Dual Review: In Her Wake – K. A. Tucker

Before you knew him as Trent in Ten Tiny Breaths, he was Cole Reynolds—and he had it all. Until one night when he makes a fatal, wrong decision…and loses everything.

When a drunken night out at a Michigan State college party results in the death of six people, Cole must come to terms with his part in the tragedy. Normally, he’d be able to lean on his best friends—the ones who have been in his life since he could barely walk. Only, they’re gone. Worse, there’s the shattered body of a sixteen-year-old girl lying somewhere in a hospital bed, her entire life ripped from her because of a case of beer and a set of keys.

Everyone assures him that they know it wasn’t intentional, and yet he can’t ignore the weight of their gazes, the whispers behind his back. Nor can he shake the all-consuming guilt he feels every time he thinks of that girl who won’t so much as allow him near her hospital room to apologize. As the months go by and the shame and loneliness festers, Cole begins to lose his grip on what once was important—college, his girlfriend, his future. His life. It’s not until Cole hits rock-bottom that he can begin to see another way out of his personal hell: forgiveness.

And there’s only one person who can give that to him…

Series: Ten Tiny Breaths 0.5
Release Date: September 1st 2014
Publisher: Atria Books
Source: NetGalley
Reviewer: Shannon
Rating:

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Shannon’s Thoughts

4.5 Cocktails

As sad as Kacey and Trent’s story was in TEN TINY BREATHES, I’ve just discovered that we truly didn’t understand everything that Trent went through because of the accident.  But KA Tucker has just given us a novella that is absolutely heartbreaking and gives us the backstory of why Trent ended up in Miami next door to Kacey and Livie.

Cole/Trent carries a lot of guilt.  The death of six people, two of whom were his best friends, can’t not change someone or overshadow them with guilt.  Cole may not have suffered the physical damage that Kacey did, but emotionally he was just as broken.  He left behind his last year of college, his girlfriend and really, his family, all while drowning in guilt over his inability to not drink when he was supposed to be the DD that night and the fact that he didn’t realize his best friend was too drunk to get behind the wheel.  And despite many people trying to help Cole, it took him drunkenly almost killing himself to finally understand he needed help.

I want to thank KA Tucker for giving us this glimpse into Trent’s backstory.  I knew it had to be horrific for him as well, but to see how he spiraled and dug his way out, then making it a priority to help Kacey, showed what kind of a man he is and how perfect he is for Kacey.

Candace’s Thoughts

In her Wake is a novella that explains Trent/Cole’s backstory from Ten Tiny Breaths.  Ten Tiny Breaths is my favorite KA Tucker book.  It left me with a pretty good book hangover and I actually thought about it days after reading.  I wanted Cole/Trent’s backstory.  You get small pieces of it in Ten Tiny Breaths but not enough to answer all of your questions.  In Her Wake is heartbreaking to read.  I can’t imagine how a person learns to deal with all the death and sadness from one car accident.  Trent/Cole loses his two best friends but also completely destroys a stranger’s life by taking her parents, boyfriend and best friend.  He can’t get through his own days but he finds strength in searching out Kacey and making sure she is alright.

I destroyed her life and then got caught in the wake. And I realize now that it’s exactly where I’m meant to be.

This one line summarizes perfectly what Trent/Cole does in the aftermath of the accident and how he copes.  Hearing his thoughts was hard and painful.  KA Tucker didn’t shy away from how ugly and real this situation was for all involved.  It was brutally honest writing and at times, I didn’t like Trent/Cole’s choices but I am not one to judge shoes I have never walked in.  This book does not leave you with a happy feeling at the end but if you read Ten Tiny Breaths, you aren’t surprised.  It was a story that needed to be told.  It finishes the story of Kacey and Trent and makes you thoroughly understand both characters even more.