Group Read: The Redemption of Callie and Kayden (The Coincidence #2) by Jessica Sorensen

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The Redemption of Callie & Kayden

(The Coincidence #2)
By:  Jessica Sorenson
Release Date:  8/06/13
Source:  Publisher
Mature Content:  18+

GR's Summary:

The dark secret Kayden has kept hidden for years is out. Worse, he's facing charges for battery. The only way he stands a chance against the charges is if Callie speaks up, something he'll never ask her to do.

Callie knows Kayden is going back to his dark place and desperately wants to save him. But saving him means admitting her secrets aloud. Callie and Kayden are stronger than they think, especially when they're together. Together they move forward, face their demons, and finally start to heal from their traumatic pasts.

First Book in The Coincidence Series:

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* To Read Review On The Coincidence of Callie & Kayden, Click HERE *

Lindy's Thoughts:

The Redemption of Callie and Kayden is a sequel that I have been anticipating for quite a while.  The cliffhanger from The Coincidence of Callie and Kayden nearly killed me!  I dove into this sequel with such a desperation, to learn what would happen to two of my favorite book characters, that I have become extremely attached to.  This sequel continues right where its predecessor ended, and is told through the dual narration of both Callie and Kayden.  

Callie rushes to the hospital, but Kayden's mother will not allow anyone to see Kayden except for herself.  Callie and Luke (Kayden's best friend) are there for each other, and come day after day to check on Kayden, but never get to see him.  After a week, school has started, and they have to return.  Callie is constantly worrying about Kayden, can't eat, sleep, or think straight.  Seth is an amazing best friend to Callie, and does everything in his power to cheer her up, and take care of her.  Anyone would be lucky to have a friend like Seth.  He is loyal, wise, gives great advice, makes Callie laugh, and is an awesome and unique individual.  

In the meantime, Kayden is having a difficult time, is put in an institution, and forced to undergo therapy to deal with his cutting.  His father is on a "business trip," and never comes to visit him.  His mother is a horrible woman.  She made me so angry!  She didn't care about Kayden's healing.  She wouldn't hear him out about what his father had done, and blamed him for being an embarrassment to the family.  She had put him in the institution to teach him a lesson, and now she wanted him to be released, against his therapist, Doug's recommendation, to save her from embarrassment.  All that mattered to her were appearances, not her son.  What gets Kayden through the days, and nights is focusing on Callie.  He misses her so much, but he has decided that she is too good for him, and if he really cares for her, he needs to let her go.

Callie, eventually goes to see Kayden during winter break, along with Luke, and Seth, when they hear that he can have visitors.  They want to take a road trip, and get away from all of their problems.  However, things don't go so well when Kayden pushes Callie and Luke away, and decides to return home.  He reassures them that his father is not there.  Seth and Luke end up devising a plan to try to get Kayden away from his dysfunctional home.  Things end up working out in such a way, as Luke, Seth, and Callie, along with Kayden decide to take off and escape their horrible lives by heading to California, so they can stay at Luke's family's beach house for the remainder of winter break.  Let's just say this is where things get really interesting, and the story really takes off from this point on!

This beautiful story was filled with so much emotion, deep-rooted pain, the ugly and realistic parts of life, as well as love, and friendship being a catalyst for healing, transformation, strength, and courage.  Callie and Kayden learned how to use their voices, face their fears, and take charge of their lives.  This series is hard on your heart.  You will feel sick to your stomach, and cry for all that Callie and Kayden have had to endure, and kept locked deep within themselves.  You will be angry, and realize that the monsters in real life are destructive, malicious, and masochistic types of people.  Unfortunately, these types of people do exist, and in order to take back the power that they have over you, you must face your fears, and speak up.  It might not always work, and not everyone will listen, but it's needed for self-empowerment.

My only concerns with, The Redemption of Callie and Kayden, were that I felt like the ending left more to be desired.  We are left with a bit of a cliffhanger, where I was screaming at my Kindle, "No!  "It can't end like that!"  Please Ms. Sorenson tie up those loose ends!  I read there's only going to be a novella left in the series.  I hope you can fit in everything that needs to be tied up in a novella. Also, I need to know more about Luke.  We get a lot of hints about his dysfunctional life, but not any answers.  I need answers!  I need Luke's story, and I need him to have a Happily Ever After!

