All the Truths We Burn by Monty Jay (Hollow Boy series book 2)

SPOILERS

I’m in the little chapter about the next book in All the Truths We Burn, and I will never forget this book. This has everything a good book should have. Rook Van Dorran’s mom died in a car accident, and his father has always blamed him for it. Because he was doing what all kids at that age do: kicking his mom's seat. Rook’s dad has beaten him ever since, and Rook lets him because he thinks he deserves it. The things his dad has told him since his mom’s death really affected him. He ends up always looking for something to make him suffer when he thinks he has done something wrong. From a young age, he has Alister and him fight because he doesn't think his dad beats him enough for what he feels he did to his mom. At times, that isn’t enough. He also has tattoos, an eyebrow piercing, and a magic cross piercing. I should have seen that last part coming, but I didn’t. He just wants to show Sage Donahue that she isn't any better than the rest of them. “Show her that she isn’t any better than me, than us.” (pg. 130). She is dating Easton Sinclair but doesn't really like him. Their families end up making Easton propose to Sage. She runs away to the graveyard to go find Rook. That is where there love story starts, she tells him things no one knows. Then Easton finds out and makes her break up with him, and he has to believe it. Rose dies, and the Hollow Boys then find out what Frank Donahue did to his daughter, Rose. [“My dad made a choice, and so did I," she breathes. “He wanted to keep me, but I wanted to make sure he didn’t get either of us.” (ch. 40) This quote is from closer to the end of the book, but this is what Sage is talking about. She gets sent to the mental hospital, and her father and her FBI rapist cut her a deal to get out, but she makes them believe she will do it; it's only to help the Hollow Boys kill her dad. At the end of the book, Rook tells his dad if he hits him again, Rook's going to hit him back. I was so proud of him. Rook is famous for putting a match in his mouth all the time and has a motorcycle. If all of this isn't enough to get you to read it, I don’t know what is. This book was a 5/5 stars for me, hands down. This series is meant to get better as it goes; I’m not sure. The next two books are Thatcher and Lyra's story, and they are polar opposites.