Ashes of the Phoenix "The Fade" by Jade Fade Merrick

3/5 stars

An illustrated Slice of Life novel.

Three lives entwine because of a subtle coincidence. A girl on the edge of society, an extremely rich weird kid and one of the most popular pop stars of the planet.

Fade lives a life left on her own, struggling constantly to survive in a society that swallows everyone who doesn’t keep up with its pace; her only company is a kitchen knife and a scar embedded in her leg that reminds her every day of who she is and why she is there. While she’s stealing in a supermarket, she meets Jag, a boy with a disturbing appearance who convinces her to join him in his weird plan: to become the main sponsor of one of the most successful bands of the moment, of which he’s a huge fan, and - apparently - he doesn’t lack the money to do so. She allows herself to be convinced to meet Nef, a typical playboy, who eventually will learn that the world isn’t all at his feet like he thought...

“Apart from this small detail nobody suspects anything”

This fast-paced novel will keep you on your toes but also make you rethink what you would do if all you ever known was violence and survival.

Fade is nothing but extraordinary, from her hair to her attitude she is the embodiment of a rare gipsey who wants nothing more than safety and to remain hidden. I found her character intriguing and passionate about survival and was constantly on edge throughout the entire story.

I liked the dialogue between some characters and the description of the characters looks and emotions as the descriptions were really real and gave the reader an interest into what the characters lives were actually like.

I found Fade and Jag’s relationship forced as it didn’t seem to flow very well with the fact-paced storyline. I wish Fade would have stayed more true to persona as she comes across of an instinct survival character but she ends up following this young boy who she has no idea who he is or where he’s been.

I was also very confused as why the table of contents was place at the very end of the book as well as why some characters were heard of than never spoken of again. It made my mind jump all over the place and I had to really think about who was who from time to time. I wish the author would have stuck with the idea of Fade fighting for survival in the first place as when the story continued, I was very confused as to how all this trust was placed into the hands of people who Fade didn’t know but at the beginning she was very standoff. I found the plot to be all over the place and I really couldn’t find a happy medium.

I would recommend this book to those who love a twisty story and who enjoy some nutty characters living in a messed up world. I rate this book a 3/5.