Review: The Autumn Review for Happenstance
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 05 9, 2014
After I read Happenstance, I started thinking about books I have in my library that discuss bullying. I'll admit I don't have a lot. It's an uncomfortable subject for me for some reason. I wasn't bullied and I didn't bully others. I think it's just that it hurts me to think that other people could be so cruel for no reason. But, I found myself consumed by this novella. Erin Easter captured my heart with her resilience and determination. Her story is not only one of coincidence, but of significance.Erin Easter is the girl that's been targeted by her classmates to pick on. From her clothes, hygiene, looks, and intelligence...she gets full blown insults thrown her way. Somehow, Erin manages it in her own way. See...she has a goal. That goal is to get out of Blackwell and not look back. There's nothing that can hold her back from starting fresh someplace else. At least, that's that plan. What she didn't expect was that the school's golden boy would have any interest in her.Weston has always noticed Erin Easter. The problem is that he dates one of the other Erin's. He's watched as Erin Easter was bullied, but never really did anything about it. But, he had enough and started sticking up for Erin. If I hadn't already liked Weston, this stand is what would have sold me. Sure, Weston had an interest in Erin, but I think he could identify with her in a lot of ways too. They both felt trapped, but they both have plans that reached further than the city limits of Blackwell.Then, tragedy strikes and rocks the whole town. Erin Easter is left questioning everything she thought she knew and what she wanted. It'll be interesting to see what happens in the story from this point. A lot could happen and there will certainly be major changes for both Erin and Weston.Jamie McGuire made Erin's story relatable to readers across the board. It carries a strong message of hope, survival, and...love. Don't miss out on your chance to experience HAPPENSTANCE.Quotes:~"You smell like ice cream."My breath caught. "So?""I'm just kind of wondering if you taste like it."-Loc 379~"...I know that I have s***ty timing, because we're both getting ready to move in different directions, but I've gotten really good at loving you from a distance."-Loc 694~"I'm happier than I've been in a long time. They might give us s*** during school, but they can't touch what we've got."-Loc 723