IN TIMES OF VIOLENCE
Book Review
By Ashley Precia

 

In Times of Violence by Karina Kantas, is a novel that starts off in a small village on the out shirts of London with Jade. Jade mirrors the life of her boy friend, David. They party, drink, and smoke in their past time with his friends. At the age of 18, she hadn’t found her purpose in life. She used David for his time and attention but wasn’t nearly as interested in him as he was into her. He provided a sweet escape from the reality of her home life with a mother being an alcoholic. –Or did the drugs and drinking help with that?

So the summer following her first year in colleges, she desperately needs and seeks out a change in her life. She decides to spend her summer in London with her cousin Sandy and Aunt Caroline. She visited only once, but still remembers how close her and her cousin becomes when they were together. She was just certain her summer would be great if her plan went through. And as expected, they welcome her stay.

She presented the idea to her mother and father who only gained acknowledgement through child support payments and weekend visits back in time. But they both gave her the ok. She was happy to be leaving her drunken mother behind who she served only as a servant and not a child of her womb. Her main duty was to cook and clean the nice. And to fetch her liquor too. Her trip to London provided her with relief and refreshment.

In the beginning, she appreciated her vacation until her cousin started to annoy her to the point she no longer wanted to be around. She seen that things had changed and she didn’t like Sandy one bite. She was to stuck up and self-centered for her liking. Nut one day Sandy begged her to enjoy a day of shopping with her at the town center. Although she would rather not, after some extreme begging, she agreed. On the subway platform, a gang was out lurking. Sandy warned her to never to get mixed in with that crowd…EVER!

But little did Sandy know that excited Jade and she wanted to get next to the Tyrants, especially the leader who she though was so sexy. At that moment, that became her driving force, to get next to him! From that day forward, she plotted her planned approach secretly. She even got a job near the subway to scope the gang out, as well as to make extra money to update her wardrobe.

Then that special night came. This particular night, her aunt and cousin were both going out. So she said she was going out too. And in deed she was, to befriend the on the Tyrants. Dressed in Black leather—their signature trade mark—she stepped on their set. Not particularly receiving a warming response, but greeted with a beat  down by the leaders girlfriend and girl Tyrant, Monica. Although, it wasn’t a fair fight, three to one, they still did a number on Jade.

She woke up the next morning in the house of Marcus, her dream guy—the leader the infamous gang, the Tyrants. There she was on the couch, next to him. Despite her eyes swollen and black, her lip busted and other bruises that adorn her body, she was pretty satisfied. It was him in the flesh. She later find out she was knocked unconscious and transported to where she now layed. Moments later, she was formerly introduced to the other members of the gang who would later become her family of fourteen deep.

Instantly, She and Marcus hit it off. She spent her recovery days there because she could dare not g home looking the way she did. Not that she mind being with Marcus and the Tyrants anyhow. Although all the members accepted her, her and Marcus’s closeness was causing strife with Dylan. He was Marcus’s brother and was not afraid o how his disapproval for their relationship.

But it was something that he had to get over because Jade was not going anymore and became a member of the Tyrants…the family and she felt right at home. From that day forward, she only marched with this gang. But word was out that the Vipers were looking for her and the Tyrants behind Monica’s unsettled ways as to how she was kicked to the crib due to Jade’s unexpected arrival on the scene. So she joined forces with their number one rival opponents.

To send a clear message, the Vipers severely injured one of the member of the Tyrants which caused outraged in their house! All guards went up. A fight had to occur, it was long over due. But this was beginning to weigh on Jade, as she believed it was her fault. And it did, just as Jade got back for at Monica for her unhanded ways.

Time had passed and of course Marcus and Jade still pursued their relationship. The summer was coming to an end and Marcus wanted her to stay in London with him. She easily complied without second thought. All she had to do was make a trip home to retrieve her belongings. She did not mind living the hell hole she lived in and never looking back.  So from that point on, it was a dine deal, the Tyrants became her family.

But as she got comfortable, so did the girls who came after Marcus. Although, they knew he had a girl friend, some were bold enough to ignore that fact. Jealous lived in Jade and didn’t hesitate to whip a girl in place if she needed to stake her claim. She loved Marcus but she was seeing different sides of him as time progressed, including his anger problem.  With that, she made a memo note.

It been awhile since they were any problems with the Vipers but they were back in full force. Two gang members captured her as she walked home from work on such a random because she was never found alone walking the streets anyhow. They drugged and raped her, all before they threw her out of the car. She made it back to her safe haven but had to go to the doctors. She was experiencing spasm throughout that entire not because she was a diabetic, the doctor informed her. She was ordered to take insulin shots twice daily.

Yes her life had been changing drastically. And to make matters worst, the love of her life had changed too. Or no, he hah always been that way but no it was more clear to her. He attracted women but could not resist the attention…even in front of Jade. At the bar one night he could not get enough of this one bartender and didn’t cared who seen. She left the bar in a fit, so embarrassed. Dylan ran after her to comfort her in her time of needed. They ended up making love in a grassy area outside the bar. She always knew that he had a thing for her but this moment made it her official. As it did for her too, she secretly lusted him as well.

From that moment after, it became ahrd to hide their feeling form one another and pretend like all was normal since they all shared a house together. They so desperately wanted to be together but knew that would complicate matters. But the descion was made for the both of them that changed everything. A new, young and up coming gang was tested their status and trying to steal that top spot. They believed the tyrants were getting to old to uphold their position of authority. One night at the bar, a member of the Wolves has stabbed Dylan when they got into a brawl. He died on the scene, devastating both Marcus and Jade for different reasons.

Things were getting to hectic there so they relocated when Jade was threatened during the trail of Dylan’s murderer.  Marcus and Jade also tied the knot. Two new additions were added to the package as well, Joni and Sofi. To this day, Clay was the only one who knew of the undying love between Dylan and Jade…and that he was the biological father of John.

This was a great read with an unexpected softer side. A true edgy love story that settled your heart in the end with a London flair.  It made gang violence an act of love for family and cheating so innocent. I loved it! This book speaks on the heart in real, raw emotions that can’t be ignored. Kudos to Karina! Job well done!