Paige, a 17 year old high school senior, has lost her Mom and is now going to live with her father who never knew she existed. Kelli takes us on a journey of fear, abandonment and forgiveness. It hits some cliché moments, like every romance that starts with a trauma, but it was natural. You felt every emotion that Paige felt, every fear, every frustration. Cade, who is also a main character, the one that Paige confines in, has his own situations that he is trying to come back from. The biggest difference, is Paige’s Dad is the school principal and Calebs Dad is in prison.
Cade slides off the rock and moves to stand in front of me. The rain has stopped. “Tell me about your mom.” Everything in my body threatens to shut down, as if he just pulled the fire alarm on my soul.
“What was she like?” Unable to look him in the eyes or grasp a cohesive sentence that consists of more than three words, I stare at the dirt and mumble, “She was amazing.” Cade’s tenor is soft when he asks,
“What made her amazing?” “How much time do you have?” Leaning in, he whispers, “As much time as it takes.”
As I read this book, I followed through the emotions as if I was part of the story, I couldn’t fall asleep because I had to know what happens next. And every time it was something new around every corner.
The best thing about this book, is that Paige’s Mom had a plan for her, this book shows the importance of having a plan for your children, it also shows the importance of standing up for yourself and for the one you love. So many people let go of someone they love due to misunderstandings. I know I have, this book shows being yourself, and loving yourself no matter what.
Kelli gives us so many lessons in between these covers. She teaches us empathy, honesty, and love. How no matter what you go through in life, you should ALWAYS be true to yourself and find your happiness. Someone else’s death doesn’t mean you don’t get to be happy.
Tiffany M. Arnold 