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TravelersWife4Life (31 KP) rated An Amish Christmas Wedding: Four Stories in Books
Feb 24, 2021
<a href="https://travelingwife4life.wordpress.com/2020/11/21/an-amish-christmas-celebrate-lit/">Travelers Wife 4 Life</a>
This was such a good collection of stories to get me in the Christmas spirit! I had the privilege of reading last Christmas’s book (<a href="https://travelingwife4life.wordpress.com/2019/12/16/amish-christmas-bakery-celebration-lit/">An Amish Christmas Bakery</a>) by this collection of authors (Vanetta Chapman is new though) and truly fell in love with each author’s unique writing style. While not interconnected each story brings hope and warmth into my mind and I hope you will like them too!
<b>Evergreen Love</b> by Amy Clipston – I so enjoyed this story filled with mishaps, love, and second chances. Ryan and Lorene both show growth as characters and a sweet desire to learn from their previous experiences. They were fun to get to know and they showed a great look at forgiveness and the importance of communication!
<b>Holiday of Hope</b> by Kelly Irvin – This story was adorably sweet and heartfelt. I loved Henry’s journey, his special patience with his nephew (especially how he took it all in seamless stride not trying to force things), and his dedication to his first wife and subsequent openness to second chances. Leesa was also a very interesting character whom I rooted for from the beginning. I loved her courage, strength, and willingness to help others; even when it was outside her comfort zone. Overall, I loved the sweet romance in this book and enjoyed Kelly Irvin’s descriptions of deep snow Montana life.
<b>Wreathed in Joy</b> by Kathleen Fuller – I loved this friends to more gone awry story! Definitely one of my favorite sub-genres and Kathleen Fuller nails it. Mary and Jakob are sweet and the best of friends until a sad misunderstanding changes everything. But I enjoyed watching them banter and rekindle their friendship. It was full of sweet moments, memories, and the courage to try again. A great reminder to always give people second chances. Such a sweet story and I loved the ending.
<b>A Christmas Prayer </b> by Vannetta Chapman – Ever had the feeling that life is not going where you planned? Well, Rachel and Micah’s story is definitely one you will like. It was like ‘watching Rachel bloom’ as Micah so eloquently put it. I loved Micah’s caring nature, his use of Cloe (a Beautiful lab
This was such a good collection of stories to get me in the Christmas spirit! I had the privilege of reading last Christmas’s book (<a href="https://travelingwife4life.wordpress.com/2019/12/16/amish-christmas-bakery-celebration-lit/">An Amish Christmas Bakery</a>) by this collection of authors (Vanetta Chapman is new though) and truly fell in love with each author’s unique writing style. While not interconnected each story brings hope and warmth into my mind and I hope you will like them too!
<b>Evergreen Love</b> by Amy Clipston – I so enjoyed this story filled with mishaps, love, and second chances. Ryan and Lorene both show growth as characters and a sweet desire to learn from their previous experiences. They were fun to get to know and they showed a great look at forgiveness and the importance of communication!
<b>Holiday of Hope</b> by Kelly Irvin – This story was adorably sweet and heartfelt. I loved Henry’s journey, his special patience with his nephew (especially how he took it all in seamless stride not trying to force things), and his dedication to his first wife and subsequent openness to second chances. Leesa was also a very interesting character whom I rooted for from the beginning. I loved her courage, strength, and willingness to help others; even when it was outside her comfort zone. Overall, I loved the sweet romance in this book and enjoyed Kelly Irvin’s descriptions of deep snow Montana life.
<b>Wreathed in Joy</b> by Kathleen Fuller – I loved this friends to more gone awry story! Definitely one of my favorite sub-genres and Kathleen Fuller nails it. Mary and Jakob are sweet and the best of friends until a sad misunderstanding changes everything. But I enjoyed watching them banter and rekindle their friendship. It was full of sweet moments, memories, and the courage to try again. A great reminder to always give people second chances. Such a sweet story and I loved the ending.
<b>A Christmas Prayer </b> by Vannetta Chapman – Ever had the feeling that life is not going where you planned? Well, Rachel and Micah’s story is definitely one you will like. It was like ‘watching Rachel bloom’ as Micah so eloquently put it. I loved Micah’s caring nature, his use of Cloe (a Beautiful lab
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Honey Girl in Books
Mar 4, 2021
I loved this book so much I could cry. (I did cry.) Oh Grace, my sweet, emotional girl, and oh this book. This beautiful book. Do not go into HONEY GIRL thinking it is a gimmicky read because of the Vegas marriage premise. It's a real, heart-wrenching book that will rip and tear at your soul. But don't worry, this is a good thing. Because this is a ridiculously romantic and adorable story, as well as a nuanced coming-of-age/finding yourself (hey, it can happen at twenty-eight) story.
