Author: M. Robinson
Genre: Romance, Mature, Coming of Age
Rating: 5 Stars
Our first kiss was our beginning and in some ways our end.
I just know that after M. Robinson finished this novel, she smirked at her manuscript, smoked a cigar and thought, "let me give my readers hell". And hell she brought. The most wonderful kind of hell. Complicate Me was simply a stunning literary work. It was authentic, captivating and heartwarming while still being brutally tragic and raw. Complicate Me encapsulates the beauty, pain and happiness of life.
She would tell me later in life that nothing calmed her more than my arms around her, and if I had known that then, I would have held her every time she looked at me with sadness or disappointment. And maybe it could have helped heal the wounds that I cut along the way.
In this little town of Oak Island, the story of Alex and Lucas begins. Now I know what you are all thinking; another romance story, sigh, what is new? And I am here to say that Complicate Me is refreshingly new, original and kick ass. Alex and Lucas have been best friends, soulmates, and each others salvation since birth. Complicate Me begins at the end and goes through the chain of the events that lead to a heartbrokenly powerful moment. Most importantly, Complicate Me felt like an out of body experience as I vividly lived through someone else's story. It taught me to live.
“You’re a good girl, Alexandra. That’s what makes you my Half-Pint. You’re the calm to my storm. It’s always been that way,” he paused to let his words sink in. “You’re my refuge.”
Being best friends, one would assume things would come easy for Alex and Lucas. It becomes blatantly clear that this is not the case. Alex is born a few years after Lucas and her three other best friends, Jacob, Austin and Dylan, and because of that she has always been seen as "the baby". As they all begin to grow up, Alex struggles to break out of their image of her. Mostly, she struggles to show Lucas that she is conscious and mature enough to see the impenetrable bond between themselves. Lucas struggles with accepting that Alex will not always be his brown-eyed girl.
I was slapped in the face with my own hurricane. The winds turned against me and I didn’t even fight it. I let it take hold. I deserved it all.
There are so many turns and obstacles that both Alex and Lucas have to face. What sets this novel apart from others is its theme. Not only are we in the search for love but also comfort with being ourselves. Ultimately, it is a coming of age story, trying to find your place in the world and accepting everything that you are. Every character in this novel is constantly evolving and growing through their life experiences. M. Robinson shows both the happy and the dark moments, creating a constant rollercoaster ride of emotions. I was on the edge of my seat through out this reading experience (I still am from the ending...on to book 2).
I loved picking on her as much as the other boys did. I believed it was in my blood to do it. My dad picked on my mom relentlessly, and my grandfather did the same with my grandmother. It was a Ryder trait. If we didn’t pick on our girls, then we didn’t love them enough. My dad constantly reminded my mom that the day he stopped picking on her would be the day he stopped loving her.
M. Robinson creates a great romance novel and ultimately a great life novel. The characters were all so dynamic, witty, intuitive and just plain fun. There were moments where I wanted to become part of their family; they are literally SQUAD GOALS! The plot is simple yet complex at the same time, having a lot of substance and depth to it. Ultimately, I just loved, LOVED, Complicate ME. I would honestly not change one thing.
“One day I’m going to fall in love and he’s going to love me fearlessly. He’s going to protect me and fight for me. He won’t care about what anyone thinks, because he’s not a dummy like you are. We’re going to be happy because all you need is love."
There is something about love stories that bloom from childhood that always tugs at my heart. I think it is the truest form of love; it is a time where we are too young to be dishonest with ourselves, where society's expectations haven't hammered down on us, and we are unabashedly free. Complicate Me, at its core, is liberating. I loved and hated reading it.
I love every single thing about you. I love you because I need you. I love you because there is no me without you. I love you because I can’t stop loving you, and I would be lying if I said I had tried.
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