Callie and Kayden were so in love with each other.  You could see it in their actions, thoughts, and words.  It was so upsetting to see how they had been so badly harmed from what had been forced upon them, their lost innocence at such young ages, and how it affected their present lives, relationships, sense of self-worth, and overall happiness.  These two were able to rise out of the destruction, and garner strength.  They healed one another.  Their passion for each other was breathtakingly beautiful!  I could feel their love and passion for one another.  I felt their pain, their hope, their courage, and their healing.  This was a beautiful story, and I highly, highly recommend, The Coincidence Series.

My Rating:

I give The Redemption of Callie and Kayden 4.5 Gritty, Angst Filled, Emotional, Passionate, and Memorable Stars!  Read this series!  You will be addicted to Callie and Kayden's story, and will never forget about these two amazing characters!  

My Favorite Quotes:

"Her arms circle my waist and she buries her face into my back.  It's the most contact I've had with someone since it happened and I swear my heart practically ruptures and bleeds out into my chest.  I wish I could die right now there with her holding onto me, because it would be a very peaceful death. I wouldn't be alone and empty inside.  She would be there with me and she'd be the last thing I'd ever feel and breathe.  (eARC, Loc. 1541)

~Kayden

"But now, with him, everything inside me has changed and my heart and soul aren't so shadowed anymore.  He is my light and I hope one day that I can be his.  (eARC, Loc.2699)

~Callie

"I don't have control when it comes to her.  I'm quickly learning this.  Whenever she looks at me, I swear she steals another piece of my soul.  Unlike most people, she doesn't care if it's damaged.  And once we kiss, I'm gone.  The broken, soulless, empty Kayden who's existed since the first time his father beat him no longer lives.  She owns me and I want nothing more than to be with her."  (eARC, Loc. 2748)

~Kayden

Ro's Take on this Journey:

The Redemption of Callie and Kayden, by Jessica Sorensen, is the phenomenal sequel to The Coincidence of Callie and Kayden.  This novel is written in dual narration, alternating between Callie and Kaydens' points of view.   The Redemption takes off where The Coincidence left off.  Fans of Ms. Sorensen have been waiting quite a while for this sequel after being left with a humdinger of a cliffhanger in the first segment of the series.  Kayden is rushed to the hospital, with Luke, (Kaydens' best friend since childhood) and Callie, (his girlfriend), only to be rebuffed by Kaydens' controlling mother at the hospital.  For two weeks no one is allowed to go in or out of the hospital.  From there, Kayden is on lock down at an institution, of his mother's doing, and no information on him is leaked out.  The whole time Callie is freaking out, because the last time she saw him, he was bleeding to death on the kitchen floor at his house.  Kayden is threatened by his mother to get it together so she can get him released to their home.  She says his father is out of town on a business trip.  All she is worried about is what people will think if he is in there too long.  The therapist, (Doug) tries to get Kayden to tell him the truth about the "incident," that put him there in the first place, but Kayden is tight lipped.  The family secrets run deep, and he knows better than to tell anything about what really goes on in their home, or has for his whole life.  Doug tries to keep him there to help him, but his mother overrules him. 

Luke, Callie, and Seth, (Callie's best friend) have to return to College with heavy hearts, not knowing if Kayden is out of danger or not.  Kaydens' problem with being a cutter is brought to the forefront.  Callie was skeptical about all the scars, but never questioned him before.  The two of them have very dangerous coping mechanisms due to the pain they have carried within themselves for several years.  Winter Break comes, and word of Kayden being able to see people.  Callie, Luke, and Seth get to him, just as his mother is ready to take him out.  They devise a plan to run off to California to Luke's absentee Fathers' beach house to escape all of their problems for the week.  During this time, Callie's mother and brother are giving her a hard time about her abrupt behavior.  There have been so many changes in Callie since she was 12, but no one put it all together to try to figure out the underlining reason behind it all.

