From #1 New York Times bestselling author Jamie McGuire comes a riveting tale of first love that starts young but runs deep.The first time Elliott Youngblood spots Catherine Calhoun, he’s just a boy with a camera, and he’s never seen a sadder and more beautiful sight. Both Elliott and Catherine feel like outcasts, yet they find an easy friendship with each other. But when Catherine needs him … Catherine needs him most, Elliott is forced to leave town.
Elliott finally returns, but he and Catherine are now different people. He’s a star high school athlete, and she spends all her free time working at her mother’s mysterious bed-and-breakfast. Catherine hasn’t forgiven Elliott for abandoning her, but he’s determined to win back her friendship…and her heart.
Just when Catherine is ready to fully trust Elliott, he becomes the prime suspect in a local tragedy. Despite the town’s growing suspicions, Catherine clings to her love for Elliott. But a devastating secret that Catherine has buried could destroy whatever chance of happiness they have left.
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All the Little Lights just became my favorite by Jamie McGuire. Love, sadness, happiness, suspense, guilt, and freedom were all emotions throughout the story. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time waiting to see what was going to happen.
Elliott lives on the same street as Catherine when he stays at his aunt’s house during the summers. Then he finally makes his way back to Juniper Street to stay. Catherine has been going through a lot since the last time she saw Elliott. Things aren’t what they once were.
I was gobsmacked! Wow! This is my kind of book. The mystery and suspense kept me on hold of this book. Although the story centers of The 2 main characters, their battles and quest for a brighter future and hopes in spite if their broken life and family, the mystery plot gave a really good “spice” in the whole story. It was brilliantly done. It’s emotional, heartwrenching, nerve-wracking, suprising and suspenseful. Oh boy! What a real surprising revelation. Got me on blindly on this rude. Excellent!
All the Little Lights is significantly different from what readers have come to expect from Jamie McGuire based on her previous releases, but readers shouldn’t let that fact deter them from reading Elliott and Catherine’s story because not only are the hero and heroine intriguing characters who experience all the ups and downs that teens go through as they grow up, but this coming of age love story also tackles a variety of tough issues that are important to explore, and McGuire does so with respect and honesty.
When the book begins, Elliott and Catherine are in their teens, growing up in a small town in Oklahoma and finding comfort and solace with each other since they both feel like outcasts. Their friendship helps them both endure what they’re faced with, and it’s a bond that seems unbreakable until it isn’t…until Elliott leaves town without telling Catherine goodbye…without giving her an explanation and what makes things worse is the fact that when she needs him most, he’s nowhere to be found, breaking her heart and her trust in irreparable ways.
Elliott and Catherine’s story has a multifaceted plot line – one that not only incorporates a multitude of life’s issues but also uses several perspectives to deliver the story line, and while that complicates the events that occur in the story, it also layers the book in a way that allows readers to see all sides of the circumstances that the hero and the heroine face. There are several unknown pieces of information that unravel as All the Little Lights continues, which keeps readers guessing as well as anticipating the answers, making it quite the interesting read.
All the Little Lights is a mature young adult coming of age love story. As the main characters face a variety of obstacles, feeling the highs and lows as well as the ups and downs of life, readers not only learn from the characters’ mistakes, but they also cheer the hero and heroine and hope against hope that they’ll be able to find their way back to each other and make things right between them when Elliott returns and refuses to give up on what he had with Catherine before he left. But their ending may be out of Elliott’s hands because there’s more working against his reunion with Catherine than just her broken heart, which means that the darkness may hold them back from ever being in the light together again.
4 Poison Apples
This is one of those books that is a slow burn. All the Little Lights by the New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author, Jamie McGuire is not necessarily a low burn in the romance kinda way, but in that slow build, the gradual incline until BAM! it all goes up in smoke and you are left with no words for how great that was.
I don’t want to say too much and I don’t care how good you are at figuring books out but this one has topped it for me. DID NOT SEE THAT COMING!
So well written. This book is around 444 pages and you will zip right through them. The strong characters, the plot, the interactions, the situations, emotions, drama and the secrets are so well done, you will just love this book. There is just so much depth to this book, that it truly has something for every type of reader: romance, mystery, values, bullying, general life dealings, death, racism. It just has everything.
Elliott is drawn to Catherine from a young age. The boy with a camera, the outcast of town he spends his summers inside.
