Scan barcode
commedesenfants's review
5.0
Also posted on my blog: http://living-a-thousand-lives.tumblr.com/post/90840303176/aspen-by-rebekah-crane
I received an Advanced Reader Copy from Netgalley.com
The Cover
I love the cover, it made me want to read the book instantly. The font is very catchy (can fonts be catchy?), the background colour is beautiful and the girl in the picture or at least her head look really like how Aspen is described in the book (though I'd imagined her hair a bit more "dirty blonde"-ish).
The Story
A terrible car accident changed Aspen Yellow-Sunrise Taylor in an instant. But she is the "lucky" one, she survived the other driver, Katelyn Ryan, a popular girl in Aspen's class, died. Her "ghost" still haunts Aspen and reminds her every day of the tragic event which she so desperately wants to forget. Aspen is plagued by surviver's guilt and just wants to go through senior year unnoticed but when the new school year begins she is suddenly the centre of attention and has become popular all of a sudden. This makes her uncomfortable and makes her feel even more guilty because those people who try to be her friends (or more) were Katelyn's friends. Add her stoner mother, whom Aspen has to look out for, and you can see that Aspen has a lot on her plate: Dealing with old and new friends, trying to let go and heal (physically and mentally) from the accident, and moving on.
The Protagonist
If there was a support group for traumatised fictional characters I would send Aspen there in an instant. I'd wrap her in a warm blanket and give her hot chocolate and then hug her until she felt better. Aspen has gone through so much and my heart broke so many times reading about her struggles. She's suffering from PTSD and is ridden with guilt about the accident. She is trying so hard to understand who Katelyne was but at the same time trying to move on and just forget. Aspen never cared for popularity but she also never judged the popular crowd. When Suzy, Katelyn's best friend, befriends her, she is surprised, not because Suzy is popular but because they never had anything to do with each other before. Aspen is not afraid to be herself, she wears tie-dye shirts and Birkenstocks and walks around with charcoal on her cheek (though unknwowingly most of the time) unapologetically. She always speaks her mind. Because her mom is rather immature and at times irresponsible she has to assume the role of the adult at a young age. She loves to look up definitions of words because it helps her make sense of the world and gives her a sense of stability and security. In short, Aspen is pretty awesome.
The Heart Rate
After returning to school for the new school year, Aspen is assigned a new lab partner in physics. As destiny is cruel (or is it?) her partner is Ben Tyler, Katelyn's boyfriend. These two hit it off immediately because there seems to be an understanding between them. They help each other heal. Ben is a great guy. He is witty and empathetic and charming. He's struggling a lot with Katelyn's death and, like Aspen, is trying to find a way to let go and move on. He is not afraid to be Aspen's friend, even if it made people gossip and whisper about them, the boyfriend of the dead girl and the girl that surivived the accident make for a lot of gossip fodder. Aspen and Ben's relationship develop slowly but steadily but it wasn't just "out of convenience" or because of guilt or anything. They had a real connection and it made me feel all warm and fuzzy to see them get closer.
The Good
- Good Friends: Aspen's best friends since childhood are Kim and Cass and these two are pretty amazing. Kim is Korean and has to deal with a "tiger mom" but that is the only stereotypical thing about her. She's smart, sarcastic, loves to use the f-word, and has a nose piercing. I just really like Kim and I would love to read more about her, maybe in a sequel that focuses on her starting college in Stanford. (Great, now that this idea is in my head, I really, really want it. Please, Rebekah Crane?) Cass is also a really good friend and very sassy. One of Aspen's new friend is Suzy and I adore her. At first I was worried that she had a hidden agenda for befriending Aspen, she had her reasons but she genuinely wanted to become friends with Aspen. She never tried to "make over" Aspen but instead actually admires Aspen as she is. Like with Ben, Aspen's connection with Suzy is partly because they both have to deal with Katelyn's death. So the friendships in this book are really awesome and there is never a competition, at least not over a boy, which is refreshing. I feel like in so many books and movies the focus ins on romantic love and friendship and platonic love is being overlooked.
