WHERE SHE WENT

– Exceeds Expectations

Book Summary: It’s been three years since the devastating accident . . . three years since Mia walked out of Adam’s life forever.

Now living on opposite coasts, Mia is Juilliard’s rising star and Adam is LA tabloid fodder, thanks to his new rock star status and celebrity girlfriend. When Adam gets stuck in New York by himself, chance brings the couple together again, for one last night. As they explore the city that has become Mia’s home, Adam and Mia revisit the past and open their hearts to the future-and each other.

Told from Adam’s point of view in the spare, lyrical prose that defined If I Stay, Where She Went explores the devastation of grief, the promise of new hope, and the flame of rekindled romance.

Book Review Overview:

• It was amazing to read about what Mia and Adam were able to accomplish in the last three years!
• Get the tissues ready – this one is a tear-jerker!

So I basically thought it was too good to be true when just about all of my bookish friends told me that WHERE SHE WENT by Gayle Forman is better than the first book, If I Stay. It was impossible, I thought to myself.

Then I was proved that the impossible is possible.

WHERE SHE WENT by Gayle Forman is all kinds of awesome. I read it in two sittings – I only stopped to cook and eat dinner, which was something I almost forgot to do because this book is so hard to put down.

Fast forward three years later after the accident. Adam is a famous rock star, and it’s been three years since he last saw Mia when she left for Julliard in New York. Despite the fame and money and a celebrity girlfriend, Adam still cannot let go of Mia. Their paths collide in New York when Adam stumbles upon her first concert at Carnegie Hall.

First of all, I loved reading about Mia and Adam three years later. Despite the fact that Adam is pretty much miserable and still heart-broken, I was so proud of what Mia and Adam had accomplished in the last three years. I almost wanted to do a happy dance because they were both able to live their dreams.

I really enjoyed the change of perspective in WHERE SHE WENT, which is told entirely from Adam’s perspective. I feel like male protagonists are so rare in young adult – so it was a refreshing change of pace.

WHERE SHE WENT by Gayle Forman also involved tears and sniffles. I cried a few times while reading when all the emotions and feelings just got too overwhelming. My heart went out to Adam and Mia. They’ve gone through so much. A sign of a talented author, for me, is the ability to make me cry through words on a page.

Gayle Forman is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. I’m basically going to get my hands on every book she publishes. I’m a fan. WHERE SHE WENT by Gayle Forman will not disappoint fans of If I Stay.

About the Author Gayle Forman is an award-winning author and journalist whose articles have appeared in numerous publications, including Seventeen, Cosmopolitan and Elle in the US. She lives in Brooklyn with her family.

Find the Author Website | Twitter | GoodReads

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IF I STAY

– Exceeds Expectations

Book Summary: In a single moment, everything changes. Seventeen-year-old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall riding along the snow-wet Oregon road with her family. Then, in a blink, she finds herself watching as her own damaged body is taken from the wreck…

A sophisticated, layered, and heart-achingly beautiful story about the power of family and friends, the choices we all make, and the ultimate choice Mia commands.

Book Review Overview:

• An absolute tear-jerker
• Protagonist with an awesome relationship with boyfriend and parents
• One of the best books I’ve read so far in 2013

Have your tissues ready because If I Stay by Gayle Forman is one hell of a tear-jerker. Mia’s family was just going out for a drive one morning. Next thing she knows, Mia is watching herself get taken away by an ambulance after a horrific car accident.

I love how point of view is used in If I Stay. Even if Mia is in a coma, she has an out of body experience that sees what is going on around her while she remains in critical condition at the ICU. She cannot interact with anyone, but she can listen to conversations and follow family members and friends around the hospital.

Forman also uses flashbacks quite well. Through flashbacks, we learn more about how Mia and Adam’s relationship developed. We also learned more about Mia’s family. By the time I reached the end of the book, I felt such a strong connection with all of the minor characters that the whole novel became even more heart-wrenching. This is one of the few books in YA in which the protagonist actually has an awesome relationship with her parents. For once, the parents are not absentee or ignorant. Their relationship with Mia just makes this book all the more powerful.

Okay, there is so much buzz in the blogging world about swoon-worthy Adam. And alright, I admit it – he is very swoon-worthy. He’s such a nice guy and he’s such a perfect boyfriend to Mia. What more can a girl want?

