Higher

by Lisa Fisher

Twenty-one year old Marnie Poland is used to having everything she wants. Most of the time that consists of getting high to escape her life. After a road trip gone wrong, Marnie wakes up on the side of the road with no money and no memory of the night before. So when a handsome stranger, Nate Ryan, stops to see if she is okay, she begs him for a ride. Little did she know he would become so much more than just a ride home.

When a tragedy causes her to reevaluate her life, she decides she wants to get sober. With the help of Nate, and her best friend Graham, she fights as hard as she can to not slide back into her old habits. But giving up the one thing that has always been there for her will prove to be the hardest thing she has ever done.

And now that a secret threatens everything she has ever known, will Marnie allow herself to reach out to the people who love her? Or will she cope the only way she knows how?




When life gets you down, sometimes all you want is to get HIGHER...

151 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 18, 2013

About the author

I live in the Seattle area with my kids and herd of wild doggies! By day, I'm a professional dog groomer. By night, I write New Adult Contemporary Romance. My second novel Home Again is out now!
"Like" me on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/lisafisherbooks

Reviews

[Leta · Rating 5 out of 5]

I felt this was a good book. With all of life happening with Marnie, maybe she will get the chance to set things straight!

[Joan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am not really sure where to begin with this review. First let me say that I liked the premise and I thought the plot had a lot of potential.

Higher is the story of 21 year-old drug addicted “rich girl”, Marnie Poland. The story is told from her POV and the reader is taken through her struggle with addiction and the issues that contributed to her addiction. The book begins with Marnie waking up in a field after a serious bender. She can’t remember much from the night before and with car or no cell phone service she decides to hitchhike, which is when she meets the gorgeous Nate ~ Uh… kids don’t try this at home because the odds of meeting someone like Nate while hitchhiking are slim to none!!! For me, this was actually the best part of the book. I really liked Marnie and Nate’s interactions/flirting throughout the car ride and Marnie’s inner voice was hilarious. Then you meet Graham ~ her equally hot best friend and fellow “rich kid”. They also had pretty good chemistry in the beginning and their relationship seemed fun and genuine.

Then the story just took a different turn for me. I wanted to really feel Marnie’s struggle with addiction but I found myself being very unsympathetic. I liked her in the beginning but she lost me half way through and I just stopped being interested in her story. Her relationships with Nate and Graham also lost their spark and declarations of “love” came way too fast. I thought the twist in the story was interesting but by the time it was revealed I wasn’t as invested in the characters/story like I wanted to be. There is a cliffhanger at the end so I will be interested to see what direction this next book takes.

I received this e-ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.

[Christina Marie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is awful. And I rarely say that about a book. Marnie is a hardcore junkie who can't learn her lesson. Nate is trying to help her, but he sort of enables her at times. As does Graham. When Nate tells her that he's in love with her, I literally dropped my iPad. It made absolutely NO sense for him to say that to her at that point in the book. There's no basis! No character development has occurred. And Marnie is still frickin' horrible at this point in the plot!

And she was briefly stringing both him AND Graham on at the same time, whether it was intentional or not is beyond the point.

And then the part that turned me off the most (and was TOTALLY predictable) is who Nate's brother is. Saw it coming a mile away.

And the story about her mom, I just can't even deal. It's like one plot bomb after the next. Almost like Marnie needs to have absolutely everything in her world hit rock bottom at the same time.

And then what Marnie doesnt to herself after the conversation with her dad. Totally saw it coming, again.

The fact that she commits suicide (intentional or not) is admitted to the hospital and her dad, feeling guilty about what he did, let's her just run off into the sunset to find her mother (who is NOT dead) is just not realistic for me

I'm just not even entirely convinced that I want to read book two. Nate didn't grab me as a strong character, neither did Marnie.

The fact that Nate & his family are intertwined in this web of deceit that is Marnie's life doesn't rub me the right way either.

Bottom line, I just wasn't grabbed. I wasn't impressed.

[Beverly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading the story is like watching gossip girl, why?because the things they do are the things that you are curious of doing and they show you the consequences so realize that you don't want it anymore, i totally get marnie not because i condone using drugs but she is really fucked up and she doesn't have an ideal support group so why expect her do the right thing and i'm glad nate came into her life, i loved how they met but i hate the whole insta love thing, and the title higher is very fitting, you will think almost everyone is high because of the twist and turn of the story, all in all i loved the story, it's veryrealistic. i will recommend ths book to very mature audience and i can't wait for book 2.



I received an e- arc in exchange of an honest review

[Judy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received an arc in exchange for an honest review...

Marnie is a junkie. She’s also a spoiled rich girl with no aspirations or goals other than getting high again. Nate turns out to be her savior, on more than one occasion.
To sum things up…. girl in distress, a mysterious secret, love, drugs, heart ache… but it just didn’t do it for me. :(
It was a quick read, good enough plot, but didn’t really move me one way or the other. I am feeling indifferent about Marnie. Maybe she needed more personality?

[Argie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to say I really enjoyed this book. The main character is not your traditional junkie and yes she had some weak personality aspects but she's a junkie!! She knows how to manipulate people and feelings. Some mentioned that the relationship progresses rather quick, IMO I've read books that the characters fell madly in love in one date so I have to disagree about that. All in all I'd read the second book and I'd recommend it to friends.

[✨Cassie ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is amazing. It makes you want more and root for Marnie. Can you fight your demons and come out winning? Are pills, you're addiction worth more then you're happiness? With truths unfolding in front of her, can Marnie keep fighting her addiction, or is it just easier to give in?

[Mary Sanchez Cortez · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the book was so emotional for me. I cant wait for the follow up book!!! Keep us informed of the updates