Publication: August 25th 2015 by Simon Pulse
Source: Purchased
Goodreads Summary: 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 Page
My Thoughts:
*Possible Romance Spoilers*
Another book that I'm torn about. I've come to the conclusion that most of the time I like the "idea" of a contemporary book more than its actual execution. In some cases, such as with this book, I think it's because it's not very relatable to me. Case in point, I did not go to pubic school so did not deal with a lot of issues in this book such as girls calling each other sluts and whores, did not grow up anywhere near the South or its customs, and have never been to a high school football game let alone a field party. But I did connect with this story on its emotional level which is where I think its real stronghold is.
I liked the overall arcing storyline. And if West had had a different past and wasn't such a jerk, I would've liked the story much more and given it 5 stars overall. But I have plenty of problems with it which I will detail further down if you're interested. First off, I really like the ideas behind the characters and found them intriguing. A girl who doesn't talk because of the horror she has seen. A popular football jock who puts up an act to hide what hell has been in his life for the past year. I love the ideas behind the characters. I just didn't love the actual character of West but we'll get into that.
I wish the book had delivered more of what it promised. I wish that West had just decided to start telling his problems to the silent girl instead of what actually happened. I think the story could've gone in a much different direction and had more of a gradual ascendance to romance rather than the insta-love we're thrown. This is my first Abbi Glines novel however so that may be a trademark of hers I'm not familiar with. From the reviews I've read of this book, she tends to reuse the same plotlines and tropes over and over again with just different characters (like John Green lol).
*Spoilers in this paragraph*
I did like the strong emotionality that laces this book and felt it was done well. I like that the football background of the story remained in the background since the point of the story is about West's and Maggie's issues. I felt that the way they slowly revealed their pain was realistic and relatable and I loved seeing Maggie begin to heal and to let someone in. I loved their connection and the intensity of it to begin with. The way they became dependent on each other, particularly West, and the desperateness their relationship descended into is something I feel is very organic and very realistic. But when it got to that point of obsession, I was totally done with the book and I knew what I wanted to say in my review. However, Glines did redeem herself when Maggie had her revelation of how unhealthy her relationship with West had become and I loved that she put a bit of a spotlight on how co-dependent relationships can take unhealthy turns and that you need to distance yourself from them sometimes. I haven't seen another YA/NA novel show the reality rather than just the insta-lovehearts side of that type of relationship.
And now we're onto what I hated about it. West is such a jerk. End of story. And I don't know how someone like Maggie could overlook so many of his character flaws and still choose to get involved with him when he has characteristics her own father had. The way he used girls, like her father. The way he treated them like objects instead of people, like her father (and it's implied that he always has, not just during this time period he's going through with his dad which still does not give an excuse for it). The way he completely disregarded their feelings, like her father. His possessiveness and obsession with Maggie, like her father had with her mother. I just can't. Nope. No. In real life, his behavior would eventually turn back to how he's been all his life and he would do the same things to Maggie he did to all those other girls because that's how life is and it's a very unique and strong person who breaks how they grew up and is able to let go of their natural behaviors. And I think it's safe to say that West is not one of those people.
This type of story shouldn't be seen through rose-colored glasses. I was hoping when Maggie had her realization that the story would take a turn and surprise me but it ends up the way all YA/NA novels end up.
Likes: The emotionality. The characters' backstories. Maggie. Brady. How football was kept in the background but was still part of the story.
Dislikes: West. The unhealthy relationship.
Overall:
Recommend? Only if you're not the type to think relationships like this are okay. Reading storylines like this can really warp people's minds into think it's okay and normal when it's absolutely not.
Reading the Next One? I might since it's obviously a companion novel. The hints that have been dropped about Gunner's and Riley's past intrigues me and I'm hoping for something vastly different than Maggie's and West's story.
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