Delilah: The Making of Red

Nova #2.5

by Jessica Sorensen

Delilah Peirce: the Invisible Girl. Men crane their necks around Delilah just to catch a glimpse of her bombshell mother. Delilah knows looks of indifference, of friendship -- but never of desire.

Then she meets Dylan Sanderson, the impossibly gorgeous guy who thinks she's beautiful. When he looks at her, she feels needed. When he kisses her, her troubles disappear. And when he tells her he will never hurt her, she believes him . . .

Genres: New Adult, Romance, Novella, Short Stories, Ebooks, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary

86 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 18, 2014

About the author

Jessica Sorensen is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author from the snowy mountains of Wyoming. When she's not writing, she spends her time reading and hanging out with her family.


http://www.jessicasorensen.com
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jessica...

Reviews

[Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars!!!



When I first saw that one of my favorite authors was coming out with a free novella, I was ecstatic. Then I found out it was about one of her characters I hated and I wasn’t quite as excited anymore. But I still read it because, lets face it- I will read anything Jessica Sorensen writes. When I met Delilah in the Nova series, I didn’t care about her. Now I do. I see her in an entirely different light.


When we meet Delilah ‘Red’ in the Nova books, she is cast as Nova’s destructive and very unlikable friend. This novella was about an entirely different girl. This novella was about a 16 year old innocent girl who just wanted to dance, be noticed, be wanted. Dancing is the thing that makes her happy, makes her feel like she could be someone.

The longer the song goes on, the more into it I get. The more overpowering the story becomes. I transform into someone else. Someone alive. Someone noticed. Someone not overlooked.

Delilah is a girl who was looking for love in all the wrong places and found it with someone who started pulling her down into the path of destruction. Dylan was the first man who really saw Delilah. Looked at her like she was special, like she was desirable. She has no idea what she was getting herself into when she started seeing him, but she craved that attention. The feeling of being wanted. And just maybe, being loved.

His touch is what authors write about. What women dream about. And even though I didn’t know it at the time, the moment he took my hand, he owned me, which would seem amazing, except for owning someone and loving someone aren’t the same thing.

Unfortunately, Dylan is not a prince and Delilah's fairy tale does not have a happily ever after...


I can’t believe I am saying this, but I really hope we find out more about Delilah in book 3. This novella ended abruptly and I need to know how her story turns out. Quite honestly, I wouldn’t mind an entire spin off book about her. I love my tragic and destructive heros/heroines and she fits the bill. Even though I’m pretty sure Dylan could never redeem himself, Delilah just might be able to. I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed this novella, and I encourage anyone who has read the Nova series to pick it up!


[Jennifer Kyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jessica Sorensen gives fans of her Nova series this short story for free!



Delilah finds herself on deaths door reflecting on the moments in her life that got her where she is today. This story is a bit of a flashback as we meet a sixteen year old Delilah dreaming of being noticed and loved by a prince.

Delilah is a ballerina, a student and lives with her promiscuous mother. Delilah has never had a boyfriend and is extremely inexperienced until the moment the hot tatted guy fixing his car next door notices her.

”I spent so many years in my mother’s shadow that when a guy finally noticed me, I thought it made me stronger. But really, it only made me weaker.”

A reader experiences the downfall of a young girl looking for love. Sadly, her prince turns into her biggest mistake.

"Why I couldn't just do what I wanted to do, instead of what he wanted to. Why I couldn't see that I wasn't Odette and he wasn't Prince Siegfried. That instead I was Little Red Riding Hood and he was the Big Bad Wolf."

This story shows just where Delilah’s blinded mistakes place her on the path she is on today.

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I’m hoping that Delilah gets her own full book in the very near future. As I have stated in previously reviews, this author excels at writing tormented and broken teen characters.

Please don't let Delilah’s story end on that riverbank!

[Angela · Rating 2 out of 5]

Delilah has never been the kind of girl guys notice. Her mother brings in a different guy everyday, and Delilah desperately wants a guy to see her. So unsurprisingly, when a drop-dead gorgeous guy like Dylan appears and shows interest in Delilah, she falls into his control and soon it's too late to escape...

