Review: Criminal by Terra Elan McVoy

Title: Criminal

By: Terra Elan McVoy

My Copy: Ebook from Edelweiss

BookWhisperer Rating:

A searing and gripping read that explores the depths of desperation true love can inspire, from the author of Being Friends with Boys.
Nikki’s life is far from perfect, but at least she has Dee. Her friends tell her that Dee is no good, but Nikki can’t imagine herself without him. He’s hot, he’s dangerous, he has her initials tattooed over his heart, and she loves him more than anything. There’s nothing Nikki wouldn’t do for Dee. Absolutely nothing.
So when Dee pulls Nikki into a crime—a crime that ends in murder—Nikki tells herself that it’s all for true love. Nothing can break them apart. Not the police. Not the arrest that lands Nikki in jail. Not even the investigators who want her to testify against him.
But what if Dee had motives that Nikki knew nothing about? Nikki’s love for Dee is supposed to be unconditional…but even true love has a limit. And Nikki just might have reached hers.

Criminal is a tragic and depressing story about a young girl that must learn the truth of love is blind. From the start Nikki has had a horrible life; with a drug addict mother, and no father she has been sliding by entirely by street smarts. Her one bright light is her friend Bird that has offered her a safe place to stay. Although, not entirely untouched she has falling in love with Dee, a local dead beat that has no interest in helping her overcome her past. Actually, he furthers her decline into hell by making her an accomplice to a murder. This story was utterly depressing and broke my heart from beginning to end. This young girl started so far behind the eight ball that it was almost impossible to see a bright future for her. As everything unfolds her strikes just kept mounting she must learn to use her street smarts to recognize what got her into this situation. This is a story about learning the hard way, and just what happens when you we let out emotions control our lives. In the end it was nice to see a bit of bright light at the end of tunnel, and leaves readers with a confident impression that Nikki will be able to overcome her past and make a brighter future.