"Have you ever gone to bed thinking of someone you only knew for a night? Have you ever stared up at the sky and wondered where it was you saw yourself, all those years ago? Which star it was you followed here?"
Rogers writes with a lyrical beauty. She gives us Grace and Yuki, two sweet, lovely, flawed, real characters whom I adored. As for Grace, I wanted nothing but good for her. I identified so much with an anxious workaholic crippled by the expectations of her parents. ("Being angry at his unattainable expectations is so much easier than accepting that the only ones I have to meet are my own." -- I think I may need to have this bronzed, as it sums up my life.) Grace struggles with the pressures placed on her by her ex-military father, by intense racism that makes it difficult to succeed in a field where she's extremely qualified, and with mental health/anxiety issues. Rogers handles all of these excellently, covering them so well in her story, along with Grace and Yuri's burgeoning relationship. It seems like it should be too much for one book, but everything fits perfectly together.
Honestly, no review of mine can do this book justice. I love the characters of Grace and Yuri and the supporting cast is excellent (and the book is diverse). It's hilarious and funny yet deftly and kindly covers mental health issues. It also takes an insightful look at racism--especially in academia--and how difficult it makes life for Grace. There's romance, friendship, family, and so much more. I loved it all, and I highly highly recommend HONEY GIRL. I cannot wait to read what Morgan Rogers writes next. 4.5+ stars.
"Have you ever gone to bed thinking of someone you only knew for a night? Have you ever stared up at the sky and wondered where it was you saw yourself, all those years ago? Which star it was you followed here?"
Rogers writes with a lyrical beauty. She gives us Grace and Yuki, two sweet, lovely, flawed, real characters whom I adored. As for Grace, I wanted nothing but good for her. I identified so much with an anxious workaholic crippled by the expectations of her parents. ("Being angry at his unattainable expectations is so much easier than accepting that the only ones I have to meet are my own." -- I think I may need to have this bronzed, as it sums up my life.) Grace struggles with the pressures placed on her by her ex-military father, by intense racism that makes it difficult to succeed in a field where she's extremely qualified, and with mental health/anxiety issues. Rogers handles all of these excellently, covering them so well in her story, along with Grace and Yuri's burgeoning relationship. It seems like it should be too much for one book, but everything fits perfectly together.
Honestly, no review of mine can do this book justice. I love the characters of Grace and Yuri and the supporting cast is excellent (and the book is diverse). It's hilarious and funny yet deftly and kindly covers mental health issues. It also takes an insightful look at racism--especially in academia--and how difficult it makes life for Grace. There's romance, friendship, family, and so much more. I loved it all, and I highly highly recommend HONEY GIRL. I cannot wait to read what Morgan Rogers writes next. 4.5+ stars.
Tom Jones recommended Elvis Presley by Elvis Presley in Music (curated)
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Imperfect Women in Books
Sep 17, 2020
An engaging and suspenseful look into the power of secrets
Eleanor, Nancy, and Mary have been best friends since they met at Oxford. But then Nancy is murdered, leaving behind an adoring husband and a daughter. Her life, from the outside, was seemingly perfect. But Eleanor knows that the night Nancy died, she was going to meet her lover, hoping to break it off. And as the investigation into Nancy's death continues, both Eleanor and Mary struggle with their grief, the memories they have of their friend, and what her death means for those left behind.
"Eleanor felt a jolt of terror pass through her as she realized that everything about Nancy's death was worse than any other death anywhere. They would all suffer, and nothing would ever be the same again."
This was a truly fascinating book: it's part character-driven mystery and part insightful look at the role of women in society. It's told from the point of view of the three friends, but not the usual quick back and forth: we get large chunks of the story told from one woman at a time. Truths unfold slowly, as we learn bits and pieces about Eleanor, Nancy, and Mary--from themselves and each other.
The focal point of the story is Nancy's rather gruesome murder, but Hall fills her tale with thoughts and ruminations on women and how they are seen in society--and how they feel they are perceived. In some ways, it felt like a bunch broad generalizations applied to women, yet as I read, I found that most of them really rang true. I was furiously highlighting passages, nodding my head yes!