I haven't read any of the previous books so that affects my thoughts on this because this was supposed to give insight on why Delilah is the b*tch she is (?). But reading this randomly, I didn't really understand it at all.

I tried to understand Delilah's situation, but it's so hard to get over the dumb decisions she made. She falls so easily into Dylan's trap. He's angry, she's sorry. He's sorry, she forgives him.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novella solely focuses on Delilah and her first encounter with Dylan. Her choices, and how those choices shaped her and ultimately destroyed her. This was a quick read, one of those where your kindle says you still have about 50% left and you turn the page only to find it's all over. I am not sure if there is a plan to finish Delilah's story or if it just ends as tragically as it appears, but part of me wants her story to continue.

Not every character can find salvation, and in Dylan's case - not everyone deserves it. I wasn't sure what to expect when I started this. I knew going into it that these two characters were not ones that I particularly enjoyed or even liked. However, I think taking us back to a sixteen year old Delilah placed her in a new light and made me warm to her, I just hope that it isn't too late.

Dylan has been a creepy asshole from the start of this series. Not one redeeming quality to be found, no matter how deep you look. Pure scum. There was this tiny ray of hope when he first meets Delilah that made me wonder where it all went wrong. But what I realized was, that it wasn't something in his character that gave me that hope... it was what a young girl, that was in search of being seen by anyone, saw when he looked at her. It was an illusion, a desire for something more.

This ended up being such a fantastic novella. It changed my entire outlook on a character that I had easily written off in the first book. I don't know if we'll ever see more of her, but I hope we do. Some characters deserve a happily ever after, Delilah is that character.

[Tangerine · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 ★s

So, I go and download this novella (which is free by the way!), click on it and see that it's roughly 100 pages and I'm all excited. Imagine my surprise when it was only 50 pages. I'm not complaining, I was just so into it. I didn't even realize that I had even read 50 pages. I loved getting this tidbit of Delilah. I wasn't even sure that I liked her all that much in the other two books but this gave me a better understanding and my heart went out to her. Dylan was a douchebag in the other two and I was hoping to get a redeeming quality out of him but nope, he's still a douchebag. I'm sure if Jessica wanted to she could write a book on him that may make me change my mind. She has a way of doing that. I don't really want her to since I'm perfectly content with thinking he's a douche...

I really enjoyed this and I wanted more! It wouldn't be a Jessica Sorensen book if it didn't just end abruptly on you. Now I am desperate to know what happens with Delilah. I hope to get closure on that! I have loved this series and this was a great little edition. The Nova series is by far my favorite of Jessica's. It's utterly depressing and if I don't get some happy from it soon I may just lose my mind a little bit. I think this series is, by far, the most connected I've felt to any characters from any book I've read. I am itching for the next one. I think it may be my most anticipated read this year....

[Jacqueline's Reads]

ARE YOU KIDDING ME? I hate Delilah. HATE. She's insane!!!!! Ug, maybe...

DELILAH: The Making of Red

Delilah Peirce: the Invisible Girl. Men crane their necks around Delilah just to catch a glimpse of her bombshell mother. Delilah knows looks of indifference, of friendship-but never of desire.

Then she meets Dylan Sanderson, the impossibly gorgeous guy who thinks she's beautiful. When he looks at her, she feels needed. When he kisses her, her troubles disappear. And when he tells her he will never hurt her, she believes him . .

[Michel Reinhard (Saucy Southern Readers) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delilah: The Making of Red by Jessica Sorensen is a novella in the Breaking Nova series. It is FREE on all the major retail sights.

