Review: A different, but exceptional and emotional story
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 12 3, 2013
ARC copy provided by Netgalley for an honest review.......To be honest, I REALLY, REALLY want to give this book a terrible review, but I can't if I'm being honest (with you and myself). The end brought me to tears and even though I could see where this was going, I really hoped for the happy ending I wanted. FYI - I'm also not marking that as a spoiler, because some people may be happy with the ending. I also feel obligated as a reviewer to share that up front.The story is set in Austria in the summer before Julia enters college. She's been silently worshiping a boy at school for 2 years and he doesn't know she exists. Michael is the cool, rich kid that's really an arrogant jerk who takes advantage of people, but Julia is blind to his faults. After graduation, he pays attention to her at their last dance and they end up having sex - her 1st time. After that, he totally ignores her. She's devastated. Julia is the creative, poem-and-song writing, treehugger that gets her inspiration from nature. She even has a favorite tree that she goes to in the forest by her house for peace and solitude.Shortly after the kiss-off from Michael, Julia is running through the forest and sees Michael's lifeless body after an apparent motorcycle accident. Julia calls the ambulance and he wakes up with amnesia, but recognizes her. He's now acting totally different to her. He's professing his love and seems to know things about her that she's never told him. Add into the mix that Julia also has a sexy new neighbor that's really interested in her and has similar tastes, her sister disappearing mysteriously into the forest and experiencing her own nightmare that Michael mysteriously helps to fix.I couldn't help but get drawn in even when I could see where the story was headed. I might request a meeting with the author, LOL, to give her a much more Holly-satisfying alternate ending.