If I Stay by Gayle Forman is one of the best books I’ve read this year. I had a hard time putting this book down. Now, I can’t wait to pick up the sequel Where She Went.

About the Author Gayle Forman is an award-winning author and journalist whose articles have appeared in numerous publications, including Seventeen, Cosmopolitan and Elle in the US. She lives in Brooklyn with her family.

Find the Author Website | Twitter | GoodReads

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TWENTY BOY SUMMER

– Acceptable

Book Summary: “Don’t worry, Anna. I’ll tell her, okay? Just let me think about the best way to do it.”
“Okay.”
“Promise me? Promise you won’t say anything?”
“Don’t worry.” I laughed. “It’s our secret, right?”

According to Anna’s best friend, Frankie, twenty days in Zanzibar Bay is the perfect opportunity to have a summer fling, and if they meet one boy every day, there’s a pretty good chance Anna will find her first summer romance. Anna lightheartedly agrees to the game, but there’s something she hasn’t told Frankie–she’s already had her romance, and it was with Frankie’s older brother, Matt, just before his tragic death one year ago.

TWENTY BOY SUMMER explores what it truly means to love someone, what it means to grieve, and ultimately, how to make the most of every beautiful moment life has to offer.

Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler Book Review Overview:

• Refreshing break from the cold New York winter
• I did not approve of the twenty boy contest, but Twenty Boy Summer has awesome kissing scenes
• This book almost made me cry

During the summer, I recommended TWENTY BOY SUMMER by Sarah Ockler to my sister because I’d seen it around the blogosphere. She likes the summer romance young adult novels – ones that I’m not too fond of. But since my dystopian hangover – caused by reading too many dystopian novels, most recently Fuse by Julianna Baggott – I thought it was about time to take a break and read something different. I took a break from the dreary New York weather and vacationed in the California summer with protagonist, Anna in TWENTY BOY SUMMER.

Anna is secretly in love with her best friend’s brother, Matt, who also happened to be her other best friend. When Matt finally kisses her on her 15th birthday, Anna is ecstatic. But just before Anna and Matt can tell his sister about their relationship, Matt dies from a heart defect. One year later, Anna travels with Frankie to Zanzibar Bay, California with her family in hopes to overcome their grief.

My main frustration in TWENTY BOY SUMMER by Sarah Ockler is this twenty boy contest that the book revolves around. I know that Frankie is dealing with the loss of her brother by basically rebelling with booze and boys. But I really don’t like it. I guess I just never saw the appeal of summer romances and excessive flirting. It made me constantly want to roll my eyes.

But I admit, Sarah Ockler has a knack for kissing scenes.

If it weren’t for the fact that TWENTY BOY SUMMER is border-line tear-jerker, then I probably would not have enjoyed this book. When Ockler gets to the more serious parts of the novel, she does not back down. I found myself getting choked up whenever the girls finally confront their grief.

What I wish TWENTY BOY SUMMER focused more on was the  relationship between Aunt Jayne and Anna. Aunt Jayne seems to have a better understanding of Anna than anyone else in the novel. It’s a shame that we only get a short glimpse of how Aunt Jayne sees her. In general, I wish that the parents weren’t as oblivious as they were. While they tried to spend quality time with Frankie and Anna, I feel like they were still always avoiding the topic of Matt.

However, I do think that Ockler made a great point towards the end of the novel that at the end of the day, everyone has to deal with their grief in their own way. Everyone is a little different when it comes to dealing with the grief of losing a loved one.

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DON’T LET ME GO

Summary: Some people spend their whole lives looking for the right partner. Nate Schaper found his in high school. In the eight months since their cautious flirting became a real, honest, tell-the-parents relationship, Nate and Adam have been inseparable. Even when local kids take their homophobia to brutal levels, Nate is undaunted. He and Adam are rock solid. Two parts of a whole. Yin and yang.

But when Adam graduates and takes an Off-Broadway job in New York—at Nate’s insistence—that certainty begins to flicker. Nate starts a blog to vent his frustrations and becomes the center of a school controversy, drawing ire and support in equal amounts. But it is the attention of a new boy who is looking for more than guidance that forces him to confront who and what he really wants.

Book Review Overview:

• Heart-wrenching tale that will make you cry and laugh
• Perfectly flawed characters that are so realistic, so inspiring
• You don’t have to be gay, lesbian, bisexual, or whatever to read this. Whatever your sexuality is, you will relate.