While in California, Callie and Kayden start to reconnect, though over and over again, Kayden pulls back, because he knows Callie saw him on the floor in the pool of blood.  He doesn't feel deserving of her or happiness.  He has never been loved by either of his parents, and either have his two brothers, Tyler and Dylan.  Callie and Kaydens' families are both dysfunctional in different ways, and both these young adults are broken human beings who just need to be loved, and shown that they are important to someone.  Doug becomes a sounding board for Kayden, and Callie gains the strength to face her family and her deepest, darkest secret that has almost destroyed her life.

The Redemption of Callie and Kayden was a heartbreaking novel filled with angst, high drama, secrets, true to life violence and torture.  The reader will be taken to a place so deeply disturbing that they will have a hard time recovering from the demeaning, sadistic behavior that a parent can envelope their children in, and actually get away with by having an enabling partner.  This novel will tear at your heartstrings, and crucify the ego.  Their innocence was lost forever, and they carried their battered hearts and souls into every interpersonal relationship in their lives.  They couldn't function, and they didn't know how to give love, and share love.  As adults, parents, teachers, coaches, preachers, (people who teach) need to realize what their words and actions can do to a child, and how it can affect their kids lives, and in turns those kids, kids lives.

I found this book deeply disturbing, but fast paced, and well written.  The only character that wasn't as well-rounded as I would have liked to have seen, was Luke.  I am hoping that the third book in the series will reveal to the readers his disturbing secrets.  I was upset that there was another cliffhanger.  This one was not as good as the cliffhanger in the first segment of the series.  Let's hope the third book gives us the answers us readers crave!  There are so many twists and turns, secrets divulged, antagonists revealed, wake up calls for family members in La La Land, and a big revelation at the end of the book that will keep the readers wanting to come back for more.  Callie and Kayden are resilient, and find strength where they least expect to, in each other's love.  The Redemption of Callie and Kayden will stay with it's readers for a long time to come, and is a must read on your TBR.

I give the Redemption of Callie and Kayden 4.5 Destructive, Devastatingly Haunting, Resilient, Breathtaking Stars!

My Favorite Quotes:

"Her arms circle my waist and she buries her face into my back.  It's the most contact I've had with someone since it happened and I swear my heart practically ruptures and bleeds out into my chest.  I wish I could die right there with her holding onto me, because it would be a very peaceful death.  I wouldn't be alone and empty inside.  She would be there with me and she'd be the last thing I'd ever feel and breathe.  (eARC, Loc. 1540)   Kayden

For as long as I can remember, it's always been about doing what my father wanted, with sports, with rules, with life.  I'd always felt this obligation to go back to that house, no matter what.  I don't know why and maybe I never will.  But I'm hoping this is the first step to cutting the ties with that God damn house that's haunted by nothing but terrible memories and the soulless monster who put them there."  (eARC, Loc. 3217) Kayden

"Snow flurries are falling on the sidewalk and road, ut I run against them, pushing forward, unsure where I'm going.  And that's okay.  Sometimes the best things are the ones that aren't planned, the decisions made while living in the moment."  (eARC, Loc. 3362)  Callie

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About the Author:

I’m the author of the Fallen Star Series, the Darkness Falls Series, the Death Collectors Series, and the New York Times and USA Today Best Seller, The Secret of Ella and Micha, a New Adult Contemporary novel.

I love writing and reading almost anything that is YA. Some of my favorite authors are Cassandra Clare, Sarah Dessen, Becca Fitzpatrick, Abbi Glines, Tammara Webber, Jamie McGuire and Jennifer L. Armentrout. I’m also an avid watcher of TV series The Vampire Diaries and of Modern Family.

I absolutely love music. When I’m writing, 9 out of 10 times I have music blaring in the background. My list of favorite songs could go on and on, since I have a very broad taste in music. But a few of my favorite bands are Chevelle, Rise Against, Alkaline Trio, Brand New, Death Cab for Cutie, Flight 409, Nirvana, and I’m going to stop there or else I’ll keep going on forever.

I don’t really have any favorite movies, but a few that I could watch over and over again are Anywhere but Here, Juno, Pride and Prejudice, The Hangover, and Bad Teacher.

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