Catherine, whom everyone thinks has it all, watches as her world comes crashing down. But the boy she usually turns to is gone too.
When Elliott finally returns, he learns that he as well as Catherine are no longer the “kids” they once were. Elliott is determined to find out Catherine’s secrets, but when a classmate goes missing, Elliott becomes the number 1 suspect. Can they survive and hold onto each other? OMG go read this story.
The slow burn will lead to ending that is just explosive. A must read.
5 brilliant Stars.
Review by Lisa, Late Night Reviewer for Up All Night w/ Books Blog
Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team
Erica –
To be honest, I have absolutely NO idea how to review All the Little Lights, as I’m going to do my best to avoid any and all spoilers and refuse to delve into book report territory. I went into reading the book blind, and I want everyone else to do so too.
Was I hooked from the beginning? No.
Why? Elliot is awesome – his child version was the sweetest, most protective little fella, but the setting and pacing were bizarre, and it never really changed from that point onward.
There are three eras to the novel. Child versions of Elliot and Catherine, which is only a handful of pages. Fifteen-year-old kids, which spanned a portion of the novel. The main portion featured a seventeen and eighteen-year-old Catherine and Elliot, including scenes in a high school.
What I truly appreciated within All the Little Lights is how the bond between Elliot and Catherine was instantaneous, but it wasn’t romantic in nature. Real love must be based in friendship, not infatuation and lust. Over hundreds of pages, the pure connection between Elliot and Catherine is forged with organic, lifelike realism.
I’m a sucker for what I call Gothic romance, featuring a mystery surrounding a drafty old house filled with secrets. I love the classics and their remakes into film, and this book does hold a place in my heart because it reminds me so much of those types of stories. Which is why the high school environment felt so out of place for me, like the two parts don’t necessarily form a whole.
I can’t call this novel a page-turner, not with the baffling pacing and release of information. As I read, I could sense something beneath the surface. What was jarring is how it was Catherine keeping the secret, refusing to tell others what was happening, but the reader was literally INSIDE Catherine’s head during her narration, which is what had me stuttering and stumbling as I read.
There was a door slammed between our narrator and the reader, and it created an emotional disconnect, while she was telling us her story.
The novel is definitely a mystery – a mystery the narrator is keeping from the readers and all the characters in the novel. While I love to be surprised, this slowed the pacing while simultaneously frustrating me. I was curious, but I could see some readers hanging up the towel because no information is given. There is no steady breadcrumb trail, no piecemeal delivery to keep the reader engaged. No trails for readers to follow as they connected the dots – no foreshadowing or information to be puzzled together to solve the mystery.
The reader has to wait through 90% of the novel to be given… something.
While reading everyday events, which did seem to feel redundant, slowing down the pacing even more while feeding my need to skim-read, there was this ‘I’m in the Twilight Zone’ sensation while reading about teenage angst, football games, and catty mean girls. The juxtaposition was jarring. Not only did it feel several hundred pages too long, it also read longer.
So, Erica, why are you handing out five stars?
Native American culture intrigues me, because I come from a region in the northeast that is heavily laced with Native American history. While there is a lot of racism shown, I don’t feel as if it’s the author’s voice flowing through – more as if she is placing a voice to the ignorance that does infect through the generations. I will say, this felt more like what I would have heard when I was in fourth or fifth grade back in the early 90s, while I was second-hand bullied alongside a Native American boy in my class, not in a more politically correct 2018.
True story, as we sat next to one another – (boy’s first name) “Green swims in Lake Erie!” (nickname for Erica) was a euphemism we dealt with several times a day for two school years, along with other racial slurs. So this portion hit me hard, because the treatment of my classmate and his brother has never left me all these years later.
I wanted to give Elliot the biggest hug and tell him he’s an amazing person.
I also say time and time again, if the author surprises me, I don’t care what else I found off within the novel, I will hand out a 5-star rating, because it’s nearly impossible to surprise me. I will admit, I did get it right early on, but I dismissed it as quickly as it popped into my head… hundreds of pages later, I was like, WOW! HA! Awesome!
I adored Catherine and Elliot, even if I felt the connection was almost an unhealthy extreme, but it was the aloofness, the lack of emotion from Catherine as she kept her secrets, her codependency on her mother and Juniper that felt so off.
While I was entertained and awed, while I appreciated the writing and the story itself, that disconnect between Catherine and the reader was most difficult for me.
