ARC Review of Brutal by K.S. Adkins

I am going to start with this book isn’t for everyone..it’s raw, gritty, emotional and over all brutal.  That being said it is also poignant, selfless, and loving.  Encompassing all of these emotions in one book is not an easy feat but done brilliantly by the author in a way that doesn’t come off contrived or rushed, just real.

Venessa is one of the baddest bitches I have ever had the pleasure to read..she is definitely on my list of top Bad Ass Heroines of  All Time.  She had a great life that in one night was ruthlessly and savagely taken from her.  No warning, no thought just vicious and final.  Years pass and she has taken the law into her own hands.  Not waiting for someone to find the people responsible for her once “normal” life ending..she paved the road of redemption with bodies.  Finding and finishing those involved wasn’t enough and she works to keep the streets of Detroit clean (ish) one dirty rotten bastard at a time.  She hides behind her persona “Kharma” a popular DJ in the middle of the mean streets of Detroit, she could have taken her self out of here but she is determined to make a difference.  Detroit is as much a part of this story as the love between Rogan and Venessa..you can feel the pulse of the city through out the book..

Cops haven’t been able to nail down the vigilante, that gets the bad guy ties them up with enough evidence to nail them for years to come.  This doesn’t sit well with Rogan and he is determined to find out the face behind the player.  His job is his life and all he has..until he walks in and comes face to face with Venessa..Rogan is described as ugly and alone, but to me as a reader he was beautiful and intense.  Great thing about reading you make what you want..

Feeling conflicted between right and wrong, Rogan and Venessa draw lines that seem to be crossed and moved until they all but fade..

The way music and words were brought together to tell this story really spoke to me.  Being someone that lives life through a soundtrack so to speak.  The overall feel of this book is one of redemption and finding the life you were born to live, rising above the ashes and never ever being a victim.