- Ninny: Ninny is Aspen's mom. Yes, she is a stoner, yes, she is irresponsible, but she loves Aspen. You have to put yourself into Ninny's shoes, she had a baby at 16 during a concert and after that has been abandoned by her parents soon after with a small trustfund as "compensation". Ninny brought many "uncles" home but the real love of her life will always be Aspen. She would never intentionally hurt Aspen, though she did make a lot of mistakes. When you hear her side of the story you can understand her a bit better, why she does the things she does, which are partly because she wants to do things differently than her won parents who have hurt her so much. She is a very affectionate mother, maybe a bit "improper" at times but that is what makes her unique. I just really love their mother-daughter relationship.
- Realistic: The teenagers are incredibly realistically portrayed. They swear, they drink alcohol at parties and they talk about sex, and actually have sex. And it's all never glorified or shown as the "right" way to be a teenager. No, it is done matter of factly. All these things are part of teenager's lives, maybe not ALL teenagers, but for a large part of teenagers it is. It's just realistic. The consequences of these escapades are being shown but not in a judgy or preachy way but in a realistic way. It's really refreshing to read about teenagers talking about sex instead of making it a big tabu. It's part of life, yes, even a teenager's and it should be talked about. Nothing is more dangerous than not talkin about an issue. People should not be afraid of sex but they have to be educated about it. I just saw a post on tumblr about how teenagers know to protect their iphones with cases but don't know about having to protect themselves from STDs. By "protecting" teenagers from sex, they are actually even more in danger. Anyway, I didn't mean to digress that much about this topic. TL;DR: Teenagers are being portrayed very realistically in this book and that's a breath of fresh air.
The Bad
- Development: Maybe it's just me but at times I feel like a lot of the development of Aspen and Ben's relationship has progressed "behind the scenes". It didn't feel like they have bonded over night, it definitely developed over time, but I feel like the reader has been left out of some of the bonding moments and I wished we got to see more of that. But then again, this book wasn't about they relationship but it really was more about Aspen dealing with Katelyn's death, a virtual stranger she knew only from chemistry class, so I guess it could also be seen as a positive point that the focus was not on the romance.
The Rating
★★★★★
I requested this book from Netgalley because I was drawn to the cover and after reading the blurb it sounded just like the kind of book that I would love. I expected it to go in a whole different direction though, I expected a light, fun read with maybe a deeper message but I did not such a heart breaking story about loss and how to move on from it. Don't worry though, it's not a super dark and depressing read but it's rather hopeful and at points hilarious thanks to the great supporting characters and Aspen herself. This book was a pleasant surprise and I love being surprised by books. Often it's the other way around, where I have high expectiations but end up being disappointed. I have recommended this book to all of my friends and will definitely check out Rebekah Crane's other novel and look forward to her future ones.
I received an Advanced Reader Copy from Netgalley.com
The Cover
I love the cover, it made me want to read the book instantly. The font is very catchy (can fonts be catchy?), the background colour is beautiful and the girl in the picture or at least her head look really like how Aspen is described in the book (though I'd imagined her hair a bit more "dirty blonde"-ish).
The Story
A terrible car accident changed Aspen Yellow-Sunrise Taylor in an instant. But she is the "lucky" one, she survived the other driver, Katelyn Ryan, a popular girl in Aspen's class, died. Her "ghost" still haunts Aspen and reminds her every day of the tragic event which she so desperately wants to forget. Aspen is plagued by surviver's guilt and just wants to go through senior year unnoticed but when the new school year begins she is suddenly the centre of attention and has become popular all of a sudden. This makes her uncomfortable and makes her feel even more guilty because those people who try to be her friends (or more) were Katelyn's friends. Add her stoner mother, whom Aspen has to look out for, and you can see that Aspen has a lot on her plate: Dealing with old and new friends, trying to let go and heal (physically and mentally) from the accident, and moving on.
The Protagonist
If there was a support group for traumatised fictional characters I would send Aspen there in an instant. I'd wrap her in a warm blanket and give her hot chocolate and then hug her until she felt better. Aspen has gone through so much and my heart broke so many times reading about her struggles. She's suffering from PTSD and is ridden with guilt about the accident. She is trying so hard to understand who Katelyne was but at the same time trying to move on and just forget. Aspen never cared for popularity but she also never judged the popular crowd. When Suzy, Katelyn's best friend, befriends her, she is surprised, not because Suzy is popular but because they never had anything to do with each other before. Aspen is not afraid to be herself, she wears tie-dye shirts and Birkenstocks and walks around with charcoal on her cheek (though unknwowingly most of the time) unapologetically. She always speaks her mind. Because her mom is rather immature and at times irresponsible she has to assume the role of the adult at a young age. She loves to look up definitions of words because it helps her make sense of the world and gives her a sense of stability and security. In short, Aspen is pretty awesome.