I’m glad I read the All the Little Lights, and I’ll never forget it. However, reading is so subjective, I have no idea who to recommend this to – I did rec it to my own mother, though.
Young Adult age-range: 13+, featuring kissing and violent situations.
Veronica –
We follow Elliot and Catherine from when they first meet and spend a summer together, to them being separated, and Elliot’s return to Oak Creek in his senior year. When Elliot returns, two years have passed and there have been some big changes in Catherine’s life, but he is still completely devoted to her.
If you decide to read All the Pretty Lights please be patient. It took me three days to read the first 40% of the book and it felt like three weeks. A lot happens in Elliot and Catherine’s lives but at the same time I felt like there was not much direction and I was wondering where the story was going. I also had a feeling of dread at what was to come next because it felt like it would be something big. Elliot’s love for and commitment to Catherine, coupled with my curiosity about what was actually going on at the Juniper, kept me reading.
All the Pretty Lights deals with lots of different issues. Family drama, teenage love, loss, bullying, and high school drama, as well as having mystery tinted with danger. Once the story really got going about half way through I couldn’t put it down. I was on the edge of my seat as it unfolded in ways I was not expecting.
Every girl deserves to have a guy like Elliot in their life and in their corner, and he is a big part of what makes All the Pretty Lights an excellent young adult novel. This story is well worth your time. My advice is don’t rush it, be patient, and just let the story unfold.
Jordan –
This was my first time reading anything by Jamie McGuire and I have to say that I was completely blown away by All the Little Lights. I just have no words to describe my current feelings after such an ending because I am still reeling from it! All the Little Lights was definitely kind of a slow start for me, but by the end I was on the edge my seat and completely invested in Catherine and Elliot’s love story. I also really appreciated that the story rotated between Elliot’s point of view and Catherine’s. Although, I thought this was gonna be a nice, sweet young adult story about first love and coming of age, but what I got was actually a riveting tale with a gothic feel to it. If this is what I can expect from all of McGuire’s books I may have to start adding them to my TBR pile immediately because by the end, I could not put it down. I’m not gonna lie, I probably was leaning more towards a four star review, but by the end I was just so incredibly impressed that I can’t not give it a full five stars. Like, is it just me? I literally can’t stop talking about it. I am so enchanted that I want to immediately read it again! Don’t be fooled by the cute little synopsis and charming little cover picture because this story has depth!
I think fans of Jennifer L Armentrout’s Don’t Look Back and Sara Shepard’s Pretty Little Liars series will easily find themselves intrigued by this book.
5 stars for All the Little Lights by Jamie McGuire
Sarah –
Oooh – this is a wonderfully creepy story full of Southern Gothic charm. On one level, it is the story of the friendship between the daughter of a wealthy family and the son of a blue collar aboriginal family. It is a dark coming of age story and the story of a childhood friendship that gradually becomes a romance. On another level – Nope. Not going there because revealing anything else might spoil the story for another reader.
There is a little bit of Harper Lee’s Maycomb in this book and a whole lot of Flannery O’Connor’s twisted imagination, but the story isn’t crafted quite as tightly as the classics by either of these writers. The pace is slow, and the time lapses and shifts in narrative voice don’t always work. Too many characters on the periphery of the story aren’t fully fleshed. It took time for me to get into the book, but I really enjoyed the stifling atmosphere and the gradual build of tension.
I wasn’t expecting to love this book. The young adult blurb and John Green style cover doesn’t really do it justice. But Elliott and Catherine captured my heart and my imagination. Once I got properly stuck into their story, I couldn’t put it down and I couldn’t get it out of my head once I finished it. I have to recommend it both to teens and to adult readers because – like all the best books – it doesn’t fit neatly into easy genre boxes.
Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of All the Little Lights by Jamie McGuire to read and review.
How to review this book, that is the big question? First let me say that I am a huge fan of Jamie McGuire. When I read the synopsis of this book on Goodreads, it seemed different from other Jamie McGuire books and that intrigued me. And different it was, in the best possible way. This book grabs the reader from the very first page and doesn’t let go. This book starts off sweetly with Catherine and Elliott falling in love the summer after their freshman year in HS. The two are torn apart by circumstances beyond their control, but Elliott makes it back to Catherine at the beginning of their senior year…But things have changed, Catherine has changed. This is where the story takes on a dark tone. There were times that I felt totally creepy, knew there was something going on…Nope not going to tell you! Jamie McGuire does a great job with character development, makings the reader truly care about the characters. She slowly develops this story and carefully guides the reader through the ups, downs, twists and turns. I was totally blind sided by this book, and that rarely happens. This book kept me reading, and I was unable to put it down. You have just found your next great read.