The Breaking Nova series is a very graphic insight into drug addiction and the destruction of lives. It is not a pretty picture. In fact it is downright frightening. The series focuses on a group of kids that fall into the world of drugs because they are unable to cope with their lives and their damaged self esteem. Each person has their own story and their own personal demons. The one thing all of them have in common is their coping mechanisms. Their loss of hope. This leads these young people on a destructive path. They turn to drugs as a temporary fix for their troubled lives. A temporary fix is just that, temporary. This leads from experimenting with pot to becoming addicted to crack and heroine. The reader watches their lives spiral out of control as the addiction takes over. It is not a pretty story. It is a real eye opener. Through all of this, the reader becomes connected with all the characters in this series. We are hoping they can be saved from themselves. But the dangerous path their lives are on clearly indicates that some may die before they can get help.

Delilah Pierce has always been the invisible girl. Her parents went through a very ugly divorce that completely destroyed her faith in family and her own self esteem. Her father has abandoned her completely. Her mother is absorbed in her own personal life. She brings a different man home every night, leaves Delilah alone to fend for herself.

When a bad boy pays attention to her, Delilah is enraptured. She craves the attention more than she craves her own self respect. She will do anything for this boy. She will abandon her hopes, dreams, and morals. She will embrace this destructive path just to feel needed and loved.

As she lies in a ditch dying, she reflects on how her life lead to this moment. It will bring tears to your eyes and break your heart.

As I said in earlier reviews for this series, I highly recommend this book for teenagers because it reveals an honest insight in the world of drug abuse. Now, I am going to say I highly recommend this series to adults and parents. It will open your eyes to how our children may perceive our actions and the lives we have made for them. This book will make you want to hug your children and let them know that no matter what...you love them unconditionally. It will make you want to be a better parent so they will never embrace the life these young people have fell into.

I commend Jessica Sorensen for writing this series. She has taken an ugly subject matter and delivered an honest view. She has delivered an eye opening awareness.

I am hoping that Delilah survives, but she may not. I am hoping these kids will get their lives together and find peace. Like I said earlier, this destructive path they are on indicates some will die. Read this book...it is FREE!

[Fanny · Rating 4 out of 5]

La lectura se me paso en un suspiro!!
El libro sin ser necesario, a mi modo de ver nos ayuda a comprender un poco mas a Delilah, un personaje que a primera de cambio no nos puede simpatizar demasiado.
Nos muestra como las deciciones erroneas de una niña inocente la arrastran a un mundo cruel del que sera dificil salir.
Es una lectura rapida ( el libro solo tiene 7 capitulos ), me provoco tantas emociones, mientras lees no puedes evitar desear poder salvar a Delilah de la vida que sabes que va a tener junto a Dyllan.
El libro nos muestra un primer amor diferente al que estamos acostumbradas a leer, este no tiene un final feliz, ni tampoco es puro y hermoso, sino desgarrador y triste.

4 Estrellas!!

[Ashleigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

really enjoyed it and hope she gets a full book I want to hear the rest of her story!

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was over before it got going.

Way too short, but gives a little insight into getting to know Delilah and how she meets Dylan.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm discovering lately that my favorite kinds of characters, are those who are mostly unlikable because they seem the most real to me in a lot of ways that hold my interest. Delilah: The Making of Red is an incredibly, eye-opening, intense look at who Delilah was and how she became the broken and tormented person she is in the story. You could somewhat argue that she never really stood a chance in life, because of the way her mother raised her, her absentee father, and Dylan. It isn't any secret that I didn't particularly find any qualities that I liked about her while reading Breaking Nova and Saving Quinton, but I didn't dislike her either because I accepted that she was a product of her circumstances. I'm not saying that she's not responsible for her actions or that they don't have consequences, what I am saying is that what she endured between her mother's neglect and Dylan's abuse, is what sent her spiraling hard and as fast as she did.

Delilah's story, was an ugly, complicated, mess of a story and it was hard for me to read it and stomach all of the abuse that she took from Dylan and the way that he was able to stamp out any self-worth or confidence that she could possibly have in herself. She's dark, prickly, and pretty much every bit the bitch that life and her circumstances have made her. There is something inside of her that is very broken, so broken that as she's fading in and out of consciousness you can't help but feel for her. It makes you want to reach out and save her, as she comes to the realization that she should have made better choices. My heart ached for her, I wanted to pull her up from the darkness and save her myself. I wanted to tell her that she could still be better, that she was worthy of love and being loved without being abused and without having to abuse drugs to reach the state of numbness to lock out the pain of her own tragedies.

