Review: Such a beautiful love story!! Cheers to the author!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 11 29, 2013
Book – The Boy From the WoodsAuthor – Jen MinkmanPublication Date – December 1, 2013Type – Stand-Alone (but the end kinda teases us that there may be more)Rating – 5 out of 5 StarsARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.ReviewHoly Poop Batman…..I don’t know what to even write since I’m still on my sobbing downer. This book affected me, I mean REALLY affected me. I don’t remember the last time I read such a beautiful love story between young adults that touched me as much as this story did. I was high and happy in love following right beside Julia and Michael and kept wondering and thinking it can’t continue like this – something has to happen.Let me tell you – this isn’t your “cookie cutter” book – this is different. This is an “outside of the box” kinda of story that will have you guessing the whole time what is really going on? Is this a dream? Is this really going on? You find yourself transported into Austria and seeing Julia and Michael go through the process of falling deeply in love – you feel their love, you feel their pain, you feel their joy….all emotions are pulled into this book.Wow…Ms. Minkman, you know how to really write a story that grabs you. This is the first book I read by this author and she now has a dedicated fan in her club!! I can’t say enough about this book.But, please, please don’t make me cry like this again…it’s embarrassing at work.Julia has been in love with Michael through high school and finally right before graduation, he notices her and gets exactly what he wants from her. After that, he has no interest in pursuing anything more with her – until one day during a severe thunderstorm, Julia sees Michael in her woods right near her “Old Oak Tree”. Michael is sprawled on the ground and it seems he had an accident on his motorbike. Julia immediately tries to keep him awake and calls an ambulance -Michael survives and doesn’t want anything else except for Julia now. Something is odd about Michael, he talks about himself in the third person – he professes his love for Julia – he isn’t the arrogant bastard that Julia and her friends remember. It’s hard at first for Julia to trust anything Michael says but slowly he breaks through her wall. Things are going great but still all along, Julia questions the strange actions from Michael, and then something terrible starts to happen with Michael and all Julia’s fears come back with a vengeance.Will Julia be able to survive having her heart broken after experiencing a love so pure and profound?Wrap-UpI think even the hardest of hearts will find themselves sniffling by the end of this book. This is a definite read and even if YA is not up your alley…..check this book out – you never really even feel that this is a story of high school graduates!This was my original post as soon as I finished the book......OMG.....beautiful love story....tear-jerker.....no....take that back....a freaking sob feast..I'm sitting in my cubby at work and you know when you try to hold it in and you kinda snort - kinda hiccup....yeah that's me.So one of the girls in the office comes over and asks if I'm OK....well doesn't that just start the sobs while I'm stuttering about.....ttttrrrreeeeee - bwah haaaa.....I can't stop!