287

45

Really good, though too long. Could have done the same in about 100 fewer pages I think. ( )

This book was so so so good! I read it in spurts at bedtime for a few nights, and each time my eyes got heavy and I started taking loooong blinks, I dreaded putting it down. When I got to come back to it again the next night, I fell right back into the ebb and flow and the feeling of coming home to beloved friends again. The writing was transportive. It subtly drew me in, and by the 2nd paragraph, I was hooked!! I already needed to know who these people were? Why were they so jaded? What were the big, life defining catalysts for their changes? Will their pain violently pull them into each other's gravitational orbit? Will it be the core reason for their repulsion?

I LOVED these characters!! I hate what they endured, but I helplessly fell head over heels in love with (almost) each and every one of them. Our 2 MCs were perfectly written. Our MMC, Josh, was angsty, hot, and prickly. He had a big forcefield surrounding him with a buzzing sign saying, "Stay back, I bite." He was like a spiky marshmallow... all sharp jagged edges on the outside, and when you break through the pokey bits, there's a sweet, soft yet springily resilient, romantic guy in there. The secondary characters (and even Clay, a tertiary character) were all so beautifully morally gray (as all good characters should be), and relateable and endearing and extremely easy to adore. Drew turned out to be one of my favorites and SUCH a great addition to our two MC's chaotic dynamic.

The slow tease reveal of what the impetus of our FMC's destruction was was drawn out to perfection, and it was later unveiled in the best possible way, imho. This book made me feeeeeel and cry and smile but mostly cry. I cried big ugly, empathetic tears and silent sobs of commiseration for all of my own broken parts and the things that broke me before I found the strength to fight back to where I am now. I didn't want it to end... ever! I wanted to know about these characters and their lives forever. I could have easily subscribed to watching their daily lives unfold like General Hospital airing each day (for decades) for we addicts. I cherished this read so much that I wish I was starting it again for the first time.

Overall:
I want moooooore... so much more... I want to know every detail of these yummily gray, oft times dark and gritty, character's lives!! This book took my emotions and flung them about like a toddler throwing a tantrum but I loved every second of it and desperately want more!

AND that ending!!! I was dreading the arrival of the very last sentence, and when it came, it blew me away! It fit the story's mood/timbre/aesthetic perfectly, and I doubt that I've ever used the word (or a variation of the word) "Perfect " so many times in one review. And I doubt that the word "Perfect" has ever had so many imperfect parts making up its sum total perfect label. Knowing that little factoid, I bet you know where this book ended up... yup, it is lovingly nestled among the rest of my most cherished tales in the ever elusive Favorites pile.

To call what I'm experiencing a Book Hangover is an understatement. I wish the book I was about to open now, before bed, was Sea of Tranquility BUT it's not and for that I'm sad. Even days later, my heart still hurts (in a good way??). I highly recommend this read!

~ Enjoy ( )

Character-driven contemporary fiction with dual narrators about two teens dealing with trauma. Nastya is escaping her past by transferring to a new high school in a small town in Florida. Formerly a talented pianist, a brutal attack has left her unable to play. She is facing the loss of her primary identity as a musician and has wrapped herself in silence. At school she meets Josh, who is living alone after deaths in his family. He tends to keep his distance from others. The two withdrawn characters are attracted to each other. A mutual friend, Drew, also plays a pivotal role in this drama. Although it features teens as protagonists, the dark subject matter (plus sexual promiscuity, underage drinking, drugs, and violence) skews more toward adult than young adult.

I have mixed feelings about this book. On the plus side, I found the three main characters well-developed and complex. I enjoyed seeing teens acting like teens, with their typical sarcasm, banter, and wit. For a book with heavy subject matter, I think the author does a good job of inserting bits of humor here and there, which is both necessary and well done. I felt compassion for Nastya and Josh.

On the minus side, this book has an extremely long build-up phase, and the pacing in general is uneven. The word “glacial” comes to mind, at least for the beginning. The author’s puppet strings were too often visible. It seems like trickery to keep the reader in the dark for so long regarding Nastya’s “big secret” when she’s one of the narrators and she knows what happened. There were too many contrivances, plot devices, and coincidences for my taste. Characters and objects were introduced to serve a plot point and then forgotten. The “romantic interest as savior” theme cannot be ignored, even though the narrative denies it repeatedly. Just saying something doesn’t make it so. Several events toward the end veer toward melodrama and I wish there had been more consequences for violent actions.

Overall, my feelings about this book are ambivalent. Based on the numerous glowing reviews, I expected more. ( )