The Heart Rate
After returning to school for the new school year, Aspen is assigned a new lab partner in physics. As destiny is cruel (or is it?) her partner is Ben Tyler, Katelyn's boyfriend. These two hit it off immediately because there seems to be an understanding between them. They help each other heal. Ben is a great guy. He is witty and empathetic and charming. He's struggling a lot with Katelyn's death and, like Aspen, is trying to find a way to let go and move on. He is not afraid to be Aspen's friend, even if it made people gossip and whisper about them, the boyfriend of the dead girl and the girl that surivived the accident make for a lot of gossip fodder. Aspen and Ben's relationship develop slowly but steadily but it wasn't just "out of convenience" or because of guilt or anything. They had a real connection and it made me feel all warm and fuzzy to see them get closer.
The Good
- Good Friends: Aspen's best friends since childhood are Kim and Cass and these two are pretty amazing. Kim is Korean and has to deal with a "tiger mom" but that is the only stereotypical thing about her. She's smart, sarcastic, loves to use the f-word, and has a nose piercing. I just really like Kim and I would love to read more about her, maybe in a sequel that focuses on her starting college in Stanford. (Great, now that this idea is in my head, I really, really want it. Please, Rebekah Crane?) Cass is also a really good friend and very sassy. One of Aspen's new friend is Suzy and I adore her. At first I was worried that she had a hidden agenda for befriending Aspen, she had her reasons but she genuinely wanted to become friends with Aspen. She never tried to "make over" Aspen but instead actually admires Aspen as she is. Like with Ben, Aspen's connection with Suzy is partly because they both have to deal with Katelyn's death. So the friendships in this book are really awesome and there is never a competition, at least not over a boy, which is refreshing. I feel like in so many books and movies the focus ins on romantic love and friendship and platonic love is being overlooked.
- Ninny: Ninny is Aspen's mom. Yes, she is a stoner, yes, she is irresponsible, but she loves Aspen. You have to put yourself into Ninny's shoes, she had a baby at 16 during a concert and after that has been abandoned by her parents soon after with a small trustfund as "compensation". Ninny brought many "uncles" home but the real love of her life will always be Aspen. She would never intentionally hurt Aspen, though she did make a lot of mistakes. When you hear her side of the story you can understand her a bit better, why she does the things she does, which are partly because she wants to do things differently than her won parents who have hurt her so much. She is a very affectionate mother, maybe a bit "improper" at times but that is what makes her unique. I just really love their mother-daughter relationship.
- Realistic: The teenagers are incredibly realistically portrayed. They swear, they drink alcohol at parties and they talk about sex, and actually have sex. And it's all never glorified or shown as the "right" way to be a teenager. No, it is done matter of factly. All these things are part of teenager's lives, maybe not ALL teenagers, but for a large part of teenagers it is. It's just realistic. The consequences of these escapades are being shown but not in a judgy or preachy way but in a realistic way. It's really refreshing to read about teenagers talking about sex instead of making it a big tabu. It's part of life, yes, even a teenager's and it should be talked about. Nothing is more dangerous than not talkin about an issue. People should not be afraid of sex but they have to be educated about it. I just saw a post on tumblr about how teenagers know to protect their iphones with cases but don't know about having to protect themselves from STDs. By "protecting" teenagers from sex, they are actually even more in danger. Anyway, I didn't mean to digress that much about this topic. TL;DR: Teenagers are being portrayed very realistically in this book and that's a breath of fresh air.
The Bad
- Development: Maybe it's just me but at times I feel like a lot of the development of Aspen and Ben's relationship has progressed "behind the scenes". It didn't feel like they have bonded over night, it definitely developed over time, but I feel like the reader has been left out of some of the bonding moments and I wished we got to see more of that. But then again, this book wasn't about they relationship but it really was more about Aspen dealing with Katelyn's death, a virtual stranger she knew only from chemistry class, so I guess it could also be seen as a positive point that the focus was not on the romance.