This story left me reeling and it left me in constant state of confusion, deep sadness, and crazy conflicted emotions flailing all over the place. I don't know about you or how you deal with all of the feels that a book can give you, but for me it sort of sends me spiraling a bit. I didn't go to a dark place, I went somewhere else. I went where I just wanted to see nothing, but goodness and hope and light for Delilah and yet I knew, that before I finished reading it wouldn't end up the way I wanted and that's okay with me because it left me with the thought of something Joss Whedon always said when it came to his fans and what they wanted. "I need to give the fans what they need, not necessarily what they want." That's a very true statement and one that's relatively accurate a good portion of the time. I can't help, but think that's what Jessica Sorensen was doing with Delilah and her story that she had to tell. That even if you wanted something good to come out of it, it was always going to be headed in the opposite direction instead.

I love Nova to a fault, but goodness this girl. I just want to shake her a little bit sometimes and say, "enough with the guilt okay!" You can't save everyone all of the time and especially at the risk of your own mental health. It's just not an accurate depiction of what life is like most the time, because it is hard, it is real, and it complicated in a lot of messy fucked up ways beyond your wildest imagination. I think Jessica Sorensen gets that full on and she's unafraid to tackle the realities of that part of life, the gritty, dark, and spiraling out of control aspect as brilliantly as she does and with such intensity and emotion that it will leave you breathless and reeling a greater portion of the time. You just get her books and these stories, they are very real and they are hard, but so necessarily. It can not always be a happily-ever-after, it can not always be positive, but even in the darkest of places and the coldest realities of weakness and suffering a light (just a glimmer, a flicker maybe) still remains and that's enough because her writing makes it enough.

I am amazed and surprised, I'm not almost always that.

[Nancy The book junkie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to admit that Delilah is not a character i really loved in the previous books. Personnally i think that if you made your own bed you have to lie in it at some point. She's not a bad person but at the same time she's not really good either. Nova tried several time to help her and she always turner her down. That book actually gave me a glimpse of who she was before she met Dylan aka the asshole. I was surprised at how sweet and vulnerable she was at 16 and it now makes me sad to see what she became because of him. I hope she find some sort of redemption in the next books but i honestly have a bad feeling so i'll have to wait and see. Jessica Sorensen managed once again to beautifully portrait the realness of the human nature.

[Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know what I am. This short has definitely got me wanting more of Delilah, I mean I knew tis was a short BUT when I looked at the page count on my kindle I got excited because it didn't seem that way and the.... BAM the end with a huge preview of Breaking Nova at the end and some other books. I've gotta add that the writing as usually with this author is great and the story will get you for sure!

*SPOILERS BEYOND THIS POINT*

I need to know what happened to her, like how did she get on the riverbank, I she lived or not no where the heck is Dylan. Maybe we will see more of these two in future books?!

[❤️Melanie G.📖💛 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting read. It was short but powerful.

[Naiu Herondale · Rating 5 out of 5]

que puedo decir?

no puedo dejar de leer algo de Jessica, aun sabiendo lo triste que son :(

[Lelee Dow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow this really changed my perspective of Delilah I feel so bad for her. I feel like I was finally understanding what she was going through but then it ended lol I need more.

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

To be honest, it almost slipped my mind who Delilah Pierce was in the Nova series. For one, she isn’t really a nice person so there wasn’t anything that made me want to read more about her character here. But boy was I wrong!

Upon starting DELILAH: THE MAKING OF RED, I discovered a whole other side to the bitchy redhead Nova must deal with whenever she wants to see Quinton. Right off the bat, Sorensen’s storytelling lures you in until you’re absolutely hooked. Not many authors can make you hate a character in one book and within 50 pages, completely make you change your mind about them.

I found that I adored Delilah at the end of this short story and am dying to know more about what really happened to her.