Its been a minute since I read a Jamie McGuire book, so when I heard she was releasing a new book, I was excited to read it. Then I read the blurb for All the Little Lights and was even more excited. This sounded a bit different than previous books of her I have read and was intrigued.
Elliott Youngblood and Catherine Calhoun clicked as soon as they met. They found a connection with each other that helped them develop a friendship they both valued. But then Elliott leaves and Catherine feels lost and alone. When he returns a few years later, everything is different.
When Elliott comes back, he is now on the school football team and popular, while Catherine is still an outcast and barely surviving. But Elliott is determined to win Catherine back. but when tragedy strikes, and Elliott is the prime suspect. Can Catherine really trust him?
All the Little Lights was very different than other books I have read from Jamie McGuire, however, it was still a story about love, but also touched on issues faced by young adults. The story was a bit darker, had some suspense and I found it engaging.
Read and reviewed for Reviews From The Heart.
Happy reading!
I spent the entire book sure that I knew what would happen. I knew. 110%. And when the reveal hit, I shouted like a lunatic. I was right. But even knowing, you can’t help but get caught up in the secrets. The creepy underbelly of the Juniper is something you can’t wash off.
All the Little Lights is definitely a new direction. Jamie McGuire is a talented and gifted author who has no trouble pulling the reader into a story. It took a little longer for me to “sit comfortably” into this story. I imagine it’s like sitting on your new neighbors couch. You have expectations and this couch doesn’t look like yours. It unfamiliar and you don’t want to fall in or be uncomfortable but you try not to be a stiff. All the Little Lights was like sitting on that couch it took me the awkward greeting, a talk about the weather, and an offer of ice tea to relax into this story.
Don’t misunderstand, you won’t relax entirely until the end of this story. But just like the couch you can get comfortable…maybe too comfortable. Just ask Catherine what getting comfortable can do…
All my random, vague comments aside, I enjoyed All the Little Lights. I liked the suspense. The need to know everything that encompasses the reader. The edge that the secrets creates. It was all positively nerve inducing.
I’ve been sitting at my computer desk trying to figure out how to start this review? It’s not that I didn’t like the book, it’s that it actually hits extremely close to home. Maybe that’s why I liked it so much. Maybe that’s why I’m ranking it so high. Maybe. But, it’s also because this was beautifully told story. One that I can actually see becoming a movie.
Elliott isn’t your typical kid. From a very young age he’s had to deal with parental issues, finding refuge at his aunts house during the summer months. It’s during one of those months that everything changed. It’s the summer that he found “the one”. The one girl who stole his heart at eleven years old. The one he will do anything to save.
Catherine is a bit of an outcast. Mainly due to family history, but that doesn’t seem to matter. She’s spent years trying to forget the neighbor she became friends with one summer. The same summer her dad died. The same summer that everything seemed to change. Now he’s back. And despite rekindling the friendship, there are just some things that she can’t tell him. Secrets that will effect everything she’s spent the last two years keeping quiet.
I’m not gonna lie. There were times that I felt this story dragged on a little too long. Mainly in the beginning during the “building” chapters. But once I hit the half way mark, it couldn’t put this down. I just KNEW that there was a reason I needed to finish this and find out what’s happening. I’m so glad I did.
I have to admit. I shed tears. The secret? Yeah, it’s pretty big. And this is where it hits home. My dad had the same secret. So maybe a few of those tears were shed for him too. But this story was more than the secret. It’s about love. True, raw and undeniable love. Even the side characters got to find love again. And THAT is why this got such a high rating.
This is a story that starts with two teenagers who are seen as awkward and like each other. They don’t really know how to act on that and tread very carefully with each other. While they may not know how to act on their like of each other they do know that they can trust each other and share their secrets. Then Elliott gets torn away at the time Catherine needs him the most. They both don’t stop thinking about each other but being teenagers they are lost to their parent’s rules. Elliott finally returns to Catherine their senior year of high school but must work to earn her trust again.
