Behind the Tears (Behind the Lives #2) - Marita Hansen

              

*****5 Beautiful Mind-blowing Stars*****

Marita did it again!!  I didn't think she would be able to top her book "Behind the Hood" but yet again - she has blown me away.

Her style of writing just top any of the other authors out there when dealing with a YA audience.  Hell, I'm in my 40's and I still am addicted to this series!

She is able to get my heart pounding throughout the whole book while crying, sobbing, grinning, head shaking and the list just goes on and on.....

You would NEVER know that these are Young Adult books with all the "rooting" going on and the adult scenarios these kids are put through.



"Behind the Tears" picks up where "Behind the Hood" left off.  This book brings back all the old stars of the first book except for Trey - he just disappeared off the face of the earth but I think this has to do with how he helped Nike at the end of Book 1.

Everyone else is back but the major players in this book are: Ash, Beth, Dante, Sledge and Corey.

Ash, Beth and Ash's baby's momma
Journey through the heartbreak of Ash when he finds out how Beth really feels and how Ash comes to terms to his feelings with his baby's momma.

Ash
Ash had such a terrible childhood in the hands of his step-father and now that he has escaped from jail, Ash is being flung back to those years remembering the chilling acts he dealt with in the hands of his step-father.

The climax in this story is what happens when Ash's step-father finally gets the chance to see Ash.

Beth and Dante
They have always had feelings for each other and Beth struggles with who she loves more while Dante tries to keep his feelings under wraps because of his loyalty to Ash.



Corey and Sledge
The cat is finally out of the bag and Sledge has to figure out whether he sees Corey as a "mate" or a "lover".  Their scenes are cute and touching at the same time.  Corey knows who he is but needs to get Sledge to realize his own identity.



This is a touching book about coming of age, the coming about of sexual identity and the cumming of each of the characters since there is constant "rooting" going on through this book.

My hats off to Marita again and again and again!!