Review- Streamline by Jennifer Lane

Goodreads Summary:

Seems like Leo Scott has it all: looks, brains, and athletic talent. He's captain of his high school swim team with a bright future in college and beyond. But Leo has secrets. His mother's crippling car accident has devastated his family and left Leo to deal with his father's abuse, battered and alone. 

Leo's girlfriend Audrey Rose is poised for her own share of success. As one of Florida's top high school swimmers, Audrey dreams of college swimming stardom. But there's an obstacle to her glorious rise to the top. Her number-one supporter--her father--is in prison for murder. 

Part murder mystery, part tale of young love in a military family, this gripping story takes readers on a journey from Pensacola to Annapolis. Leo and Audrey must band together to rise above the adversity they encounter and find their true selves in the process. When everything's on the line . . . streamline.

REVIEW:

*NOTE: We (The Readdicts) received a copy of Streamline from author Jennifer Lane in exchange for an honest review. We thank Jennifer for the book! 

When author Jennifer Lane contacted us about reviewing her YA novel, Streamline, I was immediately hooked and I was looking forward to reading the book. The author then gently warned us that most of the reviewers said Streamline is very intense. I now know that Jennifer Lane wasn't kidding. 
Streamline is a very very intense book. It has so much of depth to it, that I think it falls more under Mature YA. The book has romance, mystery, thrill, crime, sports, drugs, abuse... It has everything. And it is unabated, profound and truly overwhelming. 

I really really liked this book so much. It made me feel so many things at once and I couldn't help but experience numerous emotions for all of the characters. 

The plot of Streamline predominantly revolves around three families, all of whom have a military background. The Scotts (Mary and James and their sons Jason and Leo), the Roses (JoAnne and Denny and their daughter Audrey) and the Walshes (Patti and William and their daughter Cameron) are the three families whose lives are intricately, delicately, wrongly and tempestuously entwined in a circle of lies, suspects, murder, blood and love. 
The main protagonists, Leo Scott and Audrey Rose were really great. Their bond was strong and their romance added a light-hearted and clean touch to an otherwise heavy and tensed atmosphere. Audrey's calm and sweetness was a perfect match to Leo's anger and tension. She added a warm and soothing touch to Leo's life. 

Getting into the story will be a lengthy task, because it is complicated and utterly heavy and I am afraid if I get into the plot, I won't be able to go without giving away some major spoilers.

I felt so much for Leo. He was a brilliant swimmer, intelligent student, caring friend, loving boyfriend and a very very admirable son. I could easily sympathize with him. Leo is faced with so much pressure from his father to perform well, that he is a challenge lover. His father abuses him terribly and those scenes were the most blood-and-guts moments in the book. I am in complete awe of Leo, the decisions he makes and the way he handles everything that is thrown his way. He is such a sweet, sometimes silly and sacrificing boy that it is hard to not like him.  

There were times when, while reading, I actually took a pause to gather my thoughts before going back to reading. It was that deep. Leo's family is messed up big time. His mother was good enough, but it was his older brother, Jason who really stood out. Jason was a great guy and I loved reading about his relationships with his family and all the other important people in his life, especially Cameron. It was amazing to know about his life alongside Leo's story. 

All of the other characters and their roles in Streamline are just as important, well developed and well portrayed as our main boy, Leo. Even describing each of the characters will be a daunting task because there are so many of them and each one is unique in their own way, but what mattered was,  in the end, they all got what they deserved.  

Author Jennifer Lane has written an intense and deep book that makes you want to think about the complexities and complications of life. The author's writing is neat and precise. The multiple POVs were never confusing and everything was clearly explained in detail. Streamline is an excellent novel and it truly deserves a lot more praise than what I have given it. 

I'm not sure if I can use words like beautiful, wonderful and amazing to describe this rather fierce book, but I can definitely say that it is a strong, severe and terrific novel. It was the first of it's kind novel that I have read and I loved it. 

I am so happy I read Streamline even though I was scared of it's length (around 450 pages), but honestly, once you get into the story, you are pulled right in and 200, 300, 400 or 500 pages... It doesn't matter as long as the strength and depth of the story manage to keep you wanting for more. 

I absolutely liked Streamline and I highly recommend it. 

RATING:

Sarika