I was entirely invested in this book. Elliott’s persistence in earning Catherine’s friendship was wonderful. He warmed my heart by never giving up on her yet realizing that there were times that he had to give her some space or he would lose her forever. I like that Catherine made Elliott work to earn her back. She wasn’t mean, she wasn’t unforgiving, she was careful with her heart.
Jamie McGuire tackled bullying, racism, peer pressure, and mental health all while keeping the story realistic. She didn’t cover up the real world of being a teenager and showed that there is help available when needed. This is the first book I have read by Jamie but I am excited to read more from her.
I did the biggest snoopy happy dance when I was approved for this through NetGalley and wow I don’t think I’m going to recover anytime soon.
One heck of a book hangover and I really can’t move past it cause there is not another book I want right now.
I sat riveted to the edge of my seat. Feeling every emotion and putting the puzzle pieces together. It’s so well written that the mystery stayed until the very end. Beautiful poignant words written like a melody for your imagination and a treat for your reading eyes.
I’ve been a Jamie fan forever…since Beautiful Disaster but this…this is sitting right next to Travis. I love a book that challenges my brain. I blocked out the entire world while I read and I really would love to get lost again.
Catherine meets Elliott when he comes to live with his aunt to escape from the terrible life at home. They become dependant on each other, coming closer. A tragedy strikes Catherine’s life, but at the time when she needs him the most, Elliott is ripped away from her by his aunt. Two years later he’s back to claim her, but by that time Catharine is far gone into her shell.
I had trouble connecting with the people, and some scenarios are weird. Just my opinion. Please go and read the book
Surprised.
That about sums up this book into one word. I was surprised by the story line and being so shocked at the end of the book. I was surprised by how different this felt from any other book Jamie has written. I was surprised that this was not what I expected at all.
This was a roller coast of a book that had so many bumps along the way that I never knew what to expect. It was suspense the whole time yet it had an undercurrent of hope the whole way. It was very coming of age and yet had so many important topics being covered in it.
While I really liked the story line and the mystery of it all, my rating comes down to never really connecting to the characters. For me, that took away some of the enjoyment for me personally. I still recommend this to anyone who likes these types of books. It’s a good read either way.
This was different from the other books I have read from Jamie McGuire and whilst it took me longer then usual to get into, once I did get into it I was completely hooked.
I went into this book quite blind, not sure what to expect, just excited that it was a Jamie McGuire book and she did a great job keeping me on the edge of my seat in anticipation of what was going to happen next and in suspense of what was going on behind the closed doors.
I loved Elliott Youngblood and Catherine Calhoun together. They both seem so damaged and sad but together they seem to spark some life back into each other. The first time he sees Catherine he has never seen such a beautiful but sad sight. They are both outcasts dealing with families issues but they find an easy friendship with each other that is until the worse day of Catherine’s life and Elliott is forced to leave town. When he finally comes back a few years later he finds a different girl who is more guarded. He will have to work hard to gain her trust again and break her walls down.
This book really dealt with some serious issues such as bullying, being judge based on your colour, nationality and culture, such emotive issues but so well written and dealt with, She also paired these with loyalty, protectiveness and friendship helping you overcome the obstacles in your way.
I am looking forward to seeing what Jamie brings us next
Ho-ly buckets. This book just came out of nowhere and blew my everloving mind. I have no idea what I expected going into this book, but it wasn’t the sort of eerie, atmospheric, darkish story that I got. The whole story played out with a sense of foreboding and, I’m not going to lie, I thought I had it all figured out early on. I sailed through pages thinking I knew exactly where this was heading.
I was wrong.
And GAHHHHHH I love so much that I was wrong!
Sorry, I think I’m still a little bit buzzy from that mind-blowing ending. I felt it like a physical blow and all my senses came alive. Amazing.
Elliott and Catherine were interesting and compelling characters. I was fascinated by them and loved their unique and powerful connection. I might have liked to have felt a little more chemistry between them – but nonetheless they stole my heart in scenes and moments that left me a little breathless and starry eyed over them.
This is a very long book and it did drag for me in parts. I found myself frustrated, wanting the story to move forward, wanting answers to the questions that were building up in my head, and wanting to be proven right about my assumptions over how it was going to play out (which, obviously never happened). I skimmed a bit in the middle, but was 100% invested and needed to know what was going to happen next. And, in case I haven’t made it clear: what happened next was phenomenal!
