Review: Dynamic, Crushing, Captivating - Fantastic Characters
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 02 8, 2013
Without question, this is a very dynamic story with a chilling and completely unexpected ending. The book and the last few chapters of it could easily spurn a fiery debate about love, lies, truth and justice. It isn't just a story about growing up and accepting loss; it is about friendships, jealousy, fear, love and the brutal realities of life and how truly unfair it can be. Although I refuse to give away any spoilers, I have to say that I woke up this morning wondering how many people (in real life) are suffering the same fate as Luke just because they made that split second decision to get involved and try to do what was right. It really makes you wonder.I loved how the author wrote Luke. It was incredible to witness how his feelings evolved and how conflicted he was as he tried, in vain, to fight against them. Jesse is an interesting character - so honest and unashamed to ask about the things she doesn't understand and to allow those around her to help her learn. It was one of the things that made Luke a better man - his ability to talk so openly and honestly with her was truly endearing. However, he is far from perfect and proves that over and over again. His baseball career is about to erupt but the question remains - is their relationship strong enough to survive weeks of separation, especially with the jealous streak that is firmly wrapped around Luke?The other characters in this story especially Mikey, Luke's extremely loyal best friend and Deanna, Luke's sister and Jesse's best friend are also well deveolped and pivital to the story. There is so much more to their own relationship as surrogate siblings and friends but neither one is willing to take the first step that would change everything for them.I am throughly invested in all of these characters and the wait for the second book is going to feel long and arduous. This is a very well written story that is truly captivating and constantly evolving. You can't read the first few chapters of this story and say that you've read it all before - some of it will feel familiar but the characters and their relationships are unique enough that it is definitely worth your time. The twist in this story will make your heart race - it is truly frightening that it only takes a speck of time to steal your life and change it forever. Well done!