At times, it was hard to see where this book was going. Murder? Deep thoughts? It certainly straddled the line on both. In terms of Nancy's murder, I had a good chunk figured out early on, but the story certainly kept me engaged, reading and wondering if I was right. All three flawed (imperfect, indeed) women were interesting in their own way, and I liked each woman's section. I found this to be a very well-written book, but it's not a snappy thriller.
If you want a fast whodunit, this isn't for you. But if you want a well-done and thoughtful read, I recommend Hall's latest. It's a suspenseful and insightful look at love, marriage, and friendship. 4 stars.
"Eleanor felt a jolt of terror pass through her as she realized that everything about Nancy's death was worse than any other death anywhere. They would all suffer, and nothing would ever be the same again."
This was a truly fascinating book: it's part character-driven mystery and part insightful look at the role of women in society. It's told from the point of view of the three friends, but not the usual quick back and forth: we get large chunks of the story told from one woman at a time. Truths unfold slowly, as we learn bits and pieces about Eleanor, Nancy, and Mary--from themselves and each other.
The focal point of the story is Nancy's rather gruesome murder, but Hall fills her tale with thoughts and ruminations on women and how they are seen in society--and how they feel they are perceived. In some ways, it felt like a bunch broad generalizations applied to women, yet as I read, I found that most of them really rang true. I was furiously highlighting passages, nodding my head yes!
At times, it was hard to see where this book was going. Murder? Deep thoughts? It certainly straddled the line on both. In terms of Nancy's murder, I had a good chunk figured out early on, but the story certainly kept me engaged, reading and wondering if I was right. All three flawed (imperfect, indeed) women were interesting in their own way, and I liked each woman's section. I found this to be a very well-written book, but it's not a snappy thriller.
If you want a fast whodunit, this isn't for you. But if you want a well-done and thoughtful read, I recommend Hall's latest. It's a suspenseful and insightful look at love, marriage, and friendship. 4 stars.
Leanne Crabtree (480 KP) rated The King's Men (All for the Game, #3) in Books
Jan 11, 2021
4.5 stars
This one picks up a few days after the second book with Neil a battered mess and on his way to the Foxhole Court for training. He has some explaining to do to his team mates about where he disappeared to over Christmas and about the state he's in. Add in the tension that's sparked between Neil and Andrew and the budding friendship between the rest of the group and this is a roller coaster.
Everything was now out in the open and the shit had hit the fan, pitting Neil against his abusive father, and I was honestly waiting for Andrew to come kicking the door down to rescue him. (I'll let you read it to figure out if that actually happened) It was some crazy stuff but God, I was hooked. I'm just glad that nobody I'm come to care about in this series died in this one. Good riddance to the evil ones though.
I haven't been this invested in a series or bunch of characters in a long time. I was literally bouncing in my seat when the final match between the Foxes and the Ravens began, thinking "Come on, guys, you can do it!" and what a ride it was! I actually had to put it on hold while i went to work at 98% and couldn't stop thinking about it on my half hour walk, waiting for when i could finish those last few pages. It was killing me! Luckily I had a little time before I started and binged it and wow! I wish that there had been a separate little epilogue with just Andrew and Neil to see them now that the threat had gone. (I totally understand why people have written fanfic about this series!)
Every single one of the characters grew in one way or another as people, thanks to Neil's urging - okay, maybe not Andrew as such, he's still a little psychotic at times - and I feel like most other people who've read this book that i may have to reread it once a year or so just to relive this amazing series. Yes, it is dark in places but you can't help caring for this team of friends and urging them to come out of the other end after their crappy upbringings.
This one picks up a few days after the second book with Neil a battered mess and on his way to the Foxhole Court for training. He has some explaining to do to his team mates about where he disappeared to over Christmas and about the state he's in. Add in the tension that's sparked between Neil and Andrew and the budding friendship between the rest of the group and this is a roller coaster.
Everything was now out in the open and the shit had hit the fan, pitting Neil against his abusive father, and I was honestly waiting for Andrew to come kicking the door down to rescue him. (I'll let you read it to figure out if that actually happened) It was some crazy stuff but God, I was hooked. I'm just glad that nobody I'm come to care about in this series died in this one. Good riddance to the evil ones though.
I haven't been this invested in a series or bunch of characters in a long time. I was literally bouncing in my seat when the final match between the Foxes and the Ravens began, thinking "Come on, guys, you can do it!" and what a ride it was! I actually had to put it on hold while i went to work at 98% and couldn't stop thinking about it on my half hour walk, waiting for when i could finish those last few pages. It was killing me! Luckily I had a little time before I started and binged it and wow! I wish that there had been a separate little epilogue with just Andrew and Neil to see them now that the threat had gone. (I totally understand why people have written fanfic about this series!)
