Review: A bitter sweet journey
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 09 6, 2013
*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*Forever Changed tells the story of not only Kassandra Cole but that of her family too. I was very pleasantly surprised when I started reading this book. It wasn't your typical YA story of boy meets girls and they are torn apart of hide dark secrets from each other. Forever Changed was about coping with an unthinkable tragedy, leaning on family, learning to love and above all learning to trust. It was a story I really enjoyed.Now Tiffany had me crying within the first chapter. It probably doesn't help that I'm a sap but still all the blame goes to Tiffany's writing ;) Kass has just lost her dad. A drunk driver ran him off the road, Kass' little sister Megan was injured but unfortunately her dad didn't make it. Being the young 17 year old that she is, Kass automatically blames herself. Her car was in the garage therefore her dad had to driver her to school. So what if she had her own car or what if they weren't running late? All these what ifs wouldn't bring her dad back and they wouldn't stop Kass blaming herself.Kass now sees herself in a different light, she was the typical teenager, always stuck to her phone and snubbing family time as it was 'uncool'. She was captain of the cheerleading squad and the mean girls were her best friends. It takes the death of her father for Kass to realise how different she really is from her friends and she regrets taking her family for granted. Kass retreats from her social peers with her one friend Colt for support.As I mentioned earlier this was very much Kass' family's story as it was her own. Kass' mum wasn't coping well and her four year old little sister hadn't uttered one word since the day her father died in the car beside her. So not only did Kass have her own grief to deal with but she had a little sister to look after as their mother closed out the world around her. Kass does capture the attention of one person at school the only problem is Maddon's dad is the reason Kassandra's dad is no longer with her. Kass is understandably angry at Maddon's presence but her guard falls when she realises Maddon can't be blamed for his father's actions. And things get even more complicated when Kass realises she may just be falling for the one guy on earth that she shouldn't. Surely this relationship is doomed from the start?Once again I really enjoyed Tiffany's writing. Every character was well defined and likeable. I empathised with the Cole's and their loss was raw and real. Kass was a typical teenager and I could reflect on my own younger years in order to relate to her thoughts and feelings. I was glad Maddon got his own POV chapters as he had a story of his own to tell. He wasn't his father's son and even if he wanted to, he couldn't deny the connection he felt for Kass.Forever Changed was low on angst and I enjoyed that, I loved the relationship between Kass and Maddon and even given their tragic circumstances I was rooting for them from day one. I enjoyed witnessing each character's growth from the beginning of the book to the end. Kass' mum stopped blocking the world out and gave her girls back their one remaining parent. Little Megan came out of her shell and worked through the trauma of what she witnessed and then there was Kass. Kass took a stand and became the person she wanted to be rather than following the 'It' crowd whilst falling for a boy who proved her was more than his last name he shared with his father.If you are looking for a sweet Young Adult story that will tug at your heart strings and restore your faith in family and love then you must read Forever Changed. ~Ava