5 Star Review: Crew by Tijan

Tuesday 19 March 2019

Crew (Crew #1) by Tijan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book nearly broke me. Literally. 

At first, I had a love/hate relationship with it. I wasn’t sure how or if I would relate to Bren, having experienced her almost childish ways from Channing’s perspective. Then we meet her. I mean, we really meet her. We see what makes her tick, why she carries a knife, why she joined her crew, why her relationship with Channing is so fragile, why she relies on Cross, and why she became the Bren she is today. I cried for her when she couldn’t shed the tears herself. I wanted to fight with her, for the future she lost thanks to her father. And, I wanted to protect her, from herself and those intent on causing her harm.

This book really had it all. Yes, the crew life may not be everyone’s cup of tea, and yes, the whole book is set around Bren and her crew but it is so much more than just violence and scrapping. The story shows how four dysfunctional people became friends and why their loyalty to each other means more than life itself. 

This book is poignant and heartbreaking in the way the story is portrayed. I was frustrated with the characters at times but that just made me more invested in the storyline. I really disagreed with Cross’s decision to put retribution before Bren towards the end of the story, and that point had me almost tearing my hair out but then I realised, these are young people shaped in a way that is different to most. They draw their strength from each other and could quite possibly fall apart without each other.


The boys are A-typical for their age group in the way they sleep around but that just makes them more loveable. That said, Cross and Bren’s connection was the complete opposite with them drawing comfort from each other’s presence way before their entanglement became romantic. The whole romance scene between them was extremely well written, thoughtful and tasteful, which I really appreciated. 

I am sorry that some people didn’t connect with the story or the characters. For me, they are simply diamonds in the rough. Created from a force so great that makes them shine in their own special way.

This was an audiobook read for me and the narrator really did the story a huge justice in the way she portrayed the characters and brought the story to life. Maybe there’s a difference between the ebook and the audiobook, I don’t know. What I do know is that this story, although it started steadily, is one that will last with me for a very long time. I can’t wait to read/listen on in this series. 



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