Review: Good Read
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 07 10, 2013
I have to admit that I really don't care for novels that are written in present tense; it's just awkward. This novel, however, tends to flow well, so that the present tense doesn't matter much. Ryan is a great character -- a young man whose life is going nowhere and who seems to be on a path of self-destruction. Liliana is another great character. A young mother, she learned to be wary of men. Alex is another story, though. He supports his loser cousin who isn't welcome anywhere else. That's great and earns him a lot of sympathy. Near the beginning, though, he threatens Ryan and tells him to leave Liliana alone. Later in the novel, at a frat party, he sees Liliana and Ryan kissing and tells them to "go upstairs" [to a bedroom]. Considering that Alex is trying to date Liliana and cares for her, I find his attitude unbelievable. I admire the way the author presents Liliana's son. He's autistic. In a society where only the perfect are acceptable, the author paints a picture of a young mother and a young man whose life has no direction caring for a child who is less than perfect.