Review: The thruth is I loved it!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 12 14, 2013
Let me start by saying that I found this book nearly unputdownable. I loved the flow, the characters, and though the storyline was slightly predictable, there were still a few twists I didn’t see coming.Sophia is such a sad young lady, can barely go a minute without letting her past plague her thoughts. I hate it for her, but of course, there has to be a secret for the readers to want to get to the bottom of, right? She runs away from home, to start a new life in the middle of nowhere, resolving to change her life and her self.“I convinced myself I needed to get away from my parents, believing it’s their cold calculated plans for my future that caused the crippling anxiety that had taken over my life. I convinced myself that anywhere else in the world is where I needed to be.”—SophiaSo she begins her attempt to change by dying her hair, selling her car, working as a bartender in a small place in this town she’s fled to. She meets new people, makes new friends, makes reckless decisions, and even risks hurting her self at the expense of others.“The old Sophia would have apologized profusely, but as part of my effort to be the new Sophia, I have vowed never to say I’m sorry again.”—SophiaHer roommates, Tobie and Tosh, are my favorite dynamic in this book. There was one simple line Tosh delivered, and at exactly the right time, which had me nearly in tears at his sweetness. The beauty of their love seriously radiated through the pages, and they weren’t even the main characters. The way they welcome Sophia into their lives and help her begin the healing process was remarkable, despite that by the end of the book, my heart would end up sufficiently broken.“Even though it frightens me, each of them is giving me back a little piece of my smile.”—SophiaAnd then we have Corbin, who had his own demons, of course. He has closed him self off to women in particular, except for a ‘friends with benefits’ type of relationship he has with a local girl. But that all changes when he meets Sophia. He stops worrying about how to hide his own truths and instead focuses on helping her reveal hers.“I want to know why she looks at everything with wide eyes like she’s never stepped outside of her own head and has no idea that there’s a world beyond her sadness.”—CorbinI loved the slow, tense build up between Corbin and Sophia, and I am dying for more of it. The writing had me antsy throughout the entire story. I love the author’s style, she makes even the smallest thing seems so significant. So dramatic. It’s addicting. My only complaint is that there were some things I felt I didn’t receive answers to, but given the ending, I am hoping there will be more to come. There was no cliff, but it wasn’t wrapped up in a perfect bow either, so rating this book is hard for me. I feel like I need to see where the story goes first, if it branches into other books, before I can decide for sure between four and five stars.  Regardless, the truth of the matter is that this was an intense and emotional read that I highly recommend.Reviewed by Lea for Lives and Breathes Book Blog @[...]