Book Review: The Silent Swan

The Silent Swan by Lex Keating
Grade: DNF (Did Not Finish)
Expected publication date: August 26, 2013
Provided by NetGalley and All Night Reads in exchange for an honest review.
Summary: Once upon a time – better known as “now” - Gabriel Pritz reigns as king of his high school. Easy grades, perfect baseball season, a pretty date for prom—he's coasting into a golden future. Until his parents demand he cook dinner once a week. Caught between kitchen fires and ballpark withdrawal, Gabe is thrown into Tam Swann's orbit. Hostile, friendless, and stubborn, she's exactly the sort of person he'd prefer to avoid.

Tam's sphere of influence expands beyond Gabe's sad domestic skills, rapidly invading everything from his favorite game to parts of his soul he didn't know existed. It's uncomfortable, it's hard work, it's...making him a better man. And that's just what she does to people she doesn't like. The better he gets to know her, the more he has to face the truth: this sharp, heart-breaking outcast is worth fighting for. How many families, fairy tales, and felons will he go through to ride to the rescue of the bravest person he's ever met?

This is going to be different than my usual reviews, solely because it is my first DNF.  I requested this book on NetGalley, based on the cover and the synopsis.  I thought it sounded sort of interesting and like it might turn into a good book.  But then, as I got into the story, I found myself thoroughly confused with each turn of the page (well, electronic flip, since I read this on my Kindle app).  It was hard to keep track of all the different characters.  For a while, I forgot Gabe was the male protagonist and thought the lead was one of his brothers.  Many characters' actions were befuddling, and not in a mysterious way.  They downright didn't make sense.  I felt like many scenes left out dialogue or action that would've helped things make more sense.

I wanted to enjoy this book, I really did.  Tam and Gabe sounded like they would be good characters.  But unfortunately, there's nothing positive I can say about this book, and I generally always find a couple good elements.

Ah, well.  C'est la vie.