I didn’t believe the hype before I picked up this book. I needed one more book to read in 2011, and Brent urged me to pick up J.H. Trumble’s DON’T LET ME GO. I already knew that Brent was a massive fan of the book, and since I was in the mood for a contemporary novel, I asked Brent to Lend Me his ebook copy of the novel. I read this in less than 24 hours in two sittings. It’s one of those books where I had to force myself to put it down and go to bed.

Trumble is such a talented writer. I loved the alternation between past and present because it gave a lot of insight on how Nate and Adam’s relationship started and progressed. Furthermore, Trumble has that rare ability to make you cry in one paragraph and laugh out loud in the next. I urge you strongly not to read this in public; your reaction may cause other people to give you weird looks.

DON’T LET ME GO is relatable to everyone because the basis of the novel is the relationship between Nate and Adam. It doesn’t matter that the main characters are gay because the characters are so easy to relate to. Trumble puts you in Adam’s shoes and you feel his heart break. Like Nate, as much as I wanted to trust Adam, I just couldn’t do it. A million different scenarios ran in my mind about all the things that Adam could do to hurt Nate while he was in New York City. I didn’t want to think the worst of Adam, but Trumble made it so difficult not to. In addition to Adam, Nate is also so flawed which made him even more realistic. He’s not perfect either, but he works to make himself a better person. Nate has trust issues and he has to learn to accept that people won’t judge him based on his past. Trumble creates such realistic characters and brilliantly captures what it is like to be in a long distant relationship including the insecurities, trust issues, and the reunions.

Furthermore, DON’T LET ME GO reminded me on how lucky I was to live in a liberal area and have attended such a liberal school. It reminded me that there are teens out there who are not so lucky and who do not have the freedom to be who they want to be. Nate is such an inspiring character to read about because despite the fact that he was bullied and abused, it does not stop him from standing up for what he believes in. He’s inspiring not only to the teens in the novel but also to teens reading the novel. Nate made me want to do something to help gay teens who live in more conservative areas.

I’d highly recommend DON’T LET ME GO to those who are fans of David Levithan’s novels and bittersweet contemporaries. I highly urge you to support this fantastic author and buy this book.

Why I’m Biased: I was influenced by two reviews raving DON’T LET ME GO, written by Ecey and Brent!

Other Book Reviews:
Ece Red
The Naughty Book Kitties

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WONDERSTRUCK

Summary: Set fifty years apart, two independent stories—Ben’s told in words and Rose’s in pictures—weave back and forth with mesmerizing symmetry. How they unfold and ultimately intertwine will surprise you, challenge you, and leave you breathless with wonder.

Ever since his mom died, Ben feels lost.
At home with her father, Rose feels alone.

He is searching for someone, but he is not sure who.
She is searching for something, but she is not sure what.

When Ben finds a mysterious clue hidden in his mom’s room,
When a tempting opportunity presents itself to Rose

Both children risk everything to find what’s missing.

With over 460 pages of original drawings and playing with the form he invented in his trailblazing debut novel, The Invention of Hugo Cabret, Brian Selznick once again sails into uncharted territory and takes readers on an awe-inspiring journey. Rich, complex, affecting and beautiful, Wonderstruck is a stunning achievement from a uniquely gifted artist and visionary.

Review Overview:

• Full of beautiful and historically accurate drawings
• Made me cry! The story is incredibly touching.
• Selznick is a genius. Wonderstruck is a masterpiece. Buy this.

Don’t let the page count fool you. Despite being a monstrous book, WONDERSTRUCK is an incredibly fast-paced read that will take you through two unforgettable journeys. WONDERSTRUCK is a beautiful novel told in alternating perspectives: Ben’s is told in print while Rose’s is told in stunning black and white drawings.

I had no idea who Brian Selznick was prior to reading this book. I’ve heard of Hugo Cabret but it’s not something that I would usually pick up. I heard there was a movie in the works, but I hadn’t seen the trailer until months after I picked up this ARC at BEA. My knowledge of the author and his previous work was limited to the reviews printed on the back of the ARC. I flipped through the book and saw the epic amount of pictures inside. A review compared Hugo Cabret to reading a silent film. From the first five pages alone, they couldn’t have been more right.

