Release Date: May 17, 2016
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Pages: 480
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Summary
For some people, silence is a weapon. For Mallory "Mouse" Dodge, it's a shield. Growing up, she learned that the best way to survive was to say nothing. And even though it's been four years since her nightmare ended, she's beginning to worry that the fear that holds her back will last a lifetime.
Now, after years of homeschooling with loving adoptive parents, Mallory must face a new milestone--spending her senior year at public high school. But of all the terrifying and exhilarating scenarios she's imagined, there's one she never dreamed of--that she'd run into Rider Stark, the friend and protector she hasn't seen since childhood, on her very first day.
It doesn't take long for Mallory to realize that the connection she shared with Rider never really faded. Yet the deeper their bond grows, the more it becomes apparent that she's not the only one grappling with lingering scars from the past. And as she watches Rider's life spiral out of control, Mallory faces a choice between staying silent and speaking out--for the people she loves, the life she wants, and the truths that need to be heard.
The Rundown
A book hangover is a condition in which attachment to a book or series that has ended causes the reader traumatic emotional stress. It usually lasts for one or two weeks until a new book of higher-than-average quality enters the reader's life. (Definition courtesy of a Google search. Don't judge me.)
Hi. My name is Nicole and I'm a reading addict. And every so often a amazing book enters my life and I get a serious book hangover.
This is one such book.
I'm book hungover.
Thanks Jennifer L. Armentrout.
Seriously though guys! Ahhh!! Where do I even begin?! I loved this book! Now I'm a huge Jennifer L. Armentrout fan (and if you've never read any of her New Adult books that she writes under J.Lynn...well umm check them out or hit up your local book store like yesterday!) and I couldn't wait to get my hands on this book! My anticipation was totally rewarded!
Mallory is such a wonderfully and realistically drawn character. She's the most memorable character I've met in 2016, and I have a strong feeling that she'll be with me for years to come. She's constantly growing and gaining strength and finding her voice that I didn't want the book to end because I just wanted to see where life would take her next.
Gah and Rider! *Sigh* I can't even. A smart, hot artist?! His devotion to Mallory and the way he grows as he faces down his demons had my little heart all a flutter.
And then there's the love story that's a complete swoon-a-thon! With the past and deep connection Mallory and Rider once shared, I thought going into this that like the second their paths crossed again it'd be this instant head-over-heels thing. Wrong! They actually take time to get to know each other again as friends. After being apart for four years when they were separated in the foster care system after a really tragic event I'm glad that it wasn't a love at first sight whirlwind kind of relationship.
They were friends first, and for the first part of their lives, they were all each other had. The pace at which they went from friends to boyfriend and girlfriend felt so real. They have this shared past, but they've changed. They're still changing. But the fact that by the end they both realize that they don't have to stay stuck, that they're not lost kids anymore, but loved and treasured not just by each other but also by their new families and friends...all the feels.
This book also touches heavily on child abuse and the darker side of our foster care system. As someone who suffered abuse at the hands of a parent from a very early age, I can tell you that the author nailed the long-term effects that abused children carry. There were times I would have to put the book down and have a cry as the hell that Mallory and Rider went through felt so real.
There's a great message that our past is forever a part of us. That certain people are forever a part of us. But it's up to you to define how your past and others play into your right now and your tomorrow, into your forever.
Rating: 5 Stars! Highly recommended for fans of Katie McGarry and Simone Elkeles!
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