The Rating
★★★★★
I requested this book from Netgalley because I was drawn to the cover and after reading the blurb it sounded just like the kind of book that I would love. I expected it to go in a whole different direction though, I expected a light, fun read with maybe a deeper message but I did not such a heart breaking story about loss and how to move on from it. Don't worry though, it's not a super dark and depressing read but it's rather hopeful and at points hilarious thanks to the great supporting characters and Aspen herself. This book was a pleasant surprise and I love being surprised by books. Often it's the other way around, where I have high expectiations but end up being disappointed. I have recommended this book to all of my friends and will definitely check out Rebekah Crane's other novel and look forward to her future ones.
afretts's review
5.0
ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Anyone who reads my reviews knows that I am a super critical reader/reviewer. I usually call out any annoyance I encounter in my reviews regardless of how minuscule it is. It goes without saying that I don't give out many 5 star ratings. As a general rule, any books that I give 5 star ratings to must meet 2 of the 3 following criteria:
1. Go on my favorites shelf. check
2. Make me feel the need to purchase a physical copy (I read on Kindle 98% of the time.) check
3. I know I'm going to re-read the book. check
That being said: I don't have anything bad to say about Aspen. I know... That's really shocking coming from me, but Aspen is phenomenal.
The best thing about this book is the overall message that it's okay to be yourself. All of the main characters in this book are apologetically true to themselves. Great example: Ninny.
"Ninny" is what Aspen calls her mother. Ninny was very young and didn't even know she was pregnant when Aspen was born. Her parents immediately disowned her and she has raised Aspen on her own ever since. Ninny is not what you would consider a traditional parental figure. She smokes a lot of weed, sleeps around, can't hold down a job, doesn't clean up after herself, encourages Aspen to have sex, and is just generally irresponsible. BUT Ninny is not painted as a villain in this novel. Aspen and her friends adore her anyway because she's a good person and she loves them.
I thought this was so unique. A lot novels use the "terrible parent" trope as an excuse to bring their characters conflict and create angst. It's lazy. My least favorite is the rich, works too much, and doesn't give a crap that his daughter is different dad. Awful. Ninny is a crappy mom, but she's a a wonderful, if strange, person. For example:
"My mom taught me how to braid. We used to practice on my dolls. She would say every respectable girl knows how to braid."
"You never taught me."
"I couldn't care less if you're respectable." Ninny ties a rubber band around the end of one braid. "I care that you're you."
Ninny and her relationships with the other characters is truly my favorite thing about this novel. I love the way the author made it okay for Ninny to be different. She made it okay for Aspen to unconditionally love (and like) her mother even if she didn't act like a mother most of the time.
The rest of the book was lovely too. It's never made clear whether or not Aspen is actually beautiful or if Ninny just thinks she is because she's her mother. But it is made clear that Aspen has out of control blonde hair, she wears bell bottoms, tie dye, and Birkenstocks, and usually has charcoal smeared on her face. I thought this was nice. Aspen is unequivocally herself and she still has great friendships and a love interest despite walking to the beat of her own drum. The author didn't paint her as the beautiful girl who wears black and too much makeup in order to hide her beauty because she's soooooooo different and superior. Gag.
I don't want to get too far into the accident and resulting events part of the book, but I will say that this is very well done. Aspen's reactions to them and the events that tale place afterwards struck me as very realistic.
Overall, this book was wonderful and I very much recommend that you read it. Now.
Read this review on my blog: Crazy Something Maybe
*Side note for my reviewer friends: if you decide to request this on NetGalley, I want to warn you that the quality of this ARC is terrible. The formatting is so off that it's sometimes VERY hard to read. You can't always tell who is saying what during the dialog because the spacing is so jacked up.
Anyone who reads my reviews knows that I am a super critical reader/reviewer. I usually call out any annoyance I encounter in my reviews regardless of how minuscule it is. It goes without saying that I don't give out many 5 star ratings. As a general rule, any books that I give 5 star ratings to must meet 2 of the 3 following criteria:
1. Go on my favorites shelf. check
2. Make me feel the need to purchase a physical copy (I read on Kindle 98% of the time.) check
3. I know I'm going to re-read the book. check
That being said: I don't have anything bad to say about Aspen. I know... That's really shocking coming from me, but Aspen is phenomenal.
The best thing about this book is the overall message that it's okay to be yourself. All of the main characters in this book are apologetically true to themselves. Great example: Ninny.
