Info: Simon Pulse, copyright 2015, 336 pages
To everyone who knows him, West Ashby has always been that guy: the cocky, popular, way-too-handsome-for-his-own-good football god who led Lawton High to the state championships. But while West may be Big Man on Campus on the outside, on the inside he’s battling the grief that comes with watching his father slowly die of cancer.
Two years ago, Maggie Carleton’s life fell apart when her father murdered her mother. And after she told the police what happened, she stopped speaking and hasn’t spoken since. Even the move to Lawton, Alabama, couldn’t draw Maggie back out. So she stayed quiet, keeping her sorrow and her fractured heart hidden away.
As West’s pain becomes too much to handle, he knows he needs to talk to someone about his father—so in the dark shadows of a post-game party, he opens up to the one girl who he knows won’t tell anyone else.
West expected that talking about his dad would bring some relief, or at least a flood of emotions he couldn’t control. But he never expected the quiet new girl to reply, to reveal a pain even deeper than his own—or for them to form a connection so strong that he couldn’t ever let her go… -Goodreads description
The Rundown
Maggie has already faced a horrific tragedy after witnessing her mother's murder. West is in a private hell watching his father lose his battle with cancer. Maggie moves to Lawton, Alabama to live with her aunt, uncle, and cousin. It's there one night at a field party where she meets West, one of her cousin's football teammates. West has heard all of the rumors and knows that Maggie won't talk, so he takes a chance and spills his family's secret to her to voice his pain to someone. Instead of staying mute, Maggie speaks. Gradually they find themselves opening up to each other. Only she knows his secret, and only he can hear her voice. What starts as friendship grows into an intense connection that is so much more, but can they hold on when the odds seem stacked against them?
What Rocked
The setting! I may be a rock n roll, tattooed girl on the outside, but my heart will always be small town Midwest. The fondness for Friday night lights, a pick up truck, a bonfire, and Tim McGraw playing on the radio is deep in my soul. Add in some drama, likable main and supporting characters, and a good love story and this is a hit for any YA contemporary fan! I love that just because Maggie and West find themselves able to share with one another rather quickly, the romance builds at a believable pace. A must add to any collection where contemporary romance in YA is popular. It's also the first in the author's newest series, Field Party, with the sequel expected to be published in summer 2016.
What Wasn't So Rockin'
West is a hard pill to swallow at first. He's not the nicest guy to most girls and it makes it hard to be sympathetic with his situation. Maggie, on the other hand, almost seems too ethereal at times. This may be a turn off for readers who've grown tired of seemingly formulaic contemporary teen lit. Yes, West is the hot football star who's a jerk to everyone but his mama and Maggie. Yes, Maggie may be damaged and a mute, but of course she's beautiful and will speak to West. It's feel good. It's tear jerking. It's predictable. But hey, that's okay sometimes, and this is one of the okay-est of them all!
Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
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