Cassandra Crull

A young woman is haunted by her first love and forced to relive her traumatic past, by author Cassandra Crull

Sixteen-year-old Kat moves from Michigan to a small town in the Rockies, following the tragic death of her brother, Robert. As her mother struggles with her own grief, and her dad is largely absent, Kat is left alone and with no parental guidance to deal with her own struggles and her grief. As she tries to settle into a new home, new school, and new life, she battles with depression and begins to self-medicate with alcohol and drugs. When Kat meets Dave at a party, she feels an instant connection and the pair soon become intimate. Dave is safe and sensible, and for the first time in a long time, Kat feels loved, happy and secure. But the pain inside is too deep, and Kat soon feels trapped and suffocated by Dave’s attempts to protect her. Kat seeks comfort with other men, who exploit and abuse her. Her life spirals dangerously out of control and Kat loses the one man who genuinely cared for her.

Twenty years later, Kat has turned her life around. She loves her job as a social worker and is happily married to Carl with two young children, Zoe, and Willow. One evening, Dave suddenly appears in her family home. Dazed and confused by the sudden appearance of her first love, Kat is compelled to confront the demons that have haunted her for twenty years. As Kat reconnects with Dave, the couple embark on a courageous journey back to Colorado, where Kat is forced to relive her traumatic past as she helps Dave find closure and his way home to his beloved family.

Tied to You, by Cassandra Crull, is a dark, haunting novel for young adult readers about a young woman who is stricken by grief and consumed by depression following the death of her brother. This is a heart-breaking story of a young woman’s fight for survival in harsh and cruel world, as she is largely abandoned by her parents, and exploited by those around her. At the heart of the novel, is a beautiful love story between two young people; love that endures time, betrayal, and heartache.

Star rating: 5 Stars

Summary: A dark, haunting novel for young adult readers about love and loss.