Review: Poignant and Surprising
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 05 9, 2014
I have a confession: I was a popular girl in school. Very, very popular (but nice, I promise). Despite the popularity, though, I wasn't especially happy, and I don't look at those years as the glory days. My point in all this is: when I read YA, I don't tend to find myself identifying with the popular girls, but the girls on the outside. Characters such as Erin Easter.With Erin Easter, Jamie McGuire created a poignant, heart-wrenching portrayal of loneliness andbravery in the face of unrelenting bullying. I was amazed by her strong spirit. She is a girl who's onlyhoping to keep her head down, to survive long enough to get out. I wish I could push Happenstance in the hands of those who face bullying and neglect on a daily basis. To show them that they are not alone, and they are worthy of love, respect and kindness.Weston. He's that boy you see in a lot of YA books and movies: popular, but nice. Weston's girlfriend is one of the Erins, and yes, that's such a bummer but not unexpected. It's easy to quickly see that Weston is better than he's allowing himself to be. I wanted Weston to stand up for Erin, to take a stand. To be Erin's hero. Knowing how difficult that is, I wasn't surprised by the time it took, but endeared by his courage. To stand up to everyone you know takes guts, and that is another aspect I loved about Happenstance, having the courage to stand up and do what's right.The thing is, Erin doesn't need a hero. She only wants out. Maybe through Erin, Weston can find the strength to be the person he wants to be. Maybe they can save each other...But then. Then Happenstance takes a huge turn. The synopsis mentions a tragedy, and yes, that tragedy definitely shakes up Erin and Weston's world. But that's not all! There were a couple of small, passing hints that more was in store for Erin Easter. When the twist plays out, everything changes, spinning Erin's life completely around, and setting us up for a very interesting series indeed. I cannot wait to see how the Erin's story plays out. You can bet I will be there every step of the way.