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363 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 10, 2019
"Sometimes when we’re alone, he looks at me in a way that makes me feel empty when he looks away."
“Dinner is ready. Go tell them before he gets her pregnant.”
“I didn’t think our first kiss would be like that,” he says quietly.
“Like what?”
“Sweet.”
“How did you think it would be?”
His eyes wander to the few remaining customers still lingering. “I can’t show you in here.”
“That’s a lot of pressure for someone your age.” Miller rests a hand on my cheek. “You’re only sixteen and look what you’ve been through. Life doesn’t play favorites.”
“I’m confident that I’ll never spend a single second of my life regretting you.”
This was a MESS, and I’m having a serious case of NEBRASKA headache. Being in Clara’s head made me want to commit murder. I’m sorry, but despite understanding the whole situation, I just CANNOT with this book!!!!!
*Outstanding*
The simplicity and consistency of the storytelling is the strongest aspect of this book. With faultless pacing from the very first page, we meet characters who are in the midst of defining moments predicated on a single decision. When fate dealt its hands, that tapestry provides the backdrop for a story with much heartache, but also hope and growth and love.
The thing I most appreciate is how Hoover kept a distance, never manipulating the situation. To take a premise such as this without embellishments or distractions is nothing short of masterful storytelling.
This book is one that should be read without spoilers so I'm not even going there. Suffice to say it dealt with weighty issues which, considering the enormity, were handled with respect to both the characters and THE READER.
At the tail end, and as if she knew we needed a good laugh, Hoover throws us a bone with the mockumentary which was the perfect antidote to the many heartaches and tears we'd just experienced. Unexpectedly, I exited the lives of these characters with a sigh of joy instead of a heavy heart. Thank you!
“I’ve believed in you since the moment I met you. I believe in myself now that I’ve finally left you.”
“I guess that happens when you become a mother, though. Your focus is no longer on yourself. Your life becomes all about this beautiful tiny little human you created.”
“Right after something tragic happens, you feel like you’ve fallen off a cliff. But after the tragedy starts to sink in, you realize you didn’t fall off a cliff. You’re on an eternal roller coaster that just reached the bottom. Now it’s gonna be up and down and upside down for a long, long time. Maybe even forever.”
CoHo, sweetie, you need to do something about your obsession with car accidents in your books