4 out of 5 stars!
What a fine way to end a trilogy. I was absolutely blown away by Absolution by Laurens.
Anyone who looks through my shelves, or even just glances at my profile can see I absolutely love angel books. Something about a celestial being that has always been portrayed as Divine and Righteous, falling for a human, is just so... magical and beautiful to me. And written like Laurens graced us with, I could say the trilogy goes down as one of my favorites.
Zoe's secret is revealed left and right in this book. To the most unsuspecting figures. Her brother, Luke, Her boyfriend, Weston (who coincidentally used to be her ex-best friend's boyfriend) knows her secret and claims he can't live without Zoe. Her parents know, hesitant at first, but soon wrap their minds around the idea.
And while Laurens doesn't spend much time on forming a bond between Matthais and Zoe's parents like I would have hoped for, she does make an effort to make a connection between Luke and Matthais, and while it wasn't as deep as I would have liked, it was something.
And the relationship between Weston and Zoe is... strange, at first, because I had a deep hatred for Weston after the party. Who wouldn't? How dare he attempt to hurt Zoe!
While Zoe is getting used to the idea of Weston in her life, over Matthais, she also has to deal with Albert, an unlikely figure reeking havoc on Zoe and every aspect of her life- he influences Zoe's parents to fight about the smallest things, and influences Luke into using again. The only weapon at Zoe's disposal is her little sister, Abria, who is autistic, and therefore considered an Innocent in the eyes of the Light.
Throw all of this in the mix with Britt, Zoe's best friend, who wants nothing more than to get back with Weston, who wants nothing to do with her. Chase, Zoe's editor-in-chief friend who wants Zoe. And Krissy, who wants Weston, at first, has a fling with Chase, then ultimately sinks her claws into Luke, after he falls for her while she is living a fearful situation.
Zoe and Matthais have heartfelt conversations. Really, they ripped my heart out, at times.
Ultimately, Absolution was a mix of tears and rage. There were many times I had to sit the book down, and walk away because of the frustration of not being able to read it fast enough. It was a beautiful and fitting end, and I wouldn't have it any other way. I'm glad Laurens ended it the way she did.
This is a series that I will be pulling from my shelves, repeatedly, for many years to come.