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4.03 AVERAGE
4.03 AVERAGE
Wow! Such a heart wrenching read. This is the first book I’ve read by this author, and it will not be the last.
Ummm. I'm not sure. This kinda reminds me of Romeo & Juliet - and not in a good way.
I know the story doesn't have much in common with R & J but there were some very annoying similarities:
• Death. Yup, in this book there is also an insane amount of people dying or already dead and nope I didn't think this was necessary for the plot. It freaking annoyed me to be honest.
• A forbidden love. Quite alright, nothing to complain about here.
• INSTA - LOVE. Yeah, this is just exactly like in Romeo & Juliet. They see each other, talk to each other, kiss and the same night they know they're destined for each other.
• The cheesiness, which also makes everything very hard to believe. I don't think I need to explain anything about this.
A few things that annoyed me that have got little or nothing to do with Romeo & Juliet:
• Ashlyn (the protagonist) cries the whole
freaking time. I didn't even bother counting, but let me tell you: she always cries. And yes I guess she's grieving and all but still. That doesn't mean she has to cry 24/7 for months. Ughhh.
• Hailey and Ryan (the kinda like step siblings of Ashlyn's). I mean SERIOUSLY?! Anymore clichés please? The overtly nice girl running after her cheating bastard of a boyfriend and her brother the perfect gay best friend. Haha. Some more originality please.
• Last but most important:
How this novel was so ambitious and wanted to be about simply everything. Death and grief and guilt, the obligatory bucket list by a dead loved one, dad issues, mom issues, drug issues, alcoholism, coping techniques, Shakespeare, writing (becoming a novelist), music (being a musician), extreme forms of religious belief, dealing with being gay aka coming out or not coming out, twins, suicide, a teacher-student-relationship.....
It was just too much. Well, at least for me. And I didn't even like the romance but all this plot background (too much as already mentioned) just made it worse.
I know the story doesn't have much in common with R & J but there were some very annoying similarities:
• Death. Yup, in this book there is also an insane amount of people dying or already dead and nope I didn't think this was necessary for the plot. It freaking annoyed me to be honest.
• A forbidden love. Quite alright, nothing to complain about here.
• INSTA - LOVE. Yeah, this is just exactly like in Romeo & Juliet. They see each other, talk to each other, kiss and the same night they know they're destined for each other.
• The cheesiness, which also makes everything very hard to believe. I don't think I need to explain anything about this.
A few things that annoyed me that have got little or nothing to do with Romeo & Juliet:
• Ashlyn (the protagonist) cries the whole
freaking time. I didn't even bother counting, but let me tell you: she always cries. And yes I guess she's grieving and all but still. That doesn't mean she has to cry 24/7 for months. Ughhh.
• Hailey and Ryan (the kinda like step siblings of Ashlyn's). I mean SERIOUSLY?! Anymore clichés please? The overtly nice girl running after her cheating bastard of a boyfriend and her brother the perfect gay best friend. Haha. Some more originality please.
• Last but most important:
How this novel was so ambitious and wanted to be about simply everything. Death and grief and guilt, the obligatory bucket list by a dead loved one, dad issues, mom issues, drug issues, alcoholism, coping techniques, Shakespeare, writing (becoming a novelist), music (being a musician), extreme forms of religious belief, dealing with being gay aka coming out or not coming out, twins, suicide, a teacher-student-relationship.....
It was just too much. Well, at least for me. And I didn't even like the romance but all this plot background (too much as already mentioned) just made it worse.
I honestly can't remember how I came across this author (maybe Maryse's blog?), but I'm glad I have several more waiting for me. This was such an interesting story. And so sad in some parts. I cried... a few times. My heart broke for Ashlyn that her twin sister died and then what seemed like her mother sending her away. Ashlyn didn't know the real story, but how hard, too, that she has to go live with a father who never took much interest in her and Gabby for nineteen years? But then to meet her soulmate (what are the odds two Shakespeare freaks would meet in a bar in Wisconsin and be so attracted to each other?) only to realize you can't -- or, rather, shouldn't -- be together? Yet the pull was just too hard and they couldn't resist it. Another aspect of the story was her relationship with her step-siblings. Both Hailey and Ryan were great to her, even though she really didn't want to be there at first. Ryan's turmoil broke my heart, and then when he ... broke it even more. When Ashlyn I wanted to throttle her, but I also understood. I was glad she didn't draw it out as long as she originally intended. And Gabby's letters... some of them were the reasons for my tears. Great story. One I will remember.
Spoiler
committed suicideSpoiler
decided she really needed to figure out how to just be by herself...
This was such a beautiful story that involved navigating grief and love and grief again. But it was so beautifully done! I read it on KU but buying it because this belongs on bookshelf to read, again.
I think I loved this, I might be slightly ethically conflicted, but I read it in one sitting and it was equal parts beautiful, sad, poignant and sexy af. Sooooo, there. I'm not even sure why I added it to my list to read, I'm usually not a big romance reader, so I probably don't have much to compare it to, but, this was an adorable and wonderful read for me today.
I’m not normally a fan of taboo romances involving a teacher and a student. As someone who taught high school and who has nieces and nephews of that age, I know that they are (and should be) anything but sexy (to adults) at that age. Cherry did an excellent job of addressing the issue by making her character 19 years old (held back due to a childhood illness) and the teacher 3 years her senior. Furthermore, she had them meet (and feel initial attraction) outside of the classroom (before they knew he would be her teacher), removing the creepy power imbalance element.
I was talking to one of my friends, Sara, about how I really haven't found a whole lot of books yet this year that have wowed me. And that's when Sara told me about Brittainy C. Cherry.
And I was hooked.
I have a slight Colleen Hoover obsession and no author has gotten close to it. But this book really tugged at my heart.
I have a weird thing about student relationships with teachers. I'd read a few books (including a Co-Ho) that touch on the subject, and it's already a little uncomfortable.
But throw that out the window, because this is not that story.
I fell in love with Ashlyn and Daniel Daniels (yes, that is totally his name). I love their story, but more so I loved the other relationships that Ashlyn formed when moved to Wisconsin to live with her dad.
This book stole my heart. And I loved every second of it.
And I was hooked.
I have a slight Colleen Hoover obsession and no author has gotten close to it. But this book really tugged at my heart.
I have a weird thing about student relationships with teachers. I'd read a few books (including a Co-Ho) that touch on the subject, and it's already a little uncomfortable.
But throw that out the window, because this is not that story.
I fell in love with Ashlyn and Daniel Daniels (yes, that is totally his name). I love their story, but more so I loved the other relationships that Ashlyn formed when moved to Wisconsin to live with her dad.
This book stole my heart. And I loved every second of it.