Every single one of the characters grew in one way or another as people, thanks to Neil's urging - okay, maybe not Andrew as such, he's still a little psychotic at times - and I feel like most other people who've read this book that i may have to reread it once a year or so just to relive this amazing series. Yes, it is dark in places but you can't help caring for this team of friends and urging them to come out of the other end after their crappy upbringings.
Leanne Crabtree (480 KP) rated Hands Down in Books
Jan 15, 2021
Borrowed this from the Kindle Unlimited Library.
This starts with Bianca at work and taking a call from her cousin who asks her to go and get NFO star and his best friend Zac, since they haven't been able to get hold of him to tell him that his Paw-Paw has been admitted to hospital. It's been about ten years since Bianca last saw Zac, her teenage crush, and is reluctant to see him again but because she loves her cousin like a brother, she agrees to go see Zac and let him know what's happened. Before she realises it, Zac is a major part of her life again and the friendship they used to have has come back into full force. Only those pesky feelings she used to have for him haven't completely disappeared.
Mariana Zapata is the Queen of slow burn romances. You only ever see the woman's POV in her books and have to read the body language of the males to figure out what they're thinking and I think she is brilliant at it. Zac's facial expressions in this gave a lot away about how he was feeling but it still took somewhere around the 90% mark for the words to be spoken - the "I love you"s.
Her books are always long - I've pointed out several times I'm not the biggest fan of long books - but most of the time you don't even realise it because you're so engrossed in the story. The same could be said of this one although I did find Bianca a bit annoying at times with her persistent belief that Zac was only hanging around because he felt guilty for losing touch with her when he made sure she was there for everything and always wanted to hang out with her. I did feel like giving her a slap every now and then because it was pretty obvious he cared about you, you donut!
I also love how she writes the characters from her previous books into her latest. We see several of them in this one including characters from From Lukov with Love and The Wall of Winnipeg and Me and even DeMaio House gym plays a vital part in this book.
P.S. I can't help feeling like we've met Enzo somewhere before...?
This starts with Bianca at work and taking a call from her cousin who asks her to go and get NFO star and his best friend Zac, since they haven't been able to get hold of him to tell him that his Paw-Paw has been admitted to hospital. It's been about ten years since Bianca last saw Zac, her teenage crush, and is reluctant to see him again but because she loves her cousin like a brother, she agrees to go see Zac and let him know what's happened. Before she realises it, Zac is a major part of her life again and the friendship they used to have has come back into full force. Only those pesky feelings she used to have for him haven't completely disappeared.
Mariana Zapata is the Queen of slow burn romances. You only ever see the woman's POV in her books and have to read the body language of the males to figure out what they're thinking and I think she is brilliant at it. Zac's facial expressions in this gave a lot away about how he was feeling but it still took somewhere around the 90% mark for the words to be spoken - the "I love you"s.
Her books are always long - I've pointed out several times I'm not the biggest fan of long books - but most of the time you don't even realise it because you're so engrossed in the story. The same could be said of this one although I did find Bianca a bit annoying at times with her persistent belief that Zac was only hanging around because he felt guilty for losing touch with her when he made sure she was there for everything and always wanted to hang out with her. I did feel like giving her a slap every now and then because it was pretty obvious he cared about you, you donut!
I also love how she writes the characters from her previous books into her latest. We see several of them in this one including characters from From Lukov with Love and The Wall of Winnipeg and Me and even DeMaio House gym plays a vital part in this book.
P.S. I can't help feeling like we've met Enzo somewhere before...?
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated Everything, Everything (2017) in Movies
Sep 25, 2019
Eighteen-year-old Maddy's world is small. It's the size of a house.
Maddy has a rare form of SCID, an immuno-deficiency disease that means she can't leave the house because a chance encounter could kill her. The only people she sees are her mother, her nurse Carla, Carla's daughter Rosa and members of an online support group.
When as family move in next door, Maddy is bewitched by the son. He's friendly, he's funny, and he's handsome. Communicating through their bedroom windows, they exchange numbers and start texting. Carla notices the difference in Maddy, and is persuaded to let Olly in the house, but only under her condition that they stay on opposite sides of the room.
