Review: A new all time favorite for me; way more than a simple love story; comprehensive, about a man's life, and so gorgeous
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 07 3, 2014
When I read the blurb, I expected a short, sappy, run-of-the-mill story of childhood friends being reunited, having an affair, the MC running off in fear, then quickly realizing his mistake and coming back. But oh no, not this story. Oh my god. This was vast, emotional, comprehensive...so much more than a simple love story. This was a story of growing up, of lost dreams and long separations, of tragic mistakes and hidden facts, of the loss of the infallibility we attribute to our parents, and of learning what is truly important, what has been missing in life. This was an absolutely gorgeous, gut-wrenching story that I was not expecting in the least. It twisted up my guts and pulled me apart, and while reading I honestly didn't know in which direction this story was going to go.Some might not like this story because of the multiple sex partners Jason has throughout (though not at once) or the miscommunications or various other particular reasons, but if you look beyond those small points, you see the raw realism and brilliance of this story. Life and love never go smoothly. Often you have unrequited love for fifteen years, people disappearing from your childhood with little or no explanation, complicated love lives, and no perfect way to say anything. And often you find out that your parents told lies and were so very different from the superheros you imagined they were."'One thing he was very good at was feeling guilty. He spent his remaining years making it up to you, which is something else entirely. Because guilt and the urge to be rid of it is inherently a selfish act, while loving someone is quite the opposite.'"That this book manages to take so many different threads of plot and twist them together satisfyingly and realistically is nothing short of amazing. This takes a character, and fills out his whole life. All the pivotal experiences that made Jason who he is are explained, creating an amazing character. Jason had to explore his childhood over fifteen years prior, had to confront his past conceptions, had to challenge and change the numb way he'd been going through life, and he had to become a better person to get what he wants for the future."I remembered the look on Henry's face as we'd held those cubs. It was the same look he'd given me during that almost-kiss in front of his fire while we were kneeling by Pat's bed. Like kissing me would be a rare, once-in-a-lifetime experience. Maybe he'd suspected even then I would run off."This is such a multi-layered story, and it was so thorough and beautiful. It took me a little while to get into it and see that it was way different from what I've read before, but once I did, I loved every second. Even when I was cringing at Jason's choices, I still loved him, knew he had more journey to traverse, and was so happy to be there with him. I stayed up late reading this because I could simply not put it down.The writing was flawless (and all in perfect grammar for once, thank you Indra Vaughn!), descriptive, and immersive; it put me right in the middle of the scenes, gave me shivers from the snow and a sense of peace from the beaches buffered with rolling waves.I don't even know what more to say beyond read it. It is utterly fantastic in a melancholy and painfully beautiful kind of way, and is definitely one of my all time favorites. I hope I can find more like this; this sets a new standard for me.