Cam Girl Paperback – 3 Nov. 2015

If you like dark, twisty, sexy fiction then you need to put Elliot Wake's books on your TBR list. This book is hard to categorise; at times it is a romance, at times a suspenseful thriller and at times just a beautifully written story of trying to come to terms with disability, identity and sexual orientation.Vada is an artist, but when she gets into a car accident with her best friend Ellis, she damages her drawing arm and ends up losing everything she loves. At rock bottom, she takes a job as a cam girl and strikes up a relationship with a mysterious man, Blue, who wants him all to herself.At times this book had me literally catching my breath; there are so many secrets and reveals. I absolutely devoured this book, wanting to know the truth about everything. The writing is beautiful and vivid, and every time I finish one of Wake's books, I'm left wanting more of his work.

~~I received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads ~~I found this to be a really good read - although it did take me a while to get into it. If you start to flag, have faith that it is going to be worth it - and really, it absolutely is. It is one of those books with lots of different levels of engagement, and when sometimes one level seems too much, another will draw you along until you return to the first one again. I sort of felt I knew what was happening a lot of the time, and often was pretty much on track, but then there would be a mini twist ... It is by turns shocking, romantic, sexy, slightly sleazy, loving, painful, funny, uplifting and sad.What I am trying to say is that you should read this book, and persist to the end, even if you have moments of doubt - because possibly that is exactly what this is about ... doubt, confusion, indecision and uncertainty ... and yet a desire to carry on and to experience and understand ... and to at the least try and live.My compliments Ms Raeder, your work will stick in my mind for a very long time - and probably be reread to get even more of the nuance sometime in the future.~~Wicked Reads Review team~~

First off let me just state that I was in no way ready to feel what i felt after reading this book. I fell in love with Leah's words straight away, just like Id done with the previous books, and found myself so caught up in the storyline that I was scared to put my kindle down and miss a second of uncovering the truth. But I have to be honest. As much as I loved this story- and I doubt that I could feel anything but love for one of Reader's books- it was the acknowledgements that truly opened my eyes and brought the tears. I'm so thankful that Leah shared that piece with us and is actively bringing awareness to social issues that don't get much coverage at all. Waiting for a reader story is like waiting for a breath of fresh air!

I'm not sure where to start with this review because there are so many angles to approach from in reviewing this book; the even more than expected style of writing from the author, it's complex subject matter and characters and the overall message it delivers. This is a YA story, maturely delivered that deals with the matter of sexuality and gender labelling at the core of the story, for me I think this is a book that should be read to really understand the issues faced by those that those struggling to find their identity and label. It is loosely connected with Black Iris in that certain characters crossover into this book, but it doesn't have to be read to understand Cam Girl.I loved the character of Vada and I loved that with a character that is an artist that Leah was able to add to her already colourful way with words and loved the artists notes to certain scenes in the story. Vada is a complex character with a multitude of issues, her heritage, her overbearing mother, her refusal to accept her sexuality, her need to please her family, her refusal to let anyone get close, she is a difficult character to connect to but for me her story resonates so much.We meet Vada and her best friend Ellis in the midst of car crash during which Vada is seriously injured threatening her passion for painting and any future as an artist. So we watch as Vada slips deep into a spiral of depression during which she pushes those she loves away both intentionally and unintentionally. In the midst of her depression and as she is on the verge of losing everything Vada encounters a couple that offer her the opportunity to escape her life. It was difficult to read through the low points for Vada and it really made for intense reading.And so Vada embarks on a career as a Cam Girl, the scenes while sometimes difficult to read gave a good objective view of what being a cam girl is like and that the lifestyle can sometimes be cathartic and empowering for the girls. As she settles into her life as a cam girl her past and the many questions surrounding the car crash that altered her life are a constant reminder of what she has left behind until her past catches up with her. Vada finally begins to face up to the many issues in her life but it seems that things begin to get more complicated as she tries to find the answer she needs to move on, but it seems Vada has as many answers already that she just needs to finally acknowledge. But will Vada finally stop running from the issues in her life and accept herself as she is?I loved this book and I found it quite emotional reading at times and was left quite awe struck by the story as a whole.

Couldn t read it as the style was rubbish