Review: 738 Days by Stacey Kade

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About the Book

At fifteen, Amanda Grace was abducted on her way home from school. 738 days later, she escaped. Her 20/20 interview is what everyone remembers—Amanda describing the room where she was kept, the torn poster of TV heartthrob Chase Henry on the wall. It reminded her of home and gave her the strength to keep fighting.

Now, years later, Amanda is struggling to live normally. Her friends have gone on to college, while she battles PTSD. She’s not getting any better, and she fears that if something doesn’t change soon she never will.

Six years ago, Chase Henry defied astronomical odds, won a coveted role on a new TV show, and was elevated to super-stardom. With it, came drugs, alcohol, arrests, and crazy spending sprees. Now he's sober and a Hollywood pariah, washed up at twenty-four.

To revamp his image, Chase’s publicist comes up with a plan: surprise Amanda Grace with the chance to meet her hero, followed by a visit to the set of Chase’s new movie. The meeting is a disaster, but out of mutual desperation, Amanda and Chase strike a deal. What starts as a simple arrangement, though, rapidly becomes more complicated when they realize they need each other in more ways than one. But when the past resurfaces in a new threat, will they stand together or fall apart?

Review

4.2 Stars 

I was extremely surprised with how well I enjoyed this book. I really enjoyed it. It’s one of those books you still continue to think about a day after you read it, and when you think about it, you can’t help but say “It was a really good book” aloud every time. 

Like mentioned earlier, I hadn’t expected to like this book this much. I can’t even remember putting it on my To Read Shelf. I had only decided to read what it was about when I saw that someone on Goodreads was currently reading it. I'm glad that person was reading this book or else I would've never found it. 

The plot of the book was intriguing. I haven't read anything with a similar plot. This is a book that centered around abduction. However, the author doesn't focus the entire book on the dark elements but it does make sense for her to not go in details about those events since this book is about the aftermath and Amanda moving on. It’s about recovery. We aren't left in the dark about things. We know what happened, and the first chapter is a flashback; which was done very nicely. 

This wasn’t a boring story; it had depth and was complex. I do wish that the story had taken place over a few months rather than a few days. Since this happened over a few days, a few things felt a little sped up. 

Also, I felt some emotions while reading it. My heart hurt for Amanda because I can’t imagine what she went through. 

It does have a happy ending, but the ending was a few notches short of being anti-climatic. It is worth mentioning that this book does get a little steamy. But the sex scene is done well. You won't cringe while reading it. 

Characters

I was invested in these characters. I wanted them to get their happy ending. I loved Amanda. I loved Chase. I loved them together, and I can’t get over how cute they were. They did fall in love a little too quickly, but that can be overlooked. It was a nice romance, and you can’t help but root for them. However, communication could have fixed an issue that they had but I’m going to let it slide. 

Okay, back to Amanda. I thought her character was portrayed very well. Her PSTD was realistic. Instead of only being told about her struggles, we are also shown them. We see her coping; and her problems aren't immediately solved and they don't just go away like they never happened. 

I liked how this book focused on the impact of Amanda’s kidnapping on her, but also on her family. It added a more a realistic element to the story. It was nice reading their dynamic. I must admit I was a little angry towards Mia because of her feelings towards Amanda at the beginning. But as the story progressed I begin to understand. 

I would have liked a tiny bit more focus on Chase’s addiction. However, what was given was good. I liked that we also see Chase struggling. Just because he had gotten sober, that doesn't mean that he's completely okay. 

Final Analysis 

738 Days is a book that doesn’t disappoint. The romance is adorable, but most of all it does justice to a serious topic. We are introduced to a strong main character who is struggling in the beginning, but at the end, she finds love and begins to thrive. At some points the book could be considered predictable and cheesy, but all and all it is a good read.