In all, this was a little darker than I was expecting. The romance is sweet and endearing, but almost takes back seat to the mystery that hums in the background for the first half of the book before roaring to life in the second half. All the Little Lights was a fascinating read and definitely worth picking up!
Wow, what a phenomenal and unique story! This book is outside of Jamie’s usual genre but was so well written with amazingly complex characters, that I just devoured it! It was a strange and fascinating plot that had my mind reeling over the possibilities of what Cathrine’s secret could be and I was speechless when it was finally revealed! I definitely did not see that twist coming but it was heartbreaking. It really showed her strength as a young woman, that she dealt with it all on her own. I loved the relationship between her and Elliot and I’m so glad he kept hanging on when she tried to push him away! While the book was dark and mysterious, it still has that beautiful love story intertwined that this author is known for! It was a fabulous book that will have me thinking about it for a while, as I really really enjoyed it!
* I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review *
This was different and I liked it! I have not read the popular series by this author but even I know this was nothing like her other series.
I wasn’t sure what to expect but I was completely engrossed. The author did a good job of keeping me guessing about what the heck was going on behind closed doors.
It starts out with a sweet boy crushes on girl story and as the story developed, the more I wondered if there was more going on in the back ground. It was subtle and brilliantly done. This has a great love story with a bit of dark side to it and I’ll leave it at that so as not to ruin anything.
This is actually one of those stories that I wish I had read with a buddy so I could discuss a few things. Great story. Great writing.
“… you either get good at rising above and meeting ignorance with education, or you get really good at being bitter.”
It’s been so so so long since I read my last McGuire. If I remember correctly it was Beautiful Oblivion almost 4 years ago. And I hadn’t even realized that that much time had passed where I haven’t read recently anything of hers until a month ago when I stumbled upon this book on NetGalley. And let me tell you, that the minute I read the blurb, I requested it in ONE-CLICK and, after, I jumped up-and-down when I got the confirmation email that I got it.
Plus, expect going without a McGuire, I was going without a YA also for quite some time. And All The Little Lights surely proved to be the perfect and most loud coming back in that genre.
My mind is super blown away. Except getting caught off guard with how unique and how beautiful the story of Catherine & Elliot was, I was also stupefied and certainly terrified & chilled to the bone with that freaking plot twist towards the end when the secret that was looming over the whole book was finally revealed. I had to read that part twice until I actually got my mind wrapped around what I had just actually read. An almighty curveball ALRIGHT! *POOF*
Then, it’s the super awesome mystery & “darkness” that surrounded both the town, but most importantly Catherine’s life. Page after page, I was trying to figure out what she was hiding but I’d hardly scratch the surface of what actually was hidden. One of the coolest things that I experienced while reading this AMAZING book was that every word and every scene was forming in front of my eyes like an actual movie; like I was watching the book’s adaptation on the big screen instead of just reading it. And if there is a story that it deserves to become a movie, this is it!
Catherine & Elliot. How can I describe the avalanche of emotions these two created in me? What words should I choose so I can describe the beauty, the sweetness, and the innocence of their friendship-turned-to-love story? It’s near impossible. McGuire undoubtedly nailed it with these characters. She wrote them so damn well and gave them such deep, complicated and captivating personalities that it made complete sense for their story and journey to be also like that, now that I am thinking about it. Catherine, from the one side, being the retracted, to-her-self girl who wanted to get the hell out of Oak Creek and find her way, and Elliot, form the other side, being the outgoing, proud for his roots, artistic, strong-willed boy who was soaring through his teenage life doing what was expressing him while having to deal with his parents’ fights and was loving Catherine fiercely.
There are some facts about the book that they aren’t obvious but if you sit and watch the book from all respectives, you will see them.
The book may be a continuous story through its all 440 pages, but in reality, it’s divided into three parts.
1. It’s more than a love story. In reality, the love that Catherine & Elliot’s friendship blossoms into, it’s just a subplot which adds more intensity to the actual plot and makes its ending’s importance and impact heavier and with more dimensions.
2. The social “taboo” subjects of Mental Illness, Family Abuse aka “Domestic Violence” and Racism take center stage. What makes the huge difference, though, is that McGuire isn’t just raising these important subjects, but she is choosing to project them through the eyes of two 18-year-olds which only elevates the book’s importance and takes it in a whole new level.