Selznick is a great writer, but he’s an even better illustrator. The drawings just worked so well for Rose’s story. The illustrations told so much but also so little at the same time. I felt like I read this book so quickly, but if I could go back and read it again, I would pay even more attention to the little details of each drawing. It’s so hard to describe just how visually stimulating this book is unless you actually have the book in your hands. I love all the research that Selznick conducted to make sure that his drawings of all the different places in New York City were as historically accurate as possible. This was a fantastic idea that couldn’t have been executed any better.

I loved the alternating perspectives of Rose and Ben. Though they seem like two completely irrelevant stories, they aren’t I love how they parallel each other throughout the novel. I’m a sucker for novels set in New York City and I thought it was really cool to see the Museum of Natural History earlier in time.

And guys, I cried. WONDERSTRUCK is not a depressing story; it was so touching. The tears literally came out of nowhere. Just the sudden turn of events at the novel’s climax just triggered something in me, and the next thing I knew, I was holding back tears. And I was in public!

This was such a fantastic book and I am so lucky to have picked it up at BEA. I cannot wait to read more of Selznick’s work. He’s a genius.

About the Author Brian Selznick is the author and illustrator of The Invention of Hugo Cabret. He was born in 1966 in New Jersey. He has a sister who is a teacher, a brother who is a brain surgeon, and five nephews and one niece. Selznick studied at The Rhode Island School of Design and after he graduated from college he worked at Eeyore’s Books for Children in New York City.

Find the Author Website | GoodReads

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WANT TO GO PRIVATE?

Summary: Abby and Luke chat online. They’ve never met. But they are going to. Soon.

Abby is starting high school—it should be exciting, so why doesn’t she care? Everyone tells her to “make an effort,” but why can’t she just be herself? Abby quickly feels like she’s losing a grip on her once-happy life. The only thing she cares about anymore is talking to Luke, a guy she met online, who understands. It feels dangerous and yet good to chat with Luke—he is her secret, and she’s his. Then Luke asks her to meet him, and she does. But Luke isn’t who he says he is. When Abby goes missing, everyone is left to put together the pieces. If they don’t, they’ll never see Abby again.

Review Overview:

• Abby’s character will definitely be relatable to younger teens
• Since this is a novel about an Internet predator, be warned: Littman does not sugarcoat anything
• A must-read for young teens who are just starting to be or are already active on the Internet

WANT TO GO PRIVATE? is a thrilling and realistic portrayal of a girl’s experience with an online predator.

Initially, I was put off by Abby’s character. I couldn’t quite relate to her since I had a smoother transition into high school. However, I think there are a lot of young teenagers who will understand what she is going through. Just starting high school, Abby feels lonely. She wants things to remain as they were, but her best friend Faith is quickly being acclimated to her new environment and making new friends. Drifting apart from her friend and family, Abby starts socializing with a man online and quickly befriends him.

Written in first person, Abby’s chat conversations added authenticity to the novel.  However, the chatspeak used in the first part of the book did bother me after a while, but this is a very minor complaint on my part. After all, I would hate to be a hypocrite. I use them too, but maybe not to that excess – anymore, at least!

Since this is young adult, I wondered how far Littman could possibly take it. This is a novel about an Internet pedophile; they do some pretty sick things. As much as I would love to immediately pass this off to my 13 year old cousin to warn her about the dangers of the Internet, it probably would not be the best choice. WANT TO GO PRIVATE? got quite explicit. My jaw dropped. I highly praise Littman for having the audacity to write out the chat transcripts between Abby and Luke. The novel would not be the same without them.

Each part of the novel increased in intensity. Reading the first part of WANT TO GO PRIVATE? was like watching a teen horror flick. You know what’s just about to happen, but no matter how hard you scream at the characters, you know that they are walking straight into trouble. It was just so frustrating to read Abby make so many mistakes, but I knew they were inevitable.

I love how the second part of the novel changed in perspective. The different point of view left me just as clueless as the other character’s as to Abby’s whereabouts. It left me hanging at the edge of my seat. At that point, it was impossible to determine what exactly happened to Abby. I felt helpless as Lily and her parents. It felt like I was reading a crime drama. It’s obvious that Littman did her research very well. WANT TO GO PRIVATE? was very realistic and at the same time managed to completely suck me in.

The ending was probably my favorite part of the book. I ended up discussing this book with my mom because she’s big into crime TV. She said that she always wondered about the after. Littman makes the book about more than just a crime: it’s about Abby – what caused her to start talking to a stranger and how she changes during and after. The story isn’t over until the crime is solved. For the victims, it’s also about what happens when they return back to their lives.