Delilah comes off as more innocent and the victim in this short story. Sorensen puts her in a situation where a teenager is most vulnerable. Delilah’s mother is the whore of the town, sleeping with many men who are younger than her. It causes Delilah to have a distorted image of her mother, whom she loves but doesn’t quite understand yet at her young age. In her confusion, she finds refuge in Dylan Sanderson, the first guy to see her as beautiful. Perhaps almost as beautiful as her mother.

Though their relationship is far from perfect, there are glimpses of the sweet and charming that Sorensen is just so good at. I went from absolutely loving Dylan’s character to feeling conflicted at the end. That is a testament to Sorensen’s writing ability. She doesn’t allow for an easy ride through. When you pick up a Jessica Sorensen book, be prepared for some heartbreak as well.

I never thought I would say this, but I really want more books for Delilah. After reading this short story, I know there’s more to her character that needs to be let out and explored.

[Crista · Rating 4 out of 5]

This short story packs an amazing amount of depth and sadness into a few pages.

Most readers of this series will agree that Delilah is not their favorite character. She first showed up in Breaking Nova as the troubled, rowdy, and heavily addicted friend of Nova's. She introduces Nova to a world of drugs and men. Delilah's relationship with Dylan was so disturbing in Breaking Nova that I had very little desire to read more about it.

I'm glad I did.

This book will rip your heart to shreds as both Delilah and Dylan's pasts are brought to light. It made me sad, it made me mad, and it was frustrating to watch Delilah make bad decisions, but I understood why she makes the choices.

This book is NOT A ROMANCE, and to be honest, this series is not a romance series. This is a tough and real look at characters with so much internal pain and the lengths they go to in order to numb that pain. It's a "no hold barred" look at addiction and it's harmful repercussions.

Recommended.

[Kirsty · Rating 3 out of 5]

This short story gives us an insight into a younger Delilah and how she ended up with a scumbag like Dylan. All Delilah's issues seem to stem from insecurity and issue with her parents' divorce and their behavior after especially her mother sleeping around.
Dylan seemed OK at first but as soon as it got to the first time they had sex, i was instantly reminded of how much I hate Dylan! He took advantage of a young insecure girl when he knew she wasn't ready. Then he goes and punches her in the face when she knocks on his friggin door!
Like his ass wouldn't have been kicked to the curb as soon as he raised his fist.
I really disliked Delilah in the first two books but after this one, I want to read more. It's like two different people.
What happens to Delilah though? Does she die?There doesn't seem to be another book for her??I need to know!!

[Jody · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delilah: The Making of Red is FREE and is a short novella. When reading Saving Quinton I didn't really like Delilah but with her own book I really like her. I hope we get more of Delilah's story and to find out what happens next with Dylan and why she's dying. I love the mentioning of Landon too! It made me think back to Breaking Nova and Saving Quinton! Love those books so much! I love the way this short story is written as Jessica manages to draw me in all the time with every single book.

[IC · Rating 4 out of 5]

Going into this story, I still liked Delilah but she obviously wasn't the best of friends to Nova.

But her book is not about her relationship with Nova, no it's about her when she was 16 years old and how her relationship with her mother who slept around with all of these younger men after her father left them and her first time meeting Dylan and how he changed her life for the worst.

I don't like that it ended on a little bit of a cliff hanger. I want to know what Delilah's fate will be. Maybe in the future books.

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wasn't sure if I was going to read this one, but it was so short, I decided to see what the hell happened to Delilah. Well, while I did get some insight as to how her slow downward spiral started, I'm still not sure how it ends, but I am glad I read it. And I'm actually hoping Ms. Sorensen will continue her story (if there is one to continue)....ugh! Her books just suck you right in ALL THE TIME!!!

[Shelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to admit I have never been a fan of Delilah so I wasn't sure how I would like this book. IT is an eye opener for how Delilah became what she became and no matter what one thinks of her she never deserved the things that were done to her.
This is a really short read on who Delilah is and what has happened to her. By the end, I felt like I finally understood her more and would love to know more about her.

[Ilene · Rating 1 out of 5]

It could have been good but it wasn't.

