... at the end of the day, everything I do cost me. The only question is how much.
We have Finn...
A nocturnal junkie, scared of needles and scared of the dark. The irony was hilarious.
Lilith...
"I see what I want to see."
And Blaine...
"... his despair arouses her beyond measure."
Don't even ask me how I survived this book. It will forever remain a mystery. I'm still sitting in shock at the events that have unfolded in The Tied Man. Let me tell you, this takes the cake for dark & disturbing reads. It makes everything else I've ever read seem like child's play... something I'd find in the Children's Literature section in Barnes & Nobles right next to Harry Potter.
Lilith is practically forced to go to Albermarle Hall to settle a debt her good-for-nothing father has put her in. As a highly accomplished artist, she's expected to paint a portrait of Lady Albermarle and leave society behind, reluctantly relinquishing all her electronic devices. Stuck on the island for months, Lilith's only end goal is to get the hell out of there as soon as possible. However, a simple proposition changes everything.
Where to even begin? I almost felt guilty for loving this books so much. The actions that take place, the manipulation... it was horrible. And I mean, carry a spare barf bag in my purse just in case something became too much. And yet, I couldn't tear my eyes away. The complex characters, the story... I completely immersed myself in The Tied Man.
Lilith was one of those characters that, in real life, you'd either love her or hate her. She was a bit hard and definitely lacked a serious filter. But as I kept reading, she really grew on me. She's someone that you'd know whatever came out of her mouth was 100% bullshit free. I would even get excited to see what would fall out of her mouth next.
Lilith
My poor, beautiful boy Finn... ♥ How my heart broke for him. You haven't experienced all consuming, soul-crushing pain for a character until you've read this book. You just gravitate towards Finn. He is the true meaning of bent but not broken. I can say with all honestly that I would not have been as strong as him. The things he's experienced... it went beyond cruel. And he still fought back, in his own small ways.
Finn
If you could add up all my adoration, admiration, and respect for Finn and turn it into hatred... that would just scratch the surface of my feelings for Blaine. What a inhuman character. She made me want to just bash my head in. If she would just scream, rage, or just crack her façade for a second, maybe I wouldn't despise her as much as I do now but there wasn't a slip up, not a single thing that could, at least, make me feel good for a second. She was like a cold robot, that no matter what you did, she would take it all in stride and come up with something ten times worse.
In my long and illustrious career I had been fucked by a procession of evil bastards, but none ever quite matched the sublime cruelty of Blaine.
Blaine
Lilith and Finn's relationship was a slow burn and I wouldn't have wanted it any other way. It made things real. Like it wasn't another fuck to them. They had a foundation of friendship and trust and seeing them grow, together and on their own, was beautiful.
"You're the first person in this whole fucking place who's ever asked permission to touch me, you know that?"
In the beginning, the writing took a bit of getting used to. It was British and Tabitha didn't spell everything out for you. I would find things flying completely over my head. Once you get the hang of it, though, it was seamless. I loved it. Nothing was handed to you on a platter and it enhanced the complexity of the story and characters.
I'm not going to lie and say this books if for everybody, because it's not. But if you can stomach it, The Tied Man is a heartbreaking, absolute must read.