Every teenager needs to read this. Littman warns about the dangers of the Internet without sounding didactic. This can happen to anyone, no matter how many time we think that it could never be us. Littman is a master at capturing serious issues in the lives of teenagers while maintaining a genuine voice.

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THE ETERNAL SEA

Summary: Romance and adventure are just around the corner . . .

After the thrilling journey that led Camille through the dangerous discovery of love, secrets, and a magical stone that grants immortality, Camille has everything she wants. She’s escaped the men who wanted her dead, and now she is ready to build a new life with Oscar, her one true love. But things are not to be so simple. Oscar is acting strangely, and before they can even board a ship from Australia back home, to San Francisco, Camille learns that the journey is not over. If she does not follow the magic of the curse of Umandu, her life and Oscar’s could be in grave danger.

Review Overview:

• Romance, fantasy, historical, and adventure all packed into one novel
• Starts off with a bang
• Delicious romance
• Fantastic sequel that will not disappoint fans of Everlasting

Note: I read an insanely early version of this novel.

This is the last book that I got to read for the lovely editor I worked with at Scholastic before the end of my internship. I also read Everlasting during this internship, which I absolutely adored so I jumped at the chance when my editor offered me to read it. At the time, THE ETERNAL SEA was known to me and Angie as #thebookwithoutaname because it was only known as Everlasting #2 while Angie and the editors tried to come up with a title.

I love Everlasting and THE ETERNAL SEA because it combines so many different genres that I enjoy. THE ETERNAL SEA definitely packs romance, fantasy, historical, and adventure all into one novel. Everything was escalated in the sequel! It had been a while since I read Everlasting, but THE ETERNAL SEA does a great job in catching up where the story left of. It can be read by itself, if one truly wishes, but I think you’ll miss out on the build-up to the foundation of Camille and Oscar’s relationship – an important thing to understand when reading the sequel. THE ETERNAL SEA started out with a bang and kept it going all the way through. The novel is fast-paced and I couldn’t put it down. The magic in this book, in my opinion, is elevated onto a whole new level. It is a lot more complex and we, as readers, learn more about the story behind the stones.

I think the best part of this book is the love triangle that emerges. I am 100% Team Oscar, but the drama between Oscar, Randall, and Camille was just too delicious. Camille definitely gets her share of attention in this book. The frustration jumps right of the page to the point where I want to rip my hair out and scream, “WHY?!” I love the chemistry between Oscar and Camille. It’s definitely one of the top reasons why I love the book.

To me, the book will always be known as Eventide. It was one of the title suggestions that Angie gave her editor, which I absolutely loved. THE ETERNAL SEA won out in the end – which is still a pretty good name. I give THE ETERNAL SEA a rating of four stars. I truly enjoyed the book, but I hated how the ending left me hanging with a bittersweet feeling. (Can’t say more… wouldn’t want spoilers!)

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ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS

Summary: Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris—until she meets Étienne St. Clair: perfect, Parisian (and English and American, which makes for a swoon-worthy accent), and utterly irresistible. The only problem is that he’s taken, and Anna might be, too, if anything comes of her almost-relationship back home.

As winter melts into spring, will a year of romantic near-misses end with the French kiss Anna—and readers—have long awaited?

Review Overview:

• One of the best contemps I have ever read; worth all the hype
• Anna is so easy to relate to
• I fell in love with Etienne St. Clair and you will too

First of all, what’s with all the good books I’m reading lately? To find a five-star book is practically a miracle and to read two in the same week is just impossible! I can’t believe I’m saying it, but ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS, is a book worth its five-star rating – my second one this week and the nth 5-star rating the book has received. There was just so much hype about this book that I thought it was too good to be true. I read a handful of reviews all saying the same thing and I had to see for myself just how fantastic this book was. I was not disappointed.

One of the reasons that I enjoyed this book so much was because Anna was just so easy to relate to. I saw myself in her shoes so many times throughout the book. Despite the fact that she is in high school, her experience of being alone for the first time reflected a bit of my hesitations when I finally moved into my dorm at college. (Minus the language barrier, of course.) I couldn’t help but feel that Anna is just like me while reading.

And don’t let me get started on the romance. Banter, tension, the most romantic city in the world… The romance had a great build-up; it was very well developed which made it realistic. This book has everything I want in a great romance. Etienne St. Clair is definitely one of my favorite fictional male characters. What’s not to love about him? He has a British accent for crying out loud!

