4 out of 4 stars
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The Girl With Two Names by Gerard O'Neill is a contemporary romance and a suspense thriller. The novel is about a young performer coming to terms with her past and the choices she's made.
Yayoi is a famous Japanese rock star, known as Yaya. After a traumatic catastrophe occurs, she becomes the victim of her own bad choices. She marries an older man, Nori, who is the violent son of a wealthy family. On top of that bad decision, she enters into a poor recording contract with his family's major label.
Nori becomes an increasingly abusive husband, which forces Yayoi to hatch an escape plan. While on a promotional film shoot in New Zealand, she meets Bill. They set out on an adventure to discover themselves, but it soon takes a turn for the worse. Yayoi's husband is determined to find her and bring her home to Japan. Nori uses his connections to track Yayoi and bring tragedy upon the ones helping her. While on the run from Nori, Yayoi and Bill form a bond and kindle a romance.
Gerard O'Neill is an Australia based author best known for his thrillers and science fiction novels. He has published two books and is currently working on the second book in the Erelong Trilogy. His writing is geared towards the young adult crowd.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel. The book was a page-turner that kept me in suspense. The characters were well-developed, especially Yayoi. I became wrapped up in her story and felt real concern for the situations in which she became involved.
The author's writing style was descriptive, yet the story continued to move along without getting bogged down in details. He used true language from the different areas in which the story takes place. At times I was slightly confused if I didn't know the meaning of a word, but most could be deciphered by the context in which they were used. In addition, a glossary was provided at the end of the book. The educational aspect of using different languages was a nice bonus. I like to learn new things and to have something to take away with me when I read. One quote from the end of the book has really stayed with me. Yayoi tells Bill, "We learned ordinary people have the courage and determination inside to start over again. We can reshape our destiny so long as we are united with a single purpose in mind."
I rate this novel 4 out of 4 stars based on the reasons above. I think this book would be enjoyed by adult readers who enjoy romance and suspense novels. I plan on reading Mr. O'Neill's first book in the Erelong Trilogy.
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The Girl With Two Names
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