Review: Wow!!!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 09 4, 2013
Holy smokes was this a tough read. I mean it in a good way. I was completely immersed in the story from page one. Abuse is a difficult topic to cover but what I thought really set The Things We Can't Change apart from other books along the same lines is that both of the main characters are being abused. One by her boyfriend and one by society's judgments.Evangeline is the girl every girl wants to be and every guy wants to be with...she seems to be perfection. She hides the abuse that she suffers at the hands of Tony well so that her image stays intact. She is a mess and rightly so. Tony has long held guilt over her head and has convinced her that she is at fault for her beatings. Evie made me want to weep. I believe her internal struggle with herself is what almost every abused woman must go through. She believes that Tony will kill himself if she leaves him, she knows what he is doing is wrong but she believes in a twisted, perverse way that if she is just "better" - at being a girlfriend, at school, at knowing her place - that he will just be the loving Tony that she fell for when they were younger.Zeke is labeled a "bad boy" in school, at home and by society. He is teetering on a ledge and he is not sure how to get off. Once a brilliant artist, he has given his dreams up so that he can work to pay for his sisters aspiring dance career. He hides in the labels that society has pressed upon him - a screw-up, a menace, a juvenile delinquent. He is none of those things but finds life easier if he accepts his pre-judgment. Zeke is an amazing character and an unlikely hero to Evie.The Things We Can't Change is a beautifully written story. I found myself rooting for Evie and Zeke both to find solace and strength in each other but also separately. I am looking forward to the continuation of the story to discover what more is in store for them.