Furthermore, ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS has given me an appreciation for Paris. It was never one of my contenders for a study abroad program but that has changed. I want to see for myself the culinary delights as described in the book. Paris sounds like a magical city and I want to visit and learn more about the culture.

Stephanie Perkins is such a great writer. Her writing is fun and addictive. Once you start, you just have to devour the book like a yummy macaroon. ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS will make you laugh, make you cry, and make you want to hop on the next plane to Paris. She’s definitely one of the best new voices in YA and I cannot wait for her next book.

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AFTER EVER AFTER

Summary: Jeffrey isn’t a little boy with cancer anymore. He’s a teen who’s in remission, but life still feels fragile. The after-effects of treatment have left Jeffrey with an inability to be a great student or to walk without limping.
His parents still worry about him. His older brother, Steven, lost it and took off to Africa to be in a drumming circle and “find himself.” Jeffrey has a little soul searching to do, too, which begins with his escalating anger at Steven, an old friend who is keeping something secret, and a girl who is way out of his league but who thinks he’s cute.

I was really hesitant about reading this “sequel” because I thought that Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie was a beautiful book, and sometimes beautiful books should just be left alone. However, since AFTER EVER AFTER is told from Jeffrey’s perspective many years later, I thought I would give it a shot anyways. Jordan Sonnenblick is a brilliant writer (and his editor, a.k.a. my Scholastic mentor is just as brilliant) so I was pretty sure that he could make this work!

What I love most about Sonnnenblick is that he adds humor when tackling difficult and serious subjects such as cancer. Cancer isn’t something you can usually joke about, but Sonnenblick is able to do this through Jeffrey without having the reader feel all awkward about it. Furthermore, Sonnenblick really puts the reader into Jeffrey’s perspective through his strong narrative voice. I was able to experience everything from Jeffrey’s point of view and I truly sympathized with him when he talked about his childhood and his difficulties growing up as a Kid Who Survived Cancer.

For those looking for more of Jeffrey’s older brother, Steven, this book is not for you. Steven’s story is quite over and it’s Jeffrey’s turn to tell his part of the tale. While I did love Steven’s character, it was great to read Jeffrey’s side of things. Steven does make brief appearances in the story but it is very limited.

Get the tissues ready because this book is a definite tear-jerker just like Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie. While I did see the end coming, it did not stop me from tearing up a bit. The only reason that truly stopped me from full out sobbing was the fact that I was reading the book in a very public place. I had to choke back the tears and suck it up.

Overall, AFTER EVER AFTER was a touching, inspiring, and funny book. It will make you laugh, and it will definitely make you cry. Sonnenblick is definitely one of my favorite middle grade authors.

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First there is a Before, and then there is an After. . . .

The lives of three teens—Claire, Jasper, and Peter—are altered forever on September 11, 2001. Claire, a high school junior, has to get to her younger brother in his classroom. Jasper, a college sophomore from Brooklyn, wakes to his parents’ frantic calls from Korea, wondering if he’s okay. Peter, a classmate of Claire’s, has to make his way back to school as everything happens around him.

Here are three teens whose intertwining lives are reshaped by this catastrophic event. As each gets to know the other, their moments become wound around each other’s in a way that leads to new understandings, new friendships, and new levels of awareness for the world around them and the people close by.

David Levithan has written a novel of loss and grief, but also one of hope and redemption as his characters slowly learn to move forward in their lives, despite being changed forever. – GoodReads

Part One hit me like a ton of bricks.While I did not live in Manhattan at the time, I was only fifteen minutes away. A short distance in which many Jersey moms and dads could easily commute to the city. As Claire described the exact moment that the first tower was hit, I felt chills. I felt like I was back in my classroom reliving it all over again. As I read on, I was swept over with so much emotion. I could not read it straight through. I was already tearing up by the second page. I can picture the Manhattan skyline vividly from the descriptions, feel the characters’ fear and astonishment.

The book is a very quick read, falling under 200 pages. It is very short to the point that the plot is almost lacking. This is a minor flaw in my eyes though, because Levithan truly captures what it was like for a teenager in the After. 9/11 is something that you cannot forget, but you keep moving forward anyway.

I give this book a rating of four because it truly describes the tragedy of 9/11 in different perspectives.

Rating:

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