Maddy wants to see the ocean more than anything else in the world. She has to see what's out there to truly know she's alive, even if it kills her. But when she buys two plane tickets to Hawaii for herself and Olly, she doesn't realise how much it will change her life.
This one is based on the YA novel Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon... you guessed it, haven't read this one either. I didn't know anything about it when I went to see it, mainly picked this one up because of the fact it was book related.
This was a beautiful film. (Yes, of course I cried) There's friendship, love, heartache. One of the problems was that there were really only two ways this film was going, and writers/movie makers aren't quite a cynical about things as I am when it comes to endings, so there wasn't really much chance that she was going to die for love.
Amandla Stenberg in the lead also wasn't quite my cup of tea. She played the naive side of the character well, but at the beginning when she was narrating... I just didn't find her a very good orator.
The subject matter was very different, and I really think the diversity in YA books has taken a massive step in that respect. It's touching on topics that very rarely see mainstream attention and that's a great thing. It also does one of my favourite things, which is enticing people to pick up books, so this one is a winner all round for me.
Maddy has a rare form of SCID, an immuno-deficiency disease that means she can't leave the house because a chance encounter could kill her. The only people she sees are her mother, her nurse Carla, Carla's daughter Rosa and members of an online support group.
When as family move in next door, Maddy is bewitched by the son. He's friendly, he's funny, and he's handsome. Communicating through their bedroom windows, they exchange numbers and start texting. Carla notices the difference in Maddy, and is persuaded to let Olly in the house, but only under her condition that they stay on opposite sides of the room.
Maddy wants to see the ocean more than anything else in the world. She has to see what's out there to truly know she's alive, even if it kills her. But when she buys two plane tickets to Hawaii for herself and Olly, she doesn't realise how much it will change her life.
This one is based on the YA novel Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon... you guessed it, haven't read this one either. I didn't know anything about it when I went to see it, mainly picked this one up because of the fact it was book related.
This was a beautiful film. (Yes, of course I cried) There's friendship, love, heartache. One of the problems was that there were really only two ways this film was going, and writers/movie makers aren't quite a cynical about things as I am when it comes to endings, so there wasn't really much chance that she was going to die for love.
Amandla Stenberg in the lead also wasn't quite my cup of tea. She played the naive side of the character well, but at the beginning when she was narrating... I just didn't find her a very good orator.
The subject matter was very different, and I really think the diversity in YA books has taken a massive step in that respect. It's touching on topics that very rarely see mainstream attention and that's a great thing. It also does one of my favourite things, which is enticing people to pick up books, so this one is a winner all round for me.
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated The House with a Clock in Its Walls (2018) in Movies
Sep 25, 2019
This isn't a bad film all in all, it certainly fills a more traditional (?) magical gap in recent releases.
The best thing about The House With A Clock In Its Walls is definitely Cate Blanchett, she plays eccentric beautifully in this one and I don't think there were any of her scenes that I wasn't fond of. She bounces well with Jack Black, and their little moments of bickering are amusing and express their playful friendship really well.
Jack Black is very, well, Jack Black in this. He's a good comedic actor, but his roles are always quite similar in ways. That's not a negative thing as such, I like that he's consistent and you know you'll enjoy his performance.
We've been blessed with some great performances from kids in films recently, Shuya Sophia Cai as Meiying in The Meg and Jacob Tremblay as Rory McKenna in The Predator, were both brilliant in their roles and were blessed with some great scenes and lines. Owen Vaccaro in this portrayed the awkward Lewis with conviction and was on point for what the film set out for him, but what he was given was on par with the film as a whole. It was good, but it didn't have any oomph behind it.
The story itself seemed to be jogging along nicely in the background, but I'm always left wondering about the baddie reveals. Would the film have felt better if there was less lead up and more of the spooky bad guy moments? I'm honestly not sure, but he seemed to appear and then disappear in a puff of smoke. I wonder how much screen time he had in total?
I will say this... I don't ever need to see "baby" Jack Black ever again. It was creepy, the graphics were horrendous and it was completely inaccurate to the events that were about to unfold, as was evident with the rest of the town who we see experiencing the same thing.
Based on the book The House With A Clock In It's Walls by John Bellairs.
What should you do?
It's not a bad family film to go and see if you've got a couple of hours to spare.
Movie thing you wish you could take home
Having the magic would be too cliché, I'd like a topiary winged lion please.
The best thing about The House With A Clock In Its Walls is definitely Cate Blanchett, she plays eccentric beautifully in this one and I don't think there were any of her scenes that I wasn't fond of. She bounces well with Jack Black, and their little moments of bickering are amusing and express their playful friendship really well.
