play. All of my pet peeves, the things that make me cringe, were found within this book, the main two being insta-love and love triangle. I struggled with these things which detracted from the story overall, again this is just for me. Inescapable follows the story of Evie Claremont as she starts her freshman year of college and myth becomes reality. 

Evie is an orphan, raised by her uncle. She doesn’t really remember her mother and the identity of her father is a mystery. I like her independence. Evie knows what she wants and goes for it. Nothing really stops her, not even fear. However she is naive when it comes to boys, and she has three in her life from the moment she sets foot on campus: Alfred (who she nicknames Freddie), Russell, and Reed. 

Freddie (y’all excuse the spelling if it’s wrong. I listened to an audio and do not have a hardcopy to check spelling.) is probably my favorite character. He forms a platonic relationship with Evie. They met prior to school starting, and Evie feels sorry for him. Despite that, they become quick friends. They share a lot of the same interests, but don’t seem to harbor affection beyond a brother/sister relationship. At least those are my first impressions 😉

Russ is a southern cutie. I fell for him almost instantly, as does Evie. Conversation and flirting come easy with Russ. Everything comes easy with him for Evie. It’s like they’ve known each other all their lives, even if they just met. 

Then there is Reed. He’s a sophomore who attempts to scare Evie away. Not just from him either, but from the school. He’s callous and can be cruel at the same time he is being kind to Evie. It’s all very Bella and Edward with these two.

Now for the plot and the things that distracted me from enjoying the story. The plot centers around Evie and Reed and Russ. Reed is an enigma, the mystery surrounding him and what he is intrigues and scares Evie. But in addition why is he obsessed with Evie? Things begin changing for Evie and when they do, it scares her. The mystery surrounding her own heritage comes into play big time. Now….I already likened Reed and Evie to Edward and Bella. Really I could draw parallels throughout the book. The first time Reed meets Evie, his staying away from her for her own good, the love triangle that forms among Reed, Evie, and Russ, even the rushed ending. Because I read Twilight earlier this summer and it is fresh on my mind, I noticed these things more than if I read it without the reference. It’s obvious the author is a fan.

Overall, Inescapable was an okay read for me. I didn’t love it, but I didn’t hate it. The narrator is enjoyable, though I did have to listen at double speed. The Twilight-vibes I received were a little too much for me, making the book predictable. The ending is its saving grace. I was blown away by the ending. And while it isn’t a true cliffhanger, it doesn’t leave you with the warm and fuzzies either. I’ve already started listening to book two of the series and have hope for a more well-rounded story. I highly recommend this to anyone that enjoys YA paranormal romance, specifically angels/demons. 

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