Review: Wendy Higgins has a way with words!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 04 9, 2013
I wasn't sure what I was going to get from this book. I didn't read any blurbs, just knew it was Wendy and have only heard good things about her writing. So I figured I would dive right in and see what it was all about. So glad I did.Blurb from Goodreads:He was fifteen and she was seventeen.When sophomore Ryan "The Kid" McPhearson makes the Varsity baseball team, he finds himself submersed into the life of upperclassmen, and falling in love with senior Brooke Bennet. To Ryan she's his dream girl, perfect. Maybe to the outside world a two-year age difference doesn't matter, but this is high school. Everything matters.Ryan soon realizes Brooke's life is not so perfect. He becomes her closest friend, her safe place to fall when she needs to escape. Ryan seems to be benched in the friend zone with no chance to bat.Time is both a curse and a blessing. It ushers Brooke away to college, and Ryan into the arms of his first girlfriend. It alters Ryan from a kid to a high school graduate, ready to venture to college himself. But when Ryan sees Brooke again he realizes there are some things even time can't touch.Though much has changed, one question still remains. Will the things that mattered in high school always stand between them?So I'm not much for contemporary reading. I am usually disappointed. So a novella is right up my ally because the time invested is not as much as reading a whole book and possibly being disappointed. But I wasn't disappointed with this. I was actually very pleased. I enjoyed watching the relationship between Ryan and Brooke progress. And, even tho I was pretty sure where the story was going, I still wanted to see how the characters grew and go to that point.Ryan is a great character. Although, I did find him to seem older than his 15 years when the book first started. But he is endearing and so great. I love his emotions and how he was able to show us exactly how he felt. I felt them right along with him. I ached for him to be happy.Brooke was an interesting character as told from Ryan's perspective. I can tell she has a bit of low self esteem, not realizing that she is worthy of the love others want to give her. She's a good person who carries some baggage, but she wouldn't have been interesting if she didn't!Overall, I really enjoyed this story. I was also pleased with the epilogue that Wendy posted on her site. It packaged up the ending really well. And I love reading things from the male POV, since most YA/NA stories tend to come from the female perspective.While this story wasn't unique, I still enjoyed riding it's wave. And I really love Wendy's writing. She has a canny ability to make your heart feel for what is happening to her characters. It's a sweet and adorable story that delves a bit more deeply into issues that many teens may face: love, loss, relationships. The story is relatable and authentic and the characters are developed nicely. A great read for anyone who loves a good contemporary love story.4/5 stars