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A review by jmjames1210
This is How it Happened by Paula Stokes
5.0
Heartbreakingly lovely.
I adore everything Paula writes. She can pull off so many different genres but always manages to tell a wonderfully compelling story. This is How it Happened was no different. I couldn't put it down.
Genevieve's struggle with grief and guilt was so beautifully told. This book covers a lot of important topics but never felt like it had an agenda or read like an issue book. The plot unfolded along with flashbacks of the night of the accident as Gen remembered them in "real time" and it worked really well to support the narrative. Gen was such a complex character and her story had me crying by the end. The depiction of the Internet mob mentality and cyber bullying felt devastatingly accurate - in our modern society we're never really allowed to deal with tragedy on our own terms, and I think this was shown really well. I really loved the setting of Zion National Park and felt like I was able to picture it. Also, the love story was perfectly adorable but never overpowered the story or character development.
I received an ARC from the author, but this did not influence my review in any way.
I adore everything Paula writes. She can pull off so many different genres but always manages to tell a wonderfully compelling story. This is How it Happened was no different. I couldn't put it down.
Genevieve's struggle with grief and guilt was so beautifully told. This book covers a lot of important topics but never felt like it had an agenda or read like an issue book. The plot unfolded along with flashbacks of the night of the accident as Gen remembered them in "real time" and it worked really well to support the narrative. Gen was such a complex character and her story had me crying by the end. The depiction of the Internet mob mentality and cyber bullying felt devastatingly accurate - in our modern society we're never really allowed to deal with tragedy on our own terms, and I think this was shown really well. I really loved the setting of Zion National Park and felt like I was able to picture it. Also, the love story was perfectly adorable but never overpowered the story or character development.
I received an ARC from the author, but this did not influence my review in any way.