3. McGuire doesn’t stay only in Racism. She also adds a subject that we see more often that we should and that is the Law Enforcement Abuse of Power, which more and more nowadays is connected with racist behavior. How many times do we see police officers using the power that the government has laid upon them to protect the citizens for their own gain or just “because they can”, ending in shameful actions?
4. It’s not by chance that the story is unfolded in a small town. Usually, in the big cities, people have the “choice” to overlook the important stuff and go on with their life as the modern lifestyle asks. But, when the same stuff happens in a small town, people don’t have the luxury to overlook; they are forced to take notice.
5. The story, also, negotiates with subjects as the importance of friendship, courage, standing up for yourself, being brave, following your dreams, the sacrifices we do for the people we love etc.
There are no limitations to all the things you can extract from the simple and, at the same time, complex story of Catherine and Elliot. But, that’s the beauty of a great book, right? Though, I have to admit that I wasn’t used to this new, rawer, more real and challenging kind of writing style that Jamie adopted for this book. Sure, her Beautiful series (Travis & Abby) was full on rawness and emotional overload and in levels that you thought your heart wouldn’t be able to take it till the end. This time though, all that took a whole new meaning which resulted in me being mind-blowing surprised. And honestly, I think this is the style that fits her better. I can’t wait to read her new From Here To You which comes out on August 21st.
Beautiful journey to love that shows the depth and determination of first love. Elliott’s home life is less than stellar so he usually is shipped off to his aunt and uncles house for the summer. His Aunt Leigh loves him, though she is tough to know, but she inspires him with his first camera. As he explores town to take pictures, he sees Catherine and his heart is stolen. Now, it takes years for this boy to actually talk to her but when he does, a true friendship is born. Catherine’s world is tainted by her families’ past in town which follows her like a black cloud which hinders her from making friends. When she meets Elliott, she isn’t sure what to think but she needs an escape from her parents fighting which opens her eyes to a true friend. Then Catherine’s world crashes down on her while Elliott gets ripped away against his will. When Elliott makes it back to Catherine a few years later, he is determined to get Catherine back. But will Catherine let him in, a lot has changed over the years. I love Catherine’s strength, she is a teenager, navigating a small-town world that she didn’t make but gets judged by every day. She doesn’t always see her own strength but she is a true warrior. Elliott, oh Elliott, his love for Catherine is limitless and is willingness to throw himself at her mercy is heartwarming. He faces his own challenges due to his ethnicity and his mother’s prejudices about Oak Creek. This is an emotional roller-coaster that shocked me while it captured my heart for this couple to find the happiness they both truly deserve. I voluntarily read an ARC of this book and this is my honest review.
***4 Stars***
This was nothing like I expected, but I really, really liked it.
This isn’t to say that the description is not accurate, because it is, it’s just that there is so much more and the more kinda hit me in stages and had me going sideways a bit, but that only served to keep me turning the pages to find out what would happen next with Elliott, Catherine and all the mysterious stuff with her mom and the B & B.
Sooooo, Imma put this out there now: This is gonna be a vague super non-spoilery review. It has to be because of all that goes on in the book. Just wanted to give you a heads up now.
Cathering and Elliott. I really liked both of them. What I saw were two kids who had really good hearts, despite all they’d dealt with in their short years on this Earth, or it could be because of it that they were as good as they, hard to say. But they were good people, in that strange in-between where they were more mature that their years, and were still going through all the crazy teen stuff. Their romance is sweet and has just the right amount of teenage YA/NA angst to remind you that they are still “kids”, but the connection between them is strong and I liked where things went with them.
Now for the mystery of the B & B and all that goes on there. I have to say that it took me a bit to clue in to all that was going on, but once I did it ended up being a lot more fun for me. I know, it sounds odd, but the way things were…presented were pretty cool, even if it was a little eerie and I kept waiting to see when and how everything would finally be exposed.
This is my first Jamie McGuire read and I really enjoyed it. The writing was engaging and I enjoyed the dual 1st person POV. The pacing was good, though at times it did drag a bit, but not to the point where I got bored or wanted to skip ahead. The secondary cast of characters were definitely interesting and we have a 50/50 split of the ones that I liked vs. ones I didn’t. My only gripe, really, is that I wish we’d gotten a little more of a wrap up in the end. The big issues are closed out, but there were a few things I’d have really liked a little follow up. But, other than that, this was a quick read that kept me on my toes.
~ Copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley & voluntarily reviewed ~