It starts off that she is dying, I guess. She reflects back but we kind of in a nutshell know of her mommy issues.

All we learn is how she met Dylan and how that whole nightmare started.

Over 50% was chapters from all of her other works. It was free so I shouldn't complain but here I am...

[Yael · Rating 5 out of 5]

I freaking knew it! Now I feel bad for the bitch, dammit.

I kind of wish it was longer, barely 100 pages in IBooks. So amazingly well written, it sucked me in from the very beginning. A must read!
Classic Rock bands references FTW :D

[CynthiaElle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Delilah.. I wished better for you.

[Kjean Lara · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 "Te perdono" STARS!!!!!

"Es curioso cómo, cuando miro hacia atrás en mi vida, puedo ver todos los errores que cometí y cuan cegada me encontraba por querer ser notada. Pasé tantos años a la sombra de mi madre que cuando por fin se fijó en mí, pensé que me hacía más fuerte. Pero en realidad, sólo me hizo más débil".


Este libro debió tener más páginas. De hecho me agradó más que los otros donde Nova es la protagonista.

La historia de Deliah nos dice muy poco de ella, tanto que no entiendo porque la aurora sacó un libro corto sino tenía la intención de darnos un final para ella en este libro.

Aunque me gustó el personaje de Dylan (no me malinterpreten, Dylan es odioso). A lo que me refiero es quedé totalmente intrigada de este personaje y ahora entiendo porque es así.

La triste cruda realidad de las consecuencias de vivir en una familia de abuso. Muchos terminan como Dylan y eso me da un poco de tristeza porque ahora después de verlo aquí en este libro tan corto, lo entiendo y la romántica chica que hay en mí quiere que sea salvado.

No sé si en los otros libros se vea algo más de Deliah y Dylan. Tal vez la aurora sólo quería darnos un pequeño relato de la vida de Deliah y Dylan para que pudiéramos entender el por qué ahora eran como son.

Si ese es el caso tal vez cambie mi opinión. Espero que Dylan no tenga un final desagradable. Ya saben soy de esas que les gusta que los chicos rotos sean rescatados y tengan un final feliz.

[Heidi · Rating 1 out of 5]

Terrible. First of all, This was a story about Delilah which was so pointless to read being that it was ridiculously short and didn’t even tell her true story but rather how events made her who she was. Secondly I wanted to buy this book but sadly it just came in a three story novel along with Tristens story which I haven’t read yet and another story from a completely different series. I tried to rate the actual book on good reads but only the stories themselves were on here. All I can say is why did you bother writing this?! This book was a disaster. The least you can do is honour the characters the way they deserve to be honoured. If not then dont slap together three short stories one of which wasn’t even a part of the series. Delilah’s story didn’t even give insight to what lead to her death. Just that it was Dylan that did it and abused her. Waist of time reading.

[Alicia Aguilar · Rating 1 out of 5]

Realmente me decepciona el libro, se entiende nada mas que un iceberg de los errores que cometio en la relacion con Dylan a partir de su falta de afecto e inocencia por la edad, pero es un poco desorientador cuando en el primer libro de Nova está habia estado lejos 1 año y despues puff nuevamente como si nada vuelve con Dylan y ahi cae en lo profundo.
Y que decir de la madre, no se entiende nada entre que supuestamente esta enferma, que la busca y que veia a uchos hombres y no hay ningun aporte relevante de ella a la historia.

Sinceramente me decepciono, si su intencion era que comprendieramos al personaje y la vida que termino llevando hasta su muerte, hubira sido mucho mejor un libro aparte, en vez, del quinto de un personaje fuera de los principales que conocimos en Nova #1.

[Denise · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

Going into this novella, I wasn't sure how I felt about Delilah. In the first two books in the Nova series, she wasn't a great friend to Nova and was on the fast track to disaster. This short (and I mean SHORT) story shows us how Delilah met Dylan and how her downfall started. I felt bad for her and her home life. I'm a bit nervous to start the third book in the series due to some of the thoughts in Delilah's head. I hope we see her life turnaround in the next book.