"Ninny" is what Aspen calls her mother. Ninny was very young and didn't even know she was pregnant when Aspen was born. Her parents immediately disowned her and she has raised Aspen on her own ever since. Ninny is not what you would consider a traditional parental figure. She smokes a lot of weed, sleeps around, can't hold down a job, doesn't clean up after herself, encourages Aspen to have sex, and is just generally irresponsible. BUT Ninny is not painted as a villain in this novel. Aspen and her friends adore her anyway because she's a good person and she loves them.
I thought this was so unique. A lot novels use the "terrible parent" trope as an excuse to bring their characters conflict and create angst. It's lazy. My least favorite is the rich, works too much, and doesn't give a crap that his daughter is different dad. Awful. Ninny is a crappy mom, but she's a a wonderful, if strange, person. For example:
"My mom taught me how to braid. We used to practice on my dolls. She would say every respectable girl knows how to braid."
"You never taught me."
"I couldn't care less if you're respectable." Ninny ties a rubber band around the end of one braid. "I care that you're you."
Ninny and her relationships with the other characters is truly my favorite thing about this novel. I love the way the author made it okay for Ninny to be different. She made it okay for Aspen to unconditionally love (and like) her mother even if she didn't act like a mother most of the time.
The rest of the book was lovely too. It's never made clear whether or not Aspen is actually beautiful or if Ninny just thinks she is because she's her mother. But it is made clear that Aspen has out of control blonde hair, she wears bell bottoms, tie dye, and Birkenstocks, and usually has charcoal smeared on her face. I thought this was nice. Aspen is unequivocally herself and she still has great friendships and a love interest despite walking to the beat of her own drum. The author didn't paint her as the beautiful girl who wears black and too much makeup in order to hide her beauty because she's soooooooo different and superior. Gag.
I don't want to get too far into the accident and resulting events part of the book, but I will say that this is very well done. Aspen's reactions to them and the events that tale place afterwards struck me as very realistic.
Overall, this book was wonderful and I very much recommend that you read it. Now.
Read this review on my blog: Crazy Something Maybe
*Side note for my reviewer friends: if you decide to request this on NetGalley, I want to warn you that the quality of this ARC is terrible. The formatting is so off that it's sometimes VERY hard to read. You can't always tell who is saying what during the dialog because the spacing is so jacked up.
jen225's review
4.0
I absolutely loved this book! It was a light, easy read with characters that I ADORE! But through it's easiness is a deep story line that is deep and intoxicating. The main character, Aspen, will hold your heart from beginning to end (aka new beginning).
thepaperreels's review
4.0
I MADE A PLAYLIST FOR THIS BOOK! AND YOU CAN LISTEN WHILE READING MY REVIEW HERE.
Aspen surprised me... I know it's my fault because I don't read blurbs, but what I really expected from this book is nothing but rainbows and unicorns and sunshine. In short, I thought it was a fluffy read. Don't get me wrong, the book wasn't depressing or very sad. Nothing like that. Though, I did get teary eyed at some point. Let’s just say that ASPEN is a lightly dark read. I know, that's so weird. How can a book be lightly dark?! Well, let's put it this way.. Aspen is deep. Poignant. And absolutely unforgettable.
It's a story about Aspen, she's a tree.
No, I'm just kidding.
Aspen is wonderful, smart and a riot! I love this girl to bits. She's so.. transparent. What you see is what you get. She got involved in a car accident and obviously, she's the survivor. The girl who died in the other car is one of the most popular girl in their school, Katelyn. And now, she's appearing to Aspen every now and then as a ghost. And why is that? Well, only Aspen knows. And of course, Katelyn.
You won't believe how I loved the relationships here in this book. Between Nini (Aspen's mother) and Aspen, between Aspen and her bestfriends, between Aspen and Ben, basically between Aspen and everyone! It’s so dynamic. Crane’s characters are realistic. Freakin’ authentic. Genuine. Through out the book, I felt like Aspen was just with me. Sharing me this story amd I’m just right beside her, listening intently. She’s a magnificent narrator.
Rebekah Crane’s writing is humorous. Sharp. And highly entertaining! Think Rainbow Rowell. It’s quirky and full of heart. Putting down the book is not an option. Aspen’s plot is well thought. It’s funny with a slight touch of drama and it’s profound. You don't have a choice but be attached to her characters and be emotionally involved to Aspen's story. I don't know what to say anymore except READ IT. I know we all have a lot in our plates right now but if you want to unwind.. laugh and read something light with depth, Aspen is for you!
