Author: Lauren Myracle
Publisher: Amulet Books
Release Date: August 20, 2013
Pages: 336, Hardcover
Source: ARC obtained at BEA
Source: ARC obtained at BEA
For as long as she can remember, Wren Gray’s goal has been to please her parents. But as high school graduation nears, so does an uncomfortable realization: Pleasing her parents once overlapped with pleasing herself, but now . . . not so much. Wren needs to honor her own desires, but how can she if she doesn’t even know what they are?
Charlie Parker, on the other hand, is painfully aware of his heart’s desire. A gentle boy with a troubled past, Charlie has loved Wren since the day he first saw her. But a girl like Wren would never fall for a guy like Charlie—at least not the sort of guy Charlie believes himself to be.
And yet certain things are written in the stars. And in the summer after high school, Wren and Charlie’s souls will collide. But souls are complicated, as are the bodies that house them . . .
Sexy, romantic, and oh-so-true to life, this is an unforgettable look at first love from one of young adult fiction’s greatest writers.
Charlie Parker, on the other hand, is painfully aware of his heart’s desire. A gentle boy with a troubled past, Charlie has loved Wren since the day he first saw her. But a girl like Wren would never fall for a guy like Charlie—at least not the sort of guy Charlie believes himself to be.
And yet certain things are written in the stars. And in the summer after high school, Wren and Charlie’s souls will collide. But souls are complicated, as are the bodies that house them . . .
Sexy, romantic, and oh-so-true to life, this is an unforgettable look at first love from one of young adult fiction’s greatest writers.
I'm just going to come right out and say it - this love story paled in comparison to many others that i've read. The tagline claims "Sexy, romantic, and oh-so-true to life" but I am regretful to admit that I wasn't really feeling any of that.
I couldn't connect with Wren or Charlie and I didn't fully believe in their connection to each other. At the book's beginning, Wren and Charlie already have an interest in each other, but one created from a distance and based on very little substance. It wasn't strong enough to support a love that came very fast. But there wasn't much else that happened that could explain their sudden and complete fall for each other so I am at a loss.
Their conversations were awkward and foreign to me. I did not find them "oh-so-true to life". But this will obviously be different for everyone. The majority of their conversations were existential, spiritual or philosophical in nature. Not your average topics of discussion for two 18 year olds falling in love. But hey, that's just in my experience. But it wasn't just the content, it was in the delivery of the dialogue too. I don't know, I just didn't totally buy it. I wasn't feeling what was pulling them together.
Also, there were two events that transpired that I also didn't find believable. The first happened when Wren did something completely out of character, which ended in a fight. The second had to do with a crazy ex girlfriend. Something that happened but was never really addressed (another source of frustration). I think both were included to add drama. Obviously I know that drama happens in real life, especially in high school. Things are blown out of proportion. But each occurrence would have been uncommon on their own and for both to go down, unlikely. Especially for two people like Wren and Charlie.
And I was frustrated with the ending. It's hard to say more without giving anything away. But I think it would have been a stronger ending and sent a more important message if it had ended differently. But what I disagree with, some might find romantic. So again, a matter of perspective.
Usually I grow to love characters over the course of a book. I found the opposite happening here. I liked Wren at the beginning. She was finally standing up for herself and taking risks. But when it came to her relationship with Charlie, I found her to be extremely selfish. She expected too much from Charlie without giving enough in return. She was also super needy. But Charlie was no prince charming either. He he had his own mistake he kept making over and over again. And even though he was saying one thing, he was doing another. As I always say, actions speak louder than words.
So, I've obviously spent this entire time ranting probably leading you to believe I hated this book. That's not true. Even though I had more problems with the story than I realized, I want to keep my original rating of two stars because their was something honest about the story that kept me reading. And I can definitely see readers experiencing this book differently. My problems may very well not be yours.
