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Release Date: June 26, 2012 Goodreads_Amazon |
"Late in the summer of 2005, starkly independent Jake Thornton was on the verge of turning 16, expecting little more than his driver’s license in the fall, and the continuance of the quiet life shared with his father. So when 14-almost-15 year old Sara moved in next door and began vying for his father’s attention, Jake wasn’t exactly thrilled, and couldn’t quite understand his father’s motives for allowing it. But certainly he never anticipated the dramatic shift their lives would take as a result.
As the summer fades and autumn takes over, friendship between the two teenagers begins blossoming into a bond, until fate steps in once more, threatening to tear them apart as quickly as they’ve come together. The decisions that follow, and the emotive tale that results, opens Jake’s eyes to the simple yet life altering truth, a truth that Sara has understood all along: that love—not the feeling but the action—is the most powerful force in the world."
My Thoughts:
When I first read the summary for this book, I expected a
light coming of age story. While I did get a coming of age story, it was also
much more serious than I had initially anticipated. That did not make it bad,
it was just a bit of a shock for me. While the book has its funny moments, the
overall tone is very somber and serious. These two young teens have to deal
with things that even adults should not have to deal with.
The book focuses on the lives of Jake and Sara. We meet them
at the ages of 15 and 14 respectively. When Sara shows up, initially Jake is
not thrilled to have her living next door. However, she manages to get under
his skin and worm her way into his heart. Sara has had a difficult past, to say
the least, and for some reason she takes to Jake and he helps her move on. They
become extremely close and share a bond that is not easily broken. Now I know
what you are thinking, they are only 15 and 14. Yes they are, and the author
manages to show this bond in an appropriate manner for their age. They simply
come to love each other as friends and over time that love grows.
Jake is very serious for a 15 year old and he is very
independent. He is set in his ways and knows what he wants out of life. On the
other hand, you have Sara who is exuberant and energetic and full of life,
despite her past. The contrast between these characters was one of my favorite
parts. Despite how different they seem, deep down they were exactly what each
other needed and they did not even know it.
I must warn you though; this is not a story to be picked up
lightly. As I have said before there are some very serious circumstances
involved and while the characters may be young, I believe this book is geared
more towards more mature readers. I do not think I would classify it as Young
Adult even though the characters are young. This is not a light and fluffy
read, but it is a good one.
As a whole I enjoyed the story and the plot moved along
nicely, with twists and turns in all the right places. However, I do have one
tiny complaint, and this might just be a “me” thing. At points the dialogue
seemed to be very back and forth without any tags or descriptions in between.
To me, it made the conversations seem very fast paced (and for some
conversations that was okay, especially with Sara) and it was hard to follow
who was saying what after a while. At certain points, I would have to go back
and re-read the dialogue to make sure I got it right in my head. Like I said
though, that might just be a preference thing. I tend to like tags in between
the dialogue.
Great review! I got a copy of this book for review as well and am about to start reading it. Glad you said something about it being a more serious book. I wasn't really sure what to be expecting so I'm glad you gave some details about it!
ReplyDeleteYea, I wasn't sure either, but the synopsis intrigued me so I gave it a shot.
DeleteGreat Review!!!
ReplyDeleteI don't know if I could get into it, I'm in just a huge contemporary romance mood lately!! Ha ha :)
But this book does sound like a nice read!
You are amazing at reviews, by the way!! XD
Magen Corrie
haha why thank ya!
DeleteSounds like fun. Wow! Ernest Hemingway, I have to admit he isn't one of my favs since he is so depressing!
ReplyDelete