ARC, 304 pagesRelease Date: January 28, 2014Published by: Harlequin TeenStand-aloneSource: Edelweiss (A huge thanks to Edelweiss and Harlequin Teen for providing me this galley in exchange for a just and honest review.)For fans of: Romance, Contemporary, Health Issues, YALife. Death. And...Love?
Emma would give anything to talk to her mother one last time. Tell her about her slipping grades, her anger with her stepfather, and the boy with the bad reputation who might be the only one Emma can be herself with.But Emma can't tell her mother anything. Because her mother is brain-dead and being kept alive by machines for the baby growing inside her.
Meeting bad-boy Caleb Harrison wouldn't have interested Old Emma. But New Emma-the one who exists in a fog of grief, who no longer cares about school, whose only social outlet is her best friend Olivia-New Emma is startled by the connection she and Caleb forge.
Feeling her own heart beat again wakes Emma from the grief that has grayed her existence. Is there hope for life after death-and maybe, for love?
*MY THOUGHTS*
When I say it took all of me to finish this book... It took a hell of an effort for me to finish it and the only reason I did was because I kept hoping against hope that she would grow up and change. Because most of what was going on was hurting me so much to read.
Let's start off with what I DID like about this story. The writing style was amazing. All the emotions that Emma, Dan, Caleb, and Olivia went through are clearly shown throughout the novel. In some places their grief almost broke me down. In all honesty, if you can look past some things, it really is a gut wrenching story. And with it actually happening in the same state where I am, it makes it all too real." Under the idea that we have choices, is the reminder that sometimes we don't. That sometimes life is bigger than our plans. Bigger than us."
48% (e-ARC)
But the reality stops there. The reason I wanted to stop reading this was the MC, I HATED her. She was the most selfish, undeserving brat on the planet. She put Dan in such a bad position it was unreal. And then, it didn't matter what he said or did, she still hated him for it. She just didn't understand that Dan had lost someone too and she made EVERYTHING about her. Even when it shouldn't have been about her at all. I mean let's be honest.... You were upset because Dan didn't want to be all huggy huggy with you. Yes your mother just died, but his wife just died as well. He was in love with her. And he didn't ask you about keeping her alive to save the baby because (and correct me if I'm wrong) he's your brother and you should have been jumping up and down saying "YES SAVE HIM PLEASE!"" I thought getting a guy to like you was the hard part," she mutters. "But its just as hard after that. How come no one ever tells you that?"
61% (e-ARC)
And as for the romance, I felt it was a good one because they both found someone that was able to understand what they were going through, even if it was in completely different ways. But I didn't feel like it was believable. This completely broken person finds another completely broken person and turns them around from 70%-100% and that person completes a whole 180? Yeah I'm not sure about that. I just felt like it was a little insta-lovey for them not to know anything about each other, but you know he lost someone so you just up and start talking to him? I don't like it."You can't read school stuff all the time.."
62% (e-ARC)
This book wasn't normally one I would pick up. I had something completely different in mind for this story and it changed me. But please be prepared, if you don't have that much patience, this is not the story for you. The MC will ruin any chance you have of enjoying it." I love you is just words but it is more than that when you mean them. When you feel them.."
97% (e-ARC)
Overall, I give this