Jack Black is very, well, Jack Black in this. He's a good comedic actor, but his roles are always quite similar in ways. That's not a negative thing as such, I like that he's consistent and you know you'll enjoy his performance.
We've been blessed with some great performances from kids in films recently, Shuya Sophia Cai as Meiying in The Meg and Jacob Tremblay as Rory McKenna in The Predator, were both brilliant in their roles and were blessed with some great scenes and lines. Owen Vaccaro in this portrayed the awkward Lewis with conviction and was on point for what the film set out for him, but what he was given was on par with the film as a whole. It was good, but it didn't have any oomph behind it.
The story itself seemed to be jogging along nicely in the background, but I'm always left wondering about the baddie reveals. Would the film have felt better if there was less lead up and more of the spooky bad guy moments? I'm honestly not sure, but he seemed to appear and then disappear in a puff of smoke. I wonder how much screen time he had in total?
I will say this... I don't ever need to see "baby" Jack Black ever again. It was creepy, the graphics were horrendous and it was completely inaccurate to the events that were about to unfold, as was evident with the rest of the town who we see experiencing the same thing.
Based on the book The House With A Clock In It's Walls by John Bellairs.
What should you do?
It's not a bad family film to go and see if you've got a couple of hours to spare.
Movie thing you wish you could take home
Having the magic would be too cliché, I'd like a topiary winged lion please.
Leanne Crabtree (480 KP) rated Miss Me Not in Books
Sep 3, 2019
Note: This has been on my Kindle for years--literally! I've decided every so often when there's not a book I've bought that I'm just dying to read that I'll start reading my backlog of books from the earliest bought. This was #1 - from 2013. I'm not doing bad, I only have one more book from 2013 before I start the ones from 2014. Yay!
*-*-*-*-*
This covers some rather dark topics like suicide and physical abuse. On the first page we learn of a student's suicide and Madison's feelings about it. And then the fact that she has a sort of suicide pact with her only friend. It's quite a punch to the gut that these 17 year olds feel so low due to family situations that they want to end things.
Madison had a very unconventional childhood with parents who took no notice of her at all and in an effort to gain any sort of attention from them she acted out in the past until the unthinkable happened when she was just 13. I understand how stuff like that can warp you when it happens at such a young age.
Then a ray of light appears in the form of Dean--all round good guy. He's been asked to tutor her so she doesn't flunk a class. He's determined to be her friend after watching her for years and seeing her "fade into the background" behaviour. Things progress from friendship into romance over time and we get a rather sweet romance between Dean and Madison. He's very protective of her.
Of course, things don't always go the way you want and someone close to Madison commits suicide throwing her back into the darkness of grief. Luckily, she now has a strong support system in place with Dean and his family and they manage to keep her grounded.
I thought it ended a little abruptly but it was a sweet young adult romance that covered some hard hitting topics.
Another note: Suicide does seem to be a big issue in teenagers around the world and this book does a good job of highlighting it. It doesn't seem fair to me for teens to be that low that they take their own lives. They've barely started living and they ready to die already? That's not right. I've had a few good cries while reading this.
*-*-*-*-*
This covers some rather dark topics like suicide and physical abuse. On the first page we learn of a student's suicide and Madison's feelings about it. And then the fact that she has a sort of suicide pact with her only friend. It's quite a punch to the gut that these 17 year olds feel so low due to family situations that they want to end things.
Madison had a very unconventional childhood with parents who took no notice of her at all and in an effort to gain any sort of attention from them she acted out in the past until the unthinkable happened when she was just 13. I understand how stuff like that can warp you when it happens at such a young age.
Then a ray of light appears in the form of Dean--all round good guy. He's been asked to tutor her so she doesn't flunk a class. He's determined to be her friend after watching her for years and seeing her "fade into the background" behaviour. Things progress from friendship into romance over time and we get a rather sweet romance between Dean and Madison. He's very protective of her.
Of course, things don't always go the way you want and someone close to Madison commits suicide throwing her back into the darkness of grief. Luckily, she now has a strong support system in place with Dean and his family and they manage to keep her grounded.
I thought it ended a little abruptly but it was a sweet young adult romance that covered some hard hitting topics.
Another note: Suicide does seem to be a big issue in teenagers around the world and this book does a good job of highlighting it. It doesn't seem fair to me for teens to be that low that they take their own lives. They've barely started living and they ready to die already? That's not right. I've had a few good cries while reading this.
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