Aspen surprised me... I know it's my fault because I don't read blurbs, but what I really expected from this book is nothing but rainbows and unicorns and sunshine. In short, I thought it was a fluffy read. Don't get me wrong, the book wasn't depressing or very sad. Nothing like that. Though, I did get teary eyed at some point. Let’s just say that ASPEN is a lightly dark read. I know, that's so weird. How can a book be lightly dark?! Well, let's put it this way.. Aspen is deep. Poignant. And absolutely unforgettable.
It's a story about Aspen, she's a tree.
No, I'm just kidding.
Aspen is wonderful, smart and a riot! I love this girl to bits. She's so.. transparent. What you see is what you get. She got involved in a car accident and obviously, she's the survivor. The girl who died in the other car is one of the most popular girl in their school, Katelyn. And now, she's appearing to Aspen every now and then as a ghost. And why is that? Well, only Aspen knows. And of course, Katelyn.
You won't believe how I loved the relationships here in this book. Between Nini (Aspen's mother) and Aspen, between Aspen and her bestfriends, between Aspen and Ben, basically between Aspen and everyone! It’s so dynamic. Crane’s characters are realistic. Freakin’ authentic. Genuine. Through out the book, I felt like Aspen was just with me. Sharing me this story amd I’m just right beside her, listening intently. She’s a magnificent narrator.
Rebekah Crane’s writing is humorous. Sharp. And highly entertaining! Think Rainbow Rowell. It’s quirky and full of heart. Putting down the book is not an option. Aspen’s plot is well thought. It’s funny with a slight touch of drama and it’s profound. You don't have a choice but be attached to her characters and be emotionally involved to Aspen's story. I don't know what to say anymore except READ IT. I know we all have a lot in our plates right now but if you want to unwind.. laugh and read something light with depth, Aspen is for you!
savealife's review
4.0
I read this because Jessica Park recommended it. I was surprised how much I liked it. Aspen was great and after reading the book I get her name! The book was a perfect mix of sad and funny. I actually had tears in my eyes at the end. Speaking of the end, I kind of knew what had happened but not really. I loved Ninny! Even though she was a terrible parent 99% of the time that 1% she was the best mother in the world. I thought Ben was a great love interest. Hell, I loved all the side characters!
hazelstaybookish's review
5.0
I need to time to process feels. But wow, this showed the essence of YA Contemporaries- honest-to-god characters that are trying to get through life and just dealing with the aftermath of things. LOVE IT. Full review to come.
urlphantomhive's review
3.0
READ IN ENGLISH
Read all my reviews on http://urlphantomhive.booklikes.com
I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review, thank you!
When I first started reading I was no longer sure why I had requested it. This book is far from my comfort zone, but somehow when I saw it I wanted to read Aspen. I'm glad I did, for it was a very nice surprise to me!
Aspen's senior year is not like everyone else's. Still haunted, quite literally, by Katelyn, a popular soccer player - and, thanks to the car crash Aspen was involved in, dead. While she tries to continue her life as normal as possible and to forget, everything seems to have changed.
This isn't an action packed book, and despite the fact that Katelyn isn't quite gone, it doesn't feel paranormal either. It's the -surprisingly- witty account of Aspen's senior year, her life with her somewhat strange mother and friends and I didn't even mind the romance, because I felt like it fitted in this book. I was positively surprised and would recommend this book as a light read, although it also focusses on coping with guild and someone's death.
Read all my reviews on http://urlphantomhive.booklikes.com
I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review, thank you!
When I first started reading I was no longer sure why I had requested it. This book is far from my comfort zone, but somehow when I saw it I wanted to read Aspen. I'm glad I did, for it was a very nice surprise to me!
Aspen's senior year is not like everyone else's. Still haunted, quite literally, by Katelyn, a popular soccer player - and, thanks to the car crash Aspen was involved in, dead. While she tries to continue her life as normal as possible and to forget, everything seems to have changed.
This isn't an action packed book, and despite the fact that Katelyn isn't quite gone, it doesn't feel paranormal either. It's the -surprisingly- witty account of Aspen's senior year, her life with her somewhat strange mother and friends and I didn't even mind the romance, because I felt like it fitted in this book. I was positively surprised and would recommend this book as a light read, although it also focusses on coping with guild and someone's death.