Glue by D.W. Plato is the story of a woman named Dacia and her life and relationships with men. Interwoven in this plot are love stories and romance. Glue starts off in a big way right off the bat in Dacia’s own words. Dacia is married to a man almost the age of her father and is in a toxic, abusive relationship with him. We learn how Dacia makes up her mind to run away and leave her husband, and her fear and lack of self-worth are glaringly portrayed as she relocates to try to start a new life. However, it’s not smooth sailing, as one would hope, as she gets involved in one relationship after another, always in search of something meaningful. Her story is one of drugs and abuse, but it is also one that offers love and hope. We also see Dacia’s evolution throughout the book as she comes to terms with herself and her life, and grows from a young girl into a wiser woman.

I liked Glue, although this is not really a conventional romance novel. On the contrary, I would suggest this book falls more under the category of a gritty thriller or a coming-of-age book, in a sense. Of course, there’s plenty of romance, love, and relationships throughout, but it is Dacia who is and remains the central and main character. I also liked the first person voice of Dacia in the book as we learn what she is thinking and feeling in her own words. I did wish that more of Dacia’s background had been explored to truly understand why she became who she was, but that’s just me. Overall, this is an interesting book that I enjoyed reading.

Dacia knows her life can’t get better with a husband who particularly doesn’t love her cooking, and who is “verbally abusive, emotionally unavailable, and downright mean.” So, she escapes from her husband to create a better life, but she finds herself caught up in a world she’d never imagined would be hers. She finds herself in bed with many men, friends with benefits. Then she meets Christopher, the charming boy who will do anything to be there for her, but Dacia’s life is quickly spiralling out of control, with drug addiction and men. With her addiction about to plunge her into the depths of misery, Christopher steps in with choices that could change everything. Can Dacia find herself again? Glue by D.W. Plato is pulsating, sizzling, and emotionally intense.

Told in the first person narrative, Glue immediately absorbs the reader into the narrative and forces them to look at things from the point of view of the protagonist. Dacia is well-developed, the kind of character who doesn’t seem to take full responsibility for her failing marriage, and who won’t be able to take full responsibility for her addiction and wanton sexual life as well. What is interesting is how the author explores the theme of addiction, showing how it could make someone so helpless. D.W. Plato writes great romance and the writing resounds with originality, the characters are exceptional, and the prose seductive. This is a book that will delight mature readers, a story with strong plot lines, a powerful conflict, and a realism that will wake readers up. I couldn’t put it down until the very last page.

Glue by DW Plato is a wonderfully written and telling novel about addiction within the mind of a victim of domestic abuse. The main character, Dacia, is young and recently separated from her emotionally manipulative partner. Throughout the novel, you see her slow descent into addiction; she even sees it too. We follow her life, day to day, living with her secrets. Dacia has to find a way to pick herself up after she's spiraled... We see many of her friends, lovers, and the dynamics between them all.

I had the opportunity to listen to the novel as an audiobook. I thought that listening to it was interesting, given the subject material. I think, however, that reading it would have an even more powerful effect. The narrator of the novel, Danni Catanese, was clear and understandable. I did like the sound quality and Danni Catanese's voice quality. Overall, the plot flowed well and made sense in the eyes of someone addicted to cocaine and other substances.

When you are following Dacia, you are peering into her life of secrets, relationships, and struggles. It's very interesting to see how she changes throughout the book and shifts in her environment. Maybe even how the addiction is shifting her, physically, mentally, and spiritually. I recommend this book to anyone who loves reading about mental health, substance abuse, relationships, and friendships. I would say that this book is an adventure!